Pious Lutheran

“ Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? ” The answer to that question is really quite obvious and even the simplest person knows that the greatest in heaven is God. But that’s not the question, is it. The question is “Who after God is the greatest in heaven?” Or, more accurately yet, “Am I the greatest in heaven?” This is what the mother of James and John was inferring when she asked Jesus to set her boys at His right hand. She wanted them to be the greatest in heaven. This is why the other disciples were upset with James and John, because they wished they had asked Jesus first so they could be the greatest in Heaven. This is what all the disciples want in today’s lesson, they want to be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven!  But Jesus turns the whole thing on its head, and probably utterly confounds and shocks the disciples and the crowd listening. Jesus makes the least to be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. In order to be greatest you really do need to be the least.

For a moment this morning, I’d like us to consider what the life of one of the ten lepers from our Gospel lesson might have been like. Just to make it a little more relatable, let’s give one of them a name, maybe a good Hebrew name like Jacob. Jacob was a regular down to earth loveable guy. He was born and raised in the village. He had a good job, working alongside his brothers and cousins, and lived in the same neighborhood as the rest of his siblings. After some time he found a wife and was married, he loved her very much. They had children who were just beginning to get to that age where they were having lots of fun as a family.  Jacob had a good life. A few bumps and bruises along the way, but overall it was a life filled with joy. He had a good job, with a great boss. Jacob was never gonna be rich, but he found that didn’t matter considering the wife and children he had, he felt like the richest man on earth. He had a good life. But one day his upper arm started to itch and h

“ What must I do to inherit eternal life? ” How am I saved? That’s the question asked by so many. And for the most part, when people read the parable of the Good Samaritan, they interpret it to mean that if they behave like the Good Samaritan, if they do good to their neighbor, then they will be saved. They hear Jesus’ words, “ do this, and you will live, ” and they truly believe that they will justify themselves through selfless service to their neighbors.  But this parable teaches just the opposite. It’s actually not primarily about us showing mercy to our neighbor so that we may be saved. Instead, Christ is the neighbor to us who shows us mercy so that we may have eternal life. The parables are hard; they’re not easy. Right before the parable begins, Jesus privately said to His disciples, “ Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. ” Con

Do you remember the Gospel lesson from last Sunday or what the sermon was about? Last week we heard the parable of the pharisee and the tax collector. The pharisee believed himself to be righteous by his own merits and the works which he had accomplished. He trusted in himself for his salvation. While the tax collector was extremely sorrowful and repentant for all of his works, and trusted in God for his righteousness. Thus, the pharisee who trusted in himself and thought himself righteous, returned home as the unrighteous one, while the tax collector who forsook all hope in himself returned home righteous. From this parable we heard of the most glorious and comforting teaching of the whole Christian church: justification! By nature we are all sinful and are born under the power of the devil. Our works avail us none and will no more gain for us heaven than would a filthy rag. But instead, Christ has sacrificed Himself, paying the debt of sin which we owe and taking away the Father’s

Everyone wants to be righteous. Everyone wants to be a good person. It’s true. Because of our conscience we don’t want to be bad people. When we feel guilty or ashamed of ourselves, when we feel that sinking feeling in the pit of our stomach because we’re a bad person, all we want is to feel good again. Everyone wants to be righteous, everyone wants to be good.  So let us today consider how we often think we’re good and righteous, and compare that to what actually makes us righteous. In today’s Gospel lesson, we come to the realization that Christ justifies the humble sinner. Nevertheless, our sinful hearts want to reject that truth. So the different religions of the world invent ways in order for man to feel righteous and good. Jews say that if you’re circumcised and keep the laws of Moses and their traditions, then you’re righteous. Mohammedans say that if you believe in only one god and that Mohammed is the prophet, if you keep the laws of the koran, then you’re righteous. Papi