Pious Lutheran

Saint John the Baptist Preparing Himself for His Martyrdom , Louis Finson, 1607 God’s Word, the Bible, isn’t like a Disney movie or a comic book; it can be very harsh and jarring at times. The cover art on the bulletin is a good example of that; it’s harsh and not pleasant to look at. I looked up some other art for this day of the church year and let’s just say this bulletin art is very tame in comparison. The reason that God’s Word, like our Gospel reading today, can be so harsh and uncomfortable is because it’s real, and reality is not a cute cartoon. This world is harsh and uncomfortable, it’s messy and violent, it’s frightening and worrisome. God knows it. Being a Christian in this world is risky and it can cost you everything. God’s Word is true and good and beautiful, but it often makes people uncomfortable and even murderously angry. When Christians cling to His Word, it can cause Christians much suffering. Yet, in spite of their earthly suffering, God promises to give rest to t...

Agnus Dei from Ghent Altarpiece , Jan van Eyck, 1432 Dear children, grandchildren, close friends and relatives of Elden, God’s mercy and peace be unto you all in the name of Jesus Christ our Savior. “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.” The steadfast love of Jesus and His mercy drove Him to the cross in order to fulfill His promise for Elden and for you: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” Elden lives, even now, He is alive with God in Christ Jesus. His soul is in heaven while his body rests here below, awaiting the resurrection of the dead on the last day. “According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power ...

Jesus Healing a Deaf-Mute , Bartholomeus Breenbergh, 1635 The miracles in the Bible are incredible! But, you might wonder, what do they have to do with us today? This healing of the deaf man is great, but why do we care? What does he have to do with me? Good questions. The miracles in the Bible are recorded not just for us to remember random miracles Jesus performed, but God teaches us these miracles to point us to the greater miracle of our salvation. It’s always weird when Jesus tells people not to tell anyone about the miracles He performed, but He had good reasons. One of the reasons Jesus charged the people to tell no one was because His great miracle and work had yet to be accomplished. Namely, the miracle of Jonah, the miracle of dying, being laid into the deep for three days, and then rising again. Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection is the great miracle towards which all of His previous miracles point. Jesus isn’t to be known just as the guy who healed the deaf, fed the thousa...

Pieta , William-Adolphe Bouguereau, 1876 Today the Holy Church rejoices to celebrate the Festival of St. Mary, Mother of Our Lord, by remembering her dormition, her falling asleep in faith. Our Lord uses St. Mary today to teach us about suffering and glory. Because like Mary, our glory is not found in worldly success, but God glorifies us when He dwells within us. Now, I’m a fan of capitalism and a free market, but it’s not without its pitfalls. Today’s culture measures glory based upon worldly measures of success, and usually bigger is better. If you’re a business, bigger is better. More customers, more money, bigger stores, more stores, that's what makes you successful and gives you glory. If you’re an employee, bigger is better. The higher up you are in the company, the more people under you, the higher your income, the more awards you receive, that’s what makes you successful and gives you glory. If you’re a farmer, bigger is better. Bigger tractors, more land, better land, new...

Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem, Rembrandt, 1630                “ When he 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! ” Just days before Jesus would be arrested, beaten, mocked, and crucified in Jerusalem, He wept over Jerusalem. “ 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. ” Forty years later Jesus’ prophetic words took place. In the year 70, Roman Emperor Titus besieged Jerusalem for six months, during which time the people starved to the point of eating shoe leather, one another, and their own children. Afterwards the Roman army entered Jerusalem to kill many more with the sw...

The Brazen Serpent, James Tissot, 1836-1902 If you were to die today, are you absolutely sure you’d go to heaven? That’s a question often asked by door-to-door evangelists of unbelievers. Unsurprisingly, it’s an ineffective question for an unbeliever, because they don’t even believe in the premise of an afterlife, so they could care less about heaven or hell. But for us Christians, it’s a rather relevant question and something many of us think about from time to time. If I died today, would I go to heaven? Some Christians answer that question with uncertainty; they’re not sure where they’re going when they die. That’s a sad state for a Christian. Our salvation is certain because our salvation is dependent on God, not us. God paid the price for our forgiveness, He paid it with His own priceless blood, and therefore our forgiveness is certain. This salvation is apprehended through faith, and yet our faith is also dependent on God, not us. God the Holy Spirit gives us faith as a gift; we ...