Sermon - Trinity XI, 2026 - Luke 18:9-14

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The Pharisee and the Publican , Barent Fabritius, 1661 The Righteousness of Faith External righteousness is an unreliable predictor of true righteousness Pride often masquerades as righteousness True righteousness is received in humble repentance You can’t judge a book by its cover, as the saying goes. The same is similarly true in regards to righteousness. External righteousness is an unreliable predictor of true righteousness. This is evidently true throughout the scriptures. We see Cain and Abel; both hard working men, both offer the fruit of their labors to the Lord, with Abel the Lord is pleased, and with Cain the Lord is not. We see Saul and David. Saul is a man’s man, tall, handsome, muscular, the kind of man you’d expect to be king. David is ruddy and youthful, you might say he’s a pretty boy. Yet David was a man after God’s own heart, and Saul displeased the Lord. We see a Pharisee and a tax collector. The Pharisee is a good solid church goer, lives an upright life, very pious...
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June 24th, 2022 - Emmetsburg Newspaper Article 7/7/22

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The SCOTUS finally overturned Roe v Wade, correcting a horrific error. It is with joy that we Christians give thanks to God for this momentous decision! This is only the first step, since abortion is still legal in a majority of US states, including Iowa. Nevertheless, this is a step in the right direction and a victory for life in our nation. The lie of abortion has harmed millions, killing children, hurting mothers, and teaching us that a person’s value is determined by their abilities. As Christians we confess that it is wrong to kill babies.

God wonderfully knits all children together in their mothers’ wombs. Every life is valuable to God since He authored each life. God even took on our human flesh when Jesus was conceived in the womb of the virgin Mary. Jesus in the womb makes it clear that all lives are valuable: mothers, fathers, elderly, children, newborns, embryos, zygotes, and blastocysts! Christ took on our flesh in order to die upon the cross in our stead, and so led us out of death to LIFE eternal when He rose from the dead.

Some claim that Christians don’t care about mothers, but that’s simply not true. Christians around the country support pregnancy centers, diaper and clothing drives, adoption services, and parenting classes. We love women and children. If you’ve had an abortion, we love you too. God’s grace is yours in Christ Jesus who shed His blood so that you may be forgiven and find peace and hope in the resurrection. If you’re ever experiencing a surprise pregnancy or having difficulties providing for your family, we won’t judge you, we won’t offer to kill your unborn baby, we will only offer you support, assistance, and most importantly: Christ.

Lord have mercy upon us.

Rev. John Henry Koopman

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