Sermon: Lost and found

Date: March 30, 2025                                                                                     text: 2 Cor. 5:16-21

Lk. 15:1-3a; 11-32

Lost and found, Broken and restored (video)

I. The parable of Prodigal Son is so familiar:

Rembrandt, “The Return of the Prodigal Son,” painting 1669. 

Tarkovsky, Movie “Solaris,” 1972.

Even “AChristmas Carol” by Charles Dickens (1843).

It is so familiar that I might need to un-teach some:

It is NOT about the son, any son: younger or older

It is NOT about Jew-Gentile relationship

What is it about? Great love of the Father!  

 

II. A-B-C of Father’s love:

A. Acceptance of younger son’s dumb decision

B. Bold reconciliation – running, forgiving, and reinstalling him as a son

C. Clear reminder to the older son that he is LOVED.

 

III. Take away:

He receives ALL of us (older brothers and younger ones) – for we are miserable sinners, notice the prayer of Confession: We are sinful and unclean. For He became SIN for us, 2 Cor. 5:21. 

When God receives us – sinners – He receives us with great joy, songs, and feast! Isaiah 12:5-6   

LABORING for CHRIST!

Laboring for Christ!                 Newsletter - September 2024 

The month of September begins with Labor Day weekend. The very first Monday of the month is a national holiday. It has an interesting history in its separation from the old May 1^st  celebration. While May Day had more of a political flavor (honoring socialist and anarchist roots on the regulation of work hours and such), Labor Day was designed to honor and celebrate laborers by giving  an additional opportunity for family time to those working hard to provide for their loved ones.      

This is exactly the position Dr. Martin Luther holds in his discussion “Work as a vocation.” He divided the Table of Duties in his Small Catechism into four main sections: Church (Bishops/pastors and hearers); Civil realm (governments and citizens); Family (Husband and Wives; Parents and Children); and last but not least a vocation (workers and employers/supervisors) (SC, section 3).

For Martin Luther, a godly baker was as important a part of the Kingdom of God as a faithful pastor. Unlike the teaching that dominated the church of his day which elevated the priesthood and monastic lifestyle over the people with their regular lives, Dr. Luther had a great respect for the laborers of his congregation; perhaps because he came from the family of a hardworking and successful man, Hans Luder, and he knew firsthand the value of earned coins. Or maybe because he had studied the Scripture so earnestly and learned that work is not a part of the curse of the Garden, but a blessing that God provided for Adam even before the Fall (Gen. 2:15). After the Fall, the work was not as joyful and productive (Gen. 3:17-19).  

Till the Day of His glorious return, we are occupied by work activities. The world makes a huge difference between owning a successful company and the simple routine of a housewife. Yet, the Biblical view of each of them is measured by the condition of the hear. Giving your all to a vocation might be a way of bringing glory to God. Even the sobering words of Ecclesiastes teaches us that though life can seem meaningless, there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot (Eccl. 3:22).   

It is also worth noting that the root of the word for “work” and “labor” in the Bible is the same as “worship.” Don’t get me wrong, by no means am I going to teach that we are working out our salvation, or a time of worship is heavy labor or a burden. None of that.  Yet, the Bible teaches a parallel between our devout life of prayer and thanksgiving to God with the dutiful fulfillment of our labor responsibilities. St. Paul teaches us in the Letter to Colossians (3:23): Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the LORD and not for men, knowing that from the LORD you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. May He be glorified through the toils of our daily life!