Matthew 16:13-20; The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost; August 23, 2026

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Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ. (Matthew 16:13–20, ESV)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

What is going to happen to the Church?

That question is never far away. Especially now. We are working on a new building. We are looking toward a pastoral vacancy. We look around and see empty places where faithful Christians once sat. Long-time members die. Families change. Communities change. Pastors come and go. What is going to happen to the Church? We ask it with concern. Sometimes with fear. And when fear takes hold, we begin looking for something we can control. The right pastor. The right program. The right building. More members. More money. More energy. A better plan. If we could only get everything lined up correctly, then the Church would be safe.

Who Do You Say That I Am?

But Jesus asks a different question. “Who do you say that I am?”

Jesus first asks His disciples what everyone else is saying. The answers are respectful. John the Baptist. Elijah. Jeremiah. One of the prophets. People know Jesus is important. They know He is unusual. They know that God is somehow at work through Him. But every answer falls short. Jesus is more than a teacher. More than an example. More than a prophet. More than someone who helps us make life work a little better.

So Jesus turns to His disciples. “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answers for them all: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

The confession doesn’t get any clearer than that. The man standing in front of Peter, breathing the same air, eating the same food, wearing out the same sandal leather, is the promised Christ. He is the Son of the living God. He is the One God promised to send. He is the One who has come to save sinners. Peter gets the words exactly right. But Peter doesn’t get the credit.

“Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” Peter did not solve the mystery. He did not put the clues together better than everyone else. He did not discover Christ by the strength of his faith. The Father revealed the Son.

That matters because our sinful hearts want credit. We want to believe that we are Christians because we were wise enough to recognize Jesus. We want to think that the Church continues because we are faithful enough, organized enough, generous enough, or determined enough to keep it alive. But flesh and blood cannot reveal the Christ. Flesh and blood cannot create faith. Flesh and blood cannot build the Church. And yet we try.

We begin to act as though everything depends on us. If the Church struggles, we blame ourselves or someone else. If attendance declines, we panic. If the future is unclear, we imagine the worst. If our plans do not work, we act as though Christ Himself has failed. We turn gifts into foundations. A pastor is a gift, but a pastor is not the foundation. A building is a gift, but a building is not the foundation. Programs, money, volunteers, music, and plans are gifts. Important gifts. But none of them can carry the weight of Christ’s Church.

And neither can you. You cannot save the Church. You cannot even save yourself. You and I are sinners. We have sinned in thought, word, and deed. We have trusted our plans more than Christ’s promise. We have treated our opinions as though they were God’s Word. We have withheld love from our neighbors. We have worried as though Christ were dead and His Church were ours to rescue. Flesh and blood cannot fix that. But there is One who can.

I Will Build My Church

Listen to the verbs Jesus uses. “My Father has revealed.” “I will build.” “I will give.” The Father reveals the Son. The Son builds His Church. The Son gives the keys.

Jesus does not say, “Peter, you will build My Church.” He does not say, “Pastor Watt will build My Church.” He does not say, “If Life in Christ finds the right next pastor, finishes the right building, gathers enough people, and works hard enough, then My Church will survive.” He says, “I will build My Church.” Jesus. The Christ. The Son of the living God.

And what does it mean that He is the Christ? Peter has the title right, but he does not yet understand what the title means. In the very next verses Jesus tells His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem. He must suffer. He must be killed. And on the third day He must rise. Peter hates that plan. He takes Jesus aside and rebukes Him. Peter wants a Christ without a cross. So do we.

We want a Christ who keeps suffering away. A Christ who makes our plans succeed. A Christ who guarantees growing attendance, balanced budgets, healthy bodies, happy families, and an easy future. But a Christ without the cross cannot save sinners. Jesus does not go to Jerusalem because His plans failed. The cross is the plan. He goes there deliberately. He bears the judgment your sin deserves. He carries your guilt in His own body. He suffers your death. He sheds His blood for you. And then He rises.

Death could not hold Him. Hell could not defeat Him. The stone was rolled away, and the crucified Christ walked out alive. That is why the gates of hell will not prevail against His Church. The Church belongs to the risen Jesus. Long-time members die, but they belong to the risen Jesus. Pastors come and go, but the risen Jesus remains. Buildings age. Communities change. Our plans succeed and fail. But Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. His salvation is forever.

Isaiah tells frightened people to look back to Abraham and Sarah. God began with one man and one barren woman. There was no visible future there. Nothing they could build on. Nothing except God’s promise. And God kept His promise. That is how God has always built His Church. By His Word. By His promise. By doing what flesh and blood cannot do.

Jesus Has the Keys

Then Jesus says, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” Keys open and close. They lock and unlock. And Jesus places His keys into His Church. Not as private power for Peter. Not as personal power for a pastor. They remain Christ’s keys. They work by Christ’s command. You have already heard those keys this morning. Your pastor stood before you and said, “I forgive you all your sins.” That was not my personal opinion about you. It was not a wish that God might possibly be merciful. It was Christ’s verdict spoken into your ears.

Christ opened heaven for you. He loosed you from your sins. The Christ who died for you and rose for you said, “I forgive you.” Hell has gates. But Jesus has the keys.

He gave you that same forgiveness when He joined you to His death and resurrection in Holy Baptism. He placed His name upon you and claimed you as His own. That promise has not expired. You return to it every day in repentance and faith: I am baptized. Christ’s death is for me. Christ’s resurrection is for me.

He feeds you at His altar with His true body and blood. The body given on the cross. The blood shed for forgiveness. The living Christ gives Himself to you, strengthening your faith and pledging the resurrection of your body on the Last Day.

This is how Christ builds His Church. Word and water. Bread and wine. Forgiveness spoken into human ears. Simple things that flesh and blood dismiss as weak. But Christ is doing the building.

Free to Serve Without Fear

And because Christ is doing the building, you are free to serve without fear. St. Paul says that we are one body with many members. God gives different gifts. No member has every gift. No pastor has every gift. No single person is indispensable. Christ is indispensable. So use what He has given you. Teach. Encourage. Give. Lead. Show mercy. Pray for the congregation. Welcome the stranger. Care for the grieving. Support the work. Speak the confession.

Not to save the Church. Jesus has already taken that burden. You serve because you belong to the Church He has saved.

Even Here, Even Now

What is going to happen to the Church?

There will be changes. There will be troubles. There will be things we cannot predict and things we cannot control. Jesus has not promised us an easy future. He has promised something better. “I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Who do you say that He is? He is the Christ, the Son of the living God. The One who went to the cross for you. The One who rose from death for you. The One who forgives you. The One who holds the keys. The One who is building His Church—even here, even now.

Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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Matthew 14:22–33; Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost — Proper 14; August 9, 2026

Matthew 14:22–33
Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost — Proper 14
August 9, 2026
Life in Christ Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, Minnesota

Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” (Matthew 14:22–33, ESV)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

I don’t know about you, but you wouldn’t find me walking on the water in the middle of a deep lake. I like to fish. I like boats. But I’ve always been uncomfortable out there on the water. You see, I don’t swim. Oh, I took swimming lessons when I was young, but they didn’t seem to take. Swimming seems just a little unnatural. I feel like those people who talk about skydiving: “Why would you want to step out of a perfectly good airplane?” And why would anyone want to step out of a perfectly good boat? As I like to say, “Not this little gray duck.”

But Peter does it. He steps out of the boat and expects to walk on the water. And that is usually where we put our attention. Peter gets out of the boat. Peter walks. Peter becomes afraid. Peter sinks. Then we turn the whole account into advice about having a strong enough faith. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Don’t pay attention to the wind. Don’t doubt. Have enough faith, and perhaps you can walk over the storms of your life.

But Peter is not the great miracle in this account. Jesus is. Peter takes a few steps and sinks. Jesus walks across the sea.

Job asks us this morning, “Who shut in the sea with doors?” Who established its limits? Who commands the morning and causes the dawn to know its place? The Lord does. The sea does not answer to Peter. It does not answer to the disciples. It does not answer to you or me. It answers to its Creator. And now that Creator comes walking across it.

The disciples had been struggling all night. Jesus had made them get into the boat. They were not in trouble because they had disobeyed Him. They were exactly where He had sent them. Faithfulness does not guarantee calm water. The wind was against them. The waves battered the boat. They were tired. They were making little progress. It was sometime between three and six in the morning. They were doing everything they knew how to do. It wasn’t enough.

Then they saw someone coming across the water. They were terrified. “It is a ghost!” Notice that they misunderstood the very One who had come to save them. Jesus was approaching them, but they interpreted His arrival as another threat.

Fear does that. Fear looks at the wind and concludes that God has abandoned us. Fear looks at illness and assumes that God no longer cares. Fear looks at empty places in the pews, aging members, changing pastors, tight finances, or an uncertain future and decides that Christ has forgotten His Church. Fear takes the Savior coming toward us and imagines an enemy.

But immediately Jesus spoke to them: “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” The wind was still blowing. The waves were still striking the boat. Jesus did not first change their circumstances. He gave them His Word. “Take heart. It is I. Do not be afraid.” Their comfort did not rest in a calm sea. It rested in the identity and promise of the One standing upon it.

Then Peter said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” Jesus said one word: “Come.” For a few moments, Peter did what he could never do by his own strength. He walked toward Jesus.

But then he saw the wind. Of course, Peter had seen the wind before. It had been against them all night. But now the wind appeared greater than the Word Jesus had spoken. Peter became afraid. The Rock sank like a stone.

What kind of waves cause your faith to waver? Money runs short. The diagnosis is worse than expected. A relationship breaks. The plans you carefully made fall apart. Your strength declines. The future of your family—or your congregation—doesn’t look the way you imagined. You know Christ’s promises. But you also see the wind.

We begin looking inside ourselves for enough strength, enough confidence, or enough faith. We tell ourselves that mature Christians should handle these things better. Then we discover that we cannot keep ourselves above the water.

Peter could not rescue himself by concentrating harder. He could not climb back onto the surface. He could not offer Jesus the strength of his faith. Peter could only pray: “Lord, save me.” No polished speech. No explanation. No promise to do better. “Lord, save me.”

And immediately Jesus reached out His hand and took hold of him. Immediately. Jesus did not wait for Peter to restore his confidence. He did not demand proof that Peter’s faith was now sufficiently strong. He did not stand at a safe distance and give Peter instructions for saving himself. Jesus took hold of him.

That is the heart of this text. The miracle is not that Peter went to Jesus. The miracle is that Jesus came to Peter.

Jesus came to the disciples when they could not reach Him. He came through the darkness. He came against the wind. He came across the waves. He came to frightened people who did not even recognize Him. And Jesus has come to you.

The Son of God left the safety of heaven and entered our fallen creation. He came into our weakness. He came under the Law. He came among sinners who misunderstood Him, rejected Him, and nailed Him to a cross. There He entered a deeper darkness. He carried your doubt, your fear, your unbelief, and every attempt you have made to save yourself. He bore the judgment your sins deserved.

No hand reached down to pull Jesus off the cross. He went all the way into death for you. Then, on the third day, He rose bodily from the grave. Sin could not hold Him. Death could not keep Him. The devil could not defeat Him. The Lord of creation has conquered the deeper storm. And now the risen Jesus reaches out to you.

He came to you in Baptism. Water by itself is plain water, but water joined to Christ’s command and promise gives forgiveness, life, and salvation. At the font, Jesus took hold of you. He placed His name upon you: the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Your Baptism does not promise that no wind will ever blow against you. It promises that you belong to the Savior who has conquered sin and death. When the waves cause your faith to waver, return to what Jesus has done: “I am baptized into Christ.”

Jesus also comes through His Word. Paul tells us today that we do not need to climb into heaven to bring Christ down. We do not descend into the depths to bring Christ up from the dead. Christ has already come down. Christ has already risen. And now His Word is near you. “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

Jesus comes in the forgiving Word of Absolution. He comes in the Gospel proclaimed into your ears. He comes with the same promise He spoke over the waves: “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

And Jesus comes to His frightened people in His Supper. Not as a ghost. Not as an idea. He gives you His true body and blood, given and shed for the forgiveness of your sins. The same Lord who stretched out His hand to Peter places His saving gifts into your mouth. He is not far away. He is here for you.

Jesus asked Peter, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” That is a rebuke. Peter’s fear exposed his divided trust. But notice where Peter was when Jesus said it. Peter was already in Jesus’ hand. The rebuke came from the Savior who was holding him.

Your salvation does not depend upon the size of your faith. Faith receives Christ, but faith does not complete His work. A trembling hand receives the same gift as a steady one because the gift depends upon the Giver.

Jesus may not calm every storm when we want Him to. Cancer still kills. Bones still break. Arthritis does not easily surrender. Families struggle. Congregations face uncertain futures. Christians grieve. Christians become afraid. Christians die. Jesus has not promised that faithful Christians will always have calm water. He has promised something better. He has promised you Himself.

The disciples entered the boat with Jesus, and the wind ceased. Then they worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.” We confess the same thing: God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven, was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, suffered and was buried, and on the third day rose again.

That is the One who comes to you. That is the One who speaks to you. That is the One who has taken hold of you.

When the waves cause your faith to waver, you may have nothing left but Peter’s prayer: “Lord, save me.” That is enough—not because your prayer is powerful, and not because your faith is strong, but because Jesus is the Son of God. And He has already come to save you. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Romans 9:1-5; The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost; August 2, 2026

The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost

The Greatest Gift Has Always Been Christ

Romans 9:1–5 • August 2, 2026
Life in Christ Lutheran Church • Grand Marais, Minnesota

“I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit—that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the Law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.”

—Romans 9:1–5

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Paul Begins with Tears

Paul begins this chapter with tears.

“I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.”

Why? Because the people he loves do not believe in Christ.

He isn’t angry. He doesn’t say, “Well, they made their choice.” He doesn’t wash his hands of them. Instead, he grieves. He even says something almost unbelievable:

“I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers.”

Paul knows that is impossible. No sinner can take another sinner’s place before God. No one can bear the guilt of another’s unbelief. But that is how deeply he loves them.

That raises a question for us.

How do we see unbelievers? As enemies? As political opponents? As “those people”? Or do we grieve because, without Christ, they are lost?

There are many things about which we may be indifferent. We don’t all have to like the same music, the same food, or the same hobbies. But the Church must never become indifferent to unbelief. Christ certainly isn’t.

The Compassion of Christ

That is where today’s Gospel helps us understand Paul’s words. Jesus has just learned that John the Baptist has been murdered. He withdraws to a lonely place. We can only imagine the sorrow He carried. Yet the crowds follow Him. If we are honest, most of us would have wanted to be left alone. We might have said, “Not today. I just need some time.”

But Matthew tells us something remarkable:

“When He went ashore He saw a great crowd, and He had compassion on them and healed their sick.”

Jesus didn’t see an interruption. He saw people who needed Him. That is the heart of Christ. It is the same heart we see reflected in Paul. Paul’s tears are simply a reflection of the compassion of his Savior.

The disciples saw the same crowd, but they saw something entirely different. The day was growing late. The people were hungry. The nearest villages were some distance away. Their solution seemed perfectly reasonable:

“Send the crowds away.”

Let them take care of themselves. Let them find food somewhere else.

Jesus answered with words that must have shocked them:

“You give them something to eat.”

Their response was immediate:

“We have only five loaves and two fish.”

The disciples looked at what they had. Jesus looked at what He could give. The disciples saw scarcity. Jesus saw abundance. The disciples saw impossibility. Jesus saw an opportunity to show His compassion.

That is always the difference between our hearts and the heart of Christ. Our first instinct is to count what we lack. Christ’s first instinct is to give.

Christ Became the Curse for Us

Paul’s wish is impossible. He cannot become accursed for anyone else. No sinner can stand before God in another sinner’s place.

But there is One who can.

Jesus Christ did not merely wish He could take our place. He actually did.

The eternal Son of God took on our flesh. He became one of us so that He could stand where we deserve to stand. Every sin you have committed, every sinful thought, every selfish word, every failure to love God with your whole heart or your neighbor as yourself—He carried it all to the cross.

St. Paul writes elsewhere,

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us.”

On Calvary, Jesus was treated as though He were the sinner, though He had never sinned. He endured the judgment that belonged to us. He cried out,

“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

so that you would never be forsaken by God.

Paul wished he could do that for Israel.

Jesus actually did it for the world.

That is why I often say:

“If you go to hell, it is your own fault. If you go to heaven, it is God’s fault.”

Hell is never the result of Christ failing to save. Christ has already done everything necessary for the salvation of every sinner. Hell is the tragic rejection of the salvation Christ won on the cross.

Heaven, however, is never our accomplishment. It is Christ’s. He lived the life we could not live. He died the death we deserved to die. He rose again to declare that sin, death, and the devil have been defeated. Faith simply receives what Christ has already accomplished.

Salvation belongs entirely to Him.

God’s Greatest Gift

Part of Paul’s sorrow is that Israel had received incredible gifts from God. They had the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the Law, the worship, the promises, and the patriarchs. No nation had ever received so much from the hand of God.

Yet none of these was the greatest gift.

Paul saves that until the very end:

“From their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever.”

Everything God gave Israel pointed to Christ. The sacrifices pointed to Christ. The Passover pointed to Christ. The Temple pointed to Christ. The promises pointed to Christ. Every one of God’s gifts was leading His people to His greatest gift—His Son.

The same is true for us.

God has given us wonderful gifts. He has given us Holy Baptism. He has given us the Scriptures. He has given us Holy Absolution. He has given us the Lord’s Supper. These are precious gifts, but they are precious because they give us Christ. Without Christ they would be empty ceremonies. With Christ they become God’s own means of forgiving sins, creating faith, strengthening His people, and bringing them safely to eternal life.

He Takes, Blesses, Breaks, and Gives

Notice what Jesus does with those five loaves. He takes them. He blesses them. He breaks them. He gives them.

Those words should sound familiar.

They are the very pattern of our Lord’s ministry. They are the words that lead us to the Upper Room. There, on the night when He was betrayed, Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to His disciples. But before He could give them His body and blood, He first had to give Himself to the cross.

The feeding of the five thousand was never just about bread.

It pointed to the greater feeding still to come.

Christ would offer not five loaves, but His own body. He would pour out not merely compassion, but His own blood for the forgiveness of sins. The cross is where the heart of Christ is seen most clearly. There the Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. There the innocent One becomes the curse for the guilty. There the Son of God gives everything so that sinners might receive everything.

And now He still gives. He gives His body. He gives His blood. He gives forgiveness. He gives life. He gives salvation.

The greatest gift has always been Christ.

He Has Borne the Curse for You

Paul’s tears are a reflection of Christ’s tears. Jesus wept over Jerusalem because He desired her salvation. Then He went to Jerusalem for one purpose—to die for the very people who rejected Him.

That is the heart of Christ. A heart that grieves. A heart that suffers. A heart stretched out upon the cross. A heart that refuses to stop loving sinners, even as nails are driven into His hands.

That crucified and risen Lord still comes to you today. He does not send you away hungry. He feeds you with His own body and blood. He does not leave you in your sins. He forgives them. He does not leave you under the curse. He has borne the curse for you.

If you are lost, it is your own fault. If you are saved, it is entirely God’s doing.

For Christ has done everything necessary for your salvation. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Matthew 13:44–52; The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost; July 26, 2026;

Life in Christ Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, Minnesota

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. “Have you understood all these things?” They said to him, “Yes.” And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”” (Matthew 13:44–52, ESV) >

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Jesus tells two almost identical parables. In the first, a man finds a treasure. In the second, a merchant finds a pearl. Both immediately know one thing.

This is worth everything.

But how do you know what something is worth?

Do you remember the television show Antiques Roadshow? People would bring in something they had inherited or found at a garage sale. The appraiser would examine it, explain its history, and then came the moment everyone waited for: "At auction, I think this would sell for..." or "A collector would probably pay..." Sometimes the answer was five thousand dollars—or fifty thousand.

Of course, they rarely aired the episodes where the answer was, "It has sentimental value, but not much market value."

Why? Because something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

That's what Jesus wants His hearers to see. The pearl and the treasure don't have price tags attached. Their value is shown by what the finder is willing to give up to possess them. In joy they both give up everything they have. Their sacrifice shows the value.

The finders aren't making a painful sacrifice. The man in the field has found a valuable treasure. The merchant is making the deal of his life.

The man doesn't reluctantly sell everything. He doesn't sigh. He doesn't complain. He goes in joy. Why? Because he has already found the treasure.

Jesus endured the cross.

"...looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2, ESV)

For centuries Christians have been asking themselves, "Am I the man or the merchant? Am I willing to give up everything for Jesus?"

Maybe we've asked the wrong question.

Who actually gave up everything?

Who left heaven?

Who became poor?

Who emptied Himself?

Who went all the way to the cross?

Jesus.

That's why Paul can say so confidently:

"He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all..." (Romans 8:32a, ESV)

Jesus says it in a parable. Paul tells us outright. The price has already been paid.

So the real question these parables push us to ask isn't, "What am I willing to give up?"

Instead, they ask:

If Jesus paid everything...

What exactly was He buying?

The most important truth in this parable is hidden. Jesus Himself tells us that this is how His parables work. Some hear only a story. Others, by the Holy Spirit, hear the Gospel.

So...

What exactly was Jesus buying?

You.

Just...

You.

But it really shouldn't surprise us. This has always been God's way.

Listen to our Old Testament reading.

"It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you... but it is because the LORD loves you..." (Deuteronomy 7:7–8, ESV)

God's people have never been chosen because they were numerous or even valuable. Their value came from God's choosing.

God's people were never chosen because they were great. They became precious because God loved them.

Jesus doesn't die for you because you are priceless.

You become priceless because Jesus died for you.

And what does that tell you about what you are worth to Him?

Paul hits it squarely. He asks one question after another.

Who can accuse?

Who condemns?

Who separates?

The answer is always the same.

No one.

Nothing.

That's because you were paid for with Jesus' own blood. His value for you is priceless, and the purchase price has been paid in full. There is nothing left to pay.

The parables are often read as if they are first about what we do for Christ. But the whole New Testament teaches us first to see what Christ has done for us.

He is the treasure seeker.

That's the important truth hidden in the parable. People naturally make it about themselves. But Jesus is the center of the parable. Not you and not me.

What do the parables mean?

They don't mean, "Try harder."

They don't mean, "Be willing to give up more."

They don't mean, "Be willing to give up everything."

The revelation of the parable is that once you've discovered how much Jesus values you, everything else changes.

Then Christ is your treasure.

Money becomes a servant instead of a master.

Time becomes an opportunity instead of a possession.

Your home becomes hospitality.

Your work becomes vocation.

Your suffering becomes a cross that cannot separate you from Him.

That's how the parables turn everything upside down. You don't give up anything.

You gain everything.

That's God's Kingdom. That's how it becomes your greatest joy. It isn't because you are trying to buy it. Jesus has already done that for you.

You have already been bought.

Jesus sold everything.

He came down from heaven.

He set aside His glory.

He gave up comfort.

He even gave up His own life.

And He did it...

...in joy.

Because you were the treasure.

And Paul says it:

"...nor death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38–39, ESV)

The treasure Christ purchased with His blood can never be lost.

Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Matthew 11:25; The Seventh Sunday after Pentecost; July 27, 2025

Life in Christ Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, MN

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28, ESV)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

You know the feeling when something gets heavy. A backpack. A box. A load of firewood. A canoe. Heavy construction materials that must be moved to and from Randy’s house.

At first it doesn’t seem that heavy. But after only a little while it feels very heavy. Your shoulders ache. Your arms tire. You have to shift the load. You want to put it down.

Life has burdens like that. Some of you carry burdens that no one else knows about. Grieving worries about children, illnesses, or even just the daily load from work. Some of you are simply exhausted.

Jesus speaks to people like that. Like you.

In Romans Paul speaks honestly. He talks about the Christian life. He does it frankly. He uses himself as an example.

I do not do the good I want...

Paul’s voice doesn’t come from an unbeliever. It is the voice of a Christian. One who struggles daily with regular everyday struggles. It is the voice of a believer who loves God’s Law and still struggles with sin.

Finally, he cries out.

Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me?

“Who will deliver me?” It isn’t a question of how do I fix myself. But who will rescue me.

Paul sees his daily struggle with sin and the overwhelming burden of it. He calls his own body a body of death. His struggle isn’t about fixing something he knows he can fix. It’s about rescuing a drowning man.

The Old Testament reading for today begins to paint a picture.

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. (Zechariah 9:9–10, ESV)

Israel expected a conquering king. But instead… the king comes riding on a donkey. He is gentle and humble. He doesn’t come to crush already burdened sinners. He comes to save them. He comes to free prisoners.

That’s what you are. Prisoners of your burdens. Sin is a prison. Death is a prison. These trap you. And worst of all you know the traps. Your sin is a burden. A heavy load.

So when Paul asks,

Who will deliver me?

Jesus answers,

Come to Me.

In those simple words Jesus doesn’t say, your life will be easy. He doesn’t say sickness will disappear. He doesn’t say you will not experience grief. He doesn’t say you won’t have any burdens.

Take My yoke upon you.

The Christian life is full of burdens, crosses. They don’t go away.

In this life you will have many burdens. Illness. Family. Depression. Fear. Grief. Loneliness. Those crosses will remain.

Jesus reframes them. Grief is still felt. But Jesus tells us that death is an enemy that has already been defeated. Jesus changes it so that it is no longer hopeless.

Illness is a burden. You see your body and it seems to be falling apart. Jesus tells us that this very body will be raised on the last day. Then it will be perfect, illnesses will be gone forever.

Depression. It hurts, drains you of everything good. It darkens everything. But Jesus promises he doesn’t abandon you.

So, why doesn’t Jesus just fix these burdens now? That is a question all Christians ask continually.

And the answer. He hasn’t finished his work. I’m not talking about the work of saving you. The cross is finished. The new creation is not.

The cross is the answer to the one burden no sinner can carry. It is not cancer. It is not grief. It is not depression. It is the burden of standing before a holy God with your sins upon you.

That burden of sin and its punishment crushes forever.

So, Christ does something astonishing. He takes it from your shoulders and places it upon His own.

The innocent One carries the guilty.

The righteous One bears the unrighteous.

The Son of God walks to Calvary carrying not merely a wooden cross but the sins of the whole world. Your sin. My sin. Every bitter word. Every selfish thought. The failures Paul laments in Romans 7.

On the cross He bears the judgment that belonged to us, so that we would never have to bear it ourselves.

That is the burden that Christ carries for you. He, in fact, removes it from you. That is Paul’s question answered. Jesus Christ bears our sins to the cross. He suffers our death, our punishment, our sin. That is a burden no person can carry. Jesus bears what we never could.

Every day you still struggle against sin. Paul certainly did. But every day you do not have to bear sin’s condemnation. Christ has already carried that burden to the cross. The battle continues, but the verdict has already been announced.

The rest of your burdens? They also belong to him. But you still bear them because he is still working bringing redemption to its completion.

The burden of guilt—
Jesus carries instead of you.

The burdens of this life—
Jesus carries with you.

The cross happened. The resurrection happened. The new creation has begun.

But we still live between Easter and the Last Day.

That’s why Paul can say,

Wretched man that I am...

and still be an apostle. The war has been won. The battles continue.

And Jesus promises we never bear those burdens alone.

The Shepherd walks among his sheep. Jesus strengthens us with his Word. He speaks forgiveness to you through the voice of an under shepherd. He gives you his very body and blood to sustain you.

Jesus says one more thing.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden…

And here’s the promise.

and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28, ESV)

The word rest is carrying a lot of weight. You probably had a good day of rest yesterday. Maybe you sat by a fire, talked with friends, enjoyed a good hot dog, and saw some fireworks. It was a good day for me. It was a day of rest.

But the rest Jesus brings is very different. You see it in scripture. The Sabbath day. Israel coming into the promised land.

The rest he is talking about isn’t taking a nap. It isn’t retirement. It isn’t even a day off.

Rest is finally arriving where sin, death, cancer, depression, grief, and guilt can never follow.

That’s the promise.

Jesus isn’t promising a better week, although he does do that sometimes. He is saying,

I’ll bring you safely home.

That’s why what God does here, in this building, is so important. We bring our burdens here. We lay them at the foot of the cross. And Jesus brings the promise of the resurrection into our present. He feeds us with a meal that connects us to himself. That meal is the promise of the resurrection. Our burdens don’t become insignificant. They become bearable because Christ bears them with us. Faith doesn’t pretend the burden is light. Faith knows who is carrying it with you.

Anyone who has carried a sheet of plywood knows that if the stronger man takes the heavy end, suddenly you can keep walking. The board hasn’t become lighter. But someone stronger is carrying most of the weight. That’s what Jesus does.

He holds you up when you are falling under the burdens.

As Psalm 145 says:

The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.

Jesus doesn’t promise to remove every burden in your life. But he never abandons those who bear them.

Jesus is the humble king who has come. Paul’s cry for mercy has been answered. The burden of sin has been lifted forever.

And for every other burden that remains—

Christ remains.

Every Divine Service is His invitation once again:

Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Not because every earthly burden has disappeared.

But because your Savior is here. He forgives you. He strengthens you. And He will never leave you to carry your burdens alone.

The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

```

Matthew 10:34-42; The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost; June 28, 2026

Life in Christ Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, MN

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”” (Matthew 10:34–42, ESV)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

You know, Christian faith is very different from all other religions. You do know it, but this passage says it.

People imagine they must reach up to God. That they must do something. That’s sinful human nature. Nothing comes to us without our struggle. We are in charge of our own destiny.

Jesus says differently, just the opposite in fact.

He says,

The Father sends. The Son comes. The Son sends the apostles. God’s people receive.

Our text opens with Jesus talking about his coming. In a way it is shocking.

He doesn’t come to improve society, not to resolve conflict. He doesn’t bring peace. He brings a sword, and division.

Think about the first part of the text. Sons against fathers. Daughters against mothers. Division in the household. That is not peace. That is conflict. And Jesus says he comes to comes to bring it.

More than that he says,

…whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

We’ve got you there, Pastor. We put up a great big cross on our church.

I told someone that Grand Marais has a new landmark. It isn’t necessarily what you think. It’s a landmark alright. It’s a bold statement. People in Grand Marais might not oppose it openly, but there are some, maybe many, who will hate it. More so, if we stand behind it. If we don’t, it’s just an empty symbol. If we do, it will cause division.

If you think everyone who drives by is going to smile, I think you are mistaken. Some will smile. Some won’t notice. Some will resent it. Some will hate it. Not because a wooden cross hurts anyone.

Those who don’t like it won’t like it because it points to Christ. He is the one who comes to sinners demanding repentance and offering forgiveness.

The cross itself divides no one. Christ does.

But notice where Jesus finishes. Jesus doesn’t say, “Go and find me.” He doesn’t say “Climb up to heaven.” He doesn’t say "Earn your way into My presence." He says, “Receive me.”

That’s unexpected. After all that warning about trouble. Jesus says, “Receive me.”

Jesus stops talking about swords. He stops talking about crosses. He stops talking about fathers and mothers. Instead, he begins repeating one little word.

Receive.

He says it six times in three verses.

Receive.

Receive.

Receive.

Receive.

Receive.

Receive.

And the word has another word hidden inside. You can’t receive something unless it is sent.

That is the whole movement of the Christian faith.

Jesus talks about who and what is sent. The Father sends the son. Son comes into the world. The son sends his apostles to preach Christ. So, with that, Jesus says,

Whoever receives you receives me.

Jesus is answering the question the world should be asking.

How do I get God?

He says,

The Father sent me.

I have come.

He sends his apostles.

Receive me.

That’s the sword. It’s not “be willing to suffer”. It’s not “carry your cross.” That’s what happens when Christ is received. The sword is

Receive me.

Receiving Jesus divides the world. Jesus doesn’t say,

Receive a philosophy.

He does not say,

Receive a moral code.

He says,

Receive me.

Receive the One whom the Father sent into the world. Receive the One who took your sins upon Himself. Receive the One who stretched out His hands upon another cross—not merely as an example to follow, but as the sacrifice that takes away the sin of the world.

Receive the One who died your death. Receive the One whom the Father raised from the dead. Receive the forgiveness He won. Receive the life He gives.

That is what Christ brings when He comes.

That's what divides fathers and sons. That's what divides mothers and daughters. That's what divided the Sanhedrin. That's what divided the Roman Empire. That's what still divides Grand Marais. The offense is not Christianity as a system.

The offense is Christ Himself.

Not simply because He teaches difficult things. But because He claims to be the only Savior. He alone forgives sins. He alone reconciles sinners to the Father. He alone opens the kingdom of heaven. That is why He divides the world.

Our new cross, the wooden beams that stretch out north and south, aren’t offensive because they are a cross. They are offensive because they say,

Receive him.

…

Or reject him.

There isn’t a third option. Receive or reject.

That is the sword.

Everything Jesus says here flows from that. Some receive him. Some reject him. Families divide. Crosses are carried. The apostles are received—or rejected. The Church is welcomed—or persecuted.

That’s what happens when Christ comes.

He says,

Receive me.

And there is another division here. People say,

You need to accept Jesus.

But Jesus doesn't use that language.

He says,

Receive Me.

Accept often sounds like the decisive action belongs to me. I make the choice. I take the initiative. I decide.

But receive begins somewhere else.

Before I can receive anything, someone has to give it. Before I can receive Christ, the Father has to send Him. Before I can receive the Gospel, someone has to preach it. Before I can receive the Sacrament, Christ has to institute it and give it. Christianity begins not with my action, but with God's.

Luther compared faith to an empty hand. An empty hand doesn't earn the gift. It doesn't improve the gift. It doesn't create the gift. It simply receives what another places into it. That is what Jesus is talking about.

Acceptance emphasizes the chooser. Receiving emphasizes the giver.

And perhaps now you can hear the words of the Small Catechism a little differently.

I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.

Luther understood exactly what Jesus is teaching.

We do not come to Christ. Christ comes to us. The Father sent His Son. The Son came into the world. The Son sent His apostles. Through their preaching Christ still comes to His Church.

That is why, in just a few moments, we will do exactly what Jesus says.

We will not climb into heaven. We will not search for Christ. We will not earn His favor.

He will come to us. He will speak His Word. He will give His gifts. The Christ who once came in the flesh, who once hung upon the cross, who once rose from the tomb, still comes to His people.

Not to condemn.

Not to demand another sacrifice.

But to deliver the forgiveness He purchased with His own blood.

He will place into empty hands His own Body and Blood, given and shed for the forgiveness of your sins.

And what will we do?

Exactly what Jesus tells us to do.

Receive Him.

Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Matthew 10:21-33; The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost; June 21, 2026

Life in Christ Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, MN

Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household. “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:21–33, ESV)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Jesus isn’t talking here to comfortable Christians. He is talking to his disciples. He is preparing them for what they don’t know, can’t even believe, is coming. Persecution. In their lifetimes they will experience betrayal, hatred, arrest, and almost all of them, death.

And then in the middle of all that darkness, he starts talking about birds. Sparrows. It seems strange. It seems disconnected. Why bird? Why sparrows of all birds? Shouldn’t he talk about being soldiers? Shouldn’t he talk about kings? Shouldn’t he talk about the fight?

No, he doesn’t because the sparrow is the point. Sparrows were cheap, disposable, forgettable.

He wants to remind his disciples that that’s what the world thinks of them. That’s exactly how the world will treat them.

…and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. (Matthew 10:22, ESV)

He doesn’t say disliked or misunderstood. He says hated. The English word understates it. We hear it as emotional dislike. μισέω means: to hate, to detest, to reject, to have hostility toward, to regard with aversion. This word means opposition that results in action.

Jesus is not merely saying people won’t like you. He is saying they will act in opposition to you. In fact, he promises it will happen. His disciples shouldn’t expect applause or adulation. They should expect hate, and open hostility.

A disciple is not above his teacher. (Matt 10:24, ESV)

They hated him. They will hate the disciples. They will hate you.

Think about it. Persecution isn’t just trying to stop a message. It tries to make the message and the speaker meaningless. “You don’t matter.”

In bloody arena’s, hiding in the catacombs, the early Christians got that message. And believers now, hear the same thing. “You don’t matter. Your message is nothing. You are not useful.”

Useful. That’s what the world values. Power is useful. Wealth is useful. Productivity is useful. Christians are not.

A Christian may find himself treated like a marketplace sparrow. They were cheap, disposable, and replaceable.

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?

Sparrows were sold in the market. Not as pets. As snacks. They were the cheapest thing there. Poor people bought them for food. In Luke he says they would even throw one in for free.

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? (Luke 12:6, ESV)

Two for one penny. Two pennies mean four. Five is an extra thrown in for free. Sparrows are worthless.

Not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.

But Jesus says differently. The merchant doesn’t even bother to count them. The crowds don’t count them. But the Father does.

Jesus says that sparrows matter to the Father. So, you matter to the Father. He knows you. He sees you. He counts every hair. He knows everything about you. Your suffering. Your tears. Your persecution. Your death.

Your value isn’t set by the world. Your value is set by Christ. And the proof is the cross. God didn’t purchase you with silver or gold. He purchased you with the blood of His Son. Martin Luther wrote:

I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity.

not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death. Luther pushed the idea. Gold and silver were precious. How many sparrows could be purchased with a heap of gold and silver? Too many to count. For you, God spent his most precious commodity. Jesus suffering and death, and his very life.

Jesus says sparrows fall, not unnoticed by the Father, he counts every single one. But he doesn’t say they don’t fall. Christians fall also. He never promises otherwise. His disciple listening to him would die for Jesus and his word.

And what does he say? Do not fear.

That is profound.

Do not fear.

How can he say that when he has just given a litany of things that shake us to our core? God the Father is still God the Father, even when sparrows fall. Even when persecution leads to death. It is a resurrection promise. The black hole of the grave isn’t a place where God loses people. The Father who knows every hair on your head, the Father who counts sparrows, knows where your body rests. He promises resurrection. Just as Jesus was raised from his grave, you will be too. The world forgets graves. The Father doesn’t. In your grave lies one who has been redeemed by Christ. Purchased and won

with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death.

And listen to how Luther frames it.

that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity.

In the marketplace sparrows weren’t even worth a dime a dozen. The world prices Christians the same way. But, God the Father, he does not.

A persecutor says, “You are worthless.” God the Father sees a soul redeemed by the blood of Jesus.

The world forgets and moves on. The Father remembers.

The world buries. The Father raises.

Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." (Matthew 10:31)

The world prices you like a sparrow. Christ prices you with His blood. Therefore, do not fear. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.