Acts 16:9-15; Revelation 21:9-14, 21-27; John 16:23-33

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“It never hurts to ask.” “The worst they can say is no.” There’s something about humans that we never like asking for help. We have to convince ourselves to do it with statements such as these. Call it pride or whatever. But it never fails that we’d rather stay silent while being in need than speak up and risk humiliation. How often though do we ask for help and are surprised by the help given? We know the answer isn’t always yes, but it’s not always no either. 

For this reason, it doesn’t surprise me that we often treat prayer this way too. We wait until things are truly desperate before thinking about praying to God. Prayer has long been seen as a “last resort” by many Christians. Perhaps we worry too much about how God will answer. What if He says no? What if He thinks its unimportant? What if I ask it in the wrong way? 

In our Gospel reading, Jesus is with his disciples in the upper room, prior to his passion. He’s teaching them all about the time when he will be gone. While this is a reference to his death on the cross, it sits well within our Church year to help us contemplate Jesus’ Ascension into heaven (officially celebrated this year on May 29). “I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father,” John 16:28. Jesus wants them to know that even though he is no longer with them physically, that shouldn’t stop them from petitioning the Father. They shouldn’t be afraid to speak to the Father directly “for the Father himself loves you…” John 16:27.

What should stop us then from praying to the Father? There is indeed no shortage of things for which to ask. Jesus’ words ring true for us, as he said, “In the world you will have tribulation,” John 16:33. In this world, we face the assaults of the devil and the world daily. Shortages of food, medicine, money, and basic supplies leave us anxious and worried about caring for ourselves and our families. Afflictions of the flesh, namely diseases, pain, health problems, stress, anxiety, and the like fill up our plates with more than we can handle. To top it all off, temptations leave us spiritually drained and wanting any sort of relief. 

Let us pray! Why must we waste away in silence when we have a Heavenly Father who loves us and delights to give us good things? “Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you… Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full,” John 16:23-24. Run to your Heavenly Father with all your hurts and sorrows. Speak to Him as a beloved child of God knowing He will listen and answer your prayers. I once had it explained to me this way: God’s a big guy… there’s nothing so big He can’t handle it, nor is there anything so small that He doesn’t care. For the Father sent to you His one and only Son, Jesus Christ. He gave him up to death, even death on a cross that he may forgive you all of your sins and give you all that is good. So, hear Jesus say, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world!” John 16:33. So, how much more shall we pray to God our Father, knowing that in Christ, He has already overcome all things!

Pastor Sorenson

Prayer:

O God, the giver of all that is good, by Your holy inspiration grant that we may think those things that are right and by Your merciful guiding accomplish them; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen!

Acts 11:1-18; Revelation 21:1-7; John 16:12-22

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Sometimes, we’re not ready to hear what someone has to tell us. Whether it’s for the sake of maturity or a lack in understanding, we’re not always told everything. Especially when we were children, our parents would try to keep harsh realities from us so we had the chance to maintain our innocence. This withholding of information isn’t meant for harm, but rather out of love so that even good information at the wrong time doesn’t lead one astray.

Consider that in faith, we all become children again at first. There are new things to learn, hard truths that aren’t always digestible. We’re not always ready to hear what God has to tell us. This doesn’t mean that we’ll never learn. It simply means we must “grow up”, gain the understanding and maturity to handle it first. 

In our Gospel reading, Jesus tells the disciples that he can’t tell them everything he wants to because they’re not ready for it now. Jesus withholds information from the disciples because he loves them and knows it wouldn’t help them at this moment. Rather, Jesus says, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come,” John 16:13. Jesus doesn’t leave his disciples without a teacher, a companion even. For Jesus knows his time with his disciples is limited and that his departure will be hard for his followers.

Saying goodbye is never easy, especially when you know it is the last time. We know this sorrow well because we know that everything in this life is finite, temporary. Having to say goodbye is a regular occurrence for us and having the finality of such words affects us greatly. Whether it’s losing friends to moving, or losing family to death, or losing relationships to disagreements or the like, there is much sorrow over the loss. This isn’t even to consider the other sorrow we face in everyday life. The pain and suffering that come about because life is finite, temporary, or short is overwhelming. As Jesus said, “You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy,” John 16:20. 

Jesus knew that his time with his disciples was limited. They wouldn’t understand at the moment why Jesus would leave, but Jesus knew it was for their good and for ours. As Jesus said, “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me,” John 16:16. Jesus would be taken from the disciples by his death on the cross. They would no longer see him because Jesus would die for their sins, and for ours. Yet, as Jesus foretold, again a little while, and you will see me! Jesus wouldn’t remain dead, but would be raised from the dead! But we deal now, not with Jesus’ death, but his ascension into heaven. For a “little while” we shall no longer see Jesus because he has been taken from before our eyes, yet we look forward in a “little while” when Jesus shall return on the clouds. Even though we have sorrow now, we also have joy knowing that Jesus is with us through the Holy Spirit and that Jesus shall come again on the last day!

Pastor Sorenson

Prayer:

O God, You make the minds of Your faithful to be of one will. Grant that we may love what You have commanded and desire what You promise, that among the many changes of this world our hearts may be fixed where true joys are found; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen!

Acts 20:17-35; Revelation 7:9-17; John 10:22-30

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

I’ve seen these commercials for various noise generators. We all know that there’s a lot of noise around us already, so these apps offer the ability to drown out unwanted noise to help you focus or sleep. White noise is likely the best known. It’s the combination of all noises that overpowers unwanted distractions. But these apps also offer brown noise, pink noise, blue noise, and many others. Each “color noise” aids with a different task, but in general allows you to cut out unwanted noises around you... like noisy roads.

Aside from all the noises around us all the time, we have many voices speaking to us too. Different people tell us different things because they want us to do what they tell us. Whether it’s the government, school, work, family, friends, or God, we’re inundated with voices bouncing around our head. It gets to be so much that we never know who to truly listen to and follow.

Yet, like newborn infants, there’s one voice that pierces through all the others. Just as a baby knows his mother’s voice, so are we to recognize the voice of Jesus. As Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me,” John 10:27. As Christians, there’s one voice we’re to hear and heed above all the others. Jesus speaks to us tender words of love and care. It’s his voice that we’re to know points us toward safety and security. When he speaks, we listen. He is our Good Shepherd.

As sweet and tender as the voice of our Good Shepherd is, we make the mistake of thinking other voices sound the same. We still wander off from time to time, chasing after other voices that we think will lead us to the things we want. Money, love, affection, security, and so on. We’re the sheep that wander away from the fold, looking for greener pastures, while wandering in the desert. Yes, sheep aren’t all that intelligent of creatures. And we can be those sheep from time to time. 

When we wander off, when we run away from the fold and our shepherd, we need to stop and listen. Listen to him who calls us each by name. Listen to the voice of our shepherd calling us back to his fold. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want,” Psalm 23:1. Jesus seeks us out, even when we wander. We need not worry that our shepherd has forgotten us. No, the Lord is my shepherd. He calls me by name. He leads me back to green pastures. He places me by still waters. He restores my soul. Indeed, Jesus leads us back by laying down his life for us. He goes to the cross that we shall not want. He provides his own body and blood for us that we shall never be found wanting. Yes, the Lord is my shepherd. I hear his voice as he calls tenderly to me and all believers that he may lead us to the comforts of eternal life! 

Pastor Sorenson

Prayer:

Almighty God, merciful Father, since You have wakened from death the Shepherd of Your sheep, grant us Your Holy Spirit that when we hear the voice of our Shepherd we may know Him who calls us each by name and follow where He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Acts 9:1-22; Revelation 5:8-14; John 21:1-19

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Now what? This is the question we all have whenever we go through big changes in life. Graduation from high school or college. Dating someone new or even getting married. All the reasons to have the really big parties and invite all of family and friends to come and celebrate with you. There’s often so much excitement wrapped around the celebration of these big moments, but afterwards, the quiet is deafening.

Easter is one such celebration. We put so much into our Easter celebration that when it’s done, we just think, now what? How do you follow up an act so grand? It’s impossible! These large celebrations bring us the feelings of grandeur and purpose. They help motivate and shape our life. But when they’re done, we’re left with the monotony of day-to-day life.

This is right where the disciples were in our Gospel reading this week. Peter and the others had seen Jesus raised from the dead! They knew of his victory already, but Jesus hadn’t yet given them instruction in what they were to do. So, they were at a loss for what to do, just waiting around for Jesus to come again. As we read, “Simon Peter said to them, ‘I am going fishing.’ They said to him, ‘We will go with you,” John 21:3. Not having anything else to do, Peter and the others fall back on their old careers and habits... fishing.

This isn’t to say that they were wrong to go fishing. Quite the opposite. Yet, it’s this common human experience of always yearning for something more. When things are quiet, when life is monotonous, we crave the glory and grandeur of those big celebrations. We want everyday to be important, but we know it just isn’t. And it’s also the experience of not knowing what to do next. We’re sinful humans. We can’t see what lies ahead for us or where our path will take us. 

Here the disciples were again, out fishing and having no luck. They hadn’t caught anything. Then Jesus comes to them standing on the shore, and says, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.’ So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish,” John 21:6. From this, the disciples immediately recognize that it is Jesus standing on the shore, and Peter dives into the water to swim to shore to meet him. Once again, Jesus shows his lordship over nature with this miraculous catch. But he doesn’t stop there. As all the disciples get back to shore, Jesus had already prepared a meal for them. He proves again to be their crucified and risen Lord! Then three times, he asks Peter, “Do you love me?” By this, Jesus shows that it’s his love for them and subsequently, their love for the Lord that shall motivate all they do. Yes, the motivation of faith is love... love for our Lord who died for us and our sins, and now is risen from the dead! By faith alone, even small things become meaningful. The day to day life of the Christian is blessed through the love of God! 

Pastor Sorenson

Prayer:

O God, through the humiliation of Your Son You raised up the fallen world. Grant to Your faithful people, rescued from the peril of everlasting death, perpetual gladness and eternal joys; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen!

Acts 5:12-32; Revelation 1:4-18; John 20:19-31

Dear brother and sisters in Christ,

No one locks a door without reason. A locked door becomes a barrier between you and everything else. It gives us a sense of safety and protection since people can’t randomly access us through a locked door. It also offers privacy to do whatever we want without interruption. 

When we lock a door, we don’t expect anyone to enter through that barrier. It’s the entire point of why a door would be locked in the first place. We keep others out and ourselves in. For we know the laws of nature won’t let us pass through such a barrier without breaking the door. 

Imagine then the disciples surprise when a guest shows up in a room with the doors locked. The disciples gather together on the evening of Jesus’ resurrection and we’re told that “the doors [were] locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews,” John 20:19. Of course, the disciples had many reasons to lock the door. They believed the Jews would come for them next, the mobs would come after them too, or any other number of intruders to their gathering. But the actual “intruder” isn’t who they thought it would be either. Jesus comes among them through locked doors and says to them, “Peace be with you,” John 20:19b. Our resurrected Lord breaks through the barriers they placed so he may be with them.

There’s a problem with this gathering though. There’s someone missing. Only ten of the eleven disciples (remember Judas is gone) have gathered together. After Jesus speaks with them, they’re all abuzz with joy and excitement. But Thomas isn’t so easily convinced. These ten go to tell Thomas who was missing, but Thomas responds, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe,” John 20:25. Of course, this is the reason why we call him “doubting” Thomas, though such a name is misleading. But Thomas is also one with whom we can relate in our doubts.

Only one week later, these disciples gather together again; and this time, Thomas is with them. Here again, the doors were locked. But just like the first time, such a barrier caused no issues for our resurrected Lord. Jesus comes among them, saying again, “Peace be with you,” John 20:26. Then he turns to Thomas and addresses his doubts directly. “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe,” John 20:27. Our resurrected Lord doesn’t discard the marks of his passion. Rather, he’s known by them. Jesus is eternally known by his cross, his death for you, and now his resurrection from the dead. Sometimes, we may have doubts like Thomas. We may wish to “see” as the disciples have. And when we do, Jesus comes among us too… through his Word and Sacraments. Jesus is present through his Word. Everything Jesus did is recorded for our benefit, our faith. “These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name,” John 20:31. When in doubt, let us turn again to God’s word… and there we’ll see Jesus who holds out his nail-scarred hands to us that we may have eternal life! 

Pastor Sorenson

Prayer:

Almighty God, grant that we who have celebrated the Lord’s resurrection may by Your grace confess in our life and conversation that Jesus is Lord and God; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen!

Isaiah 65:17-25; 1 Corinthians 15:19-26; Luke 24:1-12

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

We’ve focused on hands for the last several weeks. We’ve seen how they work, how they comfort, how they care. We know the scope of what our hands can do. But it wasn’t necessarily our hands that we were watching. Rather, it was God’s hand that piqued our interest. It was the very hands of Jesus.

Let us continue to observe these hands this week. For we’ve seen Jesus heal diseases, cast out demons, comfort the lowly, raise the dead, and forgive sins. But that was just the beginning. Jesus shall lead his disciples to the upper room where his hands shall take bread, bless it, break it, and give it. So too shall his hands bless the cup and pass it around for all to drink. And as he does this, he tells us, “This is my body,” and “This is my blood.” We see his hands do a new thing, taking ordinary food and making it a feast of forgiveness and life!

Yet, on that same night, the hands that blessed shall be the hands that are tied. The hands that healed are the hands in chains. The hands that taught the disciples, the crowds, and all the people shall be betrayed by one of his own. Jesus shall be handed over to the Jews, the Pharisees, the high priest. They will charge him with blasphemy and false teaching, claiming it’s his hand that have done great evil! But notice his hands... they are still. He doesn’t fight back. He doesn’t flail for his freedom. He doesn’t even raise a finger against his accusers.

All throughout the night, Jesus will stand trial. He’ll be beaten, insulted, spit upon. All who desire to lay their hands on him won’t find any resistance. Even with all this against him, Pilate will declare these hands innocent three times! But three times still won’t be enough. For the hands of the Jews shall point at him and yell, “Crucify him!” The hands which have held the world will now carry a cross. Bloodied and beaten. Weak and innocent. His hands shall bear the splinters of the wood, only to then be nailed to it. The Romans shall nail his hands and his feet to the cross.

His hands will be pierced for us. His hands will carry our sins for us. His hands shall feel death for us and be put into a tomb. Yet, this is the week that we see the hands of Jesus do his greatest work of all. For on the third day, the hand of God shall come down to roll away the stone. The hands of Jesus shall not remain lifeless but shall be raised up to life eternal! Now, in the hands of Jesus are the very keys of death and the grave. He has conquered so that his hands may open to us the gates to life everlasting! 

Pastor Sorenson

Prayer:

Almighty God the Father, through Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, You have overcome death and opened the gate of everlasting life to us. Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of our Lord’s resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by Your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen!

Deuteronomy 32:36-39; Philippians 2:5-11; Luke 19:28-40

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

The Lord has need of it. There was no questioning from the owner beyond this, or any inquiry about compensation. The disciples simply walked up, loosed the rope and left, with these few words. This has always been the strangest part of the story for me. It doesn’t seem likely that someone would loan out their colt with such little explanation. After all, donkeys were beasts of burden. They were used regularly for tilling fields and hauling freight. They were far too valuable an animal to give away so easily.

We have limited supplies after all. We must always think about our needs first, right? We can’t give away food if that means we have none left. Nor can we hand out every penny we earn without withholding a portion for our needs. Indeed, our needs are important too. So why should someone else’s need trump mine? It just doesn’t make sense. 

Needs, though, as opposed to wants are difficult to decipher sometimes. We need food and water to survive, but without shelter, we wouldn’t fair well either. We need a job, but not just any job will do. So, where is the line drawn then between needs and wants? Can we make that difference? I think we find, our needs are so often tainted by our sinful wants. We never are willing to settle for the simple needs, but rather hide all our sin in the disguise of human need. Yes, sin has made us “needy” people. 

Think again though about who claims “need” over this colt. It’s not just any needy person. It’s “the Lord.” He’s the one who created the world in seven days, who formed life out of nothing. Why does he need an animal so lowly? 

The Lord has need of it. That was the end of the discussion… because that was enough. With so few words, Jesus communicated through his disciples the coming of the messiah. For it was long foretold that the true King of Israel would ride not on a stallion for battle, but on a donkey, a colt, a beast of burden. The Lord needed his donkey. He needed the ride… because he would carry an even heavier load. As Jesus rode into Jerusalem on that day, he rode that he may carry every sinful desire to the cross. Indeed, Jesus was the true “beast” of burden. For he allowed himself to become burdened with all of our sins. But he would unload them. He would remove them, by his death. For they would be carried with him to the grave where they would remain forever. The Lord had need of that colt because he had need for you! By Jesus’ death on the cross, he frees us from our load that we may sing his praise now and forevermore!

Pastor Sorenson

Prayer:

Almighty and everlasting God, You sent Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to take upon Himself our flesh and to suffer death upon the cross. Mercifully grant that we may follow the example of His great humility and patience and be made partakers of His resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen!