Ninth
Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 14C)
August
10, 2025
Text: Luke 12:22-40
The
holy Christian Church confesses: “I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker
of heaven and earth” (Apostles’ Creed).
Dr. Luther tells us what this means in his Small Catechism. I bet you even know the words: “I believe
that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul,
eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes
care of them. He also gives me clothing
and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals,
and all I have. He richly and daily
provides me with all that I need to support this body and life.”[1] Etc., etc.
Then,
in the prayer our Lord and Brother, Jesus Christ, teaches us to pray to Our
Father in heaven, we petition our Abba: “Give us this day our daily
bread.” And, again, Dr. Luther helps us
with the meaning: “God certainly gives daily bread to everyone without our
prayers, even to all evil people, but we pray in this petition that God would
lead us to realize this and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.” And just “What is meant by daily bread? Daily bread includes everything that has to
do with the support and needs of the body, such as food, drink, clothing,
shoes, house, home, land, animals, money, goods, a devout husband or wife,
devout children, devout workers, devout and faithful rulers, good government,
good weather, peace, health, self-control, good reputation, good friends,
faithful neighbors, and the like.” (The
“and the like” part is simply to say, everything else you can possibly think
of that may be needed for this body and life. And frankly, even beyond what is
needed. For many of us… in fact, for most,
if not all, of us… God gives us so much more than we need. God really spoils us, in the best sense of
that word, doesn’t He?)
See, He’s
our Father. He loves us. He wants to give us all good things. And yet, what do we do? We worry.
As if the unfailing fountain of goodness that is our God is suddenly
going to dry up and fail us. We think
if we don’t worry, the whole world is going to fall apart. We think our life and wellbeing
depends on our worrying. We
even think… maybe not consciously, but we even think that worrying
about things will lead to longer life.
(I’m that way in the airplane. I
feel like, if I just let my guard down and enjoy the ride, we’re sure to fall
from the sky and go up in a ball of flames.)
We’re silly, aren’t we? We’re
ridiculous. Nevertheless, we’re
anxious. Why?
Perhaps
we have reason to be. I mean, we are
sinners. How often have we offended our
righteous and holy God? How often have
we rejected our Father? How often have
we disobeyed His good and gracious will for us?
We’ve thrown our tantrums. As
rebellious children, we’ve stormed out with the thought, if not even the words,
“I’m so angry with You, God!” Maybe
even, “I hate You! You just don’t
understand me, or what I go through! You
don’t love me! If You loved me, You
would…” (Whatever it is we want.) God could rightly give up on us. No one would blame Him. He could rightly forsake us. That would only be fair. It would be just. It’s not as though we don’t have it coming.
But
you know, even earthly fathers… generally speaking… I realize there are plenty
of heartbreaking exceptions… even earthly fathers don’t give up on their
children so easily. And you know what
your Father has done about your sin.
Your rejection of Him and of His will.
Your reviling. Your temper
tantrums. You know… He sent His Son. You know…
The cross. “Suffered under
Pontius Pilate. Crucified, dead, and
buried.” And you know what this means. Again, with a little help from Dr. Luther:
Jesus Christ, my Lord, “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
you also know that the cross and death are not the end of the story. Not for Jesus. “The third day He rose again from the dead,”
we confess. And you know what that
means: It means that death is not the
end of the story for you and me, either.
It means that I may “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.
This is most certainly true.”
In
fact, it is true for you and me right now. We already live under Him in His
Kingdom. But that’s not all. He is coming again, to judge the living and
the dead. And, as far as you are
concerned, you already know the Judgment, on the basis of the Lord’s death and
resurrection. You heard it in the Holy
Absolution (after you confessed all your sin and rebellion and rejection and
temper tantrums). God has already
said to you, “I forgive you all your sins, in My Thrice-Holy Name.” What does it mean? Here is where the Holy Spirit gets to work. “In this Christian church He [the Spirit]
daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers.” And so, “On the Last Day He will raise me and
all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. This is most certainly true.”
That
is why Jesus says, beloved: “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s
good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32; ESV). And if that is true (and it is)… why
worry? Why be anxious? “He who did not spare his own Son but gave
him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”
(Rom. 8:32). If your Father’s good
pleasure is to give you the Kingdom, what else is it His good pleasure
to give you? Everything you need
for the support of this body and life. Everything
you need in this time between our Lord’s first coming and His coming again. Your Father knows what you need. He loves you.
He will give it. Do not be
anxious. I love how Paul says it in
Philippians: “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer
and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And,” what?... “the peace of
God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus” (4:6-7).
Until
Christ’s coming again. His coming
again… watch for that. Be ready. He is coming soon. Stay dressed for action. Keep an eye toward the horizon. Seek first His Kingdom… Now, as you faithfully tend to your
vocations according to God’s holy Word on this side of the veil. And then, as the Kingdom manifests
itself, visibly, tangibly, when Jesus appears to us in glory. And all these things will be added unto
you.
And
then, keep an eye toward your neighbor.
Sell your possessions, Jesus says.
Or even give them away. So as to
give to the needy. Store up for
yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy, and where
thieves do not break in and steal. How
do you do that? Give it to others. Invest your earthly stuff… your wealth, your
possessions… in heavenly pursuits, by investing it in those around you. Because the things God provides for your
body here and now, He would also provide for your neighbor in his body
here and now. And the amazing thing is,
He gives you to be His conduit to give them to your
neighbor. He gives you more than
you need, so that He can give to your neighbor through you. It’s His work. And yet, He says to you, “Good work, my
child,” as though you did something marvelous. What grace!
He blesses you, by giving you to be a blessing to your neighbor.
And
you know, right, that you’re not going to run out. Beloved, your Father will not forsake
you. Not now. Not ever.
It is His good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. That is what He does in Christ Jesus. And so also, on account of Christ Jesus, He
gives you every good gift besides. Do
not be anxious. Don’t worry. Believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of
heaven and earth. And know that He loves
you. In the Name of the Father, and of
the Son X, and of the Holy
Spirit. Amen.
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