Forgiveness and New Life for Those Who Have Fallen and Failed

The risen Lord Jesus has already appeared and shown Himself to the disciples twice before this.  He has breathed His Holy Spirit upon them with His Word, given them His Office of the Keys, and sent them in His Name as holy Apostles, even as God the Father has sent Him into the world.

And yet, it seems that Simon Peter remains at a loss as to what he should be doing with himself — which is already part of the problem, since it is the Lord who must “do something” with him!

For the time being, St. Peter decides to go fishing.  He thus goes back to the life he knew before the Lord called him to discipleship — back to his own works and efforts, to his own occupations and self-chosen activities.  And you have heard how he takes others with him into those pursuits, in much the way that parents and peers lead their children and their neighbors by way of example.

But, as always when you rely upon yourself, chasing your own priorities, goals, and ambitions, those restless disciples labor all night in vain.  They catch nothing.  They wind up empty-handed.  They are not able to do any good or to accomplish anything positive without Jesus.  Nor can you.

Indeed, under such circumstances, even when Jesus is right there on the shore in front of them, the disciples are not able to recognize Him.  They do not know Him anymore, not even this third time.  Just as you also fail to know or recognize Jesus when you strive to make it on your own, and as often as you become so focused on yourself and on what you’re doing.  It is a hopeless endeavor.

But how on earth have Simon Peter and his fellow disciples drifted so far away from Jesus?

It’s actually not so hard to figure out, if you think back to Good Friday, and if you put yourself in Peter’s sandals for awhile.  Do not suppose that he could so quickly or easily forget his denials of the Lord Jesus.  In fact, given that all four of the Holy Gospels include the record of those events, it seems clear that he would never completely forget that dark night within his life on this earth.

As it is, in much the same way that Judas Iscariot is remembered for his betrayals, and St. Thomas is known for his initial doubts, so is St. Peter remembered for his three-fold denial of the Lord.

Consider those times in your own life when you have really blown it.  When you have let someone down, or failed them so miserably, or hurt them in a fit of anger.  When you have committed some sin or another which you can’t possibly take back, undo, or ever hope to live down.  What do you do with that?  How do you handle that baggage?  How do you go about trying to cope with it?

In your fallen flesh, there are basically two different ways that you attempt to deal with your sins and failings — assuming that you’ve moved beyond the stage of excuses and rationalizations.

On the one hand, you may despair of any and all hope, give up completely, and resign yourself to grief and shame.  Or, on the other hand, you may redouble all your efforts and work twice as hard, vainly trying with all your own might to atone for your sins and redeem yourself.

In the Gospel at hand, it seems to me that Simon Peter is doing a little of both.  To begin with, he returns to fishing, perhaps because he has despaired of his worthiness to be a disciple and Apostle of Jesus.  And to be sure, it is true that, of himself, he is not worthy to be either of those things.

But then, when Jesus appears on the scene, you’ve heard how strenuously Simon Peter works to prove himself worthy.  He first of all throws himself into the sea in order to swim ahead to Jesus on the shore, not content to come in the boat with the others.  And when the boat is close enough, he then manhandles that big net full of fish all by himself and drags it onto the shore.

Peter’s thinking is all wrong at that point.  He keeps starting with himself, with his own guilt and shame on the one hand, with his own strength and hard work on the other hand.  He doesn’t know how to live with his failures, so he offers his accomplishments to make up for them.  And maybe you have also attempted that bargain at times.  But it doesn’t work, neither for Peter nor for you.

So, Jesus addresses and corrects the way that Simon Peter thinks and acts.  That is to say, the Lord in His mercy calls that poor fallen man to repentance and to faith in the forgiveness of his sins.

To that end, there is a replay of sorts, recalling that earlier scene when Simon Peter thrice denied the Lord Jesus in the midst of His Passion.  There is first of all a small “charcoal fire,” just like the one at which he warmed himself on that night when he was so intimidated and frightened by the questions of a servant girl that he denied even knowing the Man from Nazareth.

Here is such a fire once again, the only other time it appears in the Gospels.  But this time it is the Lord Jesus Himself who is asking the questions of Peter: Three new questions, one for each denial.

“Simon, son of John, do you love Me?”

Oh, yes!  Simon Peter is quick to affirm his love each time.  He loves Jesus more than anyone!  He would do anything for Jesus.  And even if everyone else fell away, he never would.  Or, so he had promised — before his denials!  Now, more than ever, he is eager to affirm his love and prove it.

His thinking is still backwards.  He is still beginning with himself and with his love for Jesus.  But if he desires to express and demonstrate that love, then his response will be directed toward the lambs and sheep of Christ Jesus; for Simon Peter is to be a shepherd, a pastor, of those sheep.

To begin with, though, he needs a Shepherd of his own, and he must allow himself to be tended as a sheep with the forgiveness of that great Good Shepherd of us all.  Just as, once before, he had to let his Master wash his feet and love him, in order to live and learn to love his neighbor.

Therefore, in his answer to the Lord’s third time asking, “Simon, do you love Me,” Peter undoes himself when he affirms, “O Lord, You know all things.”

Ah, yes.  His point is that Jesus already knows that poor Simon Peter loves Him.  But at the same time, the Lord Jesus knows all that other stuff, too:  That Peter has denied Him.  That he is a poor, miserable sinner who deserves only punishment.  That he is pitiful, weak, pathetic, and unworthy.

But here’s the deal: None of that stuff is the real issue!

Simon Peter is indeed unworthy, as are you and all of us poor sinners.  But Jesus, the Lamb who was slain — He is worthy!  It is the Lord Jesus, therefore, and not Peter, who does all the doing.

To extrapolate upon His Words: “When you were younger — before you became My disciple — you prepared yourself to go and do and be whatever you wanted.  And it was precisely that sinful old Adam, that same prideful spirit of self-preservation, which turned you away from Me, away from My Cross and Passion, and caused you to deny Me with your words and by your actions.

“But I have called you to follow Me as My disciple — to share My Cross, and to glorify God by your life and by your death in the fellowship of My Body.  So it is that, as you grow and mature in your faith, My Word and Spirit are preparing you to go where I have chosen, to do what I have given you to do, to be the new man I have recreated you to be, and to suffer for My Name’s sake.”

Do you hear in all of this how Jesus is the One who cares for you?  Who forgives you?  Who does all things for you?  Not because you love Him, but for the sake of His own divine Love for you.

Where all of your efforts to provide for yourself have failed, His Word provides you with all that you need and abundantly more.  Just as He is the One who is here on the shore again this evening, having prepared a Meal for you.  He takes the bread and gives it to you: His Body, sacrificed upon the Cross for the forgiveness of your sins, given to you here and now for life and salvation in Him.  And He pours out His Cup, the New Testament in His Blood, for you and for the many to drink.

It truly is meet, right, and salutary that you should love Him; that you should fear, love, and trust in Him above all things — with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.  And in your love for Him, you ought to love and serve your neighbors within your God-given callings and stations in life.

But it is far more important and significant, to begin with and forever, that this Jesus loves you.  And whereas your love for Him often fails and falls short, His love for you is steadfast, certain, and secure.  He will never let you down, nor will He let you go; He will never leave you or forsake you.  For He has given Himself for you, to atone for all your sins, and in His Resurrection from the dead you are raised up in His righteousness, reconciled with Him and God the Father in the Holy Spirit, in the fellowship of His Body and Bride, the Holy Church, here in time and hereafter for eternity.

In the Name + of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Set Your Heart and Mind on the Risen Christ

Christ has died, and Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia!

As a Christian you have also died with Him by your Baptism into His death; and so it is that you are also raised up with Him to a new and different life.  Indeed, He is your Life and your Salvation, and in Him you already live with God in heaven, even while you live and work here on earth.

Set your heart and mind on Christ, therefore, by hearing and heeding His Word.

To clarify, it is no sin to live in your body here on earth where the Lord your God has called you and positioned you.  There is no sin in going to work and doing your job, nor in going fishing for the fun of it, or whatever your own hobbies and pastimes may be.  Do not repent for work or play.  But do examine where your heart and mind are set as you go about doing whatever it is you do.

All your labors will accomplish nothing apart from the Word of Christ Jesus.  But at His Word great good things happen in abundance.  And by faith in His Word, although you may be stretched and strained, you are neither broken nor torn.  For His Word is fruitful, and His Word sustains you.

But what should you do if you have fallen into the trap of working to make a life for yourself apart from faith in Christ’s Word?  What if you have lost sight of Him and no longer know the Man?  And what about your doubts and denials, your uncertainty and fears, and your cynical skepticism?

Whether you have already fallen a great distance or have only begun to wander away from Christ Jesus, return now to the Lord who gently beckons you to Himself and makes Himself known to you again and again.  Or, if you have never yet been able to walk in His way of life, be raised up by His Word of the Gospel.  For He has fixed His gaze upon you, and He calls you to Himself in love.

Come, return to the cleansing significance of your Baptism, to the washing of the water with His Word.  Not to be re-baptized, for there is nothing lacking in the Word and work of the Lord.  But in contrition and repentance, and by the confession of your sins, be drowned and die with all your sinful lusts and desires, and be raised to life through the forgiveness of your sins in Jesus’ name.

Do not dress yourself with your own works, which, like the emperor’s new clothes, leave you naked in your sins.  Rather be clothed by Christ with His Righteousness and Holiness through His forgiveness of your sins, and so live by His grace alone.  Not in guilt and shame, nor in fear, but in His Peace.  Rest yourself in Him by faith, whether you are working hard or having a good time.

Set your heart and mind on the priority of His Word and the preaching of it, on His means of grace and all the things of Christ Jesus.  Do not allow your job or your pastimes to take precedence over Him, but rather live in the world in the way that God intends by making His House into your home.

If you have drifted away in the past, or even if you never have before, either way, do not abandon the Boat of the Church, the Holy Ark of Christendom.  Instead, draw near to the Lord Jesus Christ aboard that great vessel, even though she appears to be a little boat and of no great consequence.

By His death at the ninth hour of the day, and by your Baptism into His death — a beautiful gate indeed! — you have entered upon that Boat, the Temple of His Church, which is His own Body.  So does He keep you safe and sustain you in Himself, and so does He preserve your life in God.

And what is more, in His Resurrection from the dead and His Ascension to the Right Hand of the Father, your prayer now ascends like incense before the throne of God at every hour, at all times, and in all places.  And His tender mercy descends upon you, that is, not perishable silver and gold, but the holy, precious blood of the spotless Lamb, and His sacred flesh, which is your meat indeed.

Here at His Table is the Meal He has prepared for you with His own hand, by His own hard labor and the sweat of His brow.  Here is the Supper to break your fast, since you have had nothing with which to feed yourself, despite your best efforts and your long hard toils by night as by day.

Come, therefore, dear child of God.  Eat and drink this Food that Christ provides for you according to His grace and love, and learn to know your crucified and risen Lord in His gracious hospitality.

In the Name + of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Come and Eat What Christ Has Provided and Prepared

The Lord Jesus Christ has loved His own, even to the end.  He has sacrificed Himself for them, for you and all the world, and has finished His good work of Redemption by His Cross and Passion.

And now, in the New Creation of His Resurrection from the dead, He manifests Himself to His disciples, to His Church on earth, by His own ways and means of the Gospel: By the preaching of repentance for the forgiveness of sins in His Name, by the washing of water with His Word and Holy Spirit, and by the Holy Supper of His Body and His Blood, given and poured out for you.

Even so, the pattern we have begun to see continues, and you see it in yourself, as well.  That is to say, the very ones who should know better — the disciples of the Lord Jesus, who have been so well-catechized and fed by His Word, and who have already witnessed His Resurrection — they fail to recognize Him, and they do not know Him, though He appears to them and beckons to them.

It’s not simply a case of mistaken identity, nor is it a matter of appearance and familiarity.  But, no, there is too much that clouds their hearts and minds and veils their sight, as though they were still trapped and wandering in the wilderness of Lent.  That is why they do not know the Man.

It is, therefore, a call to repentance: from ignorance to acknowledgment, and from unbelief to faith.

In the present case at hand, even after the Lord Jesus is identified, there are multiple echoes and reminders of Simon Peter’s denials, which are not unlike your own foibles and failures, your own sins and transgressions of which you are ashamed.  Consequently, there is a restless tension in the air, extending from that little boat out on the water to the place where Jesus stands on the shore.

What’s going to happen?  What will Jesus do or say?  And where will Simon Peter go from here?

There is a powerful temptation, for pastors and people alike, to suppose that Easter is now “over,” and thus to go back to your own works and occupations, to business as usual.  Oddly enough, that is typical of the way that all of us poor sinners avoid the truth and its uncomfortable significance.

Like Simon Peter jumping out of the boat, swimming to shore, and then hauling all those fish all by himself, you throw yourself back into your routines and schedules, and you work like mad to catch up on your to-do list, trying to prove yourself, and acting as though the Resurrection never happened, or as though it made no practical difference to life, the universe, or anything at all.

Which is not to say that your earthly occupations are wrong, nor even that rest and relaxation and good-hearted fun are somehow misplaced or sinful.  All of those things belong to the good gifts of God, which you are given to receive and use in faith and love to the glory of His holy Name.

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, work or play, or whatever you do, whatever your pursuits in this life may be, live as a citizen of God’s Kingdom and as a stranger and pilgrim here on earth.

In your vocation as a child of God, as a baptized Christian, a disciple of Christ Jesus, and in all of your various stations in life, wherever the Lord has placed you, let all of your days and your deeds be guided and governed by His Word to you.  Otherwise you labor in vain and catch nothing.

Apart from the Word of Jesus, you cannot even recognize Him; you do not know Him, far less do you “have” Him.  And apart from Christ Jesus and His Word, you are not able to do or accomplish anything of significance or value.  All of your own works and efforts will add up to a big fat zero.

Thanks be to God, and Christ be praised, therefore, that He manifests Himself to you in peace.  For that is what the Lord Jesus does in response to your doubts and fears, your denials and failures.

He comes to make Himself known to you in mercy and compassion, to reveal Himself and give Himself to you by the Gospel.  He calls out to you, and He calls you to Himself.  He catches you in His net by His preaching of repentance unto faith in His forgiveness of sins; and so does He bring you aboard the Boat of His Church, the Holy Ark of Christendom.  Not only once upon a time, but day by day throughout your life, as often as you fail and fall short, He recalls you to the significance of your Baptism, and He raises you up in His Resurrection to a new life in Him.

The One who turned the water into wine, who fed the 5000 with a few loaves and fishes, who fed the disciples and washed their feet, and opened His wounds to them, and breathed His Spirit upon them — He is the One who also washes you and cleanses you with His forgiveness of your sins.

So, too, this crucified and risen Lord Jesus Christ invites you to recline here at His Table, to be fed from His own hand the Meal of His Body and His Blood, which He has provided and prepared for you by His own hard work and efforts, by the sweat of His brow and His death upon the Cross.

He was crucified for your transgressions, and He has been raised for your justification.  And look, He makes all things brand new in the Resurrection of His Body from the dead.  He has brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel, with which He blesses you in both soul and body.

Of yourself, you have nothing to eat, do you?  Nothing of your own that will satisfy your hunger.  But come, eat and drink what Jesus has prepared for you.  All things are now made ready in Him.

Lift up your heart and mind to Christ here at His Altar, which is for you the shore between heaven and earth.  It is the very Paradise of God.  For here you are freely and fully forgiven.  Here you are fed and given Life with God in Christ, who knows you and loves you in mercy, now and forever.

In the Name + of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

His Resurrection and Your Life

This is now the third time, and Simon Peter still does not know the Man.  The last thing he has said in this Holy Gospel, prior to this fishing expedition, is that he was not with Jesus, and that he is certainly not one of that Man’s disciples.  It seems that he was right on that count, because he’s back to where he was before the Lord Jesus ever called him to follow.

To be sure, there’s nothing wrong with going fishing, in itself, whether for the fun of it or for your livelihood.  The same goes for you, as well, whatever your own pastimes and occupations may be.  Christ has died, and Christ is risen, and Christ will come again.  But here in the meantime you have your life in the world, a job to do, a family to feed, or at least yourself to look after, and all the other good gifts that God entrusts to your stewardship.  Simon Peter likewise had a household to provide for, a wife and a mother-in-law, and fishing was something he knew and understood.

It was Jesus that he did not know or understand.  Not yet.  Therein lies the problem.  It’s not that he doubted or denied the Resurrection, not after the first two appearances.  But there is still the unresolved fact that he denied the Lord Jesus Himself in His Passion.  So at this point, everything is pretty much up in the air for Simon Peter, who really doesn’t know what do with himself.

Perhaps it’s not so different for you, from one Sunday morning to the next, as you go about the days of your week.  Christ is risen, He is risen indeed! Alleluia!  That’s good news and a great answer to all of your needs.  But maybe it doesn’t seem to answer your most immediate questions and concerns.  What are you supposed to do with yourself?  What difference does the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus make in your daily dealings?  Or does it really matter in this body and life?

Of course the answers to these questions are going to be different for you than they were for Simon Peter.  You’re not one of the Twelve Apostles, and most of you will never be a Minister of the Gospel, a pastor, or even a full-time church worker.  We may certainly hope and pray that some of you young men will grow up to become pastors someday, but what about your life right now?  And for any and all of you, no matter what your future holds, how should you approach and think about your chores and duties, your job, and your responsibilities here and now?  It can feel like a very long way between Good Friday and Easter and your desk or the diapers you have to change.

Your day-to-day life can seem very worldly and mundane, but it’s not as though you can simply step out of the world to serve some supposedly “higher” or “more spiritual” sort of calling.  Nor are you prone to attempt it, even if you could, when you think back on your missteps in the past, your mistakes and major mess-ups.  Who are you to suppose that you could ever live a holy life?  You’ve got your hands full, just trying to manage your days, juggle your obligations, and get by.

It stings and pricks your conscience, doesn’t it, when you are confronted with even little reminders of your checkered past?  Like that little charcoal fire, laid there at the feet of Jesus on the beach, recalling the fire that set the scene of Simon Peter’s adamant denials.  Ouch!  That one cuts to the quick and leaves a mark.  But lesson learned, right?  Or maybe not, yet.

It’s not that you must now “try harder” and “do better” next time.  It is rather that you need to learn where, and when, and how to follow Jesus.  That you learn to know Him, as He truly is, and that you be with Him where He is.  Not by heroic bravado or extraordinary efforts to prove yourself, but by the grace, mercy, and forgiveness of this crucified and risen Lord Jesus Christ.

None of the disciples knew Him, and neither do you know Him, except by His Voice, and by the good gifts that He gives you with His Word.  You learn to recognize Jesus, your Good Shepherd, in His love for you, and thus do you know and believe and confess that He is the Lord.

It is when you have been taught to know Him in this way that you truly know yourself, and that you know your place in the world, and that you know what to do with yourself and your life.

The Lord Jesus calls you to Himself, to eat and drink what He provides.  But He does not call you out of the world in order to reach Him.  The little boat of His Church, even a very little boat like Emmaus, brings you safely to Him; and you are cleansed in the same waters that uphold the whole Church as you come to His Meal.  As the Lord has already bathed you in those waters, in your Holy Baptism, you need not throw yourself into the sea, as though to drown your grief and sorrow, or as though to cleanse your hands and head of all your guilt and shame.  No, the Word of Jesus washes you daily with His free and full forgiveness, while His Baptism remains and avails for you, no matter how many times you have fallen short, sunk up to your neck, and even gone under.

Where Jesus is concerned, you are not called to offer Him your works or sacrifices of propitiation.  He simply calls you to Himself, to receive what He gives, to eat and drink from His hand, to find in Him your life and health and strength, and so to live by faith in Him.

He does also call you to work, as He commands you to love and serve your neighbor.  But your labors of love are not for the Lord’s benefit, as though He needed anything from you; nor are they meant for your atonement and reconciliation with God.  Your works are for your neighbor.

The Lord does not need the fish that He enables you to catch and asks you to bring, but these are the men, women, and children whom He calls and brings to Himself through you and your nets.

Your nets need not be large and strong.  Simply cast them at His Word on the right side of your little boat, and see how He fills them, and yet they are not torn apart.  Your nets need not be those of the apostolic ministry and the pastoral office — nor should you take those nets to yourself apart from the Lord’s Call — but work with the nets of your own office and stations in life.

If you are a mother, cast your net for your children.  If you are a husband, cast your net for your wife.  If you are a shopkeeper, cast your net for your customers.  And if you are a fisherman, cast your net for fish, and feed your family and your neighbors with the catch your Lord provides.

Your life is holy, even as you live and work in this world with all of its mundane obligations, because you are holy by the washing of the water with the Word of Christ.

You are called to Christ Jesus, to be fed by Him, to live by His grace, and to rest in His peace.  But you are not called to laziness and negligence in respect to your neighbor and your place on earth.  Here you are called to work with the strength that God provides, to serve faithfully and well, and to care for others in the hope and confidence of the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus.

You are not expected to give more than you have received.  Nor could you ever do so.  For what do you have that you have not received?  But what, then, have you received?  And what is it for?

The Lord would have you enjoy His gracious gifts and delight in them, because He loves you, but He would also have you put them to good purpose and use them in love for your neighbor.  Thus do your time, treasures, and talents become alms — that is, works of mercy and gifts of charity — for the widows and orphans, for the lame, the poor, and the blind, and of course for your own spouse and children, for your brothers and sisters, and for your fellow Christians.

What, then, do you have in your hand?  And what is in your heart?  When there is faith and love there, then whatever is in your hand will be extended to the neighbor God has laid at your gate.  Is it silver and gold?  Is it medical knowledge and skill?  Or food and clothing?  Or a listening ear?  Or carpentry, plumbing, and electrical know-how?

The holy Apostles received from the Lord what they have also delivered to the Church in His Name and holy remembrance, that is, the Ministry of His Gospel; His preaching of repentance for the forgiveness of sins in His Name; His Holy Baptism; the Bread of Life, which is His Body given for you; and His Cup of Salvation, which is the New Testament in His Blood, poured out for you.  From generation to generation, this sacred “Tradition” of the Gospel — this Holy Ministry of the Word and Sacraments of Christ — has been handed over, as also now from your pastors to you.

So it is that the Cross and Resurrection of Christ Jesus are for you, and they are yours, in the sure promises and certain hope of Him who stands on the beach and beckons you to Himself, to break your fast with His Feast.  So it is that you shall not die but live forever in and with Him.

In that holy faith and confidence, your life right here and now has sacred meaning and purpose.  Whether you have much or little, the Lord Jesus provides all that is needed for all that He would have you do, and for the neighbor He would have you serve.

Do not despise that poor man, or that poor woman, whoever they are.  For you could no more walk from your mother’s womb than he or she could.  You are both alike conceived and born in sin, subject to death, and of yourself unable to do or accomplish anything.  Your works without the gracious providence of the Lord could accomplish nothing; and if He did not open His hand to supply your needs, you would not have anything to eat or drink or wear, nor anywhere to live.

But now the Lord Jesus has raised you up to stand, and He upholds you with His strength.  He has drawn you up out of the water, cleansed you of all your sins, and sanctified you by His Life-giving Holy Spirit.  He has opened His heaven to you, and His Father is well-pleased with you, no matter what your past has been.  Therefore, your labors are not in vain, but they bring forth the fruits of the Lord Jesus who loves you.

Would you know His love for you, and would you rest in His peace?  Come, then, little children, beloved disciples of Jesus.  Come and eat what He has prepared for you.  For He is the Lord, and here He has come to feed you with Himself.  So does He manifest Himself to you again, who was crucified for you and raised from the dead, that you might live in Him, both now and forever.

In the Name + of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Come, Eat and Drink the Gifts Christ Freely Gives

The Lord Jesus Christ has laid down His own life for you upon the Cross, and He has taken it up again, also for you, in His Resurrection from the dead.

This was entirely His work, from start to finish, and His free and full salvation remains a gracious gift, unto the resurrection and the life everlasting of your body and your soul.

That is true, not only in the way it has been accomplished for you, but so also in the way and with the means by which it is given to you.  For the risen Lord Jesus Christ manifests Himself to you, gives Himself to you in love, and serves you with grace, mercy, and peace.  Otherwise, you would not even recognize Him, much less be able to come to Him or believe in Him.  Neither would you know what to do with yourself; nor would you be able to accomplish anything at all on your own.

You may resort to what you think you know, and return your attention and energies to the cares and occupations of this life.  Nothing wrong with that, actually, if that is where the Lord has called you to serve your neighbor and glorify His Name.  But all of your pursuits and efforts are pointless and unproductive apart from the Word of Jesus.  Even if you manage to succeed in the eyes of the world, you really accomplish nothing of any lasting value without Him.

As that goes for your temporary body and life in this world, it is all the more so for your spiritual life and salvation, which is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

Throwing yourself into your job and into your hard labors may be good and right and useful, especially for your neighbor’s sake.  But it may also be a frantic and futile attempt to remedy your spiritual doldrums, or to make amends, to make up for and atone for your sinful faults and failings.

That is to say, for every time you’ve dropped the ball or really blown it, you’re going to work twice as hard as everyone else put together, to prove yourself, to demonstrate your ability, your zeal and commitment, your worth and value.  But it won’t work that way.  And it isn’t necessary.

Such efforts are driven by guilt and shame and fear, and all of this leads only to despair and finally death.  Your own self-righteousness is really no righteousness at all, but only a lie.

That is not the repentance to which you are called; that is not the newness of life which you are granted in the Resurrection of Christ Jesus from the dead.

Before you are sent to work for your neighbor, you are first of all called to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.  Before you are sent to feed and clothe and visit your neighbor, you are invited to be fed and clothed and visited by Christ, your Savior.

He has not come to scold or reprimand you, but to care for you and provide for you.  He died for you on purpose, in order to atone for all your sins.  And He has risen to life again, in order to raise you up with Himself through His forgiveness.  There are no amends for you to make up to Him, no worthiness for you to prove in His sight.

Set things right with your neighbor, as you are able.  But know this, that your debt with God is already settled and paid in full.

Here, then, in the Lord’s House, there is only Jesus on the shore, with the Meal that He has already provided and prepared for you.

Little children, you have nothing of your own to eat, do you?  But never mind that.  Come here and eat what Jesus has for you, which is given and poured out for the forgiveness of all your sins, for the resurrection of your body from death to life, and for your everlasting salvation with Him.

In the Name + of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.