Pastor B.J.
Froiland
8th Sunday after Trinity
Matthew 7:15-23
August 2nd, 2009
In the Name of the Father and of the Son X and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Christ tells you in today’s Gospel to “Beware of false prophets.” And He means these words. But this begs the question: Just how do you judge a false prophet? Can you tell a false prophet by what he looks like? Not likely, our Lord says, they come in sheep’s clothing, that is to say, there’s no telling by appearances. Can you tell a false prophet by his success or failure or by what he does? Probably not, our Lord blesses all men in various ways as Luther reminds us, “God certainly gives daily bread to everyone without our prayers, even to all evil people …” What’s more, St. Paul tells us that he and the other pastors of his day were seen as the “scum of the world, the refuse of all things.” (1 Cor. 4:13) Therefore, you cannot distinguish between true and false teaching by good or ill fortune.
How do you judge a false prophet? By His prophecy. A teacher is judged by his teaching and a preacher is judged by his preaching. Does he distinguish between the Law and the Gospel? Does he correctly proclaim the Word of God?
The Lord warns you to beware of false prophets. In your life, He is speaking of heretical teachers. False teachers and preachers put on the outward appearance of Christian teaching. They may cloth themselves in the sheep’s clothing of the Holy Scriptures, albeit falsely and perversely. The devil himself used Scripture in his temptation ploys against Christ in the wilderness, but Christ overturned the wily foe by God’s Word. Likewise, the Lord who authored the Old Testaments refuted the Pharisees who used the same scriptures to say that no one may heal on the Sabbath. False teachers may use vocabulary similar to true Scriptural teaching and may even have a correct understanding of some doctrines of the Christian faith. Even Muhammad and the religion of Islam affirm the Virgin-birth and miracles of Christ. Yet they deny the divinity of Christ and God’s death to atone for the sins of all mankind. Muslims don’t claim to be Christians. They are wolves in wolves’ clothing.
How are you to know a wolf in sheep’s clothing? How can you know a false prophet? The best proof of a false prophet, of course, is to hear if they say anything contrary to what Jesus said during His life or through His apostles.
The papists, also known as the modern-day Roman Catholics, teach that man is not justified by faith alone, but also by doing good works of the law. Yet, the Scriptures say that no man can keep the law perfectly by loving God as well as his neighbor as himself. The papists also teach that we should forever be in doubt of God’s grace. Yet, in the Apostle’s Creed, you clearly confess belief in “the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.” The papists also teach that the Lord’s Supper an actual outward sacrifice in which Christ is re-sacrificed to the Father. Yet, the Scriptures are clear that “[Our Lord Jesus Christ] broke [the bread] and gave it to the disciples,” and He did not offer it as a sacrifice to the Father. You and all disciples now receive this Body and the Blood.
The Calvinists, also known as the modern-day Christian Reformed denomination, teach that Adam fell into sin by God’s sovereign will and decree. Yet, the Scriptures teach us to call God, “Our Father.” The true fatherly heart of God would not intend to lead His children to destruction. The Reformed teach that the Lord God destined thousands for condemnation. Yet, the Scriptures say that the Lord sent his apostles to “go and make disciples of all nations.” The Reformed also teach that Baptism is not a means by which every child is reborn by grace. The Scriptures teach that all children baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit are adopted by the Father, clothed in righteousness by the Son, and renewed by the Holy Spirit. The Reformed also teach the Christ’s Body and Blood are not present in the Lord’s Supper because He can only be in heaven. Yet, the Scriptures say to you clearly that Jesus said, “This is my Body” and “This is my Blood.”
Some branches of American Christianity might ask you, “Can a pastor really forgive sins in the stead of Christ?” or “Is Jesus really bodily present in Holy Communion?” With evil fangs, they seek to rend you with their seductions. Yet, fear not! In the stead and by the command of your Lord Jesus Christ, your pastors, Pastor Arnold and I, continue to forgive your sins in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus Himself speaks His very words: “This IS my Body” and “This IS my Blood.” In this reception of the Body and Blood of Jesus, you are united to Christ.
Dearly Beloved, you are grapes of the vine of Christ. You contain within you the mystery of Christ. A cluster of many grapes is joined by the wood of the stalk. In the same way, Christ has many faithful joined by the wood of the Cross. In the grape we have a figure of patience and longsuffering. Yes, many grapes go through the wine press. You grapes will face trial and hardship in the wine press of life. Yet, remember all power is in the Vinedresser’s hand. All control lies in the hand of your Father in Heaven. And though you are pressed sore in this life, yours is the promise of sweet “wine that maketh glad the heart of man” in the life to come. Dearly Beloved, after sorrows, Heaven will be your final joy.
But, you cannot enter the Church Triumphant unless you come from the Church Militant. The Church will struggle in this life. And still, both churches hang indivisibly together. The Lord governs both by His holy Word. In the Body and Blood of the Savior, both Militant and Triumphant churches meet together.
The Holy Church is the fig that hangs from the tree of Christ’s Cross. The church holds you and the multitude of the faithful in the sweet embrace of love towards the neighbor, just as a fig contains so many seeds within a single covering.
You, though an evil tree in the garden of this life, have life in the Good Tree which bears only good deeds. You have cut down the old tree, drowned the Old Adam, and now you are rooted in the cross of Christ your Lord. Does this mean that all your works from this day forward are good? Does this mean that you no longer sin? That you no longer do bad things? Dearly Beloved, remember the life of St. Peter. One servant girl asks him of his association with the Galilean man Jesus. He denied it. Another says he was with Jesus of Nazareth. He denied. The bystanders said, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.” A third time he denied the Lord. Yet, it was this same Peter who was restored by the Lord after Christ’s Resurrection. Peter was given a most noble honor: to feed God’s lambs, His holy saints on earth. Did that mean that this Apostle was perfect from that day forward? Does that mean that Peter sinned no more? No! In the 2nd chapter of Galatians, St. Paul tells us that Peter was still sinning! He would not have fellowship with Gentile Christians, but only with Jewish Christians. Peter again turned from his ways and believed that the righteous are justified by faith alone, himself included. The Lord honored Peter with a martyr’s death which sealed his life in Christ. But, be it known to you, that Peter remained a sinner until his dying day. Yet, Peter also remained a saint in this life, redeemed by the Blood of Christ. He battled sin in this life, but now lives forever as a saint only.
And so it is for you, Dearly Beloved. You will battle sin in this life. You are an evil tree who produces wicked deeds. Repent of your sin and past life. Cut down the diseased tree, repent of your sins, and throw them into the fire. In so doing, the Holy Spirit is uniting you to the tree which eternally bears much fruit, the cross of Christ. The Savior gave His life for you. Amen.
The Peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.
XBJFX