Angels

September 29 has long been a day on the church calendar to commemorate St. Michael and All Angels, The Scriptures contain many references to angels, both in the earthly life of Jesus Christ and in the experiences of many believers. In Scripture, we see angels bringing God's messages and helping people in a variety of ways. We also see warnings against worshiping angels or being misled by bad spiritual forces. Thus, Lutherans have tried to maintain a balanced view of angels. We acknowledge and give thanks for their God-given role, but we remember not to exaggerate their importance. Like humans, angels are created beings who are subordinate to Almighty God. Praise be to God for all the ways He works!

Pentecost 14 (year C)- Sheep- Ezekiel 34: 11-24; Luke 15: 1-10

On this Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, the themes of the Scripture lessons fit together especially well. In Ezekiel 34:11-24, the Lord God speaks of seeking His sheep, leading and caring for them, and establishing the heir of David as their shepherd. In I Timothy 1:12-17, the Apostle Paul speaks of the way in which Christ sought him out to serve Him. Speaking of himself and others, Paul summarizes the Christian message in I Timothy 1:15, "The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners...."  Then in Luke 15:1-10, Jesus speaks of finding the lost through two brief parables- one about the lost sheep and another about the lost coin. The context makes it clear that our Lord is talking about sinners lost to God. 

Nowadays, some Christians may hesitate to speak of people being lost in sin, but Scripture in general and our Lord Jesus Christ, in particular, are not hesitant to speak of lost people and the condition of being lost. Indeed, according to Holy Scripture, all human beings have been lost, and apart from divine grace, all remain lost. At some moments in life, all human beings are spiritually lost, and all need to be found by Christ and His Church.

Seeking the lost has two important applications in our lives. First, each of us should acknowledge that in differing ways and at different times, we have all been lost and that we have tendencies to get lost repeatedly. So we all depend upon divine mercy, grace, and persistence in seeking us out-- in the past, in the present, and in each new day. God keeps seeking us through Word and Sacrament, and we need to be open to being found by Him.

Secondly, in addition to being sought by God, we Christians are called to participate in the Lord's work of seeking and finding the lost. We are not to approach this calling with the wrong attitude. We are not to pretend to be some perfect representatives of Christ. As sinners ourselves, we have benefited from the mercy and grace of God. We rejoice in God's mercy and grace, and in humility, we want to share that good news with others. We want each lost person to know the joy of being found by God. 

So let us be open to God’s work in our lives. Let us also participate in Christ’s work in this world. May each of us be found by God, and may each of us do our small part to help others be found by God!