A Tale of Two Kingdoms

“When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”

Lev. 19:33-34

Until a couple of weeks ago, I was living in blissful ignorance about all of the migrants and refugees coming into Europe from the Middle East.  That all changed when Linda, leaving Budapest, had to make her way through a camp of sleeping refugees, and then through a cordon of police to get inside the train station in Budapest.  (Please know she was perfectly safe the whole time.) Since then I have heard all sorts of stories.  Some of these stories have included the refugees demanding all sorts of things, being ungrateful, and rioting.  Others tell the story of families fleeing war – walking through parts of two continents to get to Germany.  I have encountered all sorts of reactions – fear, anger, resentment, compassion, a desire to do something to help. From America I have heard people who, because of the press, seem to believe that there are refugees everywhere.  (There aren’t).  Here I have heard calls from some for the governments to shut down the borders and from others for the governments to do more for these people. 

Personally, I have struggled with what I myself think about all of this.  In part that is because I see some truth in what every side in this situation are saying.   On the one hand I really understand the concern of those who do not agree with the nations allowing all these people to enter and take up residence in their homeland, concern about this may change the face of Germany and Europe in the future.  Yet, on the other hand, I also resonate with the desire to help, love, serve, care for and witness to those who are in need.  I have been asking our Lord, to help me sort this through as a Pastor.     

What I offer to you is what has helped me.  That is the reminder that we believers live in two kingdoms. One we call the “kingdom of the left hand.”  This is the rule God exercises through the government (and other authorities).  The purpose of this kingdom is to maintain law and order in society.  St. Paul writes in Romans 13.   “For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad… for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. The government’s job is to protect the well-being of its citizens, to enforce laws and to insure the public welfare.  The other kingdom is the Kingdom of the Right Hand, sometimes called the Kingdom of God’s grace.  This is the kingdom God establishes in people’s lives by the gift of His Son Jesus The goal of this kingdom is salvation.  The work of this kingdom is done through the Gospel, not through law… through forgiving and loving people in Jesus Christ.  God’s people do the work of this kingdom by sharing God’s love in Christ with friends, family, neighbors and strangers, God’s Spirit works through that witness to bring faith into people’s hearts, to make them members of the Kingdom of God.  Witness and acts of mercy are the work of this right hand kingdom.

What does all that have to do with this refugee situation?  Well we Christians live at the same time in both kingdoms.  On the one hand as citizens of whatever nation we belong to, we Christians (in loving our neighbors as ourselves) may have all sorts of opinions about what our nation should do – from closing borders to opening them, from settling these refugees to sending them back, and many places in between.  I understand the different thoughts.  I would not presume to tell the German people or any other people how they should think about all of this. I am just a guest here and I know that I would struggle with this if it was happening in my homeland. 

At the same time, we Christians also live as citizens of God’s kingdom of grace.  In this kingdom we are once again called to love our neighbors as ourselves.  In the parable of the Good Samaritan Jesus reminds us, that our neighbor is any person in need that God lays across our path.  Right now, whether we agree with how they came here or not, these folks are our neighbors in need.  God has laid them across our path. Our call is, by word and deed, to love, serve, and care for the needs of our neighbors. 

The words of God in Leviticus 19 really help me.  God reminds the people of Israel that they were once refugees in a foreign land.  “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.”  The same is true for us.  We were once strangers and aliens but now we are God’s people through Christ.  Yes some are often ungrateful for the help they are given, but then I am reminded that it was “while we were God’s enemies that we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son.”  (Romans 5).  God calls us to love others as He has loved us. 

Can a believer be of two minds on this?  Can a believer be of the opinion that the Government should not let so many refugees in and at the same time, love those refugees with all her heart?  Yes, it’s possible, in the same way that it’s possible for me to vehemently oppose abortion as a Christian citizen and at the same time love and care with all my heart for the woman who has had an abortion.  I am reminded of a time back in the 1980s when there was resentment in the USA over refugees fleeing Cuba and students from other countries studying in America.  The head of World missions came to our church that year and gave us some food for thought.  He reminded us that many of these people were coming to us from places we were not allowed to go with the Gospel.  Now God was bringing them to us, giving us the opportunity to share God’s love with them.  Many would be changed by that Gospel.  Then some would go back to their homeland, and take with them the Gospel to places where we couldn’t go.  Is there tension for us as believers in working out how to react on the one hand as citizens and on the other as children of a loving God?  Yes.   That’s the tale of living in two Kingdoms.  What makes such paradox possible?   Both kingdoms are governed by the same God.    

Hidden Treasure

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field."

Matthew 13:44

Perhaps you have noticed. My topics the last two weeks have tended towards the basics of the faith.  Two weeks ago I talked about the “Catechism.”  Last week, I looked at the role of the law as a mirror showing us the sinful truth about ourselves.  This week I have been thinking about what picture I might use for the  “The Gospel.”  Lo and behold Jesus provides just such picture in Matthew 13:44.  “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”

I love the image of the Gospel as “hidden treasure.”  That image fires up my imagination. As a kid we were always playing pirates and searching for “buried treasure.”  How is the “Kingdom of heaven” a hidden treasure?    Well, how in the world could an ordinary baby be the “son of God?”  That’s crazy!   Yet we believe that is the treasure hidden in the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ.  He is “the word made flesh.”  How can a crucified man be the Savior?  That’s crazy too. Yet we believe that’s the treasure hidden on Calvary’s cross.  The innocent God-Man Jesus Christ suffered the penalty for our sin so that we who are guilty might be declared “not guilty.”  How can we stand at the funeral, looking at the dead body of a loved one and yet confess hope that even though he has died “yet shall he live?”  That’s the treasure hidden in Christ’s tomb – the fact that His tomb is empty… that “because He lives, we shall live also.”  That is a treasure worth selling all you have so that you might make it your own.  Of course that’s also the problem for you and me.  Even if you or I gave everything we had, even our very lives, we could never afford to buy this treasure for ourselves.  Our only hope is that someone else might by it for us.

 That’s why many have wondered if perhaps the hidden treasure in this parable is you and me.  Perhaps the one who goes and sells all He has to buy that field is our God and Savior.  After all that is what God did.  He gave His Son to purchase us for Himself.  Jesus purchased us for the Father “not with gold or silver but with His holy precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death.”  The problem here is – how can you and I be considered “treasure?”  After all, we must confess with St. Paul “that nothing good dwells in me…”  As we confess on Sundays “I am a poor miserable sinner…”  How can you or I be considered “treasure?”  Again its hidden treasure… hidden not in us but in God’s amazing love for us.  What makes us treasure is how much He loves us, in the price that He is willing to pay for us, in the blood He shed that you and I “might be His own…”

Just before Linda and I left the US we took Bethany, Jason and John Wayne out for dinner at a really nice restaurant.  That night I spent a lot of time walking John Wayne around so that Beth could enjoy the meal.  Later, dreading a little how big the bill was going to be, I asked for the check so I could pay.  To my surprise, the waitress said, there is no bill.  That couple over there paid it for you.   We didn’t know the couple.  There was no reason for them to pay for us.  They just liked watching me carry our grandson.  Wow, what a gift, I thought.  And, what a picture of what our God has done for us.  We don’t deserve salvation.  We can’t afford it.  But our God and Savior has paid the price for us!  Whichever way you interpret this parable, that’s the point. That’s the unbelievable hidden treasure. That’s the Gospel – God’s invaluable gift of salvation given to us for free in Christ. 

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

“Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”

Romans 3:19-20

I did a “google search” on “the uses of a mirror.”  I was surprised at all the different ways mirrors get used. Obviously there are bathroom mirrors that help us with shaving, make up and so forth.  There are bedroom mirrors that help us make sure we have dressed ourselves correctly.  But there are also mirrors used in cameras, and telescopes. There are side view and rear view mirrors in cars.  Mirrors are used in periscopes.  They are used in flashlights, searchlights and spotlights.  The astronauts of Apollo 11 left a mirror on the moon to be used to measure the distance from the earth to the moon.  Dentists use mirrors when working on your teeth.  The list goes on and on.  Basically, however, all these uses can be narrowed down to one.  The use of a mirror is to reflect. 

That also is one of the chief uses of the law of God – to reflect.  When we look into the law, it reflects back to us who we really are.  It shows us our sin.  Just like a physical mirror reminds me that I need to lose weight, the law of God reminds me that I am not so good as I may pretend to be.  That’s the whole meaning of St. Paul’s words to the Romans in 3:19-20. “Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”

The question I want to pose today is this – What will you and I do about the reflection we see in the mirror of the law?  Will we be like the wicked queen in the children’s fairytale, the one who asked the mirror on the wall, “Who is the fairest of them all?”  When the mirror told her it was Snow White, the queens didn’t accept that truth. She tried to create her own truth.  She tired to kill Snow White.  That’s one way we react to the law.  We deny the truth about ourselves.  Or we see what we want to see. Remember the rich young man.  When he asked Jesus, “What must I do to be saved?”  Jesus, seeking to show the man that there was nothing he could do, recited the commandments to him.  Yet instead of seeing the true reflection of his sin, the rich young man patted himself on the back.  “All these I have done.”  Or will you to try to cover over the truth?  That’s the thing people do all the time when they look in the mirror.  They cover their blemishes with make-up, their pimples with cream, and their wrinkles with Botox.  Will you try to hide the truth, lie about your sin, or blame others?  John warns us about this – “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” 

How much better it is to look into the mirror of God’s law and see the truth!  How much better it is to admit the truth… to confess the truth.  For then God will show us a different picture. He will turn our gaze from the ugly reflection of our sin, to the beautiful portrait of His love.  Having shown us our sin in the law, He will show us our Savior in the Gospel. He will take us to manger where He became one of us to be our savior. He will take us to the cross where He loved us so much that He gave up His life for our sins.  He will take us to the empty tomb and assure us that because He lives, we will live also.  He will bring us to His house to be reminded that at our baptisms He has washed away all our sin.   He will bring us to worship to hear the words of forgiveness spoken… the promise “that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sin and cleans us from all unrighteousness.”   He will bring us to His table that we might taste His forgiveness in His body and blood given in, with and under the bread and wine.  Having acknowledged the ugliness of our sin, God will show you and me the fairest of them all – He will show us Jesus who took the ugliness of our sin upon Himself, that we might be God’s beloved children – washed clean in His blood!

Hand Me Downs

“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.

You shall teach them diligently to your children,

And shall talk about them in your house,

And when you walk by the way,

And when you lie down and when you rise.”

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

I love “hand me downs.”  I am not sure if this is an American phrase or not so let me explain what it means.  A “hand me down” is something that when it was new belonged to someone else.  Then when they were done using it, they passed it on (‘handed it down”) to you.  Our kids were clothed with hand me downs.  Parents in the congregations we served were always bringing us bags of clothing that their kids had grown out of.  They gave them to us so our kids could wear them.  We even had our own “hand me downs.”  We kept clothes and toys we bought for Ben when he was little.  They were handed down to his brothers and sisters so they could use them. 

This book is a “hand me down” that was given to me when I was in the 7^th grade.  It’s a copy of the 1941 edition of the Small Catechism of Dr. Martin Luther.  Before it belonged to me, this belonged to my sister Kathy.  She used this book when she was in the 7^th and 8^th grade, going through instruction in preparation for confirmation.  Then when I got to that age, I used it.  She “handed it down” to me.  I started thinking about this book this week, because we at Trinity are getting ready to start a new group of youth through the process of confirmation instruction.  Each of them will receive a copy of Luther’s Small Catechism for them to use as part of that instruction.  

What is a “Catechism?  Well if you look up the word “Catechism” in an English dictionary you will read that it is a “book of questions and answers used for instructing people in the Christian faith.”  That definition falls short however.  The word “catechism” really refers to the specific content being taught rather than to the book.   In Luther’s day the word “catechism” at first refereed to the three chief parts of Christian doctrine – the Ten Commandments, the Apostle’s Creed and the Lord’s prayer.  Today we have six chief parts. In addition to the above we have added Holy Baptism, Confession and Absolution and the Sacrament of the Altar.   In addition Luther’s Small Catechism also contained instructions about prayer, a table of duties with Scripture passages that help us understand how God wants us to live our faith in the various callings of life, and a section of questions and answers to be used in preparation for receiving Holy Communion.  All of that, the portion written by Dr. Luther, is found in the first 35 pages of this book. The rest of the book is a series of questions, answers and supporting Scriptures that were added over the years to further teach the faith.

It struck me, that the purpose of this little book is to pass on to the next generation the most important “hand me down” that can be passed from one generation to the next – our faith in Jesus Christ.  This book is a summary of the basics of the Christian faith… a summary of what we are taught in God’s word.  This book was written to help parents, pastors DCE’s and other teachers to “hand down” the faith to the next generation.  Luther makes that clear that this is the purpose of this book.  He begins each section with the words -  “As the head of the family should teach it in a simply way to His household.”

Every once in a while I have a parent ask me, “How do I talk to my kids about our faith?”  They want to know how to pass on this most important of all “hand me downs.”  Here is the answer.  Use the Catechism.  This is the churches textbook for making and forming disciples.  Make this book a part of your daily family routine – at dinner, during family devotions, or at bedtime.  Read Scriptures with your kids.  Read through a section of the catechism with them. Say it together with them.  When you get through, start over.  Then teach them how to pray – At first let them hear you pray.  Later invite them to pray with you.  Finally, let them pray on their own.  This is the method for handing down the faith, outlined for us by Moses – “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk about them in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise.” Deuteronomy 6:7  This is a great “hand me down.”

The Secret

"I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."   

Philippians 4:12-13

When I started this blog a year ago, my first blogs all took their themes from the names of our grandchildren.  Well I want you to meet our newest grand daughter - Hailey Sharon Elaine Braun.  She was born after we moved to Germany and so Linda and I just met Hailey this week.  It has been a joy to get to know her this week.  I love the meanings of her name.  Hailey mean s "hay meadow."   Sharon means "budding rose or flower."  Elaine means "shining light or sun."  Put all those names together and it's all about growing things and the sun or light that's needed to make those things grow.  More than that I have loved getting to know her personality.  She is the most content little girl... Very content to sit on the floor and entertain herself.  As her name indicates she seems to have "everything she needs."

I watch Hailey, happy to just sit and play with a few simple toys and I wonder, "why can't I... Why can't we be content like that?  Why is there this constant need for more -more money?   More things?   More success?  Why is there this ongoing need for something new or different?  "If only I had a different house or a different car or a different job... If only... If only... If only - then you or I would be happy?"  Why is contentment so elusive?  

The answer lies in the nature of sin.  Instead of trusting God we put our trust in ourselves.  We take our lives in our own hands.  Life becomes about what we can do... About what we can get for ourselves... About what we have.  Therein is the problem. God's job is one we can't handle and so we can never do enough... We can never have enough.

The key to contentment is never how much we have but who has us.  That's what does it for Hailey.  She's content because her mom and dad have her.  They take care of her.  They cloth her, feed her, protect her, love her.  It's the same for us - even more so.  Our Heavenly Father has given His own son to save us from sin.  Our Heavenly Father adopted us as His own in baptism.  He feeds our souls daily in His word and regularly at His table.... He provides all we need for our body and life....He "guards us from all danger and protects us from all evil."  He listens to our prayers and answers them in ways so much better than what we ask for.  Contentment is not about what we have.  It's the fact that HE HAS US!  

In Hailey I see Paul's secret at work - "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."

Diet and Exercise

“Listen diligently to Me, and eat what is good,

And delight yourselves in rich food.”

Isaiah 55:2b

I love going for long walks with our dog Molly and with Linda.  Any of you who follow my facebook page know this.  I often post my walks on Facebook.  Its sort of an accountability exercise.  You’ll notice however that I don’t post what I have been eating each day.  That’s probably where I need some real accountability.  After all losing and controlling weight takes both good exercise and good diet.  And in fact I do have many people trying to get me to eat better – Linda, my ministry coaches – Jerry and Bill, my kids – especially my daughter in-law Anna.  My kids with Anna’s help even developed a year-long booklet for me to encourage me to be healthier. Let s face it, I need to lose weight.  To do that takes both good exercise and good diet.  I am really good and disciplined about exercising almost every day.  But as you can tell, all the exercise in the world won’t help me lose weight if I don’t start to eat better. 

Diet and Exercise!  It strikes me that both are important for us spiritually!  Feeding your faith properly and exercising that faith daily are both essential to growing your faith.  What concerns me is our spiritual diet.  In every place I have served as Pastor, I have been concerned by the size of the Bible classes.  I have wondered, “Why aren’t more people in Bible study? Why aren’t people so hungry for God’s Word that they would hate to ever miss a Bible study opportunity?”  I know the excuses – “I am too busy”.  “I went to confirmation.  I know enough.”  I am embarrassed to go to Bible class because I don’t know as much as others.”  “Bible Class is boring.”  I have used the excuses.  Sometimes if I am too busy or get up too late, I skip my devotion time.”  Friends if we aren’t feeding our faith it will hurt how we exercise that faith.  The temptations we struggle with will get the best of us.  Life will be robbed of joy and contentment.  We may notice our spiritual anemia in a lack of kindness and short temper.  In your spiritual life, as in your physical life, diet and exercise are both important.

My wife is a good cook and when Linda starts making one of her delicious meals, I can’t wait to eat all the good food she has made.  Well, our God lays out such a gourmet spiritual feast for us daily right here in His Word.  Here in His word He speaks to us His law and Gospel – bringing us face to face with the reality of our sin and then freely offering us a feast of forgiveness life and /Salvation in Jesus Christ.  Here in the Word is the “Power of God unto salvation for all believe.” (Romans 1:16)    This word is “able to make you wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.  All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:15b-17)

I know that many food diets fail because you have to eat a diet of foods that you don’t really enjoy, a diet you simply can’t eat for the rest of your life.  That’s what is great about the diet God offers us.  Here He offers us “rich food,” the delicious food of His word.  Listen to how He describes this diet in Isaiah 55.  “ Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in rich food.”  That’s why in this blog I don’t spend a lot of time expressing opinions on the events of the day or engaging in political debate.  Oh I may mention them but that is not my purpose.  My purpose is that you and I would feast on God’s Word, may hear how that Word applies to our lives and experiences.  My prayer is that our hunger for the Word of God would grow… that we would have a good healthy balance in our spiritual diet and exercise.

What's in a Name?

“And I tell you, you are Peter

And upon this rock I will build My church

And the gates of hell will not prevail against it.”

Matthew 16:18

The other night Linda was trying to look me up on Facebook.  She kept typing in Wayne Braun but my page didn’t come up.  That’s mainly because I included my middle initial when setting up my account.  I have always done that – signed pretty much everything “Wayne M. Braun.”  My sisters always thought that was funny.  But there is a reason for it.  I love my names – first, middle and last – Wayne Michael Braun.  I love what they mean.   Wayne means wagon maker or burden bearer.   Michael, the name of the Archangel of God, is a Hebrew name that asks the question, “Who is like God?”  Of course the implication is that there is no one like our God.  Now I don’t know whether or not my parents thought about the meaning of those names, but I do know how God has used them in my life.  My names have helped me to understand who God wants me to be – One who points to the burden bearer – Jesus – who alone is God.  There is none like Him. 

Do you know what your names mean?  Take a moment and look up the meanings.  Do you know the story of how or why you were given your names?  Whatever the story, your name is a precious gift.  Your name represents everything you are, all that people know about and think of you.  Your name and your reputation go hand in hand.  Even more important, if you are one who believes in Jesus, your name, and your reputation is connected directly to the name and reputation of Jesus.  People form their opinions about Christianity and Jesus by looking at His people, by looking at you and me. That is a big responsibility. In fact it’s one at which I fail miserably on a regular basis. 

That’s why I like the passage from Matthew 16.  The disciples have just finished telling Jesus what people are saying about Him.  “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophet.”   Jesus asks what they think. In response Peter makes his great confession.  “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”   In response Jesus tells Peter that this confession is a blessing God has revealed to Peter.  Indeed Jesus uses Peter’s name to spell out for him just how important this confession is.  “And I tell you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church.  And the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” 

Two things strike me.  The first is that people today are no different than they were in Jesus’ day.  They will believe all sorts of things about Jesus.  That’s why our confession of faith, in word and deed, is so very important. People need to hear the truth about Jesus from our lips and see His love in action through our actions.  That’s the part that scares me.  Like I said, I fail miserably every single day in being the witness God wants me to be. 

But as I said, there are two things that strike me here.  The second thing is the one that comforts me.  This passage is often misunderstood to mean that St. Peter was the rock on which Jesus built the church.  But that’s not what Jesus means.  Jesus uses Peter’s name, which means “cliff or rock” but Peter is not the “rock” Jesus is pointing to.  The rock Jesus refers to is Peter’s confession.  It’s the good news that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  Jesus is the rock on which the church is built.  He is the rock solid foundation for faith.  We aren’t inviting people to build their hope for eternity around us.  We are feeble, weak sinful human beings.  We are inviting people see the true rock on which all hope is built, to build their lives and hopes on Him who died for their sin and rose again.  We will fail, but Jesus is the rock against which not even the gates of hell can prevail.  I think Jesus gave Peter his name so that whenever he faltered and failed Peter would find renewed hope in the reminder – “I am not the rock.  Jesus is!”  In Peter’s name, God has given you and me that same gift, that same reminder, that same comfort – that we are not the hope we offer to people.  Jesus is!  Its amazing what great gifts God can give us in a name.