Acts 2:36-42/St Mark 5:35-43
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen,
Theologians call it theoodicy. It is the attempt to answer the question of why a good and loving God permits such terrible evil and suffering. If God is all-loving and all-knowing and all- powerful, why is there evil and suffering in the world? Theodicy.
Giving it a name doesn’t help you at all. Joey, Ashley you are suffering immeasurably, your grief and sorrow seem to know no end. And you wrestle with the plaguing questions. Why us? Why her? How? Why . . . God?
Even with all my years of study and training, I am no better equipped to answer these questions than you are. I can discuss them philosophically, but that give little comfort at a time like this. I told you at the hospital last Saturday, that in trusting me to baptize Abby, in giving me that privilege, she became as one of my own.
And so, in the midst of all your questions, I want to pose another question: “What is Baptism?” This one has an answer: “Baptism is not just plain water, but it is the water included in God’s command and combined with God’s Word.”
Water tied up with God’s Word of promise is a Baptism. And you heard in the first reading that Baptism “works the forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare.” Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved (Mk 16:16). This is promise you can count on. This promise is for you and your children. This is an answer you can trust with all your heart and soul.
The simple pouring of water - or in Abby’s case, wiping it on her little forehead and cheeks - drives away demons; it scares off death because it is done with Jesus’ command and Jesus’ promise, and it wrapped up with the most holy and wondrous name: God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
God’s Name is His power to save. I learned in the hospital room that there was some disagreement over Abby’s last name. Is she Agent, Cook, or Schmidt? It doesn’t matter, not anymore, not since her baptism. For there, Abigail Sueann Eilen was named with God’s own precious Name. She is one of His own. God is her heavenly Father and Christ Jesus her Brother. He calls her, “My own, My dear little one. My little lamb.”
For her, our Father in heaven said, “Go, My beloved Son; it is time to have compassion. Slay death and the grave. Destroy the devil’s power, so that Abby, and all My children by baptism and faith, may live with You forever.”
Beloved in the Lord, when God in His will allows our joy to be changed into grief, we turn to Him for comfort. In the midst of our sadness He calls to us in the voice of His Gospel, granting us a bold faith in Him that will withstand such times of testing. Though we may not in this life have answers to questions we ask, by the perfection life, innocent suffering and death, and victorious resurrections of our Lord Jesus Christ we know that God is our loving Father, our Brother in suffering and death, and the Comforter who even now brings peace to our grief-stricken hearts.
For Abby Christ Jesus took upon Himself her sin. He took upon Himself her suffering and agony, her illnesses and weakness. She would hurt herself, bad. No longer is she hurting. For her, Jesus allowed Himself to be tortured and killed. His is the death that gives baptism life. His is the weakness that gives baptism strength. His is the guilt that gives baptism forgiveness.
Joey and Ashley would come to St Peter’s for help. For food and baby clothes and diapers. We were glad to help them; and still are. But this is the real purpose of Christianity, of the Church: to proclaim the Gospel of the free forgiveness of sins in Christ Jesus; to wash up His children with Holy Baptism, to feed them on Jesus’ Word and promise. All the other stuff is nice and needed. But this is the one thing needful: the innocent suffering and death of Jesus Christ is for you. Apart from faith in Him there is no life. Apart from Him there is only misery and death.
In Christ, though, there is life. Life for you. Life for Abby. See how her Jesus talks about death in the Gospel reading: The child is not dead, but sleeping. Sleeping. They laughed at Him. But for those who die with faith in Jesus, baptized in His name, death is but a sleep.
This is how it is for Abby. She is not dead. She is sleeping. She is not dead, because her Jesus is not dead. He who died for her, rose for her. He gave her His life in Holy Baptism. Even though she has fallen asleep, Jesus will come again to walk her. He will come to her little resting place, take her by the hand and say to her, Talitha cumi!, “Little girl, I say to arise.” And as we will celebrate His resurrection and Easter next Sunday, we will also at the last rejoice in Abby’s resurrection, too.
In some measure, Ashley and Joey, you already knew this. For it was in faith that you called me that Saturday, asking if I would come and baptize Abby. In asking for that, you have given Abby the most precious gift parents could possibly give. The burdens you bear - Ashely, Joey, and Chris - you do not bear as lonely parents. Your family and friends bear them with you. Abby’s family in Christ at St Peter’s bear them with you. I bear them with you.
And most of all, her Jesus, who is also your Jesus, has already borne them in His body on the Cross. In a moment we will pray, “Help us, we pray, in the midst of things we cannot understand, to believe and find comfort in the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.”
What we are saying, is, allow us to find comfort and mercy and hope in Your Church - just like the first reading said - where Your life-giving Word is preached and Your living Body and Blood are given for the forgiveness of sins. And where there is the forgiveness of sins, there is life and salvation.
Abby is gathered into the arms of her Good Shepherd, Jesus. Where Jesus is, there is Abby. And Jesus is, every Sunday, in His Word and promises, at St Peter’s Lutheran Church, where broken and suffering people gather to hear the Word of the Father who loves us for Jesus’ sake.
But more of that another time.
For now, we take comfort in the confident hope that this child will be raised to life with Christ in the resurrection on the Last Day. The Lord grant that we remain steadfast in His Word and faith until we all come to the joys of life everlasting.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen,
Theologians call it theoodicy. It is the attempt to answer the question of why a good and loving God permits such terrible evil and suffering. If God is all-loving and all-knowing and all- powerful, why is there evil and suffering in the world? Theodicy.
Giving it a name doesn’t help you at all. Joey, Ashley you are suffering immeasurably, your grief and sorrow seem to know no end. And you wrestle with the plaguing questions. Why us? Why her? How? Why . . . God?
Even with all my years of study and training, I am no better equipped to answer these questions than you are. I can discuss them philosophically, but that give little comfort at a time like this. I told you at the hospital last Saturday, that in trusting me to baptize Abby, in giving me that privilege, she became as one of my own.
And so, in the midst of all your questions, I want to pose another question: “What is Baptism?” This one has an answer: “Baptism is not just plain water, but it is the water included in God’s command and combined with God’s Word.”
Water tied up with God’s Word of promise is a Baptism. And you heard in the first reading that Baptism “works the forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare.” Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved (Mk 16:16). This is promise you can count on. This promise is for you and your children. This is an answer you can trust with all your heart and soul.
The simple pouring of water - or in Abby’s case, wiping it on her little forehead and cheeks - drives away demons; it scares off death because it is done with Jesus’ command and Jesus’ promise, and it wrapped up with the most holy and wondrous name: God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
God’s Name is His power to save. I learned in the hospital room that there was some disagreement over Abby’s last name. Is she Agent, Cook, or Schmidt? It doesn’t matter, not anymore, not since her baptism. For there, Abigail Sueann Eilen was named with God’s own precious Name. She is one of His own. God is her heavenly Father and Christ Jesus her Brother. He calls her, “My own, My dear little one. My little lamb.”
For her, our Father in heaven said, “Go, My beloved Son; it is time to have compassion. Slay death and the grave. Destroy the devil’s power, so that Abby, and all My children by baptism and faith, may live with You forever.”
Beloved in the Lord, when God in His will allows our joy to be changed into grief, we turn to Him for comfort. In the midst of our sadness He calls to us in the voice of His Gospel, granting us a bold faith in Him that will withstand such times of testing. Though we may not in this life have answers to questions we ask, by the perfection life, innocent suffering and death, and victorious resurrections of our Lord Jesus Christ we know that God is our loving Father, our Brother in suffering and death, and the Comforter who even now brings peace to our grief-stricken hearts.
For Abby Christ Jesus took upon Himself her sin. He took upon Himself her suffering and agony, her illnesses and weakness. She would hurt herself, bad. No longer is she hurting. For her, Jesus allowed Himself to be tortured and killed. His is the death that gives baptism life. His is the weakness that gives baptism strength. His is the guilt that gives baptism forgiveness.
Joey and Ashley would come to St Peter’s for help. For food and baby clothes and diapers. We were glad to help them; and still are. But this is the real purpose of Christianity, of the Church: to proclaim the Gospel of the free forgiveness of sins in Christ Jesus; to wash up His children with Holy Baptism, to feed them on Jesus’ Word and promise. All the other stuff is nice and needed. But this is the one thing needful: the innocent suffering and death of Jesus Christ is for you. Apart from faith in Him there is no life. Apart from Him there is only misery and death.
In Christ, though, there is life. Life for you. Life for Abby. See how her Jesus talks about death in the Gospel reading: The child is not dead, but sleeping. Sleeping. They laughed at Him. But for those who die with faith in Jesus, baptized in His name, death is but a sleep.
This is how it is for Abby. She is not dead. She is sleeping. She is not dead, because her Jesus is not dead. He who died for her, rose for her. He gave her His life in Holy Baptism. Even though she has fallen asleep, Jesus will come again to walk her. He will come to her little resting place, take her by the hand and say to her, Talitha cumi!, “Little girl, I say to arise.” And as we will celebrate His resurrection and Easter next Sunday, we will also at the last rejoice in Abby’s resurrection, too.
In some measure, Ashley and Joey, you already knew this. For it was in faith that you called me that Saturday, asking if I would come and baptize Abby. In asking for that, you have given Abby the most precious gift parents could possibly give. The burdens you bear - Ashely, Joey, and Chris - you do not bear as lonely parents. Your family and friends bear them with you. Abby’s family in Christ at St Peter’s bear them with you. I bear them with you.
And most of all, her Jesus, who is also your Jesus, has already borne them in His body on the Cross. In a moment we will pray, “Help us, we pray, in the midst of things we cannot understand, to believe and find comfort in the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.”
What we are saying, is, allow us to find comfort and mercy and hope in Your Church - just like the first reading said - where Your life-giving Word is preached and Your living Body and Blood are given for the forgiveness of sins. And where there is the forgiveness of sins, there is life and salvation.
Abby is gathered into the arms of her Good Shepherd, Jesus. Where Jesus is, there is Abby. And Jesus is, every Sunday, in His Word and promises, at St Peter’s Lutheran Church, where broken and suffering people gather to hear the Word of the Father who loves us for Jesus’ sake.
But more of that another time.
For now, we take comfort in the confident hope that this child will be raised to life with Christ in the resurrection on the Last Day. The Lord grant that we remain steadfast in His Word and faith until we all come to the joys of life everlasting.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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