1ST SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY

The grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the love of God the heavenly Father, and the fellowship of God the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.

Beloved in Christ Jesus.

The most beautiful time of our life is without a doubt the time of our childhood and youth. As spring with its fragrant flowers and buds and with the rays of the sun still mild is the loveliest of our seasons, so childhood and youth is the most beautiful of all the stages of life which we enter upon in this world.

Even God's Word testifies clearly to this. When, for example, a most glorious blessing is to be pronounced upon the house of Asher, we read, "Let your old age be as your youth," Dt 33:25 (German) Yes, Solomon says, "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them." Eccl 12:1. According to this passage in comparison with the time of youth, the days and years of adulthood ate evil days and years in which we have no pleasure.

Standing at the midday or eventide of life, who of us, convinced by his own experiences, must not say yes in agreement? Where is there a father or mother, a gray head or an elderly woman, all of whom do not cry out from their heart, Oh days of my childhood and youth, you have flown away from me like a clear brook! Golden time of life! Oh, that you would return once more!

And that we all look back with such wistfulness at our childhood which disappeared so swiftly does not in the least rest upon deception. For Christians and nonchristians this life actually does become more earnest with every passing year, and the path which we travel toward eternity actually does become narrower, steeper, and more covered with thorns with every step, until we arrive at the dark gates of death.

How childhood and youth are to be preferred to any other time of life, when one need not drag so many burdensome cares but can look with carefree joy into the future! What an advantage it is that the hearts of children and particularly of the youth are hot yet stirred by such great wishes, that they are not yet so insatiable and can also be made happy and content with something small! The greatest advantage, however, which childhood and youth has over adulthood is that it is much easier to serve the Lord in the early than in later years. Young hearts are like a field which has not yet been so firmly packed by evil habits and in which not so many thorns and thistles of sin have taken firm root as in an old heart. Youthful minds are still easily prompted to wholesome fear by threats and to wholesome emotions by wonderful enticements. Children, young men, and young women also have a trustworthy memory which retains what it learned from God's Word, and a lively imagination to grasp that which is taught, whilst adults must only too often complain of the loss of a trustworthy memory and a lively comprehension. In addition, so much time is given us particularly in early youth to be busy in God's Word and to acquire important knowledge for eternity, such as we never again have later on. Moreover, if adults wish to go the narrow way of faith and piety, they immediately bring upon themselves the mockery and hatred of many, yes, even of their own house; on the other hand, a pious child cannot be hated so easily even by the godless; it enjoys the favor of God and men. Finally, children and especially young children are not only the special attention of the holy angels who particularly are to serve them, but

Christ himself bears a most tender concern about them as his tender lambs; he therefore not only said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God;" Mk 10:14; but he has also pronounced the most terrible woe especially upon those who offend the youth and poison and seduce their precious souls , which he has made into his temples in Baptism.

Oh, how blessed is therefore he who complies with Solomon's exhortation, "Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth!" He who has made the best use of his youth has a great treasure for the evil days and is also well supplied for the years which do not please him. He is like a tree planted early by the rivers of water, which brings forth his fruit in his season, and his leaves do not wither, and whatsoever he does prospers.. Alas, however, great and irreplaceable is the loss of those who have wasted and lost the most beautiful time of their life. Oh, if only they would at least look back with true regret upon the lost, golden morning hours of their short life, be converted by God's grace, and, what Christ demands of all who wish to enter the kingdom of heaven, again become children! That this may happen in us, let us now cast a glance at Christ's holy youth and use it to compare our own with it.

The text. Luke 2:41-52.

Since the last great festival of Christ's birth we have considered him only in his childhood; the Gospel just read contains that which God caused to be recorded in his Holy Word also about Christ's youth. Upon the basis of this important portion of the holy story let me therefore show you:

HOW IMPORTANT THE GLANCE AT CHRIST'S YOUTH IS WHEN WE REMEMBER OUR OWN

It is

I. A Glance Summoning us to Repentance when we Duly Compare Christ's Pious Youth with our own, and

II. A Comforting Glance, if in Repentance and Faith we Ponder the Gracious Purpose of Christ's Youth.

Lord Jesus, Son of God! You have also lived through the time of youth in order that we might have in you the picture of a youth truly sanctified by God and also a sympathetic High Priest for the sins of our youth. We therefore beseech you, let us not only in your most holy example truly, shamefully, and remorsefully perceive how far removed we were from our God even in our youth and how reprehensible we were in your eyes because of our most corrupt heart, but if we are bowed and broken over it, oh, then also inscribe into our wretched hearts the comfort that you are a Savior also for our sinful and damnable childhood and youth. Grant us this faith, through this faith grant us peace of heart, through this faith renew us here and make us eternally blessed in heaven. Amen.

I.

It is a unique, amazing picture of Christ's pious youth, of which we catch a glance in our today's Gospel.

In general we hear first, that even though the fullness of the Godhead dwelt bodily in Christ, he was completely like us men not only by his human birth but also in his entire childhood and youth, with the exception of sin. For at the close of our Gospel we read, "And Jesus increased in wisdom and

stature, and in favor with God and man." V. 52. Oh, what a miracle! He who was the Father of eternities, now counts his existence in earthly, transient days and years, and grew in age, went through all the steps of the long human period of growth and development of our nature, learned as we did first to sit, stand, walk, stammer, and speak; he spake as a child, played as a child, was happy as a child, and wept like a child, only without sin. He in whom lay hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge concealed even the divine light which was imparted to his human nature, and therefore daily increased in wisdom and knowledge as we do. He, the Son of God, in Whom God had pleasure from eternity, earned for himself also as a human child ever greater favor by the graciousness of all his attitudes, words, and deeds, ever greater favor with God and men.

Beside this general description of Christ's youth, the Evangelist Luke, moved by the Holy Ghost, has preserved a special incident from it in our text. He relates that Christ's parents were according to the Law accustomed to go to Jerusalem every year for the Easter festival. Before Christ has reached his twelfth year, perhaps from fear of King Archelaeus the son of Herod, they seem not to have taken him along; however, when the lad was twelve years old, they asked him to go with them into the Holy City to celebrate this great festival. And behold! even though Jerusalem was a good three days' travel time away from Nazareth and led over the steep mountains of Gilboa, Eval, and Ephraim, the heavenly Child willingly made this difficult trip with Mary and Joseph by foot. They arrived at the great city; though the splendor and the huge, colorful crowd of people of this gathering place of all the Jews was so new to the young lad, this could not occupy his heavenly-minded heart; only the temple, where his heavenly Father had promised to be present in grace, and where his holy Word was read and preached, was the place where this divine Child looked for his festival joy.

What happened? The festival ended, and Mary and Joseph began the return to Nazareth without knowing that the Child Jesus remained in Jerusalem. When he was not in their company, they thought he had already gone ahead with relatives with whom they intended to gather again at the first inn as agreed. But when they arrived there, no one knew a thing of the child. What a message of terror this must have been for Mary! how painfully her conscience must have reproached her, that she had so indifferently and carelessly let this Child, whose careful preservation had been so earnestly commanded in the flight to Egypt and the return to Judea, out of her sight and care! Oh, she must have thought, perhaps the child has fallen into the hands of his persecutors; perhaps dragged away into a foreign land; perhaps even murdered. And I, I am at fault that the whole world has lost its Savior. Oh, great, terrible guilt and sin! How can I stand before God who will demand this Child from your hands? For her these were days of the bitterest tears, and already during this time the prophecy of old Simeon was partly fulfilled, "A sword shall pierce through thy own soul also!

Finally, after three days of tears and lamentation the parents find the Child in the temple. And what a sight! He sits in the midst of the teachers. He, to whom all men and angels should listen, listens to poor men capable of error; he who is mighty in counsel, whom all the world should ask for wisdom, asks them. However, his questions are only the kind which Wisdom itself could ask, for "all that heard him," we read, "were astonished at his understanding and answers." However, Mary could not contain herself; she had to interrupt this important discussion; in tears she therefore said to Jesus, "Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing." This was a reproach which Mary dared make in her bewilderment. Jesus was not displeased with this reproach but in holy, earnest friendliness he parried it with the words, "How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" V. 49. Christ means to say: You speak of a

Father who has sought me? Do you not know who my Father is? And do you not know what a day's work he has laid upon me? Have you forgotten what the shepherds, the wise men from the east, Simeon, Anna have testified of me?

But what happened then? We read, "And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them." What this means, "he was subject unto them," we see when later his enemies say, "Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son?" Mt 13:54,55. Hence he whom legions of angels are ready to serve humbles himself until he is obedient to poor humans; he, to whose will all creatures are subject, subjects his will to two sinners; he, who founded the earth and built the firmament,as a humble son of man uses an adze and, building huts for men, ate his bread with us in the sweat of his face!

See, this is only a fleeting glance from Christ's holy youth, and oh, what purity, what innocence, what humility, what obedience toward God and man, what a holy craving for knowledge, what zeal in fulfilling his heavenly calling, what love for his Father's Word, what complete sacrifice in the service of the Lord we find there!

When we honestly compare our own youth with his, should not the glance at Christ's youth be most shaming, reprimanding, and humbling for us all?

Are there not many of us who have grown up in the many known sins of which frivolous youth is capable? in disobedience to one's parents, in contempt of their training and exhortation, in deceitfulness, in fondness of dainties and secret theft, in laziness and loafing, in vanity and shameful fleshly lusts, in stubbornness, quarrelsomeness, bickering, and envy?

Or if God, on the other hand, has preserved others from such gross sins and vices of youth, so that they did not become like the prodigal son upon whose conscience the countless groans and tears of worried parents lay heavily, have they not perhaps grown up anyhow without true fear of God, without true love to Jesus, and without being obedient to the impulse of the Holy Spirit?

Finally, you who indeed have not lived in open godlessness during your youth but your youthful heart was not sacrificed to the Lord, have hot lived in God's continual presence, nor loved God's Word and Christ's grace above all things, nor prayed diligently and ardently, have rather lost from your heart the Spirit of grace poured out over you in Holy Baptism and have lived disregarding and forgetting God, have you also not wasted and lost your youth and sacrificed it to the world and the devil instead of to God? And as children,have you not perhaps often detected the feeling and enticements of God's grace in your hearts which caused the intention of seeking the Lord to arise and you nevertheless remained in your youthful frivolity which forgets about God?

My friends, if there actually are some of us who have sought God from their heart even as children, and with Abel, Samuel, Josiah, and others have served him early, who therefore can also say with David, "Thou art my hope, O Lord God; thou art my trust from my youth....O God, thou hast taught me from my youth," Ps 71:5,17, must you nevertheless not sigh with the same pious David "Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions"? Ps 25:7. Who of us can say that what God's Word testifies was not fulfilled in him, "The imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth"? Gen 8:21. Who of us has kept his baptismal covenant by which he completely denied the devil together with all his works and all his ways? Who of us can say that he has with true, steadfast faithfulness fulfilled the promise of serving God alone made perhaps with tears at his confirmation? Who of us must not lament, that from his youth his heart was evil and has overflowed as a fount of sin into countless evil

thoughts, words, and deeds? Who of us must not confess that in the conflict with the flesh, the world, and the devil he has not escaped without many and deep wounds to his conscience? Who does not bear in his soul the one of the other secret stain of a youthful sin so that, when great trouble descends, he must indeed think with Job, "Thou dost want to kill me for the sake of the sins of my youth" (Luther)? Job 13:26.

Alas, it is only too plain, that most who now serve the Lord have not sought and found him in their youth but later on and have robbed their Creator of their most beautiful time of life! It is only too certain that today all of us can look at the holy lad Jesus with nothing but deep shame, when in spirit we place ourselves alongside him in the time when we were still children, young men, and young women.

II.

My friends, this glance at Christ's holy youth is not only a source of shame, but is secondly, also most comforting, if we in remorse and faith ponder the gracious purpose of Christ's youth.

Christ did not come into the world and become a man for his own sake, nor was he a lad and young man for the same reason. Through the youthful holiness and piety which he willingly offered his God he has atoned for the sins of our ;youth before God; through his willing obedience toward God and men as a lad, especially toward his poor parents, he has also atoned for our youthful disobedience, our stubbornness and childish spite; by his amazing humility as a child he atoned for our childish vanity; by his zeal in hearing God's Word and in the service of the Lord he has atoned for our early, worldly mind and our early reluctance and lukewarmness for spiritual and heavenly things. In short, what none of us was, that the Son of God became, namely a perfectly pure, chaste, holy child and youth, so that in him we would also have one who wipes out the sins of our youth and a Savior also for the time when we as children, young men, and young women either completely or partly turned away from God.

Now for you who are not reminded of the sins of your youth with sorrowing heart, you who either are simply not converted from them or who once were turned by God's grace but have again fallen back and therefore feel no regret over the past; you who are without horror over your former life, without true fear and love of Christ; who even tell wicked stories with laughing and joking of how you disgraced the time of your youth; who frivolously say, Youth has no virtues; who excuse yourselves by claiming that one cannot demand that young people serve God as earnestly as adults; who think that it is self-understood that God forgives that evil which one has done as an unwise child or as a frivolous youth, you naturally find no comfort in Christ's holy youth but as yet it only reprimands and shames you. Conscious of your guilt learn first of all to fall down before this holy picture and perceive what an abomination you were to God in your youth, when in this most beautiful period of your life you did not seek him and served not him but your vain will and the lusts of your flesh; first learn to lament, remorsefully to God over your early apostasy and honestly cry to him for forgiveness, otherwise your present sins as well as the sins of your youth lie upon you to your eternal damnation. For if you think frivolously of the sins of your youth you still think frivolously of all sins; then God is not at work in you, then you are not directed by the Holy Spirit, then you still lie secure and dead under the dominion of your sins, and if you are not awakened and truly repent you will certainly be lost as certainly as God's Word is the truth and his threats are no joke. Bear this well in mind: You have now been warned; the responsibility now rests upon you, your blood is now on your own head.

But you who have in spirit bowed before God and said within your heart, whenever you thought of your youth, "Oh, Lord, do not charge my follies to my account! Remember not the sins of my youth! I remember them with sadness, but I want to turn my countenance from them and cast them behind me, and let me hear the sweet word, Be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee; you humbled and sorrowing people: Look at the Child Jesus; by the holiness of his youth he has given God what you have denied him, and by the toil of his youth atoned what your youth has become guilty of; therefore, before God appeal to the Father and ask him to forgive your early fall from him for the sake of this innocent youth and accept your late return and love to him; then God will also have mercy on you, forgive also the sins of your youth for the sake of this Child, and graciously accept you as though you had zealously served him from your youth on in pure holiness and innocence as Jesus did.

If you have found comfort in Christ for the sins of your youth, then by his grace seek also to follow him and be more and more transformed into his holy image. Even if you are already a father or mother be converted and become children again; that is, walk constantly after the example of the kind child Jesus in childlike confidence, love, and faithfulness in the presence of your heavenly Father. Even if here on earth you can never become like Christ in holiness, struggle that much the more zealously by his grace against all sin, indolence, and frivolity, and hold him fast in the faith until you will some day see him in person, when he will celebrate with his own the eternal Easter festival in the temple of the heavenly Jerusalem. Amen.