4TH SUNDAY IN LENT

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all. Amen.

Dear friends in Christ Jesus.

By nature every person passionately longs to be happy. Though the things in which men by nature seek their happiness, their peace, their rest are most varied, nevertheless, amongst all natural men they are either the things of this world or temporal things. Here is one who seeks his happiness in an easy, peaceful, and carefree life, another in good eating and drinking every day, a third in a large extensive business, a fourth in gathering treasures and increasing his wealth, a fifth in receiving positions of honor and especially in enjoying great respect among men, another in the common pleasures of the world, in dancing and playing, in theaters and concerts, in riotous eating and drinking, another in fashionable, gorgeous, and striking clothing or in the magnificence of his mansion, and rooms and. in the splendor of his household, another in the undisturbed indulgence of his pet sins.

As long as a person still seeks his happiness in such things, that shows that he is not a true Christian but at best merely a Christian in name. For when a person is once enlightened and affected by God's Word, and if he begins

to be concerned about the one thing which is needful and asks, What must I do to be: saved? then that person perceives that no worldly thing can bring rest and peace to his soul, and that nothing earthly, ' no earthly wealth no matter how great, no worldly pleasures no matter how enticing to his flesh, and no honor among men no matter how great can make him happy. Therefore, if a person who has been affected by God's Word really decides to care for the salvation of his soul and to become a true Christian, he makes a complete break with the world and, all its glory, its treasures, lusts, and honor, separates himself from the world, lives a retired life, and seeks his happiness and joy in God, in his Word, and in his grace. He says from the bottom of his heart,

Hence all earthly treasure!

Jesus is my Pleasure,

Jesus in my Choice.

Hence, all empty glory!

Naught to me thy story

Told with tempting voice.

Pain or loss. Or shame or cross,

Shall not from my Savior move me.

Since He deigns to love me.

Evil world, I leave, thee

Thou canst not deceive me

Thine appeal is vain.

Sin that once did blind me,

Get thee far behind .me,

Come not forth again.

Past thy hour, O, price, and power;

Sinful life, thy bonds I sever,

Leave thee, now forever. (347,4,5)

Oh, blessed is that person who, struck by the lightning of God's Word and thus awakened to a spiritual life, makes this great decision! He has left the broad way on which millions walk securely, and 'entered upon the narrow way to heaven.

Now if a person begins to live such a pious life withdraw from all the vanities of the world, .the children of the world do not only look on him as an eccentric and a fool but also as a truly unhappy and unfortunate person. They think: What does a Christian get out of life? He denies himself everything which makes this life serene and acceptable. The palaces of pleasure which would be open to him he flees and' instead reads the Bible, prays, and sings,and worries himself with the thoughts of his death, God, judgment, and eternity. The way of honor would also not be closed to him, but he leaves it and by his overstrained religiousness makes himself object of contempt and ridicule. The mean's of becoming rich would also he at His command but he does not use them; he has unnecessary conscience scruples about all the trifles which just cannot be avoided in business deals in which one wants to make a profit. Such a Christian tramples upon his happiness, himself transforms, this beautiful world into a vale of tears, and makes himself unhappy.

That is what the worldling thinks of pious Christians. But is this idea based on fact? Does a Christian make himself unhappy at least as far as worldly things are concerned by his Christianity, by severing, connections with the, world by his conscientiousness and piety? I answer; No! And all true Christians will join me in saying no. Though Christians may deny themselves many of the things in which a worldling seeks his happiness, yes, his heaven on earth, they win not only heavenly things but are for that very reason the most happy also

in a temporal way. Our today's Gospel teaches us that,

The text. John 6:1-15.

On the basis of this Gospel may I now show you

HOW FORTUNATE EVEN CHRISTIANS ARE EVEN IN A TEMPORAL WAY

They are so fortunate because they are

I. Free from all Anxious CARES about Temporal Things, and

II. Free from the Tormenting DESIRE for Temporal Things.

I.

The story related in our today's Gospel is amazing not only on account of the glorious miracle which Christ did in feeding 5,000 men, not counting women and children, with five loaves of bread and two fishes, and the twelve baskets of bread left; this story is also most amazing because so many thousands followed Christ into a desolate, barren, unpopulated wilderness without providing themselves with food, and because they remained with Christ a whole day until the coming of night and heard his word, unconcerned about how they would appease their hunger. What caused this happy unconcern about temporal things? Not the fact that they had already experienced how Christ could set a table even in the wilderness, for the miraculous feeding related in our Gospel was the first which Christ did. We can find the basis for this amazing phenomenon in nothing else than that Christ by his very presence, by his Word removed all concern for temporal things from the hearts of those people.

And so it is. For even now it is true that as long as a person knows nothing about Christ, or has not yet come to a living faith in Christ and as long as he still clings to the world, so long man cannot leave behind his anxious cares about temporal things.

If you but look at the wor1d you will find: Among the children of this world there is a ceaseless worrying and fretting about the future. Not only does the poor person who actually has no prospect of where he will get bread for himself and his family worry himself to death, but even he who at the moment lacks nothing. Anxiously he thinks: Now I would be well provided for; my business provides me with all that I need; but now if I were to become sick, what then? if I were to become old and weak and if I could no longer work for a living, what then? If on top of this hard times come, oh what worries, what cares fill and burden the poor heart! what deep sighs then arise from the oppressed breast! what restless, sleepless nights the head of the family spends thinking he is forsaken by God and men! Yes, and even more! Even the richest are .continually worried about temporal things. If they have large investments outstanding, then they are worried about losing it by defaulting debtors or accident; if they own gorgeous homes, they are worried about losing them by fire or other mishaps; .if they have a large extensive business, they worry about suddenly losing it by their bold business ventures or through some sort of business merger by their competitors. Oh, if all the children of the world, and even if they would seem to be most happy, would open their hearts to us, we would see that all of them arise in the morning with worries, go about their business with worries, and lay down to sleep with worries, and that these worries even accompany them to the places of pleasure and never give them any rest, no matter where they are.

Worry is a heavy stone which the children of the world of themselves continually add to their burden of misery, so that it becomes unbearable; and worry is the bitter pill which they themselves throw into every cup of joy and which embitters it for them. What is, therefore, all the happiness which the children of this world enjoy? It is a short sweet dream and intoxication from which they always awaken too soon with pain and sorrow.

Now if a person comes to a living faith in Jesus Christ, if he no longer clings to the world but to Christ, oh, what a blessed change takes place in him! Such a person has the firm confidence that all his sins are forgiven, that God is gracious to him, that he pleases God for Christ's sake> that he is God's child, and that God is his Father. All at once this faith takes, all his former anxious cares for temporal things from his heart. If he is poor, he thinks: Why should I worry? I serve a rich Lord, who will provide for me; he feeds the birds of the sky and clothes the lilies of the field, how much more will he not do that for me? If in addition to his poverty he has a large family, he thinks: Why should I worry? Not I but God is their true Father; all I have to do is to bring them up in his fear and admonition; as the true Father of my children he will care for them. If my, heart is filled with sympathy and mercy toward the children who were entrusted to me, so that I cannot forsake them, how much less will their heavenly Father forsake them!

If sickness and other troubles are added to poverty, again he thinks: Why should I worry? God has numbered the hairs of my head, without his will nothing can happen to me, not only happiness but also sorrow comes from him; but he has promised that he will not let his children be tempted above, their ability, but with the temptation will also make a way to escape that they are able to bear it; well, then, when his hour will come, he will also say to my misery: So far and no further. "Why art thou cast down, O my. soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God." Ps 42:11.

On the other hand, if a Christian prospers in earthly things, if God blesses him with wealth, he still does not let; these anxious cares into his heart. He looks on everything which he has, not as his property, but as a loan of which he is the steward. And so he thinks: Why should I worry? If God takes away what he has entrusted to me, he is taking a burden away which I must now bear.

How happy, therefore, the Christian is even in temporal things! He is like a wanderer who bearing a light load joyfully looks into the future and, certain, of his goal, hurries courageously over hill and dale; ! God's Word is his rod and his staff upon: which he leans; God's grace is the sun by day .and the stars by night which shine over him; God's Spirit is his Guide who shows him the way; God's omnipotence is his shield which protects him; God's promises are his food;, and drink with which he daily strengthens, comforts, and refreshes himself.

So my dear hearers, if you wish to be happy as far as temporal things are concerned, then let your heart forsake temporal things and attach your heart to Christ and his eternal wealth; then you will follow Christ without a care wherever he leads you, as once Israel followed Christ in the wilderness; and as once Christ did not put the faith of the people to shame but provided for them, so will he also provide for you. If you joinChrist, the world will not become a vale of tears, but Christ will rather convert this vale of tears, which is what the world really is, into a green pasture upon which he will feed you so that you must, daily confess, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want," Nothing, nothing which you need will you ever lack.

II.

My friends, this much is also true: Christ has not promised his followers

more than food and clothing. Are then all Christians so fortunate with regard to earthly things if they cling to Christ and not to the world? I reply with a confident yes, because they are also free .from the painful desire for earthly things. Permit me to speak to you about this.

As long as a person's heart has not yet been changed by a living faith in Christ, so long does not only the worry about what he has but also the desire for what he does not yet have disturb his earthly happiness. Since a man's heart has by nature an intense longing to be perfectly happy, yet since man cannot find his happiness in earthly temporal things, the natural man always thinks thinks that he is not happy because he lacks this, that, or the other thing. He is, therefore, never satisfied with what he has, If he is well-off, he wants to become wealthy; if he is wealthy, he wants to become wealthier still. If he has a profitable business and rents his home, he wants to have his own home; if he has a little cottage, he wants to have a mansion; if he has a mansion, he wants to have more of them. If he rents a farm, he wants to have his own little plot of ground; when he finally has it, he wants to have an entire section of land. If he has a position of honor, he wants to climb still higher. If he is a prince, he wants to be a king. In short, by nature man is insatiable. The more he has the greater become his desires, just as he who drinks ocean water becomes the thirstier the more he drinks.

What is the result of this desire? It never gives the wretched child of the world rest and peace; it causes him to run and chase restlessly to seek his happiness yet it always flees further away from them. It makes the richest person more miserable in his heart than a beggar, the highly honored more wretched than the lowest and humblest, the one who chases from one pleasure to the next always without it; even the king's crown becomes a burden; in brief, it. is the cause that the one outwardly the most blessed is inwardly the most miserable. Solomon, therefore, writes in his Book of Proverbs, "There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing; there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches," Prov 13:7; (cp. the German: "Many are poor despite great riches, and many are rich despite great poverty.")

However, who are they who are rich even despite their poverty? They are those who do not cling to the world but to Christ.

The people in our Gospel are an example of this fact. Christ fed them only with barley bread and a few small fish. Yet how joyfully we see them seated upon the green sward under the open sky! How joyfully we see them partaking of their simple meal! After they were satisfied they cried out in joy, "This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world." V. 14. Yes, they are so happy that in the simplicity of their heart they draw near to Christ in order to crown him their king.

My friends, you can see from this how happy they are even as far as temporal things are concerned who do not cling to the world but to Christ. They are freed not only from the anxious cares for temporal things, but also from the painful desire for them. Because they have found the one thing needful, God's grace and the certainty of their salvation, they are cured of their natural insatiability for earthly things. Christ gives them only enough but they are satisfied with that. Contentment dwells in their heart.

Oh, how happy all Christians, therefore, are! How much richer than the richest child of the world they consider themselves in their poverty if they have what they need! How much greater is their joy when God gives them a small garment then the richest child of the world who clothes himself in silk and

1l6 4th Sunday in Lent

satin! ' How much more blessed they are in their humble hut and lowly chambers when! they read the Word of their God by lamplight than the richest child of the world in his beautifully' decorated and gorgeously lighted rooms! How much happier they feel in their lowliness and privacy than that ambitious person in.the circle of those who envy him! How much happier their hearts are amid their little family joys which God sends them than the rich;children of the world amid all their brilliant banquets and festivities! Yes, what blessed hours of a foretaste of heaven they often have upon their sickbed and during the days of darkest misfortune, whereas in their happiest days the children of the world must hear the voice within them say, You still are not happy!

Oh my friends, do not seek your happiness in the world; you will find it in the world as little as you would build your home upon the tossing sea. The children of the world get as little happiness from what they possess as the beast of burden can enjoy the valuables it must carry. If you do not find your happiness in your hearts through faith in Jesus Christ, you will find it nowhere else. The more earnestly you say farewell to the world and its vanities and the more faithfully you will follow Christ in faith and love, the happier you will be even as far as earthly things are concerned. Yes, in good and evil days, in honor and disgrace, amid wealth and poverty, in life and in death, you will have to confess:

My soul's best Friend, what joy and blessing My spirit ever finds in Thee!

From gloomy depths of doubt distressing Into Thine arms for rest I flee.

There will the night of sorrow vanish

When from my heart Thy love doth banish

All anguish and all pain and fear.

Yea, here on earth begins my heaven;

Who would not joyful be when given

A loving Savior always near! (362,1) Amen. Amen.