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3^rd Sunday in Advent (Gaudete) – December 17, 2023 Trinity Lutheran Church, Block, Kansas Rev. Joshua Woelmer Text: Matthew 11:2–11 “Testifying to the Truth” Theme: We should never underestimate the power that the truth has in our sinful world of sin, chaos, and confusion. Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Once upon a time there was an emperor who was so fond of buying new clothes that he spent all his money being well dressed. He cared nothing about anything else in his kingdom. Well, one day two strangers came to town, telling people that they could weave the most magnificent fabrics imaginable. These clothes had a way of becoming invisible to anyone who was unfit for his job, or to those who were utter fools. Now of course the emperor heard about these men and hired them to make clothes for him. After all, he thought that this would help him weed out his counselors who were unfit for their posts. So, these swindling weavers set up their looms and demanded the most extravagant silken fabrics and gold thread. Of course, they were pocketing all of these and only pretended to work their empty looms. The emperor sent several of his most trusted counselors to see the work, but they reported to him that the fabrics were so beautiful and of the highest quality. The king would be shining in brilliance when he wore them. So, the emperor set a date for a parade where he could show these clothes off to the capital city. Then came the day for the emperor to see these clothes for himself and be carried through the streets of the city. What did he see being presented before him? Nothing, of course. “Am I a fool?” he thought. “Am I unfit to be the emperor? What a thing to happen to me of all people!” But he responded: “Beautiful! It has my highest approval.” So with that, he was “clothed” with the “invisible” clothing, with his counselors praising him for his beauty. Then, as he was taken through the streets, everyone in the city began praising his clothes as well. Women from the windows, and men on the streets all said, “Oh, how fine are the emperor’s new clothes! Don’t they fit him to perfection?” And then…a little child called out above everyone: “But he hasn’t got anything on!” Although her father tried to shush her, everyone at that moment knew that the gig was up. The emperor had no clothes, and the swindlers had already packed up shop and left the city. Theme: We should never underestimate the power that the truth has in our sinful world of sin, chaos, and confusion. The truth may come in different forms. It is wonderful when it comes from little children, as we saw in the fable of the Emperor’s New Clothes. I am looking forward to next Sunday evening when our children and youth will proclaim the truth of Christ’s birth to us. There’s a lot in this world that adults care about and busy ourselves with. When the disciples ask Jesus who the greatest in the kingdom of heaven is, there’s a reason that Jesus sets a child in front of them and answers this way: “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 18:3–4). The truth does not only come in child-like simplicity though. The truth can also come in weird ways. Imagine in the fable that I just told that a loudmouth in court laughs at the emperor and makes fun of him for putting on imaginary clothes. Maybe he even starts insulting the emperor for what he’s about to do. It would have been wise for the emperor to listen to him—not because he’s a loudmouth, but because he tells the truth. We ought to judge what people say by how their words line up with the truth—not whether their words come across as nice or harsh. The very nice people on the news sometimes tell you true things, and sometimes false things. The loudmouths in politics or sports sometimes tell you the truth, and sometimes lies. Loudness or quietness are not indicators of the truth. God has made use of all sorts of people to deliver his truth to man. In our Gospel text for today, we pick up with John the Baptist sitting in prison. He is the man who was quite the loudmouth and got lots of attention. He dressed in camel’s hair and ate locusts and wild honey. He lived in the wilderness and made people come to him if they wanted to hear him. He called the most upstanding people in society a “brood of vipers” and told them “to flee from the wrath to come” (Matt 3:7). He also pointed to Jesus and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). As he is in prison, he sends his disciples to Jesus to ask this simple question: “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” (3). Jesus points John, his disciples, the crowd, and us to his miracles as fulfillment of prophecies from Isaiah. After those disciples go back to John, Jesus wants to ask those around him about the identity of John. He asks this: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see?” (7, 8). He points out that they didn’t go out to see someone who would just tell the emperor that he has beautiful clothes. They didn’t go out to someone who was playing the political game of their time. They didn’t go out to see a reed shaken by the wind or a man dressed in women’s clothing (7, 8). They came out to see a prophet—someone who would tell the truth of God (9). I imagine that the Pharisees and Sadducees had dismissed John because of these antics. They dismissed Jesus even when he didn’t do those antics. Why? Because they hated the truth: that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God, who had come to bring God’s righteousness to men, and that John the Baptist was the one preparing the way for Him. John the Baptist would never see Jesus again. During this imprisonment, he was taken and beheaded. Because he never saw the conclusion of where Jesus would go, Jesus himself says this: “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (11). Jesus is speaking about you here. You are greater than John the Baptist for knowing where Jesus, the baby born in a manger, would go. You are great in the kingdom of heaven because you know that Jesus would die for your sins and rise to free you from death. You have this truth living in your mind and soul. It is a truth that gives you freedom from sin, doubt, and despair. It is a truth that also can free those you are in conversation with. If someone says that they are being overwhelmed this Christmas season, remind them that the joy in this season does not only come from gifts and cookies and having the family together. The joy of this season is found in the little baby that was born in the manger for you and me. You can be like that little child in the emperor’s new clothes who points out that there’s a lot that we care about and fawn over that is as meaningful as invisible clothes. In fact, sometimes we have the duty to say the truth to people. Whether it is as innocently as from a child or as boldly like John the Baptist, we celebrate this season because our Savior has come. Now may the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen. Return to Top \| Return to Sermons \| Home \| Email Church Office

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3^rd Sunday in Advent (Gaudete) – December 17, 2023

Trinity Lutheran Church, Block, Kansas

Rev. Joshua Woelmer

Text: Matthew 11:2–11

“Testifying to the Truth”

Theme: We should never underestimate the power that the truth has in our sinful world of sin, chaos, and confusion.

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Once upon a time there was an emperor who was so fond of buying new clothes that he spent all his money being well dressed. He cared nothing about anything else in his kingdom. Well, one day two strangers came to town, telling people that they could weave the most magnificent fabrics imaginable. These clothes had a way of becoming invisible to anyone who was unfit for his job, or to those who were utter fools.

Now of course the emperor heard about these men and hired them to make clothes for him. After all, he thought that this would help him weed out his counselors who were unfit for their posts. So, these swindling weavers set up their looms and demanded the most extravagant silken fabrics and gold thread. Of course, they were pocketing all of these and only pretended to work their empty looms. The emperor sent several of his most trusted counselors to see the work, but they reported to him that the fabrics were so beautiful and of the highest quality. The king would be shining in brilliance when he wore them. So, the emperor set a date for a parade where he could show these clothes off to the capital city.

Then came the day for the emperor to see these clothes for himself and be carried through the streets of the city. What did he see being presented before him? Nothing, of course. “Am I a fool?” he thought. “Am I unfit to be the emperor? What a thing to happen to me of all people!” But he responded: “Beautiful! It has my highest approval.” So with that, he was “clothed” with the “invisible” clothing, with his counselors praising him for his beauty.

Then, as he was taken through the streets, everyone in the city began praising his clothes as well. Women from the windows, and men on the streets all said, “Oh, how fine are the emperor’s new clothes! Don’t they fit him to perfection?” And then…a little child called out above everyone: “But he hasn’t got anything on!” Although her father tried to shush her, everyone at that moment knew that the gig was up. The emperor had no clothes, and the swindlers had already packed up shop and left the city.

Theme: We should never underestimate the power that the truth has in our sinful world of sin, chaos, and confusion.

The truth may come in different forms. It is wonderful when it comes from little children, as we saw in the fable of the Emperor’s New Clothes. I am looking forward to next Sunday evening when our children and youth will proclaim the truth of Christ’s birth to us. There’s a lot in this world that adults care about and busy ourselves with. When the disciples ask Jesus who the greatest in the kingdom of heaven is, there’s a reason that Jesus sets a child in front of them and answers this way: “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 18:3–4).

The truth does not only come in child-like simplicity though. The truth can also come in weird ways. Imagine in the fable that I just told that a loudmouth in court laughs at the emperor and makes fun of him for putting on imaginary clothes. Maybe he even starts insulting the emperor for what he’s about to do. It would have been wise for the emperor to listen to him—not because he’s a loudmouth, but because he tells the truth.

We ought to judge what people say by how their words line up with the truth—not whether their words come across as nice or harsh. The very nice people on the news sometimes tell you true things, and sometimes false things. The loudmouths in politics or sports sometimes tell you the truth, and sometimes lies. Loudness or quietness are not indicators of the truth.

God has made use of all sorts of people to deliver his truth to man. In our Gospel text for today, we pick up with John the Baptist sitting in prison. He is the man who was quite the loudmouth and got lots of attention. He dressed in camel’s hair and ate locusts and wild honey. He lived in the wilderness and made people come to him if they wanted to hear him. He called the most upstanding people in society a “brood of vipers” and told them “to flee from the wrath to come” (Matt 3:7). He also pointed to Jesus and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).

As he is in prison, he sends his disciples to Jesus to ask this simple question: “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” (3). Jesus points John, his disciples, the crowd, and us to his miracles as fulfillment of prophecies from Isaiah.

After those disciples go back to John, Jesus wants to ask those around him about the identity of John. He asks this: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see?” (7, 8). He points out that they didn’t go out to see someone who would just tell the emperor that he has beautiful clothes. They didn’t go out to someone who was playing the political game of their time. They didn’t go out to see a reed shaken by the wind or a man dressed in women’s clothing (7, 8). They came out to see a prophet—someone who would tell the truth of God (9).

I imagine that the Pharisees and Sadducees had dismissed John because of these antics. They dismissed Jesus even when he didn’t do those antics. Why? Because they hated the truth: that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God, who had come to bring God’s righteousness to men, and that John the Baptist was the one preparing the way for Him.

John the Baptist would never see Jesus again. During this imprisonment, he was taken and beheaded. Because he never saw the conclusion of where Jesus would go, Jesus himself says this: “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (11). Jesus is speaking about you here. You are greater than John the Baptist for knowing where Jesus, the baby born in a manger, would go. You are great in the kingdom of heaven because you know that Jesus would die for your sins and rise to free you from death.

You have this truth living in your mind and soul. It is a truth that gives you freedom from sin, doubt, and despair. It is a truth that also can free those you are in conversation with. If someone says that they are being overwhelmed this Christmas season, remind them that the joy in this season does not only come from gifts and cookies and having the family together. The joy of this season is found in the little baby that was born in the manger for you and me.

You can be like that little child in the emperor’s new clothes who points out that there’s a lot that we care about and fawn over that is as meaningful as invisible clothes. In fact, sometimes we have the duty to say the truth to people. Whether it is as innocently as from a child or as boldly like John the Baptist, we celebrate this season because our Savior has come.

Now may the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

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