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Midweek Lenten 3 – March 26^th, 2025 Trinity Ev. Lutheran Church, Block, Kansas Rev. Joshua Woelmer Text: Matthew 26:35–46 “Sloth and Diligence” Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. It seems like a simple task to stay up late into the night. Or at least, it seemed easier for me when I was in my 20s. I’m in my mid-30s now, and staying awake longer or waking up in the middle of the night isn’t as easy anymore, as I’m finding out. I suppose that’s why we have children when we are young. Nonetheless, what Jesus asked of his disciples should have been a simple task. He knew what was coming: the confrontation, the arrest, and eventually, the long march to Golgotha. Before all that, he would spend an hour in prayer to prepare for his suffering. So he told his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray” (36). It was a simple task, probably easier when spent with other people. And yet, their eyelids quickly grew heavy, their yawns grew more frequent, and as they watched, they grew weary, and before long, they had drifted off to sleep. Their flesh was willing, but as is the case for all of us, their spirits were weak. “Could you not watch with me one hour?” Jesus demanded of them (40). They tried woke up, but again, they soon fell asleep. Meanwhile, Jesus was hard at work, sweating drops like blood, crying out to His Father to let the cup pass from him. Ultimately he submitted to the Father and carried out His will. Meanwhile, the slothful disciples slumbered. The vice of sloth is not one we talk about much, if at all. We are probably more familiar with the animal by that name than the nature of this vice. Sloths, of course, are named because their movement is very sluggish. But the vice of sloth is not just about being slow at a task, it’s about neglecting a task that needs to be done altogether. Perhaps we are more familiar with the word lazy. Now while we may not have a lot of respect for people who are just plain lazy, but how many of us would understand laziness to be a sin? Was it really sinful for the disciples to fall asleep in the garden? It does, however, invite Jesus’ rebuke, that our sinful flesh is indeed weak. So let’s explore this vice of sloth a bit, to better understand its true nature. There used to be a time, not as long ago as we might think, when one’s willingness to work was directly related to one’s ability to survive. In an agricultural society, people truly did reap what they had sown. If you didn’t put in the hard labor in the planting and growing seasons, there would be little harvest, and little food. In today’s technological world, the consequences might be less dire, but sloth is no less dangerous. Our laziness might not kill our bodies, but what about the consequences to our souls? We covered pride last week—universally recognized as the most deadly of the vices. It has its danger, but at least there is a fall and possible awakening to its consequences. We do not always see the consequences of sloth. It is often a subtle listlessness that is indifferent to God’s Word, and people tend to continue in this pattern unalarmed, resting in this indifference all the way to the death of their soul. The medieval church had a term for sloth, they referred to it as the “noonday demon” as it is called in Psalm 91. It is a sin that often creeps up on us when the sun is highest in the sky, when the yawns become more frequent, and all you want to do is take a nap. It’s the sin of burning up some time at work surfing the internet instead of tending to the tasks of the job for which you are being paid. It’s the sin of handing your kids the remote and the Netflix password when you don’t want to be bothered with having to parent. It’s the daydreams that give way to fantasies, which lead to mischief. It’s been observed that “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop,” because when we don’t have enough to do, or don’t want to do the things we need to do, that’s when we usually get ourselves in trouble. Scripture calls those who walk in idleness “busybodies” and warns us to stay away from them (2 Thess. 3:6–11). Dorothy Sayers once had this to say about the vice of sloth: she said it is “a sin which believes in nothing, cares for nothing, seeks to know nothing, interferes with nothing, enjoys nothing, loves nothing, hates nothing, finds purpose in nothing, lives for nothing, and only remains alive because there is nothing for which it is willing to die.” Sloth can look like depression, listlessness, a going through the motions, a state of mind that no longer sees the world around us as a good place, that no longer recognizes the wonder and majesty of God’s creation. You might be nodding your head at this description. You might recognize it in yourselves. But for others, this vice is present in quite a different way. Sloth is not mere laziness. Sometimes, the most slothful people are the busiest people. Confused? At the heart of the vice of sloth is the neglecting of those tasks which God has called us to tend to as His people—those good works He has created us for, and prepared in advance for us to do (Eph 2:10). Sometimes that means indifference about doing what God has asked of us. Other times, sloth is masked with great zeal, pouring enormous amounts of time and energy into many trivial things. This could be a golf habit that keeps you from worship. This could be a hobby that takes all your time away from being a father or a mother. This could be TV binging that never allows time for you to tend to God’s Word in your life. Now golf, and hobbies, and TV shows are not inherently sinful—but when they take over the higher tasks to which we have been called, they wreak havoc on the lives of those around us, and even to our own souls. Martin Luther recognized that the task to which we are all called, above all else, is attentiveness to God and His Word, what Jesus calls the “one thing needful,” and it is the most neglected task of all. Remember when Jesus visited Mary and Martha? Martha was slaving away in the kitchen while Mary was sitting at the Lord’s feet listening to his teaching. When Martha complained about what she saw as Mary’s laziness, Jesus said, “Martha, Martha, You are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion” (Luke 10:41–42). Luther saw sloth as the particular sin of the Third Commandment, the sin that shuns the admonition of our Lord to keep the Sabbath holy by “holding God’s Word sacred, and gladly hearing and learning it” (Small Catechism). “One thing is needful,” said Jesus, and, unfortunately, it’s the one thing so many Christians happen to be indifferent about. And why is going to church, hearing God’s Word, feeding our souls each day with it, so important? Because that is how we are sanctified, made holy: “Sanctify them in the truth,” Jesus prayed to the Father, “Your Word is truth.” (John 17:17). God’s Word can’t change our lives when it’s not present in our lives. Quite simply, slothful people like the comfort of God’s Word when it tells them they are saved, but they could often care less about God’s Word when it asks something of them, when it beckons them to serve another. Transforming our souls is difficult, painful work. It takes a long time. It’s one step forward and two steps back. The race of faith is long—it’s not a sprint, but a marathon. Sometimes our spirits are willing to go the extra mile, but our sinful flesh is oh so weak. So, we fall asleep on the job. And the tasks God calls us to go undone. Slothful people have been characterized as unwilling to be changed, as stuck between a self they cannot bear and a self they won’t put forth the effort to become. Simply put, sloth sabotages our sanctification. It abandons not just our earthly tasks, but also our spiritual duty as disciples in the kingdom of God. Scripture has a stern warning for the slothful: “Keep away from anyone who is walking in idleness. … If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat” (2 Thess. 3:6-11). If sloth is our problem, then it is zeal, or diligence, that is its antidote. Proverbs 10:4 reads “Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.” Diligence comes from the Latin, diligere, meaning “to love.” And that’s what diligence is, steadfastly endeavoring to love God and love neighbor with the gifts we’ve been given. The Christian faith doesn’t allow us to sit on our haunches waiting around for the return of our Lord. No! There’s work to do. Work that God has called us to. You are His workmanship, created for a unique purpose. He’s given you specific talents, not to be buried in the ground until the Master returns, but to be invested and bear interest for the kingdom. We’ve fallen asleep on the watch, and Paul’s words to the Ephesians are words for us: “Awake, O sleepers, arise, and Christ will shine on you” (Eph. 5:14). In other words, you Christians have been made alive in Christ Jesus, now live out that reality! But how do I wake up you might be thinking? How do I get out of the rut? My mind is willing, but my flesh is weak. Let me assure you, if you feel this way, nothing is wrong with you. Every one of us is lukewarm in our zeal for the kingdom. But let us look to the saints of the past, of whom so many, when confronted with the demands of the mission of God, were willing to be sent. “Here am I,” said Isaiah, “send me!” To Paul, to Peter, God said, “Go!” If you feel slothful, lost, directionless, then know where to turn for purpose. God has a direction for you. Listen for His voice. He sends you on a mission to the lost, the weary, the broken, and places them in your midst to serve. Embracing this call to serve is the key to recovering one’s joy for living in this world. When we serve others, our “taste” for the world returns, we see its beauty again, we relish in its colors and texture. But you can’t sit around waiting for the motivation to come. It doesn’t work like that. If you want to break free from sloth, step out and serve, and only then, in the joy of taking part in the mission of God, can you discover what it means to live as a new creature in Christ Jesus. What holds us back? What holds us back is fear of the effort, the commitment, the sacrifice. Going to church every Sunday is too much, we think. Finding time to serve is futile, we reason. “I can’t be bothered,” is our attitude. So, emotionally, we check out. Serving seems like an incredible weight which we do not want to bear. But listen to Jesus’ words. Jesus says, “Come to me you who are weary, and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me… and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:28–30). Did you hear? That yoke, that burden, that listlessness, that sloth you feel in your heart, that comes not from bearing your God-given responsibilities, but from avoiding them! The burden you feel comes not from the weight of tending to the demands of God’s Word, but from ignoring them. But, while these demands might seem like too much, while they might seem too heavy, when you do endeavor to place the burden of your God-given tasks on your shoulders you will soon discover that your fear is unfounded. It’s the yoke Jesus places on us that’s easy, it’s the world’s yoke that weighs us down. The world’s burdens are heavy indeed, but the burdens Jesus places on us are truly light. Recall Jesus, who, Scripture says, for the joy set before Him endured the cross (Heb 12:2). He carried the burden of His heavy cross to Golgotha with joy in His heart, knowing that through this service He was indeed making all things new. The one who was consumed with zeal for His Father’s house did not fall asleep on duty, but carried out His calling to the end. And He still is awake, keeping watch over your soul. Consider Jesus, who neither sleeps, nor slumbers, but diligently loves you to the very end. Now may the peace of God, which passes 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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Midweek Lenten 3 – March 26^th, 2025

Trinity Ev. Lutheran Church, Block, Kansas

Rev. Joshua Woelmer

Text: Matthew 26:35–46

“Sloth and Diligence”

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

It seems like a simple task to stay up late into the night. Or at least, it seemed easier for me when I was in my 20s. I’m in my mid-30s now, and staying awake longer or waking up in the middle of the night isn’t as easy anymore, as I’m finding out. I suppose that’s why we have children when we are young. Nonetheless, what Jesus asked of his disciples should have been a simple task. He knew what was coming: the confrontation, the arrest, and eventually, the long march to Golgotha. Before all that, he would spend an hour in prayer to prepare for his suffering. So he told his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray” (36). It was a simple task, probably easier when spent with other people. And yet, their eyelids quickly grew heavy, their yawns grew more frequent, and as they watched, they grew weary, and before long, they had drifted off to sleep. Their flesh was willing, but as is the case for all of us, their spirits were weak. “Could you not watch with me one hour?” Jesus demanded of them (40). They tried woke up, but again, they soon fell asleep.

Meanwhile, Jesus was hard at work, sweating drops like blood, crying out to His Father to let the cup pass from him. Ultimately he submitted to the Father and carried out His will. Meanwhile, the slothful disciples slumbered.

The vice of sloth is not one we talk about much, if at all. We are probably more familiar with the animal by that name than the nature of this vice. Sloths, of course, are named because their movement is very sluggish. But the vice of sloth is not just about being slow at a task, it’s about neglecting a task that needs to be done altogether. Perhaps we are more familiar with the word lazy. Now while we may not have a lot of respect for people who are just plain lazy, but how many of us would understand laziness to be a sin? Was it really sinful for the disciples to fall asleep in the garden? It does, however, invite Jesus’ rebuke, that our sinful flesh is indeed weak. So let’s explore this vice of sloth a bit, to better understand its true nature.

There used to be a time, not as long ago as we might think, when one’s willingness to work was directly related to one’s ability to survive. In an agricultural society, people truly did reap what they had sown. If you didn’t put in the hard labor in the planting and growing seasons, there would be little harvest, and little food. In today’s technological world, the consequences might be less dire, but sloth is no less dangerous. Our laziness might not kill our bodies, but what about the consequences to our souls? We covered pride last week—universally recognized as the most deadly of the vices. It has its danger, but at least there is a fall and possible awakening to its consequences.

We do not always see the consequences of sloth. It is often a subtle listlessness that is indifferent to God’s Word, and people tend to continue in this pattern unalarmed, resting in this indifference all the way to the death of their soul.

The medieval church had a term for sloth, they referred to it as the “noonday demon” as it is called in Psalm 91. It is a sin that often creeps up on us when the sun is highest in the sky, when the yawns become more frequent, and all you want to do is take a nap. It’s the sin of burning up some time at work surfing the internet instead of tending to the tasks of the job for which you are being paid. It’s the sin of handing your kids the remote and the Netflix password when you don’t want to be bothered with having to parent.

It’s the daydreams that give way to fantasies, which lead to mischief. It’s been observed that “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop,” because when we don’t have enough to do, or don’t want to do the things we need to do, that’s when we usually get ourselves in trouble. Scripture calls those who walk in idleness “busybodies” and warns us to stay away from them (2 Thess. 3:6–11).

Dorothy Sayers once had this to say about the vice of sloth: she said it is “a sin which believes in nothing, cares for nothing, seeks to know nothing, interferes with nothing, enjoys nothing, loves nothing, hates nothing, finds purpose in nothing, lives for nothing, and only remains alive because there is nothing for which it is willing to die.” Sloth can look like depression, listlessness, a going through the motions, a state of mind that no longer sees the world around us as a good place, that no longer recognizes the wonder and majesty of God’s creation.

You might be nodding your head at this description. You might recognize it in yourselves. But for others, this vice is present in quite a different way.

Sloth is not mere laziness. Sometimes, the most slothful people are the busiest people. Confused? At the heart of the vice of sloth is the neglecting of those tasks which God has called us to tend to as His people—those good works He has created us for, and prepared in advance for us to do (Eph 2:10). Sometimes that means indifference about doing what God has asked of us. Other times, sloth is masked with great zeal, pouring enormous amounts of time and energy into many trivial things.

This could be a golf habit that keeps you from worship. This could be a hobby that takes all your time away from being a father or a mother. This could be TV binging that never allows time for you to tend to God’s Word in your life. Now golf, and hobbies, and TV shows are not inherently sinful—but when they take over the higher tasks to which we have been called, they wreak havoc on the lives of those around us, and even to our own souls.

Martin Luther recognized that the task to which we are all called, above all else, is attentiveness to God and His Word, what Jesus calls the “one thing needful,” and it is the most neglected task of all. Remember when Jesus visited Mary and Martha? Martha was slaving away in the kitchen while Mary was sitting at the Lord’s feet listening to his teaching. When Martha complained about what she saw as Mary’s laziness, Jesus said, “Martha, Martha, You are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion” (Luke 10:41–42). Luther saw sloth as the particular sin of the Third Commandment, the sin that shuns the admonition of our Lord to keep the Sabbath holy by “holding God’s Word sacred, and gladly hearing and learning it” (Small Catechism). “One thing is needful,” said Jesus, and, unfortunately, it’s the one thing so many Christians happen to be indifferent about.

And why is going to church, hearing God’s Word, feeding our souls each day with it, so important? Because that is how we are sanctified, made holy: “Sanctify them in the truth,” Jesus prayed to the Father, “Your Word is truth.” (John 17:17). God’s Word can’t change our lives when it’s not present in our lives. Quite simply, slothful people like the comfort of God’s Word when it tells them they are saved, but they could often care less about God’s Word when it asks something of them, when it beckons them to serve another.

Transforming our souls is difficult, painful work. It takes a long time. It’s one step forward and two steps back. The race of faith is long—it’s not a sprint, but a marathon. Sometimes our spirits are willing to go the extra mile, but our sinful flesh is oh so weak. So, we fall asleep on the job. And the tasks God calls us to go undone. Slothful people have been characterized as unwilling to be changed, as stuck between a self they cannot bear and a self they won’t put forth the effort to become. Simply put, sloth sabotages our sanctification. It abandons not just our earthly tasks, but also our spiritual duty as disciples in the kingdom of God. Scripture has a stern warning for the slothful: “Keep away from anyone who is walking in idleness. … If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat” (2 Thess. 3:6-11).

If sloth is our problem, then it is zeal, or diligence, that is its antidote. Proverbs 10:4 reads “Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.” Diligence comes from the Latin, diligere, meaning “to love.” And that’s what diligence is, steadfastly endeavoring to love God and love neighbor with the gifts we’ve been given. The Christian faith doesn’t allow us to sit on our haunches waiting around for the return of our Lord. No! There’s work to do. Work that God has called us to. You are His workmanship, created for a unique purpose.

He’s given you specific talents, not to be buried in the ground until the Master returns, but to be invested and bear interest for the kingdom. We’ve fallen asleep on the watch, and Paul’s words to the Ephesians are words for us: “Awake, O sleepers, arise, and Christ will shine on you” (Eph. 5:14). In other words, you Christians have been made alive in Christ Jesus, now live out that reality!

But how do I wake up you might be thinking? How do I get out of the rut? My mind is willing, but my flesh is weak. Let me assure you, if you feel this way, nothing is wrong with you. Every one of us is lukewarm in our zeal for the kingdom. But let us look to the saints of the past, of whom so many, when confronted with the demands of the mission of God, were willing to be sent. “Here am I,” said Isaiah, “send me!” To Paul, to Peter, God said, “Go!” If you feel slothful, lost, directionless, then know where to turn for purpose. God has a direction for you. Listen for His voice. He sends you on a mission to the lost, the weary, the broken, and places them in your midst to serve.

Embracing this call to serve is the key to recovering one’s joy for living in this world. When we serve others, our “taste” for the world returns, we see its beauty again, we relish in its colors and texture. But you can’t sit around waiting for the motivation to come. It doesn’t work like that. If you want to break free from sloth, step out and serve, and only then, in the joy of taking part in the mission of God, can you discover what it means to live as a new creature in Christ Jesus.

What holds us back? What holds us back is fear of the effort, the commitment, the sacrifice. Going to church every Sunday is too much, we think. Finding time to serve is futile, we reason. “I can’t be bothered,” is our attitude. So, emotionally, we check out. Serving seems like an incredible weight which we do not want to bear. But listen to Jesus’ words. Jesus says, “Come to me you who are weary, and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me… and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:28–30).

Did you hear? That yoke, that burden, that listlessness, that sloth you feel in your heart, that comes not from bearing your God-given responsibilities, but from avoiding them! The burden you feel comes not from the weight of tending to the demands of God’s Word, but from ignoring them. But, while these demands might seem like too much, while they might seem too heavy, when you do endeavor to place the burden of your God-given tasks on your shoulders you will soon discover that your fear is unfounded. It’s the yoke Jesus places on us that’s easy, it’s the world’s yoke that weighs us down. The world’s burdens are heavy indeed, but the burdens Jesus places on us are truly light.

Recall Jesus, who, Scripture says, for the joy set before Him endured the cross (Heb 12:2). He carried the burden of His heavy cross to Golgotha with joy in His heart, knowing that through this service He was indeed making all things new. The one who was consumed with zeal for His Father’s house did not fall asleep on duty, but carried out His calling to the end. And He still is awake, keeping watch over your soul. Consider Jesus, who neither sleeps, nor slumbers, but diligently loves you to the very end.

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

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