WEBVTT 00:02.000 --> 00:07.200 Let us pray. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our 00:07.200 --> 00:10.600 hearts be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, our strength and Our 00:10.600 --> 00:12.300 Redeemer. Amen. 00:14.000 --> 00:16.900 Well, this week is sort of been Martin week. 00:17.200 --> 00:20.700 We celebrated the birthday of Martin Chemnitz and, of course 00:20.700 --> 00:25.000 yesterday, Martin Luther. Today, we're commemorating St. 00:25.000 --> 00:27.100 Martin of Tours, pastor. 00:27.900 --> 00:31.100 And if you haven't been over next door to the Concordia Historical 00:31.100 --> 00:31.600 Institute, 00:31.800 --> 00:34.600 I invite you to do that today because soon as you walk in the 00:34.600 --> 00:38.900 door, on the right side is a wonderful commemoration of Saint. 00:38.900 --> 00:42.900 Martin of Tours with a little plaque. And under that are as a folder 00:42.900 --> 00:45.500 with all the chaplains who have served in the history of Lutheran 00:45.500 --> 00:45.800 Church- 00:45.800 --> 00:46.700 Missouri Synod. 00:47.300 --> 00:53.200 Now, Saint Martin of Tours was born in 316 AD served as an officer in 00:53.200 --> 00:57.300 the Army of the Rhone. And one day, he encountered a poor beggar 00:57.300 --> 00:59.800 tradition has it who was shivering and cold so 01:00.000 --> 01:04.000 he drew his sword and cut his cape in two and covered the beggar with 01:04.000 --> 01:05.900 1/2. And that night, 01:05.900 --> 01:09.200 according to tradition, is when he had a conversion and decided, he 01:09.200 --> 01:12.200 needs to be a cleric to serve God full time. 01:12.700 --> 01:16.500 So he became a cleric, founded a monastery and over the years, his 01:16.500 --> 01:20.200 piety and devotion to Christ became so well-known 01:20.400 --> 01:21.300 he was installed 01:21.300 --> 01:26.300 as the Bishop of Tours France. Following his death, the remaining half 01:26.300 --> 01:29.600 of Martin's Cape, became the object of veneration. 01:30.200 --> 01:34.400 French Kings had the cape carried into battle prepared, like a tent 01:34.400 --> 01:39.800 like portable Shrine for it. In Latin, the shrine was called cappella 01:40.500 --> 01:44.700 the priest who was given responsibility for the Coppa and the capella 01:44.900 --> 01:46.800 was called the chapelains. 01:47.300 --> 01:49.400 It is through the evolution of these terms that 01:49.400 --> 01:53.300 now we have the English words, chapel and chaplain. 01:54.200 --> 01:57.700 Consequently since medieval days, Saint Martin of Tours has been 01:57.700 --> 01:59.800 identified with those who serve in the military, 02:00.300 --> 02:02.600 particularly as chaplains. 02:03.700 --> 02:08.600 In our text for today, we have those two realms meeting each other. 02:09.199 --> 02:13.800 The words of Jesus miracles, had traveled far and wide people had 02:13.800 --> 02:18.300 heard of his ability to turn water into wine, and the crowds were 02:18.300 --> 02:21.000 amazed with his teaching. Everywhere 02:21.000 --> 02:26.700 He went, He was accompanied by a crowd, even Gentiles came to Him. It 02:26.700 --> 02:31.100 was the Gentiles who expressed such faith that caused Jesus to marvel 02:31.400 --> 02:31.600 for 02:31.600 --> 02:33.400 He could not find such among His 02:33.500 --> 02:39.000 own people Israel. The Gentile Centurion, who pleads with Jesus, 02:39.000 --> 02:41.500 Jesus on behalf of his paralyzed 02:41.500 --> 02:45.300 servant was not one who had grown up hearing the word of God and 02:45.300 --> 02:48.000 looking for salvation through the Messiah. 02:48.800 --> 02:53.800 And yet he comes to Jesus with full faith in his ability to heal his 02:53.800 --> 02:58.500 servant an ability that is found in Jesus authority over all 02:58.500 --> 02:59.400 creation. Even 03:00.000 --> 03:02.600 over sickness and death itself. 03:03.600 --> 03:07.600 Authority is something that this Centurion, a soldier would know a 03:07.600 --> 03:08.800 little bit about. 03:09.400 --> 03:12.600 He himself lives within the chain of command. 03:13.000 --> 03:15.900 He gives orders and they are carried out. 03:16.100 --> 03:19.100 He carries out orders that he receives. 03:19.900 --> 03:24.100 We can't over overlook the significance of this encounter between 03:24.100 --> 03:26.000 Jesus and the Centurion. 03:26.200 --> 03:28.300 The two realms coming together. 03:29.000 --> 03:34.500 The Centurion is a battle-tested warrior, a leader in battle. His men 03:34.500 --> 03:36.600 respect and fear him. 03:37.200 --> 03:42.300 The civilians fear him as he has the power of Rome behind him. 03:42.900 --> 03:46.300 He truly does understand authority and power. 03:46.900 --> 03:50.700 Yet in his God-given faith, he comes to Jesus 03:51.000 --> 03:55.500 the one who has the ultimate authority, and he comes in humility and 03:55.500 --> 03:58.600 respect it. Yet despite his great 03:58.800 --> 03:59.900 influence and authority 04:00.200 --> 04:04.300 this Centurion cannot order his servant to rise and walk for 04:04.300 --> 04:06.100 such an order would be useless. 04:06.700 --> 04:10.600 Nor can he exercise authority over the illness and order it to leave 04:10.600 --> 04:13.900 his stricken servant but he knows, Jesus 04:13.900 --> 04:18.399 can. He trust in, Jesus ability to just do that. 04:18.899 --> 04:23.800 Jesus has such authority. As we have heard this morning, he healed the 04:23.800 --> 04:24.900 paralyzed servant 04:24.900 --> 04:29.900 through the speaking of a mere word. Jesus has the ability the divine 04:30.000 --> 04:33.900 authority to heal the sick and raise the dead with the power of His 04:33.900 --> 04:34.500 word. 04:35.200 --> 04:39.000 We are familiar with the miraculous healings Jesus performed and this 04:39.000 --> 04:41.700 instance is nothing new or unique. 04:42.200 --> 04:46.800 Our lord Jesus has within himself, the authority to heal what was sick 04:47.100 --> 04:49.400 and raise that which was dead. 04:50.200 --> 04:54.500 Just as the Roman Centurion had the authority to issue orders to his 04:54.500 --> 04:55.400 subordinates. 04:55.800 --> 04:59.300 So Jesus had the authority over his creation. 04:59.700 --> 04:59.800 The 05:00.000 --> 05:03.000 heavens the Earth and all that is in them. 05:03.500 --> 05:07.500 Jesus was indeed able to heal the infirm bodies of people stricken 05:07.600 --> 05:13.600 with disease. But it's all too easy to hear of such miracles and ask 05:13.600 --> 05:15.800 the skeptic skeptic question. 05:16.900 --> 05:22.100 Why are only some healed and not all? And is especially grievous to 05:22.100 --> 05:25.000 the tortured body and soul to inquire. 05:25.100 --> 05:27.100 Why doesn't my Lord Heal me 05:27.100 --> 05:33.100 of my infirmity? Remove for me, all my crosses? It was so easy for him 05:33.100 --> 05:34.600 to do it for those people. 05:34.900 --> 05:35.500 Why not 05:35.500 --> 05:40.000 for me? You didn't even have to go to the paralyzed servant, he spoke 05:40.000 --> 05:42.800 the word and the man was healed from that hour. 05:43.700 --> 05:48.200 Indeed, why doesn't God grant us relief from our sicknesses, from our 05:48.200 --> 05:53.900 pains, our sufferings, our miseries? Why does he allow his beloved 05:53.900 --> 05:56.600 children to be ravaged with cancer 05:56.800 --> 05:59.700 and Alzheimer's? Why do Christian parents 06:00.000 --> 06:04.600 have to suffer the heartbreak of miscarriages, stillbirth or 06:04.600 --> 06:06.200 life-ending tragedy? 06:06.900 --> 06:08.500 Such questions have consumed 06:08.500 --> 06:11.000 the hearts and minds of God's people, both 06:11.000 --> 06:15.500 in their times of trial and for the sake of others. These will be 06:15.500 --> 06:19.400 the questions you have personally and it will come from your 06:19.400 --> 06:23.300 parishioners as you are called to serve them as deaconesses and 06:23.300 --> 06:24.200 pastors. 06:24.600 --> 06:26.900 These people will be entrusted to your care, 06:27.000 --> 06:28.100 the soul surgeon. 06:29.000 --> 06:31.000 But we can give them the answer 06:31.000 --> 06:31.900 that is true. 06:32.300 --> 06:35.600 We confess that God can indeed heal us. 06:35.900 --> 06:38.300 All things are possible with God. 06:38.600 --> 06:41.000 There isn't anything, he can't do. 06:41.600 --> 06:45.500 So we follow this example and follow them and point them to the Cross 06:45.500 --> 06:48.400 of Christ. By our God-given faith 06:48.400 --> 06:53.200 we cling to the authority of Jesus, and his promises. Our Lord 06:53.200 --> 06:57.000 Jesus went to the Cross to do more for us than rescue us from our 06:57.000 --> 06:58.700 arthritis or back 06:58.800 --> 06:59.400 pain. He 07:00.000 --> 07:03.600 did far more for us than makes us feel better in our bereavement or 07:03.600 --> 07:04.400 sorrow. 07:04.800 --> 07:10.300 Our Lord died on that, cross to heal us eternally. He died there to 07:10.300 --> 07:13.700 earn for us full pardon and forgiveness of our sins. 07:13.900 --> 07:16.100 And he rose again to secure the future 07:16.100 --> 07:19.600 Resurrection of all flesh on the last day. 07:20.600 --> 07:25.400 Our Jesus grants us healing from the most deadly cancerous 07:25.600 --> 07:28.700 flesh-eating condition of all our sin. 07:29.900 --> 07:34.900 His death rescues us far from more than our physical, emotional pain, 07:35.000 --> 07:36.800 or are chronic discomfort. 07:37.200 --> 07:39.600 He has rescued us from eternal suffering 07:39.800 --> 07:45.300 in Hell. Jesus has the ultimate authority. The authority to forgive 07:45.300 --> 07:49.700 us, our sins, to declare us not guilty, and he has done it. 07:50.100 --> 07:53.600 We are healed, we are liberated from the chains of death. 07:53.800 --> 07:57.600 Jesus has the authority over sin, death and Satan and has defeated 07:57.600 --> 07:59.600 them for you and for me once and 08:00.000 --> 08:04.600 all. Paul in Philippians summarizes this authority of Jesus, he goes 08:04.600 --> 08:07.200 from humiliation to exaltation. 08:07.500 --> 08:12.500 We read though he was in the form of God did not count equality with 08:12.500 --> 08:14.400 God as something to be grasped. 08:14.800 --> 08:18.800 But emptied himself by taking the form of a servant being born in the 08:18.800 --> 08:22.200 likeness of men and being found in human form. 08:22.300 --> 08:27.200 He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even 08:27.200 --> 08:28.500 death on a cross. 08:29.000 --> 08:29.800 Therefore God, 08:30.000 --> 08:32.799 has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him 08:32.799 --> 08:34.799 the name, that is above every name. 08:35.100 --> 08:39.500 So that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven and on 08:39.500 --> 08:41.200 Earth and under the Earth. 08:41.400 --> 08:46.300 And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of 08:46.300 --> 08:47.500 God, the Father, 08:48.600 --> 08:52.900 And we have Matthew closing out, his gospel with Jesus, summing it all 08:52.900 --> 08:59.300 up for us, in the Great Commission. And Jesus came and said to them all 08:59.300 --> 08:59.800 authority 09:00.700 --> 09:06.300 in heaven and on Earth has been given to me, go therefore and make 09:06.300 --> 09:10.400 disciples of all nations. Baptizing them in the name of the Father, 09:10.600 --> 09:14.500 and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all I 09:14.500 --> 09:16.900 have commanded you and behold 09:17.000 --> 09:19.900 I Am with you always to the end of the age. 09:20.500 --> 09:25.500 So my dear brothers and sisters, go let it be done as you have 09:25.500 --> 09:26.600 believed. 09:26.700 --> 09:27.300 Amen. 09:28.800 --> 09:31.800 And now may the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding 09:31.800 --> 09:35.300 keep our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. 09:35.500 --> 09:36.100 Amen.