The Shepherd’s Voice – Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Tomah, WI

Lent 3 (Oculi) | Luke 11:14-26 | Jesus is the Chief Exorcist

Lent 3 (Oculi)
March 8, 2026
Luke 11:14-26
 
In the late 1940s, a thirteen-year-old boy lived just outside Washington, D.C. He was a normal young man, living in a middle-class home, with a mother and father who took him to church, a Lutheran church, for that matter.
 
Like many young boys, he was curious about life, including good and evil. Like a child around Halloween, he wondered whether spirits spoke to the living, whether the grave was the final resting place, or whether something lingered in the shadows and darkness.
 
The boy’s curiosity was ignited by an aunt he admired and deeply loved, a reminder of how important family is for children. The aunt was a spiritualist, which means she believed the living could communicate with the dead, and that the dead still spoke with the living, like a medium or a psychic. 
 
While children today fiddle on their phones and play video games, this young man played with the Ouija board, a game-like device from the 1940s that was mass-produced with the idea that it’s fun to communicate with the dead. 
 
Not exactly the kind of game I’d like to play around with.
 
Well, when the boy’s aunt died, he experienced a deep period of sadness and despair, and his family noticed significant changes in his behavior. Over time, they began to see strange things happening around the house—scratching noises on the walls or under the floor. Furniture moved by itself across the floor, objects were thrown off shelves, and a vase floated into the air before crashing to the floor. 
 
As the days went by and the strange occurrence continued, the family noticed the boy was acting differently, becoming quiet during the day and screaming uncontrollably at night. His behavior was erratic, unusual, and quite scary. 
 
What were the boys’ parents to do?
 
They did what any faithful Christian parents would do: they went to their pastor at the Lutheran Church they attended to seek his help. Their pastor was not only a dedicated student of the Scriptures but also interested in psychology, so he reached out to his psychologist friends as well, thinking they might be able to diagnose the young man with a mental disorder. 
 
However, the psychiatrist couldn’t diagnose the young man with any specific mental illness. They had no medical explanation for what was happening. So, the Lutheran pastor suggested that an exorcism be performed on the boy. Not having any experience with exorcisms himself, the pastor recommended that the parents contact a Roman Catholic priest. And so, they did.
 
The boy was taken to Georgetown Hospital in Washington, D.C., where an exorcism was performed on him. Nothing seemed to take hold, and the boy remained unchanged.
 
As time went on, the mother believed that whatever was possessing her son was giving her a sign to return to where she grew up, in St. Louis, MO, and so the family did.
 
Once the family arrived in St. Louis, a cousin, recognizing the challenges, reached out to the church again, requesting help. Eventually, three priests ministered to the boy and conducted the rite of exorcism night and day.
 
On the night of Easter Monday, 1949, it is said that the possession reached a climax, and after days and nights of continuous prayer, reading Scripture, and commanding the demon to depart, the demon relented and left the body of the young boy, restoring his life. 
 
For some of you, this might have been a difficult story to hear this morning. Others may have read it or seen it on the big screen. This reveals the real story behind the book and movie, “The Exorcist.”
 
An interesting aspect of the real story of the Exorcist reveals that the boy’s family was Lutheran, not Roman Catholic. However, they still went to the Roman Catholic Church for help, as described. The Lutheran pastor felt unprepared for such a battle.
 
It’s a fascinating story that few of us would probably believe today, but that’s exactly how Satan would like it. As St. Paul writes, “Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14)
 
We Lutherans do get squeamish when we talk about exorcisms. Heck, many don’t even like the bulletin cover this morning. But an exorcism? It sounds so full of evil and darkness.
 
But Martin Luther did not share this belief; he believed demonic possession to be as real as the devil. He once wrote to a fellow pastor engaged with a woman who was demon-possessed,
The first thing you and your congregation ought to do is this: pray fervently and oppose Satan with your faith, no matter how stubbornly he resists. About ten years ago, we had an experience in this neighborhood with a very wicked demon, but we succeeded in subduing him by perseverance and by unceasing prayer and unquestioning faith. The same will happen among you if you continue in Christ’s name to despise that derisive and arrogant spirit and do not cease praying. By this means, I have restrained many similar spirits in different places, for the prayer of the church prevails at last.
 
Luther’s belief, and the church’s belief today, is that where the Word of Jesus is preached, the sacraments are administered, and the forgiveness of sins exists, Satan cannot remain. Instead, he must be expelled and driven out from that place, the assembly, and the Christian – the Church.
 
And this is the core meaning of conducting an exorcism: to have Satan, sin, and darkness expelled or cast out of you. It’s not just something from books and movies; it’s what Jesus does for each of you through prayer, hearing His Word, receiving the Sacraments, and forgiving sin. 
 
In fact, the Gospel today is all about exorcism, the casting out of a demon. St. Luke wrote, “Now [Jesus] was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled.” (Luke 11:14)
 
The Greek word for “casting out” is ἐκβάλλω (ekballo), and this is where the Church gets the word “Exorcism” from.
 
But the “Ex” in ἐκβάλλω or exorcism is the foundation of the word “exercise.”
 
When you put this little word study together, you learn that an exorcism is the exercise of casting out what is evil and sinful from your heart.
 
Now, because Lutherans believe the Christian is both a saint and a sinner, it means you must frequently exercise faith to overcome the evil and sinful desires in your heart. 
 
This is where Confession and Absolution and Holy Baptism come into play, through the confession of your sins, the darkness of your heart, the secret transgressions that plague you, those things that not even a spouse or friend knows, you exercise faith in Christ Jesus and ask Him to remove your guilt and shame, to forgive you, and cast out of the devil and his darkness from your heart.
 
St. John says precisely this in his first epistle, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8)
 
But this doesn’t mean you are immune to future evil, either.
 
As the Gospel reading concluded this morning,
When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.
 
These words emphasize the continuous need to confess your sins and return to your Baptism to drown the Old Adam, and all the serpent’s lies that echo in your ears. 
 
Don’t underestimate the enduring power of the font. It’s there—the pastor first speaks into the ears of the baptized, “Depart unclean spirit and make way for the Holy Spirit.”
 
It’s at the font, sides are taken, and lines are drawn in the ancient battle with the Devil. Luther wrote regarding Holy Baptism,
It is no joke to take sides against the devil and not only to drive him away from the little child, but to burden the child with such a mighty and lifelong enemy. Remember too that it is very necessary to aid the poor child with all your heart and strong faith, earnestly to intercede for him/her that God, in accordance with this prayer, would not only free him from the power of the devil, but also strengthen him, so that he may nobly resist the devil in life and death.
 
Why is it that we don’t see the dangers of the devil as Luther describes?
 
For one, because “[He] disguises himself as an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14)
 
We simply don’t want to accept evil or acknowledge Satan in our lives.
 
But secondly, as the story of the boy at the beginning of today’s sermon shows, we often invite Satan into our homes and hearts through what we consume—the games we play, our entertainment, our addictions, and sadly, even some of our relationships.
 
The way forward, the path of escape, is to return to faith, the community of believers, the Church, and the exercise of your faith. As Luther emphasized, the strongest weapon a pastor has, and that you have against evil, is to pray without ceasing and with the unshakable faith of a child. 
 
As the season of Lent continues, the struggles of faith grow harder, pray for one another, teach the little ones in your life to pray the Our Father, and help them understand that when you pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…,” you’re not just speaking of generalized evil, but to highlight the original language, you’re praying to be delivered from the “Evil one,” from Satan himself. 
 
And this is why Jesus was born into your sinful flesh, endured the temptation in the wilderness, experienced the sadness of a friend and loved one’s death, and suffered His holy Passion, even dying upon the cross, to be the stronger man who delivers you from the “Evil one.”
 
My friends, Satan is real, evil exists, and so do exorcisms.
 
Recognize that this evil surrounds you, seeks to turn you against one another and against your Savior, Jesus Christ. But through prayer, hearing God’s Word, the forgiveness of sin - the Holy Spirit, the finger of God, is at work in you, giving the gifts of Christ’s victory and driving out all darkness from your heart, just as He did when you were brought to the waters of Holy Baptism and the pastor spoke into your ears, “Depart unclean spirit and make way for the Holy Spirit.”
 
So, hold on to the gift of your Baptism, rejoicing in how God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—has freed you from Satan’s reign and gives you and all children of God, safe harbor in the ark of His Church. +INJ+
 
 
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Pastor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
 
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Website: www.goodsheptomah.org
The Shepherd’s Voice Podcast: https://goodsheptomah.podbean.com/
 

Lent 2 - Midweek | 2 Samuel 11:1-12:25 | Become Humble Enough to Confess Your Sin

Lent 2 Midweek – Confession
March 4, 2026
2 Samuel 11:1-12:25
 
Tonight, we continue our Lenten midweek series on Confession and Absolution, focusing on the act of confessing our sins.
 
As you just heard, the story of David’s sin has a snowballing effect—lust, murder, and an attempt to conceal. It’s a remarkable yet common story. 
 
David allows lust to take hold of his heart as Bathsheba bathes on a nearby rooftop. One also has to wonder what made Bathsheba choose such a visible spot to bathe.
 
David takes Bathsheba for himself, lies with her, and gets her pregnant. Of course, she is a married woman. So, what should he do in this situation? He decides to have the loyal husband and soldier return from the battle, to come back and lie with his wife so the child will appear to be his. 
 
Oh, wait, did we mention that Uriah was a loyal soldier who wouldn’t do this while his brothers were still fighting in battle? Yeah, no, he won’t do that.
 
So, what is an adulterous king to do?
 
Use your influence, power, and position to send the husband to the front lines, where he will probably die, so no one will make a big deal about this affair to anyone. 
 
To top it all off, act as if this was the predictable outcome, that it was an expected outcome, and you’ve done nothing wrong.
 
Now, God sends the prophet Nathan into the story. He was David’s pastor and counselor. He has been observing this entire situation unfold, and like any faithful pastor, he must care for the sheep entrusted to him. This means he has to do the difficult work of calling David to repentance. This is a tough task, but it can also be a joyful one if David repents because then forgiveness is present for him. 
 
But part of the challenge here is this: how do you approach or engage a king, someone in power, a person in authority who acts as if they haven’t done anything wrong, and call them to repentance?
 
This isn’t just a pastoral challenge; it’s a challenge for any mother or father who needs to correct a child’s behavior, or a child who must confront a parent, a brother who needs to call a sister to repentance, or a friend who has become blind to their ways and actions.
 
And so, Nathan doesn’t just come out and say to David from the get-go, “Hey David, you sinned.”
 
No, he approaches the situation like a doctor treating a sick patient. Nathan understood that the cancer of David’s sin needed to be cut out and removed, but he kept the steel blade hidden beneath his robe; he concealed the instrument to remove the cancer until the right moment, and then he drove the steel blade scalpel into the open wound of sin so that David could feel the pain of his sin. 
 
And this is what I mean by all of this.
 
As I mentioned a moment ago, Nathan did not approach David and just tell him, “You sinned.”
 
Instead, Nathan knew David well, and through a story, an allegory, God’s law was revealed and preached to David. Nathan delivered his message so effectively that David became absorbed in the story and didn’t even realize he was the star in it until Nathan’s echoing words thundered, “You are the man!”
 
How often does this happen to you?
 
How often do you go through your day without noticing the sins that plague your heart? 
 
When this happens, you join David in suffering from what we call spiritual blindness, when a person either doesn’t see their sin or wants to acknowledge their trespasses.
 
As Jesus says to the Pharisees, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘we see, your guilt remains.’” (John 9:41)
 
Through God’s Word, the prophet Nathan, David’s pastor, leads him to see his sin, and now there is only one thing David can do with the sin, confess it.
 
And you can hear David’s confession for these sins in the words of Psalm 51, which we prayed tonight, David wrote,
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to Your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You may be justified in Your words and blameless in Your judgment.
 
David was forgiven, but that didn’t mean there weren’t any earthly consequences for his sin. The child in Bathsheba’s womb would die. A terribly hard pill to swallow.
 
There are a few things we can learn tonight. First, whether a person is blindly sinning or outright ignoring God’s law, we must approach them with gentleness and humility, using the Word of God as Nathan did, so gently and winsomely, to guide them toward recognizing their sin and repenting. 
 
Not all situations are the same, nor is each person. So, build trust with one another so you can have honest conversations.
 
Secondly, be humble enough to accept correction, to have your eyes open to your trespasses, so you might confess your sin. As the Psalmist wrote,
For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.… I acknowledged my sin to You, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and You forgave the iniquity of my sin. (Psalm 32:3, 5)
 
God wants to forgive you, but you must recognize and confess your sin. Yes, there may be earthly consequences for your blindness and lack of faith that led you into this snowball of despair. But a lack of confession will only keep you from the heavenly presence of Christ.
 
As we learn in the book of Proverbs,
Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. (Proverbs 28:13)
 
In the end, we are little Davids, conceived in sin, and often enough, becoming blind to the ways we hurt and harm the people God has placed into our lives to love and care for.
 
We must keep working to strengthen our relationships so we can have difficult conversations with each other and call one another to repentance, when necessary, in charity and love. 
 
But we also need to learn to be humble and vulnerable, to be open to God’s call to repentance, through the people He sends into our lives, because in confessing our sin, we exercise a faith of humility and dependence on our Father in heaven, we recognize that there is no sin that we can hide, and acknowledge that we require a change of heart.
 
In fact, David exercises his greatest strength as a King through the humility of confessing his sin with Bathsheba and against Uriah.
 
Your Savior Jesus Christ, David’s Son and Lord, also demonstrated the greatest act of humility by dying for your sin on the cross.
 
This Lenten season, when you need to be humbled, look to the cross, where Jesus died for you. Then exercise true strength by allowing yourself to be called to repentance, to confess your sin, and to rejoice in the gift of God’s mercy and forgiveness. +INJ+
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Pastor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
 
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Website: www.goodsheptomah.org
The Shepherd’s Voice Podcast: https://goodsheptomah.podbean.com/
 

Lent 2 | St. Matthew 15:21-28 | Jesus Doesn't Come as You Want, But as You Need

The Second Sunday in Lent
March 1, 2026
Matthew 15:21-28
 
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
 
In the Gospel today, we see Jesus not as we are accustomed to. The Canaanite woman approaches Jesus and His disciples with a prayer – a plea, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”
 
The Gospel says, “He answered her not a word.”
 
This is not the Jesus we know and love. Maybe in the back of your mind, you are wondering about this Jesus, “Who are you?”
 
While I was on vicarage, there was a lady who lived in a nursing home; one day, she asked the pastor for a picture of Jesus to hang on her wall. My supervisor brought her an image of Jesus, one of the Olan Mills style portraits. But it was not right, she told us. She did not want a feminine-looking Jesus but a strong Jesus, a Savior – that’s what she was looking for.
 
This got me thinking – there are numerous images of Jesus throughout the church, but how does his appearance strike you? What does his facial demeanor confess to you?
 
Isn’t it interesting how the true subjectiveness of art influences not only how we see the world, but also how we want Jesus to appear to us and within our own hearts? What Jesus do you want? The masculine Jesus? A serious Jesus? Or a happy Jesus? Well, the Canaanite woman doesn’t get a choice, and neither do you. 
 
Now, this woman pleads with Jesus for His mercy three times, and it seems He might remain unmoved. Her crying must have been powerful because even the disciples felt for her and turned to Jesus to intercede on her behalf. At first glance, you might think the disciples aren’t that compassionate, but I believe their concern is genuine and perhaps gets lost in translation, as Jesus responds with, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” He is saying, I was not sent for this Canaanite—this woman from the ancient and idolatrous enemies of God’s people—rather, I was sent to redeem Israel.
 
None of this matters to the woman, though. She will not give up or be dismissed. She has heard of Jesus and the miracles He has already performed—possibly the healing of the paralytic, the raising of the ruler’s daughter, the restoration of sight for the blind, the loosening of the mute man’s tongue, and the feeding of the five thousand—where even the crumbs were collected into baskets after everyone ate. All that Jesus has done precedes Him, and this is enough for her here; she places her faith in Him to grant her and her daughter healing and mercy. But, “He answered her not a word.”
 
The whole Gospel can feel a bit uncomfortable for us, can’t it? The Psalmist writes, “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy.” (Psalm 103:8) But, where is His mercy? Where is His graciousness in saying, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs”? As if the situation couldn’t get worse, He insinuates she’s a little dog.
 
Throughout time, the God of Israel has fed His ungrateful people in the wilderness during the exodus and again in the recent feeding of the five thousand. In saying, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs” Jesus will learn whether this woman really knows who He is, or if she is just giving Him lip service as she addressed Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David!”
 
Ultimately, in the final conversation, she will confess the purity of her faith in Jesus and her unworthiness by saying, “Even [the little dogs even] the puppies eat from the crumbs that fall from tables of their masters.” (Jerome) If you have observed little children, you know how the endless stream of crumbs falls from the table to the floor below. This space becomes a utopia for dogs to dine and feast.
 
The woman doesn’t want to take anything away from the lost sheep of Israel. She understands that Jesus came to redeem His sheep that have wandered, but she also believes in the abundance of God’s mercy - that even the crumbs will be enough for her and her daughter to survive.
 
Are you as persistent and bold as this Canaanite today in your pleas for mercy and your desire for God’s help? Would you also be satisfied with crumbs?
 
In the end, none of us pray as we should, and our faith often wavers throughout life. When God doesn't seem to answer your prayer, you might get discouraged and possibly seek out another Jesus—one that better fits your needs. 
 
Maybe you have prayed for Jesus to remove a burden from your life – a broken relationship or an illness that could be fatal. Yet, in the end, you still find yourself not speaking to your spouse while your brother’s cancer persists. You wanted a powerful Jesus, one who would fix these struggles or take them away. 
 
Maybe you prayed for a miracle, hoping that the child in your womb—whom you were told would die even before taking a breath—would actually survive and live, but that didn’t happen. You desired the merciful and life-giving Jesus. All of these are good things to pray for, and if we learn anything from the Canaanite woman, it’s this: don’t stop praying. Instead, approach God with persistent prayer and faith. 
 
Learn to pray as she did: “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David!” In these pleas, she shows Jesus as the object of her faith, and she was not swayed by his demeanor.
 
There’s something else she confesses with this statement, “Son of David”—that Jesus is both God and man. We often come to believe that prayers are to be answered, just as letters were once returned in the old days, and that emails are supposed to be responded to today.
 
Likewise, we have a certain belief regarding the demeanor of Jesus and often prefer a smiling and welcoming Jesus – one to accompany our Precious Moments collection of angels. But Jesus was “born of the Virgin Mary and made man.” He grew not only in age, but also in wisdom. When the temple became a place of commerce, Jesus cleansed it by driving the merchants out with a whip. When He gathered the children unto him, He did so with joy. When His friend Lazarus died, He wept. When you look at the processional cross, the crucifix, what do you see? I see the face of a Savior who experienced an agonizing and painful death not only to redeem the Israel of the Old Testament, but to save this Canaanite who descends from the ancient and adulterous enemies of God. I see a man who entered the judgment hall to redeem you.
 
Luther wrote regarding today’s text, “This was written for all our comfort and instruction, so that we may know how deeply God hides His grace from us, so that we would not consider Him according to our perception and thinking but strictly according to His Word.”[1] 
 
We often approach prayer as a means to receive an immediate response from God. But God’s grace can be hidden from our perceptions – and when we experience this, we see Jesus as uninterested. His demeanor appears cold, and His countenance is not as we desire. But this is not so, for in these ways we are taught to rely all the more upon God’s Word. It is not subject to our feelings, emotions, or perceptions – it is unchanging, and it is good.
 
This Lent, do not waver in your prayers, nor be dismayed if God’s grace appears hidden from you; remain persistent. The voice of the Canaanite woman did not waver; her voice remained persistently focused on the object of her faith – her Lord and the Son of David. His response to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” In this way, we are taught that prayer is the voice of faith.  
 
Join her now in singing and echoing a similar prayer in the Agnus Dei before you approach the altar: “Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.” Give voice to your faith and remember that even in the crumbs of bread and the drops of wine, your Lord sees your faith and has mercy on you – He grants you His forgiveness and His life. He gives you His Word. +INJ+
 
The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Pastor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
 
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Website: www.goodsheptomah.org
The Shepherd’s Voice Podcast: https://goodsheptomah.podbean.com/
 
 
[1] Luther, M. (2013). Gospel for the Second Sunday in Lent. In B. T. G. Mayes, J. L. Langebartels, & C. B. Brown (Eds.), Luther’s Works: Church Postil II (Vol. 76, p. 380). Saint Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House.

Lent 1 Midweek | Luke 7:36-50 | Learning to Forgive

Lent 1 – Midweek (Absolution)
February 25, 2026
Luke 7:36-50
 
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
 
This Lenten season, we will use the midweek services to meditate upon Confession and Absolution.
 
We began this evening’s service, as we’ll do each midweek service throughout this season of Lent, with confession and absolution from the service of Compline.
 
Now the service of Compline dates back to the fourth century as a sort of bedtime prayer, and for this reason, Compline means completion, to pray at the completion of the day and one of the most important aspects of this service is the rite of Confession and Absolution, that there would be peace within the home and among one another before laying one’s head down to sleep, especially since no one truly knows if they would awake the next morning.
 
For this reason, a verse from the Psalms that comes to mind is that of Psalm 4,
Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. (Psalm 4:4)
 
The Apostle Paul builds upon the verse by writing to the Ephesians,
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. (Ephesians 4:26-27)
 
Reflect upon this: how often do you go to bed angry?
 
Surely, some of you are whispering to yourselves, never.
 
However, you can see from both verses I just read to you how anger and sin are intimately related. So let me ask you this: how many of you go to bed still caught up in sin?
 
Meaning, going to bed without forgiving each other for an argument, a hurtful word, taking someone else’s property, or an unfaithful act within a relationship? 
 
Honestly, when it comes to understanding the two parts of Confession from the Small Catechism, “First that we confess our sins, and second that we receive absolution...” a great challenge for people is absolution — forgiving those who have sinned against you and caused you harm.
 
Now, of course, absolution—the forgiveness of sin—occurs after someone confesses their sins. 
 
But when absolution is not granted or given, your husband, wife, father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, friend, or co-worker remains in chains and is imprisoned by the sin they have confessed to you.
 
Now, culture, your friends, AI (on the internet), poorly written self-help books, and sometimes your feelings, all tell you that it’s okay not to forgive, to withhold forgiveness from someone who has hurt you.
 
I understand that forgiveness can be tough, but it’s better for Christians not to seek help or understanding about spiritual matters from the world, but from the Scriptures. As Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount,
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:14-15)
 
The words of Jesus highlight a serious need for us to consider how we approach forgiveness and the act of forgiving one another, even when it’s difficult, when the sin of another has cut deep and left a lasting scar. 
 
A common refrain in families is, “They hurt me for the last time.”
 
Or “Fool me once, but…”
 
Or “They’re never going to change.”
 
But do these words confess faith and confidence that the Holy Spirit can change people’s lives?
 
Do you lack faith in God to transform the heart of an erring brother or sister in Christ? Or do your words resemble those of the Pharisee in the second reading tonight from the Gospel of St. Luke?
 
The Pharisee in the second reading only saw a sinful woman, one who was unclean, probably a prostitute or adulterer, because her sins were great; he didn’t see how she could be forgiven. 
 
And this offers another perspective for us to consider. Most often, we focus more on the severity of our neighbors’ sins than on our own sinful nature, or that it’s sinful of us to refuse to forgive someone who is contrite and sorry for their transgression. 
 
And for this reason, these words of Jesus tonight should not only call you to account for the sins you have failed to forgive, but also be a comfort not only to those who have hurt and caused you harm, but also to you, a poor, miserable sinner yourself. Jesus said,
Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
 
How wonderful it is that we can forgive one another just as our dear Savior forgives us. This entire season of Lent leads us to the cross of Calvary, where Jesus not only took the place of a murderer and insurrectionist but also bore your sin and endured the judgment for it by dying on the cross for you.
 
But even there, as Jesus hung between two criminals, the sins and faith of one were confessed, and what did Jesus say to him?
 
“Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43)
 
Before Jesus gives up His spirit, is placed in the tomb, and sleeps the sleep of death, He forgives the one who confesses their sin – the criminal.
 
In doing so, Jesus shows us not only how to prepare for bed each night but also how to face death by exercising the Christian faith entrusted to each of us. 
 
Sure, the one who has sinned against you might do it again, but just as the forgiveness of Christ does not cease for those who have faith, neither does the forgiveness of the Christian.
 
As St. Peter once asked Jesus,
“Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. (Matthew 18:21-22)
 
My friends, those who have sinned against you most deeply have the most to gain in Christ Jesus and through your love for them. Let us make it a point this Lenten season to work on forgiving those who harm us, to release them from the bondage of sin, so we, too, can go to our beds each night, ready for the resurrection. +INJ+
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
 
 
 
 
 
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Website: www.goodsheptomah.org
The Shepherd’s Voice Podcast: https://goodsheptomah.podbean.com/

Lent 1 (Invocabit) | Genesis 3:1-21 & Matthew 4:1-11 | Bring the Battles of Life to the Cross

Lent 1 (Invocabit)
February 25, 2026
Matthew 4:1-11
 
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
 
I want to begin today by highlighting some of the first battles throughout American history. 
 
So, to begin, the first battle of the Revolutionary War was the battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775.
 
The first battle of the Civil War was the bombardment of Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, in April 1861.
 
The first battle of WWI occurred at Liege in August 1914.
 
The first battle of WWII was the Battle of Westerplatte in September of 1939. But America didn’t formally enter the war until December 1941.
 
The first battle of the Korean War happened in Seoul, South Korea, also before the Americans entered the fray.
 
While the initial battle of the Vietnam War for American forces was the Battle of Ia Drang in November 1965, the first battle of the Vietnam War was the Battle of Ap Bac in January 1963.
 
The war on terror started in Afghanistan in November 2001, but major ground troops didn’t enter active combat until Operation Anaconda in March 2002. (I was there)
 
So, what’s the point of all of this?
 
In war, there are many battles, and these often begin before the war officially starts, but few wars are ever won or finished in a single battle.
 
The season of Lent leads us to the battle of Calvary, where Jesus, the victor, will be nailed to the cross for the sins of the world. But this battle and war began long before that first Holy Week.
 
Today, we hear of two such battles in the Old Testament reading and the Gospel.
 
In the Old Testament reading, the first battle and conflict in Scripture occurs between your first parents and the serpent. It began with the temptation of the devil as he said to Eve, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?’”
 
It all began with temptation, a desire for what was not given to Adam and Eve, along with pride and the wish to be like God, rejecting the Creator’s Word and instruction. 
 
Sadly, this is just the first conflict of many, as Adam and Eve will turn against one another in an instant, as Adam’s first response to the fall was to say, “The woman you gave me, it’s her fault.”
 
This sin of Adam and Eve was passed down to their sons as well, as pride and insecurity tempted and led Cain to rise up and kill his brother, Abel. 
 
Sadly, you are no different from this first family, as you experience deeply personal and interpersonal battles throughout your life.
 
When alcohol, drugs, gambling, the overuse of technology, or pornography become not just temptations but full-blown addictions, you are quick to refuse blame for turning to these vices—similar to Adam—blaming the bad company who tempted you or the husband or wife whom you believe pushed you to seek fulfillment in these ways, due to fractured and unfulfilled expectations and relationships. 
 
In reality, if we’re being honest, we are like Adam, blaming God for our troubles, saying, “The woman you gave me, it’s her fault.”
 
We blame God for the temptations and conflicts of our lives.
 
But St. James writes in his epistle,
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. (James 1:13-15)
 
This final verse captures the struggle with temptation perfectly and how sin is born out of temptation and finds a home within your heart,
Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. (James 1:13-15)
 
Temptations throughout life begin within you, the old Adam, the sinful man that dwells within your heart, and for this reason, your true enemy in all of this is not your husband or wife, your brother or sister, a father or mother, it’s you.
 
Why, because, like Adam and Eve, you do not listen, hear, or obey God’s Word.
 
You don’t.
 
In a fantastic way, St. James follows up his words regarding temptation by saying,
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:19-21)
 
If only you and I were so eager to be quick to hear and slow to speak, how much more could we communicate with each other and have love one another. How much more would we be able to hear and receive the Word of God, which, as St. James says, is able to save your souls?
 
Ultimately, the struggles and conflicts of life persist because we continually turn away from God’s Word and instruction and because of this, we are not only fighting against alcohol, drugs, gambling, technology, pornography, insert your vice here, or each other; we are also engaged in an ongoing battle with the devil, who seeks to entice you away from your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 
 
And in the Gospel reading this morning, you received a glimpse into just one of many battles Jesus had in a greater war with the devil.
 
The devil’s temptations were presented to Jesus, but He did not give in or turn away from His Father’s Word. He confessed it and clung to it with all His heart. 
 
Jesus does what your first father, Adam, did not—He obeyed His heavenly Father’s voice.
 
In fact, Jesus obeyed His Father’s voice and will, even to the cross of Calvary, where He not only won the battle, but won the war for you.
 
In His death and resurrection, He defeated sin, death, and the devil.
 
So, what should you do with all the battles and conflicts in your life this Lenten season? Bring them to where the spoils of war and the benefits of the cross are present for you. Bring them to the font of Holy Baptism, where Christ drowns the temptations of the Old Adam within you, unites you in the peace of Christ’s forgiveness in the absolution as you stand side by side with your brothers and sisters, and feeds your souls in the holy supper of your Lord, receiving eternal life. 
 
Come to the cross this Lenten season, my friends, and receive God’s precious Word, a Word that will sustain you and put an end to all the battles of your heart and lead you to new life in Christ. +INJ+
 
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
www.goodsheptomah.org 
 
 
 

Ash Wednesday | Matthew 6:16-21 | Why Do You Fast?

Ash Wednesday
February 18, 2026
Matthew 6:16-21
 
The Old Testament reading this evening from the prophet Joel began by saying,
Yet even now, declares the LORD,
                        return to me with all your heart,
             with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.
 
The prophet Joel is pleading for the people of Israel to repent and return to the Lord. He warns that if they continue to conduct themselves in ways against God’s will, there will be armies of locust that will come upon the unrepentant people, destroying everything in their path.
 
A sign or practice that the prophet Joel prescribes for Israel’s repentance in the text is fasting.
 
Repentance and fasting have long been associated with one another.
 
King David fasted, wept, and mourned not only the brief life of his son but also the sins of adultery and murder that led to the boy’s death.
 
Upon hearing the call to repentance through the prophet Jonah, the people of Nineveh fasted, repented, and turned from their evil ways.
 
In accomplishing what Israel could not do during the Exodus as they wandered through the wilderness for forty years, Jesus was led into the wilderness for forty days, fasting. 
 
In fact, tonight’s Gospel, Jesus says, “And when you fast…”
 
So why do Lutherans struggle so much with the concept of fasting?
 
Because it’s considered “Roman Catholic.”
 
Have you ever noticed how sometimes people oppose something just because another group believes in it?
 
How contrarian!
 
However, as explained above, this perspective rejects the Lutheran understanding of “Sola Scriptura” – Scripture alone. 
 
Sola Scriptura states that Scripture alone speaks and guides the Christian faith, and the teachings of the church must align with it. 
 
Now, for this reason, Scripture never explicitly demands fasting, but from the examples just mentioned, you can see not only how the practice went hand in hand with repentance but was also highly expected.
 
Even Martin Luther (1483­–1546) promoted the practice of fasting for two reasons, he wrote: “Of fasting I say this: it is right to fast frequently in order to subdue and control the body. For when the stomach is full, the body does not serve for preaching, for praying, for studying, or for doing anything else that is good. Under such circumstances God’s Word cannot remain. But one should not fast with a view to meriting something by it as by a good work.”
 
Isn’t this something? Christian fasting is meant to grow our hunger for God’s Word and forgiveness. It’s not intended to earn forgiveness as good works, which is why we are not like Roman Catholics or many evangelicals, for that matter; we cannot earn salvation this way. 
 
But we can learn through practice where our life needs changing, where repentance is necessary, and where our faith is struggling. 
 
Think about this: if the doctor told you that you had cancer and needed to fast for twenty-four hours for a blood test to get the right medicine, you’d do it in a heartbeat. 
 
You’d do it because you can’t imagine not talking to your father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, or friend ever again. 
 
Here’s the thing: if we don’t examine ourselves, recognize which sins are not only running through our veins but also controlling us, and learn to confess them, then we can’t be sure we’ll have a tomorrow in heaven with the people we care about so deeply.
 
We need to understand which sins control us and require confessing to receive forgiveness.
 
Alright, so what does it mean to fast?
 
Contrary to popular belief, fasting isn’t just about abstaining from food and drink; it’s about reducing or going without. Therefore, fasting can include anything that controls you.
 
So, what is controlling your life and hindering your faith and the vocations God has entrusted to you?
 
Is your phone glued to your hand while your children or grandchildren play on the floor in front of you, begging for your attention? Begging you to read a book to them?
 
Do you happily stop for breakfast every morning on your way to work, but have no money to give to the church to care for the hungry and needy?
 
When was the last time you went out of your way to visit a shut-in brother or sister from the church?
 
When we fast and reduce the things that control us and hinder our faith, the relationships we have, and the vocations God has given us, we not only realize how little of these things are truly necessary, but also recognize how much God already provides. 
 
The season of Lent is an opportunity for us to fast, not only from food and drink, but the things that have become gods and idols in our lives.
 
Do you find it hard to put your phone down? Start today by placing it in another room of your house in the evenings, spend quality time with your family, work on a puzzle, enjoy a meal around the dinner table, read the Bible, and pray together.
 
Could you cut back on eating out or stopping for breakfast every day? Could the money you save be donated to the church’s missions or a cause that supports the gospel?
 
Or could you set a goal to call or visit one friend or family member each week this Lent? Especially the lonely, those going through struggles, and those who need your support.
 
You see, when you practice fasting correctly, it creates time for prayer and meditation on God’s Word. It provides a way for you to give and support the work of the Gospel financially, and it encourages you to do good works, caring for your neighbor.
 
Why wouldn’t you want to do any of these things?
 
This Lenten season, don’t be a contrarian, don’t be opposed to Scripture just because other churches or people observe the same traditions, but instead be Scriptural, be a Christian.
 
And in fasting, if you struggle to let go of the things that you learn have control over your life, then glory be to Jesus, because you now know the sins you need to repent of, you know what is leading you away from being with your brother and sister in Christ, and when you confess these sins, you have the assurance and word of God, that He forgives you.
 
In fact, He wants to forgive you because He desires for you, your brother, your sister, and the person to your left and to your right to be with Him in eternity. +INJ+
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
www.goodsheptomah.org

Quinquagesima | Luke 18:31-43 | Memento Mori - Remember your Death

Quinquagesima
February 15, 2026
Luke 18:31-43
 
 
Many of you have sat in the doctor’s office as the death notice was handed out, as the words were spoken to your husband or wife, a father or mother.
 
“There’s nothing more we can do.”
 
The cancer has advanced past the point of reversal. The body is too weak to undergo treatments. The accident caused extensive damage to the body and its vital organs. 
 
These instances are often met with a lack of understanding. How did the shadow of death appear so quickly? Why can’t the doctor do anything more?
 
Isn’t this their job? To heal and restore people to health?
 
In these moments, you are like the disciples of Christ as He prepares them for His passion and death. It’s truly remarkable how Jesus explains everything to His disciples as He says, 
“For [the Son of Man] will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.”
 
But they did not understand His words; they did not understand that death was approaching for their Lord and Savior. That His death was necessary to give them life.
 
The Gospel said,
“They understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.” Or “They did not know the things that were spoken [to them].”
 
To grasp or to know are synonyms for the action of Christian faith.
 
In other words, the disciples lacked faith in Jesus’ words.
 
Like the disciples, when the storm clouds of death approach, you also tend to lack understanding; you lack faith.
 
Why does this happen to you, O Christian?
 
Because in the clouds and storms of life, you do not always hear rightly, you don’t hear the words of Jesus, you don’t remember your Savior.
 
The disciples did not fully understand Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel, and because of this, when His passion did arrive, they also failed to remember His words. They lacked faith and scattered from His cross. 
 
We’ll come back to this thought in a moment…
 
But for you, in the midst of turmoil, you must “remember” the words of your Savior, “They will kill him, and the third day he will rise.”
 
If you listen closely, these are words of death and resurrection.
 
Again, “They will kill him, and the third day he will rise.”
 
Seldom do you remember these words in tribulation any more than you place them before your eyes each day of this life.
 
Some men in the congregation are participating in a program this Lent called “Memento.” The Latin word “Memento” means “remember.”
The purpose of this program is to remember how fleeting this life is, that without Christ we are powerless, to reflect on our Savior’s suffering on the cross, and to honor the faithful men who came before us—fathers, grandfathers, saints, and martyrs—those who struggled and endured in faith, stood firm in the face of death, and remembered their Savior’s death.
 
Because when one remembers the death of Christ, they must also remember His resurrection.
 
But because we do not remember the death of Christ, we cannot properly understand His resurrection.
 
In reality, we don’t think much about death unless it’s on our doorstep. This is very different from the ancient world and the early church, where not only was death all around them through plague, disease, and war, but they also used language and symbols to remind themselves of where this life would lead. 
 
If you look back at art throughout history, you might come across paintings of skulls with the words “Memento Mori,” meaning “remember you must die” or “remember your death.”
 
Comforting, huh?
 
It was also common for monks, pastors, or priests to have human skulls or bones on their desks or near where they prayed, to remind them of their mortality.
 
But more than that, this practice served as a reminder of mortality, humbling one by showing that all earthly life moves toward the grave. It fosters a sense of turning away from earthly pleasures, of concentrating on eternal life with God, of living in repentance, and of cultivating a virtuous life. Additionally, it symbolizes that death is not the end, but the gateway to resurrection and eternal life. 
 
Now, no one is suggesting you should run home and place a skull on your desk or table. However, how can you remember the death and resurrection of Jesus? How can you keep these words of your Savior from the Gospel before you today?
 
Sure, you could buy one of the paintings I mentioned earlier, like a skull with the words “Memento Mori” inscribed. Or you could hang a portrait of the Lord’s crucifixion in your home. Or even simpler, you could hang a cross or crucifix near a door to remind yourself, as you venture into daily life and return at night, that not only is death always close by, but through the death of your Savior, you receive life. 
 
As St. Paul reminds us, “The last enemy to be overcome is death.” (1 Corinthians 15:16)
 
And that’s what the season of Lent leads you to understand, to know, to have faith in – not only the death of Jesus, but also His resurrection.
 
For this reason, on Ash Wednesday, those of you who desire to receive ashes upon your forehead will hear the words, “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.”
 
“Memento Mori” remember your death, remember that you will die.
 
But then, as you enter the sanctuary, remember that you have already died in Christ Jesus through the waters of Holy Baptism.
 
As St. Paul writes to the Romans,
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
 
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
 
With these words of St. Paul: your eyes should be opened to what happens in Baptism — the conflict between death and life, and the truth that victory is with life; it remains with Jesus. 
 
Now, going back to the disciples, it wasn’t just a lack of understanding and faith for them, but the Gospel says, “This saying was hidden from them.”
 
Simply put, the disciples couldn’t understand how Christ was supposed to suffer, see how His death would fulfill Old Testament prophecies, or realize that God had chosen to veil or hide this truth from them. 
 
This remains our challenge today: when difficulties come, whether illness, tribulation, or death, and the ways of God are unclear to us, we turn away, scatter from the crosses before us, and become blind to God’s word and mercy. 
 
In this way, you are like the disciples—you see this as they heard the words of Jesus but did not have faith in them. They deserted Jesus as He hung on the cross; they gave up hope. It wasn’t until Jesus appeared to them again after His resurrection, on the Emmaus road, that He once again declared to them. 
“O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” (Luke 24:25-26)
 
In bringing these disciples to remember His words, they not only remembered how He would die, but how He would live again.
 
As you approach this season of Lent, it will begin with the sign of ash and dust, a reminder that all mortals will return to the earth: “Memento Mori!”
 
Remember your death.
 
But the sign of the cross upon your forehead marks you as one redeemed by Christ the crucified and reminds you that you will live.
 
Whether you are experiencing difficulties in life right now, if the grief and sorrow of death plagues you, or this upcoming season of Lent rightly causes you to flee from the earthly pleasures of life, do not forget your Savior Jesus Christ, whose death has won for you salvation, forgiveness, and eternal peace. 
 
Memento, remember. +INJ+
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
 
www.goodsheptomah.org

Sexagesima | Luke 8:9-13 | The Sower Gives Life to the Soil of the Earth

Sexagesima
Luke 8:4-15
February 8, 2026
 
 
The dirt and soil of the earth are where sin and death reside.
 
In the beginning, “The LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.”
 
Martin Luther wrote in a commentary regarding the creation account that God formed man from a “Lump of earth.”
 
Of course, we know that in man’s fall into sin, God said to Adam,
Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
                        and have eaten of the tree
             of which I commanded you,
                        ‘You shall not eat of it,’
             cursed is the ground because of you;
                        in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
            thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
                        and you shall eat the plants of the field.
            By the sweat of your face
                        you shall eat bread,
             till you return to the ground,
                        for out of it you were taken;
             for you are dust,
                        and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:17b-19)
 
In many ways, I believe it’s important to remember how man was formed from the earth and how sin and death will lead him back to the dust and soil of the earth.  
 
In fact, this provides us with a lens to view the Parable of the Sower in today’s Gospel.
 
For life to emerge from the soil, the seed of God’s Word and the breath of His voice had to penetrate it. Apart from Him, the dust of the earth would have remained just that, dust.
 
But with the seed and breath of God’s Word spoken into it, Adam received life.
 
Now, if man is made from the “lumps of earth” or the soil where the Sower is sowing the seed of God’s Word today, what does it mean to be dust and dirt of the earth in a fallen world? 
 
Well, to be “dirt” or “dirty” often means, in popular culture, that a person is unclean, morally corrupt, vile, contemptible, or promiscuous.
 
While what God creates is good, man’s sins corrupt and lead to death, bringing you back to the dirt of the earth.
 
With this understanding, the seed of the Sower is intended to give you life.
 
One reason you hesitate to give the seed of God’s Word its proper place is that it will convict you and first call you to repentance. 
 
Jesus doesn’t hide this in the parable today as He describes the soil of man’s heart, saying,
The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.
 
In other words, those of you who are on this path have completely turned away from God. You have allowed the devil to silence your ears, ignore God’s Word, and in many cases, leave the church. 
 
You can see yourself here as Adam and Eve, who were led to completely disregard the Word of God through the temptation and speech of the serpent in the Garden. 
 
You don’t even recognize a need for confession.
 
But then Jesus says,
And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away.
 
Some people happily accept God’s Word here, but when challenges arise during the week, they forget His Word and that He said there would be trouble in this life. As a result, they depend on themselves instead of God, essentially making themselves their own gods.
 
Is this you? If you paused and reflected on the past week, did you turn to God’s Word and peace when troubles arose? Or did even thinking of prayer arise?
 
Of course, there are those whose faith is choked by the cares, riches, and pleasures of life, too.
 
Jesus says,
And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.
 
We Lutherans are often guilty of minimizing works, but as we read in the book of James, “Faith without works is dead.” (James 2:26)
 
The good works of the Christian are the maturing fruits of faith.
 
One reason we allow the fruits of faith to be choked out is that they require control over a restless spirit. It’s hard to love difficult people, it’s challenging to remain joyful in times of grief, and how do you find peace when chaos surrounds you? What about patience, kindness, and goodness for those who attack you? Or faithfulness when others seem or appear disloyal, or gentleness as your brother breathes down your neck? In moments like this, self-control over your emotions and temper can feel like fleeting thoughts.
 
And if you think about it, to produce this kind of faithful fruit, the soil of your heart must be well cared for...
 
Here are these words of Jesus again,
As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.
 
Having an honest and good heart means possessing a repentant heart. A forgiven heart.
 
And for this reason, the hearts of faithful Christians must be cultivated through hearing and receiving God’s Word, which brings about repentance and confession of sins. 
 
But, to be honest, this is the part you simply do not enjoy: admitting guilt, confessing sin, and putting away idolatries. You hold on to them, often until your graves, until the day when your bodies return to the dust of the earth.
 
But that’s why the health and well-being of the soil of your heart, where death and sin dwell, are so vital, because receiving the seed of God’s Word is the difference between eternal life and eternal death. 
 
Look, the prophet Isaiah wrote,
            “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
                        and do not return there but water the earth,
             making it bring forth and sprout,
                        giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
            so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
                        it shall not return to me empty,
             but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
                        and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11)
 
Whether you understand the ways of the Lord is irrelevant; what matters most is that you receive and trust in His Word, because this word will do as God wills. It will grant you His forgiveness, feed you with His forgiveness, and accomplish its purpose: to raise you from the dust of the earth to live with Him forever. 
 
This is why the Sower is called to sow the seed so generously and recklessly…. Because the Sower is generous and gracious, He wants you to grow in your faith, to be forgiven, and to be with Him forever.
 
As Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount, “For [My father] makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45b)
 
He is a gracious God, bestowing upon all of creation more than it could ever deserve.
 
As the season of Lent approaches, permit the seed of God’s Word to enter your ears, to cultivate your hearts, preparing you to faithfully love and care for one another, and be led in the path to eternal life.
 
If you have allowed your heart to become hardened against setting aside time to read the Scriptures or, for some reason, believe you don’t need to practice this part of your faith, please use the upcoming days to establish a new routine focused on hearing God’s Word. Set aside time during your breakfast to read a paragraph, a chapter, or a page of God’s Word. Use the Good Shepherd at Prayer sheets to lead your family at home or listen to the Bible on your phone as you drive to work.
 
If you need guidance or want more structure, ask for help, and I’ll assist you in finding a devotion book or program to help you cultivate the soil of your heart.  
 
Trust me, nothing is so urgent in life that it diminishes the need for God’s Word and forgiveness—nothing. In fact, if you think you’re too busy to spend time with God’s Word, that’s a clear sign you need it more than ever.
 
Look, in the end, your bodies will most certainly follow in the steps of Adam, returning to the dust and dirt of this earth. But for you, who not only hear and receive God’s Word but also permit it to grow within you... You can face the grave unfearing, knowing you won’t remain a lump of earth, but be raised to new life, because this Word of the Sower, of Jesus, has been planted into your heart. +INJ+
 
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Tomah, WI
 
www.goodsheptomah.org

Septuagesima | 1 Corinthians 9:24-10:5 | Its Time to Train for Eternal Life is Now

Septuagesima
February 1, 2026
1 Corinthians 9:24-10:5
 
The Winter Olympics will begin this Friday, and athletes from around the world will gather to compete in various sporting events that test strength, endurance, discipline, and resilience—all in pursuit of winning a gold medal.  
 
If you take a step back, the Olympics are truly remarkable; these athletes often dedicate their entire lives to training for this moment. For some, their livelihood depends on their training – competing in the Olympics is their full-time job. 
 
They dedicate themselves to the pursuit of winning the gold, but the truth remains that only one person walks away with it.
 
Just imagine if everyone received a medal; how many people would cry, “That’s not fair!”
 
Who would tune in and watch their favorite sport?
 
Probably not many. It would be a travesty, really; there would be no competition, no drama, no rivals to enter the arena.
 
Only one person can win the prize.
 
Now, what does any of this have to do with the Christian life?
 
Well, the epistle reading from St. Paul takes on not only a bit of an athletic lens, but an Olympic theme as he wrote.
 
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.
 
Running is a way for St. Paul to say, “live the Christian life.”  It means walking in the path you’ve been set to follow.
 
And you know that your Christian life started at the font of Holy Baptism, and for this reason, you are to live in your Baptism by confessing your sins, receiving God’s forgiveness, and seeking the Holy Spirit’s help to stay on the narrow path.
 
Remaining on the narrow path is challenging, isn’t it?
 
St. Matthew wrote,
Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. (Matthew 7:13-14)
 
One truth is that you cannot walk the path or enter the narrow gate of heaven through your own training, works, or merit. This journey requires faith in Christ Jesus, which is given through the work of the Holy Spirit within your heart. 
 
And so, St. Paul continues in his epistle,
Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
 
The need for the Holy Spirit’s help is because you struggle with self-control. You struggle with the things that hinder your faith and lead to destruction.
 
This is one of the ways the season of Lent can help Christians practice self-control. It encourages learning not to be controlled by addictions such as overeating, endlessly scrolling on Facebook and Twitter, or the temptation of pornography that’s just a click away. 
 
These things do not grant you a wreath or crown of victory. Instead, they control you and draw you away from your Savior, from the path that leads to the imperishable wreath of eternal victory. 
 
Remember, living the Baptismal life is a narrow path that demands the enduring faith of a Christian. 
 
In a literal sense, the wreath Paul mentions can be translated as a crown, which winners in the first Olympiads would receive on the podium.
 
This reminds me of the Revelation of St. John, as he wrote,
“Be faithful even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.” (Rev. 2:10)
 
What a prize to earn at the finish line: the imperishable and eternal “Crown of life.”
 
So, St. Paul goes on in the epistle,
I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
 
Paul says, “Do not run aimlessly.”
 
Don’t go through life aimlessly as if you lack purpose. Doing so leads to being full of Pride, Greed, Lust, Envy, Gluttony, Wrath, and Sloth.
 
A mirror on the wall or a quick review of your phone’s history will reveal the idolatries that control you. 
 
So, how do you train with a purpose to achieve the desired result, life with God?
 
Discipline. It begins with discipline.
 
To live with a purpose, to intentionally seek the good of others. [We read in the Augsburg Confession] “[St. Paul] clearly shows that he was keeping his body under control, not to merit forgiveness of sins by that discipline, but to keep his body in subjection and prepared for spiritual things, for carrying out the duties of his calling” (AC XXVI 38). (The Lutheran Study Bible)
 
You are called to live purposefully, to discipline the body so that you may not be disqualified from eternal life or receiving the prize. 
 
And disqualification in this race of life happens when you pursue your own path, turn away from Christ, or damage and obstruct the faith of others. 
 
St. Ambrose, a church father of the fourth century, wrote regarding the training and discipline of the Christian life this way,
Like an athlete he comes last into the arena. He lifts his eyes to heaven… . He sees that his whole task awaits him… . He chastises his body so that it will not defeat him in the contest. He anoints it with the oil of mercy. He practices daily exhibitions of virtue (or in other words, demonstrating behavior of the highest morals). He smears himself with dust. He runs with assurance to the goal of the course. He aims his blows, he darts his arms, but not at empty spaces… . Earth is man’s training ground, heaven his crown.
 
Hear that last sentence again,“Earth is man’s training ground, heaven his crown.”
 
With this understanding, you cannot drift aimlessly through life, but having heard God’s Word, you are called to live, train, and prepare for eternal life.
 
And this brings us to the season of the Church Year we begin today, the Gesima season, a time dedicated to training and preparing for Lent. You need to take this period seriously because Lent is difficult and demanding. No athlete simply shows up at the Olympics and wins gold. Likewise, you can’t just wake up in heaven one day unless you train and practice your faith. 
 
However, a great comfort for you, dear brothers and sisters, is that there is no time limit to merit heaven; in fact, you cannot earn it at all, because the one who works, whether from the first hour or the eleventh hour of the day, from the first day of this life or the twilight of life, will receive the imperishable wreath and crown of eternal life if they have a present and active faith.
 
And this is what we call grace.
 
Grace is a gift of forgiveness and eternal life. It isn’t earned or won by you, but is given freely.
 
Sure, some of you will undoubtedly want to test God’s grace by delaying your prayers and the practice of Christian faith.
 
I mean, how many of you would shout, “That’s not fair!” if your neighbor, who didn’t come to faith until the eleventh hour of this life, received the same wreath of eternal life as you?
 
But if God’s judgments were fair, would any of us receive the crown of life? 
 
Absolutely not.
 
If God’s judgments were fair, you would be handed over to the shackles of hell for how you have wandered through this life so aimlessly. 
 
But this life is not fair, and through the death of Jesus on the cross, your heavenly Father poured out His wrath for your sin upon His Son. For this reason, the cross, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus now focus you as you approach the season of Lent. 
 
Because the season of Lent is one of the most challenging seasons of all, it’s not a simple race, but a time to train and re-learn the fundamentals of the Christian life.
 
Remember, “Earth is man’s training ground, heaven his crown.”
 
As you approach this season of Lent, do so with purpose. Start setting aside time to train your body, mind, and spirit, engage in prayer, and meditate on God’s Word. Not that you would earn eternal life through your own merit or worthiness, but so that the Holy Spirit can create and sustain faith in you, leading you on the narrow path and shaping you into the likeness of your Savior, Jesus Christ, who is your eternal crown of life. +INJ+
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
www.goodsheptomah.org

The Second Sunday after Epiphany | John 2:1-11 | Marriage is for the Journey to Heaven

The Second Sunday after Epiphany
January 18, 2026
John 2:1-11
 
 
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
 
This past fall, I officiated a wedding in Nashville, TN, and the groom requested an interesting wedding hymn, “At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing.”
 
As I mentioned then, the hymn selection was unusual for a wedding; I had never sung it for such an occasion. However, as I ponder the hymn’s story of being brought to the eternal wedding feast of Jesus, it began to make sense.
 
The hymn, “At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing,” encourages us to look beyond this earthly life toward the destination where the gift of marriage is meant to accompany us.
 
Eternal life with Jesus.  
 
Now, I share with couples who are getting married in premarital counseling a rather lengthy quote from the Church Father St. John Chrysostom, who died in the 5th century; his words speak to the purpose of their journey. But it remains worth hearing in its entirety. He writes,
 
Some say that marriage was ordained by God as a blessing to the human race. Others say that marriage is a necessary evil for those who cannot restrain their sexual appetites. In truth it is impossible to speak in such ways about marriage in general; we can only make judgments about particular marriages. There are some marriages which bring great blessings to the husband and the wife, to their children, and to all their neighbors. But there are other marriages which seem to bring few blessings to anyone. The difference between these two types of marriages lies in the spirit with which the bond was forged and is maintained. If a man and a woman marry to satisfy their sexual appetites, or to further the material aims of themselves or their families, then their union is unlikely to bring blessings. But if a man and a woman marry in order to be companions on the journey through earth to heaven, then their union will bring great joy to themselves and to others.
 
With this lens, Chrysostom saw marriage as a gift for man and woman to forge and maintain, to journey and be led through this valley of life on earth to the eternal joys of heaven, to the Lamb’s High Feast, and this changes the lens in which we view marriage, doesn’t it?
 
Marriage is a celebration of a man and a woman being united and becoming one, and it’s for this reason that, should a divorce or separation of husband and wife occur, it’s so painful.
 
Marriage is for the procreation and gift of children, but also to console one another when children are not given.
 
Marriage is for the encouragement of the Christian faith, to learn to pray not only for one another, but with one another.
 
Marriage is for a man and a woman to support each other through burdens, whether it’s losing a job, caring for aging parents, or them dying, dealing with erring and rebellious children, or caring for each other during illness. 
 
Marriage is a gift for this earthly life.
 
If you recall, in the Gospel of St. Matthew, the Sadducees approach and ask Jesus about the resurrection by posing a question to Jesus. They say,
“Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.’ Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother. So too the second and third, down to the seventh. After them all, the woman died. In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her.”
 
But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.” (Matthew 22:24-30)
 
In light of these words of Jesus, marriage is a gift for this life, for the companionship along the way to eternity.
 
And viewing marriage through this lens should change how you speak, approach, and conduct yourself in this blessed estate.
 
Do you argue and fight among one another? Do you speak unkindly to one another? Are you short with one another?
 
Confess your sin, reconcile, and be at peace in Christ Jesus at once.
 
Have you gone through trials and tribulations? Has cancer, illness, or has aging caused unexpected struggles and crosses in your marriage?
 
Learn to pray together, read God’s Word together, and bear one another’s burdens so your faith can be strengthened. This way, you can support each other as companions on the journey through this life to the eternal joys of heaven.
 
 
Have you begrudged the children God has entrusted to you? Do you see them as commodities to be entertained or as a means for you to live out your dreams?
 
Stop this and confess this sin of idolatry and recognize them as the unique and precious treasures they are from the Lord.
 
The Gospel this morning shows how much God loves marriage. If you step back, you’ll see that all of Scripture is the story of one great wedding. This means how we view and treat our relationships reflects the Christian faith and the love Jesus, the bridegroom, has for you, His bride, the Church. 
 
Now, some believe Jesus wasn’t being very kind to His mother in the Gospel this morning when He said, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”
 
No, Jesus was not being rude or disrespectful to His mother; instead, we begin to see a separation in how Jesus now speaks as His life now leads Him to the “Hour” of His crucifixion.
 
You see, the “Hour” of His crucifixion and the wine His mother speaks of are deeply connected and foreshadow a greater wedding than the one at Cana. 
 
The jars used for purification, into which the water was poured, were intended to fulfill the Old Testament law for cleansing oneself. However, the wine in Jesus’ first miracle points to the greater cleansing of sin, received through His shedding of blood at the hour of His sacrificial death on the cross. 
 
Here, the passage from Ephesians 5 comes to mind, 
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body.  “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:25-32)
 
Again, reflect on these words,
“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:31-32)
 
All of Scripture contains the story of one great wedding.
 
While your first parents fell into sin in the Garden, bringing sin into marriage and all of God’s children, Jesus comes to reconcile God’s children, His Church. The words of St. Paul paint the most beautiful image of Jesus’ sacrificial love, the bridegroom, for you, His bride, the Church. 
 
This is an image all marriages are to take, to learn to sacrifice for one another, to forgive one another, to love one another. Because no one hates their own flesh, but desires to nourish and care for it.
 
When you see marriage in this way, you begin to appreciate the blessings it provides and recognize how marriage is a sacrificial gift for the journey of a man and a woman through life. This is reflected in the image of Christ’s love for His Church, leading the faithful to eternal life, where we all long to sing with the company of heaven at the Lamb’s High Feast. +INJ+
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
www.goodsheptomah.org