[Sermon Archive]

This Week's Sermon THANKSGIVING EVE 21 November 2007 "Thanks be to God" Deuteronomy 8:1-10,11-14,17-18 LSB Series C Vicar Heath A. Trampe Soli Deo Gloria!

Thanksgiving is an interesting phenomenon. Our consumer driven culture has so infused this "Turkey Day" with Christmas that we hardly notice anymore that it's not a church holiday. But let's look at the origins of Thanksgiving. The first settlers in America wanted a day to celebrate this new land that the Lord had blessed them with. Not only did they have a place to live, but the natives had shown them how to prepare the new and exciting foods that awaited them. Yes, the future seemed bright for the pilgrims, and with natives like Squanto to help them get acquainted, this new world indeed seemed like the Promised Land. Nearly four hundred years later, Thanksgiving is little more than a chance to meet with family and eat a big meal. Like the Israelites from our text, we have (despite many warnings) forgotten God's admonition to:

I. Remember the Lord your God, lest you attribute your blessings to your own hand. (vv. 1-2, 11-14, 17)
II. Remember the Lord your God, for all good things come from Him alone. (v. 3-10, 18)

Whether or not the meal and fellowship are enjoyable to you, they are not the main goals of Thanksgiving. As can be assumed by the title, this is a day for giving thanks. We in the Lutheran church don't make a distinction for Thanksgiving, however, because every Sunday is a designated day of giving thanks. After all, we enjoy the bounty of the Lord's harvest each and every day, so why wait until the fourth Thursday in November to give proper thanks?

When Israel was nearing the Promised Land, they were ready for a break. They had been wondering around for forty years. The first rebellious generation had died away and only those born in the wilderness were still alive. Feet were tired, bellies were empty, and tempers were flaring. They were finally prepared to receive the gift of a new life in this Promised Land, as the Lord declared: "And He [the Lord] humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna…that He might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord". These are the very words which Christ uses when battling the temptations of Satan in the wilderness. Like the Israelites, Christ was hungry and weakened when tempted with all manner of good things. However, He understood that all gifts came from God alone, and so He was not tempted to seek greater pleasures than had been given Him.

When sitting before a massive Thanksgiving dinner, many of us are likely to feel like we've earned an opportunity to splurge and indulge ourselves. From the nasty stomach ache, not to mention the holiday weight gain, that follows, most of us realize this may not have been the best decision. It takes great discipline to pace yourself and enjoy each bite. Those of you whose parents taught them to take their time while eating will probably feel like a million bucks after the meal, and will be the ones chatting happily and bustling about while the rest of us pop a Tums and lay down for an hour or two.

Lest the Israelites get spoiled and gorge themselves on the treasures that await them, the Lord made them suffer and go without that they might fully enjoy the feast to come. "Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the LORD your God disciplines you. So you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him". Here the Lord has given the Israelites another fair warning to stay upright in their actions and fear Him as a child fears a parent. But will they listen?

Every Sunday Pastor or I preach a sermon to you that has to do with thanks-giving. By our preaching of Christ crucified for the forgiveness of your sins, you are reminded weekly of the wonderful gift of salvation that has been given you. Even though this knowledge is fresh in your head, it won't stop you from falling into old sinful habits as the week goes on. Even during Thanksgiving there are many opportunities to forget about God. We fall into what I like to call the Mary and Martha syndrome.

If we had taken on the attributes of Mary, sitting at the feet of our Savior and appreciating His gifts, all would be fine, but that's not the case. We tend to embody Martha, who meant well in her service, but still thought that she could do something for God and for herself through her hard work. On Thanksgiving Day, many people will skip church and other obligations to make that huge meal or to clean house for family and other visitors. But it's not just about the Thanksgiving dinner, either. We often fall back and rely upon our own efforts to provide for ourselves, forgetting that all good things have been given us by God and not by the strength of our arm. And this is a big mistake.

If you've worked your way through the Old Testament, you may have found it very frustrating at times. It seems that no matter what God does for the Israelites, the blockheads just go right ahead and mess it up again. Even while Moses was receiving the Law from God on Mount Sinai, the rest of his company, including his brother Aaron, gathered together and started worshiping a false idol which they themselves had created. All throughout the Old Testament God had to take power away from the Israelites because they couldn't handle it. They constantly attributed their good things to their own hands. We want to wring their necks at times and call them fools, but we'd really only be chastising ourselves.

You see, we also forget to give thanks to God for the wonderful treasures in our lives, which are many. We Americans live in a modern Promised Land, with every available good thing. We're not starving, we're clothed when we need clothes, and we enjoy an incredible quality of life. The very pills that we complain about taking are part of the miracle that constitutes God's immense blessings upon this land. And we have these things because God has also given us the freedom in this country to choose this lifestyle and to live in the peace of safety and well-being. Luther understood God's blessings when he explained the first article of the Creed. God provides me with: "clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all that I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life. He defends me from all danger and guards and protects me from all evil". So how do we, like the Israelites, forget that these things are from God?

When you put in a long week at the office or work site, you feel the strain of your own effort to create an income and lifestyle for your family. Truly God meant it when He told Adam: "By the sweat of your face shall you eat bread, till you return to the ground" (Genesis 3:19). Since we feel this strain, we figure that we've earned all of these good things that we have. But what about the fellow in Africa or another part of the world who works just as hard, only to watch his family die of starvation and untreated illness? If it's not just the effort of our hands, then surely it must be a blessing from God. This is all that God wants for Israel to see, this is why He is admonishing them. It's just as simple for us. We must see that these gifts are a blessing and a trust from God alone. And we are truly blessed.

When you gather around the table with friends and family tomorrow, remember the wonderful gifts in your lives. It is good and God pleasing to join with your loved ones around a meal and to thank the Lord for these gifts. However, don't lose sight of that which is truly our great Thanksgiving. When Christ offers us His body and blood in Holy Communion, we are celebrating the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom. Anything we might do with Turkey and stuffing, which are also God's gifts to us, is simply a reminder of this great feast. Should we despair that Thanksgiving as we know it is not a specially designated time of the church year? No, rather, we can give great thanks of praise to our God almighty, who sent His Son to die and rise again, so that each day might be a Thanksgiving to Him, as is found in the last stanza of hymn 893

"Sing to the Lord of Harvest":

Bring to this sacred altar the gifts His goodness gave,
The golden sheaves of harvest, the souls Christ died to save.
Your hearts lay down before Him when at His feet you fall,
And with your lives adore Him Who gave His life for all. Amen.