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Pentecost 23 2025 Proper 29
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
November 16, 2025
Malachi 4:1-6, 2 Thess. 3: (1-5) 6-13, Luke 21:5-28 (29-36)
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Young Ezra is an active 6 year old boy who cannot sit still very long and struggles with the final fruit of the Spirit; self-control. When he loses his temper at his older sister he screams at her, and declares that he hates her, and tries to kick her in the shins. When this happens, Ezra’s parents punish him by having him sit in time out for six minutes, have no screens for a day, and Ezra has to apologize to his sister. For a time, after being punished, Ezra has better self-control and can avoid losing his temper, but as time goes by he forgets the punishments and he repeats his bad behavior and he is punished again. Ezra repeatedly forgets the rules and forgets the punishments and does whatever he wants. Ezra is a slow learner.
Reading the Old Testament you learn that the children of Israel suffer from this same problem. Despite being punished by God over and over the Israelites are arrogant and unfaithful. Because of their worship of other gods, the 10 Northern Tribes are conquered in 722 BC and they are sent into exile by the Assyrians -- never to return. They are the ten lost tribes of Israel. Ignoring this grave punishment, the tribes of the southern kingdom, Judah, Benjamin and the priestly tribe of Levi, are also unfaithful. They worship Baal and Asherah and other local pagan gods. As punishment, they are conquered by the Babylonians in 586 BC and sent into a 70 year exile. Afterwards, the Jewish people return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple and the walls of the city.
Israel has been repeatedly punished. Under punishment they cry out to God for mercy and He restores them. Now, eighty-six years after the return from exile the Israelites are back in Jerusalem with the temple rebuilt, living safely behind the walls of the city. Have they learned their lesson? Have they heard what God has said to them through many prophets? Do they remember the message behind the punishments? Apparently not. The children of Israel do not fear the Lord and so the Lord gives them harsh warnings through His prophet Malachi. Malachi means, “my messenger.”
Malachi warns that Israel is dishonoring the Lord by offering polluted sacrifices. The people go through the motions of offering a sacrifice, but instead of the lamb without blemish they offer blind, sick, lame animals. Do they think God is not watching? Do they think God does not care? The Lord declares, Malachi 1:14 (ESV) 14 Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.”
He warns the priests to only preach the truth. Malachi 2:7–8 (ESV) 7 For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. 8 But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts,”
The Lord chastises men for divorcing the wife of their youth to marry foreign women who worship other gods. Malachi 2:16 (ESV) 16 “For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the Lord, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.”
He continues…Malachi 2:17 (ESV) 17 You have wearied the Lord with your words. But you say, “How have we wearied him?” By saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.” Or by asking, “Where is the God of justice?”
The Lord warns through Malachi that judgment day is coming. Malachi 3:5 (ESV) 5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.”
Through Malachi the Lord calls out the children of Israel for robbing God by not bringing the full tithe into the storehouse, not trusting that they will receive God’s blessing.
Despite warnings and punishments and even exile, the children of Israel have become arrogant. Instead of fearing God they are proud and take authority over God. They speak against God, Malachi 3:14–15 (ESV) 14 You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? 15 And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’ ”” Israel does not fear the Lord.
King Solomon tells us in Proverbs 9:10 (ESV) 10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom...”
There is a remnant in Israel who does fear the Lord and trust the Lord and the Lord has their names in a book of remembrance Malachi 3:17–18 (ESV) 17 “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18 Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.”
Through Malachi the Lord brings warning against the arrogant. Through Malachi the Lord brings comfort for those who fear and trust Him. His messages of warning and comfort still resonate today, 2,400 years after Malachi, 2,000 years after Jesus died and rose again and ascended into heaven. The Lord’s messenger brings warning and comfort.
Which message is for you today? Do you need to hear warnings about forgetting that God is God and you are not? Do you need to hear that He is the almighty creator of the heavens and the earth, and you are His creation, and all that you have belongs to Him? Do you need to hear warnings against loving money? Do you need to hear that you cannot call good -- evil, and evil -- good? Do you need to hear that the judgment day is truly coming when the Lord will separate His followers from the unbelievers? Yes. You need to hear the Lord’s warnings through His messenger. You need to hear the warning against just going through the motions of following the Lord without actually caring what His will is. You need to repent of your arrogance and return to fearing, loving and trusting the Lord. As Jesus taught, Matthew 22:37–39 (ESV) 37 …“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Hearing God’s warnings brings discomfort as you realize once again you fall short of God’s calling.
Through Malachi the Lord brings warning against the arrogant. Through Malachi the Lord brings comfort for those who fear and trust Him. His messages of warning and comfort still resonate today, 2,400 years after Malachi, 2,000 years after Jesus died and rose again and ascended into heaven. The Lord’s messenger brings warning and comfort.
Do you need to hear the comforting message that your name is in the Lord’s book of remembrance? Do you need a reminder that you are His treasured possession? Do you need to hear that you are righteous in the blood of Jesus and on judgment day you will be spared? Yes. In your ongoing struggle against sin and evil you need to be reminded that Jesus came as the perfect Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world; to take away your sins.
Our Old Testament reading today is the beginning of the fourth and final chapter of Malachi. It has both warning and comfort; destruction and victory. Malachi 4:1 (ESV) 1 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.” Judgment day is coming.
You are a baptized, redeemed child of God… and the devil hates that. He is coming after you, and using the world and your own sinful nature he will try to get you to forget God’s warnings, ignore God’s punishments, and become arrogant, trusting in yourself. Renounce the devil and all his works and all his ways. Listen to the Lord’s messenger. Humble yourself, heed God’s warnings…the day is coming…Jesus will return for judgment.
Remain always in Christ. Listen to the Son of God. Humbly serve one another. You will be victorious in Christ. As Jesus says in Matthew 5:5 (ESV) 5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” For those who fear, love and trust the Lord, the Last Day will be a day of triumph over evil.
Malachi 4:2–3 (ESV) 2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. 3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts.
Do not be a slow learner who forgets God’s warnings and punishments and acts like there is no God. Learn from Holy Scripture. Fear the Lord -- not in terror, for your sins are covered by the blood of Jesus -- but fear the Lord in reverence and awe for all He has done for you. Listen to Jesus. Follow His will. Remember the message of the promised new Elijah; John the Baptist; repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near. Repent and follow King Jesus. Repent and trust in Christ’s promise of forgiveness delivered to you in your Baptism, in His Word and in His Body and Blood. Your name is in the Book of Life. You are Jesus’ treasured possession. Amen.