The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany 2023

  

Hymn #24         Lord of My Life               
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual Romans 13:8-10
The Gospel Matthew 8:23-27
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
Sermon Hymn #467    Built on the Rock       

Faith and Fear

Hymn #307         Draw Nigh                 
The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
Hymn #649     Jesus Savior Pilot Me                         

Prayers and Announcements

• Friday was the 61st wedding anniversary of Alicia Meyer and her late husband Gary. The flowers on the altar are in his honor.
• Alicia's brother Lawrence is staying at her house to recuperate.
• Kermit Way, Maria Ellenberger Way's husband, is undergoing treatment. Others in sick bay are Pastor and Mrs Shrader, Callie, Anita Engleman.
• Avelin Kirtsen, 8 pounds, 1 ounce, was born January 24th.

• 

   Avelin

KJV Romans 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

KJV Matthew 8:23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. 25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. 26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

Lord God, heavenly Father, who in Thy divine wisdom and fatherly goodness makest Thy children to bear the cross, and sendest divers afflictions upon us to subdue the flesh, and quicken our hearts unto faith, hope and unceasing prayer: We beseech Thee to have mercy upon us, and graciously deliver us out of our trials and afflictions, so that we may perceive Thy grace and fatherly help, and with all saints forever praise and worship Thee; through Thy dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.  

Introductory Material
Those who follow the Pilgrim's Progress class or read the book will notice remarkable parallels with this event. In a few verses, through many dramatic episodes, the story illustrates a lesson about faith in God. For example, when Christian tries to carry his great load of sins to Legality, the weight grows so much that he can no longer make progress. Forgiveness through the Law is impossible, and could have killed him. There is only one entry to forgiveness, the straight and narrow, in Pilgrim's Progress, the Wicket Gate. Passing through allows him to be taught at the Interpreter's House (the Holy Spirit's House), where he learns about the Law and Gospel, sin and forgiveness.

There are several ways to teach against faith, and they are used all the time by the great and mighty, to preserve their private delusions while appearing to say the opposite to the faithful. One is to change meanings and announce something strange that is an effort to replace Biblical doctrine with fancy talk. Thus they imagine - Jesus did not die on the cross for our sins, but to show solidarity with the poor. The wannabe Marxists know what that means - Jesus was a revolutionary who died as a symbol of the battle between good and evil, nothing more.  Or they use grand titles and phrases designed to mean - "you think so, but I know better." The preachers and theologians will talk about the Easter faith of the disciples - on Easter - meaning Jesus rose from the dead only in the sense of Him becoming the Savior in their hearts. The elite nod their heads - he gets it! Believers wonder what that really means. But when worldly wisemen and highly educated women hear a sermon about faith, they are angry and start a fund to pay for the gallows. Miracles are for little children, they think.


Faith versus Fear

KJV Matthew 8:23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.

The opposite of fear is not courage, but faith, trust in God, a conviction that the most important details of life are not subject to what we see but by what we believe. What seems to matter most belongs to Satan and what matters the least belongs to God. This miracle reminds us that the seasoned veterans of this great body of water were experts in how dangerous the Sea of Galilee could be. In a storm, the waves are whipped up and smash against the boats, which were designed to be stable with a group of men, a catch of fish. A storm eliminates the sense of direction and the distance from the shore. Waves crash against the ship and soak the occupants who feel the cold and see their fate.

Jesus was asleep. I remember that being shocking, because anyone would hate to be in that boat, let alone being soaked with the waves and the wind creating a penetrating chill with all the effects of a storm at night on a great body of water. Everyone wonders the first time - "How could this be? I would be terrified, miserable, and hoping to reach land very soon."

The primary role of the Holy Spirit is to convict the world of sin, "because they believe not on Me." (John 16)

Paraphrased John 16:8ff. 

And when the Holy Spirit is come, He will accuse the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

9 Of sin, because they believe not on Me;

10 Of the righteousness of faith, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;

11 Of judgment, because the Prince of this world is judged.

First point - the foundational sin is unbelief. The solution to this is not our promises or efforts or endowment gifts, but faith in Jesus Christ. 

Faith in Jesus takes away our sins, which are drowned in a sea of grace. The sins disappear and we are righteous.

Satan looks powerful and rules over the entire visible world, but he is already condemned.

All the knowledge and senses of the disciples made them think of the storm as impossibly strong, and they felt weak with Jesus asleep. We all have fears and anxieties, a buildup of dread about the future or something we must face.

25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.

It is easy for us to say, "Jesus was with them. They could see Him in the same boat." But that is also true with us. Jesus is with us in His Word - spoken, read, and remembered. The question is whether we look to the storm or the Savior.

America and the West suffer alike from the Great Apostasy, supposed Christian leaders who do not believe even the basics of Christianity. Lutheran leaders in America are no better -

1. They reject Justification by Faith, clearly taught by Paul, the Gospel writers, and the Lutheran Reformation.
2. They despise the KJV and only use the uninspired, corrupt Evil Four plus One Bibles - RSV, NRSV, ESV, NIV plus Beck.
3. They use ELCA as their model synod and bow to ELCA's DIE demands: Diversity, Inclusion, Equity.

Just as faith promotes faith, unfaith promotes unfaith. Bit by bit - or byte by byte - the doctrines of the Bible are reversed or forgotten or mocked. Yes, the faithful are persecuted today in Christian America by the so-called Christian leaders. That is why their numbers are collapsing and their schools and congregations are closing or merging. (Merging is a polite way of saying - closing.)

Chaos and apostasy inspire fear, but the Word of God counters that. The "liberal" (aka faithless) leaders should repeat to themselves 1 John -

KJV 1 John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

When we become believers through the Word of the Gospel, we are born again, new life in Christ. 

26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 

Jesus Himself made the connection, and so should we. "Why are you full of fear, ye of little faith?" They believed enough to say "Save us!" but they were still full of fear.

That is why it is good and a constant blessing to worship, to pray daily for others and for our needs and anxieties, to pray for our leaders and our enemies. 

First Jesus rebuked the winds and the sea. This is the efficacy of God's Word. Jesus both the Logos - the Word, and the Son.

When God commanded Creation by the Word, the Son was and is that Word. That is why we can say that the entire Bible is efficacious (effective), always accomplishing God's will, never failing, and always prospering His will.

Peter rebuked Jesus for predicting His suffering and death; Jesus rebuked Peter for siding with Satan rather than God. (Matthew 16) Jesus' appearance to the disciples completed their lessons in the power and glory of the Son of God.

No matter what we know and believe, we still have fears.

27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

The Word teaches us not to be afraid but to trust in the one  who commands the Universe, the winds and waves.

The Third Sunday after the Epiphany 2023

 

The Third Sunday after the Epiphany, 2023

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

Bethany Lutheran Church - Springdale

10 AM Central Time

The Vimeo player will appear at the top.

The Hymn #44     Ye Lands  - Koren (ELS)

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

The Introit

Worship Him, all ye His angels: 

Zion heard and was glad.

The daughters of Judah rejoiced: 

because of Thy judgments, O Lord.

Psalm. The Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoice: 

let the multitude of isles be glad thereof.

The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19

The Collect

Almighty and everlasting God, mercifully look upon our infirmities, and in all our dangers and necessities stretch forth the right hand of Thy majesty to help and defend us; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.

The Epistle 

The Gradual

The heathen shall fear the name of the Lord: 

and all the kings of the earth Thy glory.

V. When the Lord shall build up Zion: 

He shall appear in His glory. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

V. The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice: 

let the multitude of isles be glad thereof. Hallelujah!

      

The Gospel              

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
  

The Sermon Hymn #381    I Know My Faith Is Founded  

God's Effective Word

The Hymn # 264        Preserve Thy Word 
 

The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #45     Now the Hour of Worship      

     

Prayers and Announcements

• The anniversary of Gary and Alicia Meyer is coming up. Her younger brother is recovering in her home.
• Doctor's care - Pastor Shrader, Pastor K, Dr. Lito Cruz, Kermit and Maria Way.
• Anita Engleman and Zach are both sick from the latest virus.
• Our elected President and his supporters, our military justice system.

  Graphic by Norma A. Boeckler

            

KJV Romans 12:16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. 17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

KJV Matthew 8:1 When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. 2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. 5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. 7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. 8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.  10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

Third Sunday After Epiphany

O almighty and everlasting God, mercifully look upon our infirmities, and in all dangers and necessities stretch forth Thy mighty hand, to defend us against our enemies; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

This mint is called Bee Balm for some reason.

God's Effective Word

Introduction

Biblical doctrine is very much like Creation itself. Once we identify something, the very thing we overlooked becomes more populated than dandelions in spring. My supervisor helped his son in Scouts identify birch trees. Once he knew it himself, he saw birch trees everywhere. He never realized how many birch trees were in his town.

Likewise, once we realize the crucial passages about the efficacy of the Word exist, the examples are everywhere, from Genesis 1 to Isaiah 53 and 55 to the Psalms, to the Gospels and Paul - Romans 10 especially, Hebrews 4 too.

Also, because the efficacy of the Word is essential to the Bible, leaving it out is catastrophic, letting the organization become crucial or the numbers of members or the balanced budget or the works. The errors of today's visible churches are the result of ignoring or rejecting the efficacy of God's Word.

KJV Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

When people study the Bible to make fun of it or to find fault with it, the Word is effective in hardening their hearts. Nevertheless, God has many ways to reach people through the Word - different forms, venues, people, circumstances. We are sheep, so there is a Psalm for all of us - Psalm 23.

KJV Psalm 23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

 KJV Matthew 8:1 When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. 2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

The context matters a lot. This is just after the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7. Jesus was coming down the mountain with multitudes following Him.  

KJV Isaiah 53:1 - "Who hath believed our report.?" Romans 10:16 - "For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?" Faith in the Savior comes from hearing the report.

This gave the leper a chance to come to Jesus, already believing in His divine power. The crowds had a chance to see that a miracle was taking place. Thus the very special Sermon was followed by the miracle, showing everyone that Jesus' divine power matched His Word.

3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses com-manded, for a testimony unto them.

Luther:

1. Two examples of faith and love are taught in this Gospel: one by the leper, the other by the centurion. Let us first consider the leper. This leper would not have been so bold as to go to the Lord and ask to be cleansed, if he had not trusted and expected with his whole heart, that Christ would be kind and gracious and would cleanse him. For because he was a leper, he had reason to be timid. Moreover the law forbids lepers to mingle with the people. Nevertheless he approaches, regardless of law and people, and of how pure and holy Christ is.

2. Here behold the attitude of faith toward Christ: it sets before itself absolutely nothing but the pure goodness and free grace of Christ, without seeking and bringing any merit. For here it certainly cannot be said, that the leper merited by his purity to approach Christ, to speak to him and to invoke his help. Nay, just because he feels his impurity and unworthiness, he approaches all the more and looks only upon the goodness of Christ.

This is true faith, a living confidence in the goodness of God. The heart that does this, has true faith; the heart that does it not, has not true faith; as they do who keep not the goodness of God and that alone in sight, but first look around for their own good works, in order to be worthy of God’s grace and to merit it. These never become bold to call upon God earnestly or to draw near to him.

In Luther's sermon he teaches about people who rely on their works and boast about their own merit. The Bible calls it "kissing your own hand" or self-praise. That is widely practiced. Although people talk about doctrine, they relapse into "Look at this building!" and "We paid off our mortgage!" and "Count the members!"  I see so many church websites where there is very little Biblical teaching and a lot of activity which is purely secular.

The leper had nothing to offer, and people were likely quick to avoid him. He was unclean, sickly from the disease and very poor. He did not demand healing but asked "if it be your will."

Jesus did different things for each healing. Touching the leper was visual proof that He was not afraid of the disease and letting people know about His divine power. As He said in John, "If you do not believe my Word, then believe the miracles." Many thousands would have been even more certain from seeing the spectacular wonder.

Jesus gave specific orders - "Tell no man" means "Carry out the mission to the Jews of your cleansing and don't book time on the evening news." If the former leper stayed to talk with the crowd about what they already knew, he would likely miss the chance to be heard at the Temple, another chance for the priests to hear the Gospel.

5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. 7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.

This miraculous healing took place when a non-Jewish officer came to Jesus, also knowing about Him and confessing Jesus as Lord. He was not coming for himself but for his servant, who was tormented by his disease. Jesus offered to come and heal the servant, but the officer already believed in the effective Word of God. He believed with great trust that the power of Jesus' Word was so great that the Lord only needed to say the Word. In the leper's healing, the point was worthiness and complete trust. In this one, trust in Word for someone outside of Judaism.

8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 

He talked just like an officer, as one Sargeant said to me. "I am used to giving orders. I have done that my whole life." He knew about being an authority and ordering people under his authority.

10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Jesus marvels at the faith of the centurion, to point out to others that this is the best attitude - pure trust  without limits to how or where the Word is effective.  But those who think they are children of Abraham (John 8) will not be allowed - cast out - because they do not believe.

13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

The centurion was under the authority of Jesus, who commanded the soldier. "Go your servant is now healed, as you prayed."

The Second Sunday after the Epiphany 2023

 

 Norma A. Boeckler

Bethany Lutheran Church, Springdale, Arkansas

The Second Sunday after the Epiphany, 2023

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson 

Hymn #586    Gerhardt - A Pilgrim and a Stranger                  

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit

All the earth shall worship Thee: and shall sing unto Thee, O God.

They shall sing to Thy name: O Thou Most High.

Psalm. Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: 

sing forth the honor of His name, make His praise glorious.

The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19

Collect

Almighty and everlasting God, who dost govern all things in heaven and earth, mercifully hear the supplications of Thy people and grant us Thy peace all the days of our life; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.

The Epistle and Gradual   

Gradual

The Lord sent His Word and healed them: 

and delivered them from their destructions.

V. Oh, that men would praise the Lord for His goodness: 

and for His wonderful works to the children of men! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

V. Praise ye Him, all His angels: praise ye Him, all His hosts. Hallelujah!

    

The Gospel              

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
Hymn #39          Praise to the Lord the Almighty       

 Power and Efficacy of the Word

Hymn #456     Approach My Soul the Mercy Seat             

The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
Hymn #54         Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah             

Prayers and Announcements

• Doctor's care - Pastor Shrader, Pastor K, Dr. Lito Cruz, Randy Anderson. Alicia Meyer is providing care for a relative. Anita Engleman. Callie.
• Randy and Ivy Anderson await the birth of their second daughter. 
• By choice, Pastor Jackson will teach theology courses only from now on. Yay.
• The sound mixer for improving audio has arrived.

 

A Pilgrim and a Stranger is from Paul Gerhardt, next to Luther, the greatest hymn-writer of all time. Gerhardt was a children's tutor and became a beloved pastor in Berlin. However, he was forced out of the parish because he would not concede anything to the Calvinists. He finally got a small parish. He lost his wife and all his children but one. He wrote Sacred Head Now Wounded and many other great hymns.

KJV Romans 12:6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. 9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. 10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; 11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; 12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; 13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. 14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. 15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. 16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

KJV John 2:1 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: 2 And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. 3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. 4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. 5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. 6 And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins [GJ -10 gallons per firkin] apiece. 7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. 9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, 10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. 11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

Viet Dietrich Prayer, Epiphany 2

Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank Thee, that of Thy grace Thou hast instituted holy matrimony, in which Thou keepest us from unchastity, and other offenses: We beseech Thee to send Thy blessing upon every husband and wife, that they may not provoke each other to anger and strife, but live peaceably together in love and godliness, receive Thy gracious help in all temptations, and rear their children in accordance with Thy will; grant unto us all to walk before Thee, in purity and holiness, to put all our trust in Thee, and lead such lives on earth, that in the world to come we may have everlasting life, through the same, Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

 Power and Efficacy of the Word

KJV John 2:1 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: 2 And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.

Background 

Readers have assured me that they never heard of the efficacy of the Word until they began reading my posts and books. I was drawn into studying the topic from many Old Testament courses I took, from books on Judaism, from Luther's sermons, and from the Book of Concord, Melanchthon, Chemnitz, and Gerhard. Most importantly, the almost complete absence of teaching efficacy - even in Greek dictionaries - was appalling in current sources. What is rare is even more attractive, no?

Click here for the Efficacy Motherlode - 130 pages - Word document

This Gospel lesson is a perfect example of the Word's efficacy, or effectiveness, or from the Greek - energy. The Son of God turned ordinary water into extraordinary wine.

Who attended the wedding?

At the beginning of His ministry, Jesus and His disciples were invited to a wedding. His mother Mary was there, probably as a relative and as a substitute for the parents. Thus Jesus honored marriage and did not distain it. Avoiding marriage became a Roman Catholic fetish, so this miracle is a swipe against non-Christian practices, celibate priests, nuns, bishops, and popes.

The disciples were there for the first miracle and served as witnesses. When their faith faltered later, they could always look back and think about the miracle they all experienced.

3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.

Luther suggested that Mary's leading role came from the absence of parents. This was a poor couple with not enough money to pay for the basics at their wedding. That was uncomfortable for the guests, like having warm tapwater when some event is being celebrated today. 

It is important to emphasize that the Word will act upon an inanimate object - or as Luther wrote - God gives us first what is difficult, tiresome, painful, and disheartening. Or - we look at it this way. Nothing is too beautiful - man will turn it into a heavy burden, a task, a dishonor. I have said, quoting someone else, "Where else can one speak 20 minutes or more without interruption?"  Yet sermons are such a burden to pastors that they copy verbatim from someone else.

God has given us marriage between a man and a woman - and people avoid it or constantly complain about it. Over time, God allows difficulties of the worst kind. And when children have special problems, it can seem to be a very bitter set of years. Yet God gives us the bad first so we how it is transformed into the best by His power.

4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. 5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. 

This has been seen as Mary instructing the Son of God. She simply told Jesus what the problem was. This is a clear subordination of Mary to Jesus. Jesus used the term "Woman" twice in the Gospel of John. Mary turned the matter over to her Son, through the servants. People want to give orders to God, the time, place, and method. God is not bossed around, and Luther pointed out that we should be patient and subordinate ourselves, not God.

Luther:

31. To turn water into wine is to render the interpretation of the Law delightful. This is done as follows: Before the Gospel arrives everyone understands the Law as demanding our works, that we must fulfill it with works of our own. This interpretation begets either hardened, presumptuous dissemblers and hypocrites, harder than any pot of stone, or timid, restless consciences. There remains nothing but water in the pot, fear and dread of God’s Judgment. This is the water-interpretation, not intended for drinking, neither filling any with delight; on the contrary, there is nothing to it but washing and purification, and yet no true inner cleansing. But the Gospel explains the Law, showing that it requires more than we can render, and that it demands a person different from ourselves to fulfill it; that is, it demands Christ and brings us unto him, so that first of all by his grace we are made in true faith a different people like unto Christ, and that then we do truly good works. Thus the right interpretation and significance of the law is to lead us to the knowledge of our helplessness, to drive us from ourselves to another, namely to Christ, to seek grace and help of him.

7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. 9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, 10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. 

I vicared in a church which was grand beyond measure. The pastor preached about the Gospel and aimed his message that way. It was the largest Lutheran church in Canada. Now it is mostly an apartment complex for low-income people. Their website is about the personality of the pastor and their good works, not about the Gospel.

Many of us have gone through difficult times that seemed to never end. I learned to find the spatula quickly and use it to clean the floor effectively. What now seems minor can be experienced again with laughter and nostalgia. Many say, "If only I could hug _____ one more time. But now is the time for people around us, people with special needs.

Mankind's way is to get the very best for themselves and end up with the bitter, cheap wine. People will say, "They had all the glory but look at them now."

God reverses this with the example from His Son, Who received hatred and scorn, torture and death, the crowds mocking Him.

11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

Why not in Jerusalem? Jesus raised Lazareth from the dead, just outside of Jerusalem. The leaders and the crowds knew it, and reacted with murder. That always reminds me of this statement from Luther -  "The Holy Spirit is so powerful that He can take the greatest evil into the greatest good, as He did with Jesus dying on the cross."

Luther:

32. Therefore, when Christ wanted to make wine he had them pour in still more water, up to the very brim. For the Gospel comes and renders the interpretation of the Law perfectly clear (as already stated), showing that what belongs to us is nothing but sin; wherefore by the law we cannot escape sinning. When now the two or three firkins hear this, namely the good hearts who have labored according to the law in good works, and are already timid at heart and troubled in conscience, this interpretation adds greatly to their fear and terror; and the water now threatens to rise above the lid and brim. Before this, while they felt disinclined and averse to what is good, they still imagined they might yet succeed by their good works; now they hear that they are altogether unfit and helpless:, and that it is impossible to gain their end by good works. That overfills the pot with water, it cannot hold more. This is to interpret the Law in the highest manner, leaving nothing but despair.

33. Then comes the consoling Gospel and turns the water into wine. For when the heart hears that Christ fulfills the law for us and takes our sin upon himself, it no longer cares that impossible things are demanded by the Law, that we must despair of rendering them, and must give up our good works. Yea, it is an excellent thing, and delectable, that the Law is so deep and high, so holy and righteous and good, and demands things so great; and it is loved and lauded for making so many and such great demands.

This is because the heart now has in Christ all that the Law demands, and it would be sorry indeed if it demanded less. Behold, thus the Law is delightful now and easy which before was disagreeable, difficult and impossible; for it lives in the heart by the Spirit. Water no longer is in the pots, it has turned to wine, it is passed to the guest, it is consumed, and has made the heart glad.