Trinity 10 2023

  

Tenth Sunday after Trinity

Bethany Lutheran Church

Pastor Gregory Jackson

The Hymn # 376                                Rock of Ages

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit

As for me, I will call upon God; 

and He shall hear my voice: 

He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me.

God shall hear and afflict them, even He that abideth of old: 

Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee.

Psalm. Give ear to my prayer, O God: and hide not Thyself from my supplication.

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

Collect

O God, who declarest Thine almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity, mercifully grant unto us such a measure of Thy grace that we, running the way of Thy commandments, may obtain Thy gracious promises and be made partakers of Thy heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.

The Epistle and Gradual     

  

Gradual

Keep me, O Lord, as the apple of the eye: 

hide me under the shadow of Thy wings.

V. Let my sentence come forth from Thy presence: 

let Thine eyes behold the things that are equal. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

V. O Lord God of my salvation, 

I have cried day and night before Thee. Hallelujah!

The Gospel              

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

The Sermon Hymn #239         Come Thou Almighty King

The Communion Hymn # 246     Holy, Holy, Holy                   

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 #447                    Fight the Good Fight

• Diagnosis and treatment - Sarah Buck, Lori Howell; Ranger Bob had artery surgery for each leg Friday and is recovering, aiming for a skin graft.
• Pastor Jim Shrader and Chris. Kermit and Marie Way, Chris Shrader.  
• Included in our prayers - those suffering from emotional stress and those with metabolic disorders.

KJV 1 Corinthians 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. 2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. 3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. 4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

KJV Luke 19:41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, 42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. 43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, 44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. 45 And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; 46 Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves. 47 And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him, 48 And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him.

Tenth Sunday After Trinity

Almighty and everlasting God, who by Thy Holy Ghost hast revealed unto us the gospel of Thy Son, Jesus Christ: We beseech Thee so to quicken our hearts that we may sincerely receive Thy word, and not make light of it, or hear it without fruit, as did Thy people, the unbelieving Jews, but that we may fear Thee and daily grow in faith in Thy mercy, and finally obtain eternal salvation, through Thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

The Prediction - Jesus Mourning

KJV Luke 19:41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, 42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.

The Fall of Jerusalem, about 40 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, was one of the great calamities of history. The defenses of the city were so great that historians considered it a miracle that Rome was able to break through. The effect was similar to our cities when a major storm is coming. The food stores are emptied of all foods in a few hours, hoarding (or preparing) just in case.

The citizens had all the fresh water they needed, but they were so afraid of starvation that they steal each other's food. Some were so starved that they ate leather shoe laces.

43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, 44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. 

The destruction was great, and the great constructions were only left standing to show how great the city had been. Herod's Temple was destroyed by the soldiers looking for hidden treasures. The trophies were gathered up and displayed in Rome itself. The Empire struck back, held a Triumph, and made coin stamped (in Latin) "Judaea Capta - Judah Defeated."

KJV Isaiah 3:8 For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory.

Survivors were so plentiful that they had no value as slaves, so they were shipped away.

44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. 

Three towers were left standing, just to show how great Jerusalem had been. Otherwise, the city was in ruins and burned.

The Present

45 And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; 46 Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.

Jesus predicted the future, mourning its utter destruction. That is where He and His family had attended worship, where He had been circumcised, and where He had spoken with the elders, astonishing them. Corruption had increased after His crucifixion and and resurrection. The evil element had multiplied in their excitement over crucifying Jesus.

47 And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him, 48 And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him.

The so-called scholars have found many ways to move attention away from the actual events of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. Although the material is there, the visible Christian Church has moved away from the facts that make this lesson so compelling. 

1. The Gospel of John has been downplayed to the extent that the "scholars" take away the authorship of the Apostle John and thereby deny its Apostolic truth.
2. The raising of Lazarus is therefore ignored since it is unique in John.
3. The plot based on Jesus accompanied by Lazarus is forgotten. John 11 through 12.
4. One older couple said, decades ago, "Where did you get this? We never heard this in our lives!"

As I have taught so often in this congregation and before, Lazarus was the last straw - as they say - because he entered Jerusalem with Jesus. Lazarus was the proof that a man famous and rich in this area, well known, had been dead for days and was raised by Jesus, the Son of God, Messiah, Savior, Son of David. The stories from earlier miracles were easily confirmed by the entire Jerusalem populace. "Faith comes by hearing..."

KJV John 12:17-19 The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record. For this cause the people also met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle. The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him.

Not aware of the dangers that were ahead, the Jewish leaders felt that they could reduce the risk from Rome by eliminating Jesus and His followers. The people had faith in Jesus Christ because they saw the miracle of Lazarus, followed by the greatest miracle, the resurrection of the Son of God. 

Who could have known that matters would soon become much worse in Jerusalem. A group of Zealots were able to defeat the small garrison of Roman troops. The future emperor Titus came with a  massive army and slaves to quash the rebellion (70 AD) and to wreck the defiant city.

We Are Like Jerusalem, Walls Surrounded

Many grave errors have piled up because the basic principles of the US Constitution have been ignored. Besides that, we have turned into another version of Imperial Rome, where the only things that count are fun and games. 

People are shocked at the overwhelming amount of crime, fraud, and betrayal. 

The real story is one of faith in the Son of God, which is mocked and ignored, even though this Faith is all-powerful. As great as the resurrection of Lazarus was, the empty tomb of Christ was greater stir. Lazarus showed everyone that death had no power over the work and the miracles of God Himself. No one could have imagined the outcome. When Jesus was arrested, the disciples scattered and went to a hiding place, as if a locked room could block the officials. For the risen Lord, a door blocked by heavy timber had no effect. 

Everything taught by Jesus came to pass as He instructed the disciples and sent them out on their missions. Every bridge has names in brass posted. They were there when it was commissioned - the same with libraries, schools, and other monuments of mankind. The Apostles set out to take the Gospel as far as they could, and their names barely count in the New Testament. Yet they, in faith, took the Gospel to the frontiers, where it was copied and spread and maintained in many different languages - total dedication. They lost their lives doing this and left an impression - not of their heroics - but of the Word of God itself. 

I was plagued by Acts writing about "the Word grew."

Acts 6:7 And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

12:24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.

19:20 So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.

Correct me if I am wrong - but this means Jesus the Savior spread out across the various cities and nations because someone was teaching, preaching, and transmitting in writing the Word of God. Jesus as the Word, in both natures - divine and human - goes wherever the revealed Word is believed.

The two natures are in us through our faith, which means not only that the Spirit is with the Word but also that Jesus Himself is that Word, as John 1:1 teaches The Word was God, and God was the Word. 

When the Word spread, Jesus Himself was there.

Sometimes I have to correct students who say things like, "When I invite Jesus into my Bible study..." Variations on that. I remind them that the Savior is always with them through the Word, through remembering, and through hearing it. Those who believe the Gospel have the Son of God in both natures.

The End

Trinity 9 2023

The Ninth Sunday after Trinity, 2023. The Parable of the Unjust Steward

 

Bethany Lutheran Church

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

The Hymn #613           Jerusalem the Golden       

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit

Behold, God is mine Helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.

He shall reward evil unto mine enemies: cut them off in Thy truth, O Lord.

Psalm. Save me, O God, by Thy name: and judge me by Thy strength.

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

Collect

Let Thy merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of Thy humble servants; and that they may obtain their petitions, make them to ask such things as shall please Thee; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.

The Epistle and Gradual       

Gradual

O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth: 

who hast set Thy glory above the heavens. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

V. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord: 

that delighteth greatly in His commandments. Hallelujah!

The Gospel              

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

The Sermon Hymn #426         The Lord My Shepherd Is - Watts

        

Unjust Steward - Unrighteous Mammon

The Communion Hymn #339        All Hail the Power

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 #46              On What Has Now Been Sown

Prayers and Announcements

• Sarah Buck; Pastor Jim Shrader and Chris Shrader; Kermit and Maria Way.
• Ranger Bob is in the hospital after a very serious operation on his leg.
• Pastor Jackson has been kicked off the free Christian News list for criticizing Objective Faithless Justification and the horrible Beck Bible, which is no better than the Evil Four - RSV, NRSV, ESV, NIV.

            

 

KJV 1 Corinthians 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

KJV Luke 16:1 And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. 2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward. 3 Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. 4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. 5 So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? 6 And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. 7 Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore. 8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. 9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

Ninth Sunday After Trinity

Lord God, heavenly Father, who hast bountifully given us Thy blessing and our daily bread: We beseech Thee, preserve us from covetousness, and so quicken our hearts that we willingly share Thy blessed gifts with our needy brethren; that we may be found faithful stewards of Thy gifts, and abide in Thy grace when we shall be removed from our stewardship, and shall come before Thy judgment, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

        

Unjust Steward - Unrighteous Mammon

KJV Luke 16:1 And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. 2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.

Luther - First Sermon for Trinity 9

I. OF THE UNRIGHTEOUS MAMMON.

1. This is truly a Gospel for priests and monks, and will bring them money, unless we prevent it. Before entering upon the consideration of it, we must accustom ourselves to the language used, especially the word mammon.

Luther's humorous introduction to this sermon should be noted and remembered, because this parable is a trap for those who do not understand it and difficult for those who try. Like all of the "hard sayings" of Jesus, this one opens up the meaning of the story, in an unconventional way. Two terms must be understood - the Unjust Steward and the Mammon of Unrighteousness.

1. Unjust Steward - Key Person

The steward - or manager - in this story is unjust, and not a believer. He is dishonest in his dealings and in his fake repentance. Nothing he does is commendable, and that is why the rich man appreciates the steward's dishonesty. We have to remember that the Rich Man only cares about cash flow, not honesty.

2. Mammon of Unrighteousness - Key Meaning

Mammon is not money but extra money, more than we have to have, beyond our normal expenses. That means it is neither bad nor good. 

Luther was very much against the righteousness of works, which is so easy for the bishops to use against the people. "Build this chapel to St. Matthew the Rotund and God will reward you with grace." 

In this parable the steward (manager) is seen by the others as being wasteful. They report him to the Rich Man, who threatens the steward with expulsion and its consequences, poverty.

3 Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. 4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. 5 So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? 6 And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. 7 Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.

Unstated is the fact that the Rich Man did not become wealthy by being a choir boy, as they say. An estate owner would always be eager to capitalize on bargains, droughts, weather calamities, and changes in currency. A written bill has a lesser value as a debt than cash. A dishonest eye practice tried to make money from a bill when they had already admitted malpractice. The bill collector thought he had a pile of money to use, just for making a phone call - $800! I said, "They admitted their errors and canceled the $200 bill. You paid something for the piece of worthless paper, so you get to eat it." The bill collector was not happy since he wanted to cash in on the dishonesty.

8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

The founder of the University of Phoenix wrote in his book that he and other higher education businessmen routinely gave money to the right people to make their schools legitimate. The right people hold the power in granting certifications with its complicated rules and demands, varying state by state, a lot of hungry mouths to feed. The founder gave one lobbyist $500,000 to get one of those certifications done. Everyone in the education business knows. One LCMS college thought the sure way to success was something called HotChalk, an integrated system of online education in one package. Now they want their $300 million from the college.

9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

Here we have to say, with Luther (see the linked sermon) that the conclusion is not parallel to the Rich Man and the Unrighteous Steward. This is a very condensed way of saying, In spreading the Gospel, share what you have with the poor.

Luther:

12. Luke has described the fruit of faith thus: Give to the poor and make to yourself friends. As though he would say: I will not now speak of faith, but how you should prove your faith. Wherefore do good to your neighbor, and if you can give from the heart you may be assured that you believe.

Thus the Scriptures speak at one time of fruits, at another time of faith.

Again, they also speak of fruits, when they teach, Matthew 25:42, how the Lord will speak to the lost on the last day: “I was hungry, and ye did not give me to eat; I was athirst, and ye gave me no drink,” and the like.

This means, you have not believed, as I will prove to you by your own works.

13. The Scriptures in some passages speak of the outward conduct, and in others of the inner. Now if you will apply that which is said of the outward to the heart and confuse matters, you pervert it and do wrong. Hence you must let the distinction remain, and observe it. These expressions: I have been hungry, thirsty, shelterless, naked, sick and in prison, and you have shown me no work of mercy, refer to the external conduct, and signify as much as: you have never exhibited any outward conduct by which you have shown your faith; and to prove this, I appeal to the poor as witnesses.

Therefore, faith alone must be present first to make us good, after that good works must follow to prove our piety. This now is one point, namely, concerning works.

14. The second point is far more difficult, when the Lord says: “Make to yourselves friends by means of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when it shall fail, they may receive you into the eternal tabernacles.” You say, our adversaries cry: you say a person shall not do good works to obtain eternal life; behold, here it reads differently. Now, what shall we answer?

This is Jesus chiding the disciples to spread the Gospel by caring for the poor. The scribes and Pharisees stayed back because they wanted to treat Jesus as unclean. The poor crowded around Him and asked for healing and understood through His miracles that their sins were forgiven through faith, something far more powerful than the righteousness of works.

 CFW Walther's nephew read a lot of Luther - and it shows.

Trinity 8, 2023

 The Eighth Sunday after Trinity, 2023

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

The melodies are linked in the hymn titles.

The lyrics are linked in the hymn number.

• The melody site is linked here.
• TLH lyrics are found at the Bethany Lutheran Hymnal Blog.

The Hymn #261          Lord Keep Us Steadfast           

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit

We have thought of Thy loving-kindness, O God: 

in the midst of Thy Temple.

According to Thy name, O God, 

so is Thy praise unto the ends of the earth: 

Thy right hand is full of righteousness.

Psalm. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised: 

in the city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness.

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

Collect

Grant to us, Lord, we beseech Thee, the Spirit to think and do always such things as are right, that we, who cannot do anything that is good without Thee, may by Thee be enabled to live according to Thy will; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth...

The Epistle and Gradual      

Gradual

Be Thou my strong Rock: for an house of defense to save me.

V. In Thee, O Lord, do I put my trust: 

let me never be ashamed. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

V. Give ear, O My people, to My Law: 

incline your ears to the words of My mouth. Hallelujah!

 

The Gospel              

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

The Hymn #268             Zion Mourns   

Wolves Wearing Vicuna

The Communion Hymn #463      For All the Saints

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 #511                         Jesus Shall Reign

Prayers and Announcements

• The altar flowers are in memory of Christina Jackson, whose birthday was on July 20th. The Andersons (Randy, Ivy, Andy, Aby) traveled from the People's Republic of California to be here.
• Medical supervision - Sarah Buck, Kermit Way, Maria Way, Pastor Jim Shrader and Chris. Doing well after surgery - Randy Anderson.
• Randy and Ivy Anderson, Andrea and Aby came to visit for Christina's birthday.
• Pray for honest, elections and renewed dedication to the US Constitution, where state legislatures control their elections.

              

KJV Romans 8:12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

KJV Matthew 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.  21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Luther's Three Sermons on Matthew 7:15ff - Beware of False Prophets

Eighth Sunday After Trinity

Lord God, heavenly Father, we most heartily thank Thee that Thou hast caused us to come to the knowledge of Thy word. We pray Thee: graciously keep us steadfast in this knowledge unto death, that we may obtain eternal life; send us now and ever pious pastors, who faithfully preach Thy word, without offense or false doctrine, and grant them long life. Defend us from all false teachings, and frustrate Thou the counsels of all such as pervert Thy word, who come to us in sheep's clothing, but are inwardly ravening wolves, that Thy true Church may evermore be established among us, and be defended and preserved from such false teachers, through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

Wolves Wearing Vicuna

KJV Matthew 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Sermon on the Mount

One of the clever ploys of the fake Biblical scholars is to call the Sermon on the Mount a "random collection of sayings." These wise wizards know more than the Holy Spirit!  However, Matthew 5-7 is a wonderful sermon, a unified address starting with the Beatitudes and ending with the Matthew 7:15ff warning and the House Built on Sand. 

Matthew 7:27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

The Beatitudes are a sermon of their own, and the ending of the Sermon on the Mount offers two different-and-engaging illustrations of the future - 1) faith in false teachers versus faithful teachers; 2) faith having a firm foundation versus one washed away by current fads. 

The Lupine Liberal

Lupine means wolf. Ovine means sheep. Bovine means cow.

We should always remember that Jesus, the Lord of Creation, uses His own creation in His parables. No one knows the nature of these creatures better than He does. Sheep are sure-footed for feeding, good at converting plants into meat and fat, mild in temperament. Wolves are stealthy, armed with the strength and the jaws to slaughter sheep, gaining a rich supply of their needs by creeping silently up on the flock. A pack of wolves can slowly descend on a flock of sheep.

The lupine liberals have been stalking the sheep from the beginning. The moment the Gospel spread, after the Ascension of Christ, the opponents were energized to stop the growth of the Christian Faith. Many Jews were converted, because Paul was so energetic in preaching and teaching. That outraged the Pharisaical party even more, because the Gospel spread among their own people. The Gentiles also believed after hearing the Word of God, because the myths of Greece and Rome were so crude and so much like today's Hollywood, journalists, and higher education genius crowd. 

The lupine liberals of the last 200 years have chipped away at the unity and the truth of the Scriptures. One tool has been to glorify fake New Testaments as genuine, rare, and priceless. These are featured in all "scholarly" translations, books, and journals - Codex Sinaiticus, a crude forgery from the 1800s, and Codex Vaticanus, a Greek translation from Latin, promoted by the Church of Rome. The Evil Four plus Beck are these bogus Bibles: RSV, NRSV, ESV, NIV and Beck. Because the liberal scholars sanctified the fake sources, they were able to "translate" them and sell them for big bucks, each version contradicting the others while changing on a regular basis.

The purpose of Jesus' example is to show the destruction of His teaching will come from clever, stealthy, deceitful false teachers. St. Paul pleaded -

Acts 20:28-31, when he was about to depart from Ephesus, among other things, he said: “Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood. I know that after my departing grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Wherefore watch ye, remembering that by the space of three years I ceased not to admonish every one night and day with tears.”

Bottom Line

16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 

Fruit or fruits are a common terms for results - "the new plan was not fruitful." In gardening and farming, every effort is made to enjoy products grown and enjoyed. Many plants look good but they are bitter or even toxic. A bird caused an impressive plant that grew over six feet, attracting lady bug babies. Red markings at the base confirmed it was hemlock, a poison (no cure). One friend pulled out an unknown weed that put him in the hospital. I tugged on poison ivy and needed meds for a week.

Toxic plants and toxic teaching are parallel. They look impressive but they are horribly painful when given enough time to produce. The most "successful" false teachers are smoother than chocolate pudding. They are charming eager to spin something any way that suits their own needs.

17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

America has many examples of evil plants developed or brought in, some promoted by our own government, now almost impossible to remove - kudzu, bartlett pears, one kind of blackberry, multi-flora rose. Like the famous Church Growth Movement (adored by LCMS, WELS, ELCA, and all denominations), the evil plants have spread without any benefit, and cannot be eradicated without an aggressive response.

At the "Free" LCMS-WELS-ELS Emmaus Conference, our Justification by Faith materials were ordered removed.

18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

We must trust in the value of sound  or healthy doctrine based directly on the Scriptures. Jesus and Paul compare false doctrine to sickness and cancer. The New Testament word for healthy is hygiene, but people get drawn to unhealthy teaching, which seems so delightful at first.

 David Scaer is The David P. Scaer Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology.

Evil is spread easily while Biblical doctrine is halted, examined, and frequently expelled by the very people who claim they are Bible scholars or Luther scholars or both.

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Luther:

6. Here you may ask: why does God permit false prophets to come among his pious people and be the successors of his true ministers? Is he not powerful and strong enough to prevent it, so that the Gospel may continue pure and in its power? Of course he is. But he permits it in order to prove and preserve his own people, and to punish the unthankful. It is as St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:19 says: “For there must be also factions among you, that they that are approved may be made manifest among you.” This means, that those whose faith is approved may become manifest, so that their spirit and word appear, and testify that they are true.

7. When God gives us his Word, his gifts and Spirit, it is not his will that we should be lazy, sleepy and idle. For if you have the true Word and its true meaning, the world will attack you on one side, and the devil will attempt to tear you from it on the other, not only by means of worldly tyrants who persecute the Word with the sword; but also by means of our own reason and the wisest people in the world. Thus God desires to develop you by his Word, and to give the Holy Spirit whom he has bestowed upon you something to do, so that you may learn that God’s wisdom is wiser than the world’s wisdom, that God’s strength is stronger than the strength and power of the world, which you will not learn unless you pass through this conflict with false teachers.

8. Wherever he permits the devil to create factions, he would thus stir you up, and say: Defend yourself, lay hold of the Word, and learn to experience God’s wisdom and power against the wisdom of the world and the lies of satan. Thus the strength and wisdom of God’s Word will appear, that you may learn that it is not to be conquered with power and wisdom; but it conquers, and puts to shame all power, cunning and wisdom opposed to it.

This is one reason why God permits factions and sects among us, who enter in as it were edgewise, as though they were beneficial and served to the end that the Word, the truth and Spirit prove themselves to be better and plainer; however aside from this factions and sects serve no good purpose.

The people I know have had similar experiences - 

• dealing with false doctrine, 
• wondering about false teachers and Bad Bible Boosters. , 
• challenging falsehoods and 
• given the Left Foot of Fellowship, the stink-eye, and total shunning. 

I am not alone. Those experiences have made some cower in fear, lest their clergy benefits be lost. Laity have told me they would be shunned by the entire extended family if they questioned Holy Mother Synod. Parallels to the Pharisees seem not to bother the abusive sect orthodoxy. Instead of bearing the cross, they are unbearably cross if anyone steps on their delicate toes.

As Luther wrote, the false teachers end up in sharpening our knowledge of the Gospel. We want to know that much more about the Scriptures and the Reformation. Physical exercise makes us hungry for food. Spiritual exercise makes us hungry for the truth of God's Word. I hate to say it, but thousands of words of theology today are entirely lacking the divinity of Christ, the miracles, and faith in Him. Many are deliberately mocking because they have no faith and want to spread their apostasy. I know two pastors who moved from Church Growth to  loudmouth atheism.

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

This should be a truly frightening pair of verses for those who say, "But I was a charter member!"

Nor does it matter what one's siblings, relatives or great-grandfathers did for Holy Mother Synod.

The Great CFW Walther did many evil things, but the worst was his consistent false teaching of Objective Faithless Justification.