Trinity 14 -2024. The Ten Lepers

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The Hymn #56   Jesus Came the Heavens Adoring                 

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit

Behold, O God, our Shield, and look upon the face of Thine anointed: 

for a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand.

Psalm. How amiable are Thy tabernacles, 

O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth, 

yea, even fainteth, for the courts of the Lord.

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

Collect

Keep, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy Church with Thy perpetual mercy; and because the frailty of man without Thee cannot but fall, keep us ever by Thy help from all things hurtful and lead us to all things profitable to our salvation; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.

The Epistle and Gradual 

Gradual

It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord: 

and to sing praises unto Thy name, O Most High.

V. To show forth Thy loving-kindness in the morning: 

and Thy faithfulness every night. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

V. Praise waiteth for Thee, O God, in Zion: 

and unto Thee shall the vow be performed. Hallelujah!

      

The Gospel              

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

The Sermon Hymn #457    What a Friend We Have in Jesus
  

Thankful

The Communion Hymn #224      Come Holy Ghost, God and Lord

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 #198                 He's Risen

Announcements and In Our Prayers

• Enzo Meyer is in his fourth year at Grand Canyon University campus in Phoenix.
• Diagnosis and treatment - Lori Howell, Sarah Buck, Pastor Jim Shrader and Chris, Kermit Way,

KJV Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

KJV Luke 17:11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: 13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. 14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. 17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? 18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. 19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

Fourteenth Sunday After Trinity

Lord God, heavenly Father, who by Thy blessed word and Thy holy baptism hast mercifully cleansed all who believe from the fearful leprosy of sin, and daily dost grant us Thy gracious help in all our need: We beseech Thee so to enlighten our hearts by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may never forget these Thy blessings, but ever live in Thy fear, and, trusting fully in Thy grace, with thankful hearts continually praise and glorify Thee; through Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

 

Thankful

KJV Luke 17:11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

"They treat me like a leper!" - is how this expression is used today. People today are more afraid of being shunned - which is basically a sacrament in America. Some call it the cold shoulder, etc. I was going to mention a rock group favorably when we were having a meal with friends. One young lady said, "Don't criticize my favorite group!" She also made threatening gestures. 

I have experienced this among Lutherans who talk about the Book of Concord and the Augsburg Confession but reject the Chief Article of Christianity, Justification by Faith. They shun me, which I consider a compliment, given their apostasy. 

These ten lepers were shunned and attacked because of their disease. They were frail and sickly, so they banned together in shouting out to Jesus. A crowd was around Jesus because of His miracles. We know there were many miracles. If the apostles did not have the Holy Spirit as their editor, the New Testament would still be in the editing stage today. Thus the New Testament is foundational - sermons about the Old Testament.

The lepers stayed back, because their voices were weak and the crowd avoided them. Crowds continue to be dangerous today as everyone presses toward a goal, an entrance, or escape.

13 και αυτοι ηραν φωνην λεγοντες ιησου επιστατα ελεησον ημας

13 And they lifted up their voices [cheered in unison], and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. 

The lepers had faith in Jesus Christ. Miracles supported His sermons, which were quite different from the Scribes and Pharisees, who wanted to be pure by the Old Testament Law (minus all the Messianic Promises). Some - like Nicodemus - were encouraged to see Jesus (but by night, one cannot be too careful). The miracles are one way the apostates creep into our brains and dislodge the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary, miracle worker, preacher of faith in the Holy Trinity, arrested-beaten-tortured on the cross, rising from the grave, speaking to hundreds to confirm His divinity, ascending to Heaven to manage His Kingdom.

This is God's Word - Jesus the Master orders them - Go show yourself to the priests. This is a command, not debatable suggestion. The command to go to the priest was logical for everyone at that time. The priests would intone the right things and try to heal them of their dreaded disease. But on the way to the priests, they were all cleansed (John 15, also cathing, Catherine). They knew this clearly enough, because they could teach one another on the way to the Temple - You are cleansed! You are healthy! You are a different person now! 

They were cleansed, purified by the Word of Jesus Christ.  This is a verse that we should dwell on. It is used in John 15 to describe making the Vine healthy and productive. Cleansing a grape vine or a rose means 1) removing the dead wood, 2) making the plant bear more fruit.

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

One of the ten not only saw his healing, but also turned back, glorified God with a loud voice and gave thanks. I count many things happening - the miracle revealed, turning back to proclaim his healing to Christ and the crowd, loudly glorifying God, falling on his face in thankfulness, and glorifying God. Through him Jesus was stirring up faith in Him amid the crowd.

17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? 18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. 

This is a rhetorical question. Jesus knew what was happening and asked this statement to emphasize the difference between one with faith and praise, the nine simply enjoying their status. The healing glorified God - the Samaritan returned to thank God for the miracle, the hated outsider, the Samaritan.

19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

Go thy way means - show yourself to the priests so more people know about faith and miracles.

Faith in God produces miracles - that has been mocked by those who only agree with what they un-learned in college and seminary. That mockery has been essential since the dawn of the 20th century, the smoldering frauds starting with attacks on the New Testament texts.

But even now, Christianity has a waterfall of extra Biblical translations - but the KJV outranks them all by individuals. As they say in publishing religious books today, "Even a poorly selling book will reach 3,000 people."

Fuller Seminary genius-ly promoted a hybrid brand: a wee bit of Christianity and a barge full of business slogans. The fools who paid for this nonsense (Church Growth) are senior leaders in their sinking ships, a regular Titanic, pretty on the outside, fatal on the inside.

Trinity 13 - 2024. The Good Samaritan

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The Hymn #12             This Day at Thy Creating Word 

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit

Have respect, O Lord, unto Thy covenant: 

oh, let not the oppressed return ashamed!

Arise, O God, plead Thine own cause: 

and forget not the voice of Thine enemies.

Psalm. O God, why hast Thou cast us off forever? 

Why doth Thine anger smoke against the sheep of Thy pasture?

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

Collect

Almighty and everlasting God, give unto us the increase of faith, hope, and charity; and that we may obtain that which Thou dost promise, make us to love that which Thou dost command; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.

The Epistle and Gradual       

Have respect, O Lord, unto Thy covenant: 

oh, let not the oppressed return ashamed!

V. Arise, O God, plead Thine own cause: 

and forget not the voice of Thine enemies. 

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 # 200 - I Know That My Redeemer Lives                  

Jesus the Good Samaritan and Wounded Man

The Communion Hymn #341          Crown Him with Many Crowns

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 #660              I'm But a Stranger Here 

Prayers and Announcements

• Happy Birthday, Brett Meyer.
• Answered prayers - no stents needed for Maria Ellenberger Way.
• Medical care: Sarah Buck, Pastor Jim Shrader and his wife Chris; Lori Howell.

KJV Galatians 3:15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. 16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. 17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. 18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. 19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. 21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. 22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

Part 1

KJV Luke 10:23-37 And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: 24 For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. 

Part 2

25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? 27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. 28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. 29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? 

Part 3

30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 An by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. 36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? 37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

Click here for Luther’s Sermons on the Good Samaritan

Thirteenth Sunday After Trinity

Lord God, heavenly Father, we most heartily thank Thee that Thou hast granted us to live in this accepted time, when we may hear Thy holy gospel, know Thy fatherly will, and behold Thy Son, Jesus Christ! We pray Thee, most merciful Father: Let the light of Thy holy word remain with us, and so govern our hearts by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may never forsake Thy word, but remain steadfast in it, and finally obtain eternal salvation; through Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen. 

Jesus the Good Samaritan and Wounded Man

KJV Luke 10:23-37 And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: 24 For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

This passage in Luke is one of the best known in the Bible - but also one of the most misunderstood and confused statements. The beginning verses are often ignored, even though those verses are the main idea (or thesis statement). Jesus gave the most wisdom to His disciples, and they gradually grew in their understanding of their Teacher, but still they did not completely understand until He rose from the tomb and showed them His wounds. He did not teach the crowds everything, because they could not grasp the major points. His goal was to establish faith in Him or at least to believe in His miracles, which could lead them to a full understanding, exponential growth and persecution.

Many prophets and kings never knew what the disciples were about to learn. We are in a similar position. Ideally - that is - trust in the Word of God lets us see the truth of this famous passage. No one has the license to create new principles, new variations on the Old and New Testaments. Proximity to the Word of God allows us to imagine that we know, but only when we know for certain that the Holy Spirit has written every word and given us the ability to believe, know, and teach. Many young children know more than adults because they trust God's lessons, without quibbling or debating.

A believer in Christ can see how He works, while a skeptic is blinded by his supposed wisdom. I remember - because I kept the material - that the leader of Fuller Seminary denounced the inerrancy of the Word. He said, paraphrased, "We do not have enough time and energy to quibble over these doctrines. Our first priority is growth in missions." He was a teacher of the Law alone. He had no grasp of the Spirit teaching from the Father and the Son, as Jesus clearly taught in the Fourth Gospel. There is only true or false, yes or no.

25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? 27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. 28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. 29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?

This Talmudic lawyer is the key to the Parable of the Good Samaritan, and he was exposing his own limits while debating with Jesus. This was a common rabbinic statement. Jesus' reply was short but significant "Do this and you will live." That exposed the lawyer to his own boasting, as if to say "I am good on that score, but please define who my neighbor is." He was eager to justify himself, which we hear today in the humid Midwest - "Everyone is forgiven (sic)." so everyone is a saint, proudly declared good without faith. 

30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 An by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

Luther explained that the man who fell among thieved, stripped of his robes, and wounded was a figure of Jesus. Since this is a story, an illustration, we can see how this is true. Jesus was suggesting that He would be like the man, ignored by the holy ones of Israel, avoided, abandoned - a priest and a Levite. The priest avoided the beaten man, going to the opposite side of the road, and the Levite looked the man over and avoided being close. Wasn't Jesus in the same position on the cross, beaten and abandoned? He last words on the cross were from the Psalm, My God My God, why hast though forsaken Me?

This is not a stretch, to identify Jesus both with the man going to Damascus and the Samaritan who stopped to help. The entire Bible is about Jesus, primarily Jesus because He is God in the flesh, so we can see and understand the Trinity in the flesh. 

KJV Colossians 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

The Good Samaritan has been distorted as the Law for a long time. Various ministers have used it to tax everyone on their need to take care of others. I blame this in part on the Social Gospel Movement, which blossomed under the rationalistic Federal Council of Churches. They were so scandalous (Marxist) that they changed their name to the National Council of Churches and produced the RSV, ESV, and NRSV Bibles. I exposed the theology of one famous LCA pastor. He said he opposed the Social Gospel Movement but in his talk said, "Should we bind the wounds of the man left for dead on the road to Damascus? or make the road safe?!" I told him afterwards, "That was the Social Gospel."

The National Council of Churches are so Unitarian in denying the Christian Faith that they use their dogma to support destructive programs in America, which we see everywhere today, and it keeps getting worse. 

The Samaritan is clearly Jesus, because He became an outcast and yet in His compassion sought to give us forgiveness, peace, and security.

First, he observed the miserable state of the beaten, abandoned man.

a) he went to the man 

b) bound up his wounds, 

c) pouring in oil and wine, and 

d) set him on his own beast, and 

e) brought him to an inn, and 

f) took care of him.

Second, we see the six-fold response complete the actions of the Samaritan - and he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. [another group of six]

This is how Jesus works with all who believe in Him. Nothing is so low or repugnant that He cannot help the person in distress. People are bound to be in distress today because the radicals have done so much to wreck American jobs, American schools, and the US military. Name an entity which is not infected by a widespread, organized attempt to wreck the last bulwark of freedom this world. 

Trinity 12 - 2024.

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The Hymn #343           How Lovely Shines the Morning Star

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit

Make haste, O God, to deliver me: 

make haste to help me, O Lord.

Let them be ashamed and confounded: 

that seek after my soul.

Psalm. Let them be turned backward and put to confusion: 

that desire my hurt.

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

Collect

Almighty and merciful God, of whose only gift it cometh that Thy faithful people do unto Thee true and laudable service, grant, we beseech Thee, that we may so faithfully serve Thee in this life that we fail not finally to attain Thy heavenly promises; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.

The Epistle and Gradual

Gradual

I will bless the Lord at all times: 

His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

V. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: 

the humble shall hear thereof and be glad. 

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

V. Sing aloud unto God, our Strength: 

make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. Hallelujah!

       

The Gospel              

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

The Sermon Hymn #8     Father Who the Light This Day 

         Miracles Happen - All the Time

The Communion Hymn #297    The Gospel Shows the Father's Grace - Loy          

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
Closing Hymn #283       God's Word Is Our Great Heritage

  

 Norma A. Boeckler

In Our Prayers and Announcements

• Medical Treatment - Maria Way - stents, Alicia Meyer, Norma Boeckler, Dr. Lito Cruz' family, Sarah Buck, Lori Howell,  Pastor Jim Shrader and Chris Shrader.  
•  August 22 is the third anniversary of Christina Jackson's transition to Heaven.
• Bathroom renovation will continue on Monday.

                        

KJV 2 Corinthians 3:4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; 6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: 8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? 9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. 10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. 11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.

Covenant or Testament 

Lenski 2 Corinthians 3:3

p. 921

The Revised Versions’s translation “3. new covenant” (“testament” in the margin) is not an advance on the A. V.’s “a new testament.” Commentators also waver. See the author’s exposition of I Cor. 11:25, from which we repeat only the main point: the Hebrew berith is “covenant,” which is rendered diatheke, “testament,” by the LXX which thus conserves the main idea of one-sidedness: this covenant is like every testament that is made by God to Israel and is not a mutual agreement between equals. Its substance was promise, Christ fulfilled the promise, and this fulfillment is now laid down in a testament. All believers are named as the heirs who're to be paid out with all the gospel blessings. We may call the ministers of God the administrators (I Cor. 4:1), yet they themselves are heirs. So in the New Testament diatheke = “testament.” And we should render, not “ministers of a new testament,” but as one concept: “new testament ministers.” The newness lies in the fulfillment of the former covenant promises by Christ.

KJV Mark 7:31 And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. 32 And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. 33 And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; 34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. 35 And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. 36 And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it; 37 And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

Twelfth Sunday After Trinity

Almighty and everlasting God, who hast created all things: We thank Thee that Thou hast given us sound bodies, and hast graciously preserved our tongues and other members from the power of the adversary: We beseech Thee, grant us Thy grace, that we may rightly use our ears and tongues; help us to hear Thy word diligently and devoutly, and with our tongues so to praise and magnify Thy grace, that no one shall be offended by our words, but that all may be edified thereby, through Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

Miracles Happen - All the Time

KJV Mark 7:31 And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. 

We know from the second verse that this is a miracle, and Mark's Gospel is packed with miracles from the Savior. People may wonder why so many miracles are revealed in a relatively short Gospel, one after another, bunches of them. Already in Mark 1, Jesus is described as wanting to be alone to pray and His hurried disciples said, "Come on, we have work to do!"

KJV Mark 1:35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. 36 And Simon and they that were with him followed after him. 37 And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee.

There are two basic responses to miracles from our skeptical generation of Bible scholars. 

1) Doubt that this ever happened. 

2) This came from other sources, such as the claims of that pagan era, filled with improbable stories. One of the great Halle University professors published a book where he called them "Fish stories." He did not put his name on the book. Pietism shifts into rationalism quickly, just as Calvinism does. But the real message is faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus made this clear in John's Gospel, 10:38 - "If you do not believe in My Word, at least pay attention to My miracles."

John 10:37 If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. 38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.

When we put these two passages together, as edited and established by the Holy Spirit, it is clear that the Fourth Gospel makes the Gospel of Mark clear. And the Second Gospel lists one miracle after another to remind us of the Savior's compassion and our trust in Him. Almost every "scholar" in the last 200 years has mocked the Gospels, and many of the books have become best-sellers. Those efforts have established skepticism and Anything Goes interpretations, leading to lack of faith in the general population. 

32 And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. 

This double problem left the man helpless in his society, so his friends/relatives brought him to Jesus to take him out of his health straight-jacket, where he could not talk and could not hear. Luther's point in his sermon on this text is the faith of those who brought him. They knew enough about Jesus to bring the man to Christ. They trusted in His saving Word. They could not make their friend believe because, as Luther says, the Christian Church is a mouth and an ear church. The Word is spoken and it is heard, the work of the Holy Spirit. People understand it because the Bible is so clear and forceful in its effect. Romans 10 explains what the Fourth Waltherian sects deny - 

16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? [Isaiah 53 - the Report is the sacrifice of Jesus, crucified for the sins of the world.] 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

33 And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; 34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. 

Starting with the thesis that the Son of God can do anything, why these strange things laid upon the deaf-mute person?

1. Took him aside from the multitude - The press of the crowd was likely a roar because they could see Jesus beginning a miracle. That was like trying to speak to a friend at an Alabama football championship (whether for or against). This let the man become calm and also provided his own spoken witness when Jesus cured him.
2. Fingers in his ears - Jesus did not try yelling at him, but began with compassion, revealing the healing of the man's hearing.
3. Spit and touched the man's tongue - Jesus indicated for the man and the crowd, that He was going to heal that hopeless tongue.
4. Looked to heaven and said Be Opened - Jesus indicated His Father above, which showed the man and the crowd the miracle from above. 

These actions benefited the man, his friends, and the crowd. We have watered down "a sign" so much that people say a color, a number, or anything hopeful is "a sign." A better translation, that is derived from the text is - a miracle, something only God can do. That does not apply to someone passing a calculus exam or a driving test.

35 And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.

Three miraculous events came together, the ultimate gain being his ability to speak plainly when it was impossible before. This brought great joy to the man, his friends, and the crowd. One can only imagine how quickly each event took place. Why not today? The issues today are:

1. Faulty fake "Bibles" as money machines for denominations.

2. Inventing and preserving false doctrine, leading people - even ordained pastors - astray.

3. Ignoring the effectiveness of the Gospel Word and the Instruments (Means) of Grace.

36 And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it; 37 And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

The effect - from hoping to healing - was so great that Jesus could not keep them all from sharing this miracle to more and more people. Jesus knew that faith was spreading but also that people would turn away and mock Him when He was in the grips of soldiers and priests.

Let the Miracles Continue

The spiritual blessings come directly from the Bible, from the beginning until end of time. Our biggest weakness is worrying about the present, and worrying affects everyone. That is our normal attitude, and it should be suppressed, but it is difficult. One can be flattened by all kinds of trouble, small and large. Luther's formula is very clear in one sermon.

1. Our job is not to worry but to do God's work in whatever we do - jobs, parenting, helping others. 

2. God's job is to take away our fears, anxieties, and burdens. Faith in the Savior means erasing the past. I have a number of students who write about how they have messed up their lives and deeply regret those things, but they are establishing lives of faith in the Good Shepherd. I encourage them to remember that faith in Jesus Christ means God's grace - drowning our sins in the ocean of God's love (ending of Micah) - not flagellating themselves.

3. We have a treasure chest that has great potential for the future - honoring parents and grandparents, laying it on thick, as they deserve. We have their DNA and the enormous memory of all they learned and taught and accomplished. We do not appreciate them fully until they are gone to their reward - and then they inhabit our minds. I went over the favorite teacher list of my grade school, Garfield in Moline, now a condo (really!). At least 100 Garfielders listed favorite teachers from 70 years ago. We remembered those teachers more vividly than all the teachers afterwards. 

4. The mundane things in life are greater treasures than we imagine. God is behind all of it and gives us a path to follow.

KJV Psalm 119:105 - 105 Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.