Trinity 2023

 

Jan Verhas  (1834–1896) 

The Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity, 2023

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

Bethany Lutheran Worship

Hymn #428        I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus    

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit

Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto Thee daily.

For Thou, Lord, art good and ready to forgive: 

and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Thee.

Psalm. Bow down Thine ear, O Lord, hear me: 

for I am poor and needy.

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

Collect

Lord, we pray Thee that Thy grace may always go before and follow after us and make us continually to be given to all good works; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.

The Epistle and Gradual       

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. Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: He is their Help and their Shield. Hallelujah!

The Gospel              

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

Sermon Hymn #341       Crown Him with Many Crowns

Jesus - The Source of Grace and Compassion

Communion Hymn # 313      O Lord We Praise Thee

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 #657             Beautiful Savior   

                    Prayers and Announcements

• In our prayers - Randy Anderson, Sarah Buck, Lori Howell, Pastor Jim and Chris Shrader, Dr. Lito Cruz.
• Dr. Kermit Way - 84th birthday.
• Next Sunday, Memory - Carl Roper's birthday, 

 

                     Luther's Sermon on the Epistle, Ephesians 3:13-21        

KJV Ephesians 3:13 Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. 14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power [dynamis, dynamite, Holy Spirit] that worketh [energy, efficacy] in us, 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

KJV Luke 7:11 And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. 12 Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. 13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. 14 And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. 15 And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. 16 And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people. 17 And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about.

SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Lord God, heavenly Father, who didst send Thy Son to be made flesh, that by His death He might atone for our sins and deliver us from eternal death: We pray Thee, confirm in our hearts the hope that our Lord Jesus Christ, who with but a word raised the widow's son, in like manner will raise us on the last day, and grant us eternal life: 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 Source of Grace and Compassion

KJV Luke 7:11 And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people.

The Gospels have three examples where Jesus raised the dead - the widow's son, the young girl, and Lazarus. Jesus Himself rose from death, and that is His ultimate victory, and the miraculous continues to this day.

The Age of Rationalism began with opposing the miraculous. Halle University was established to promote Pietism - individual holiness - and became a scholarly source for mockery about Jesus Christ. 

This rationalism continued and grew from the ordained mocking the Scriptures and picking only those passages they favor. People add to it with their personal preferences. What was rejected before becomes accepted, and the scoffers are called great scholars.

The best antidote to the loss of faith is a knowledge of the Scriptures. The Word of God always has the power to build faith, as it says in Isaiah 53 and Romans 10. "Faith comes by hearing [the Word of the Gospel].

Jesus combined the power of His preaching with the proof from His miracles.

12 Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. 

This verse is very touching, because the woman lost her husband and now only had a son to help her - and he was being carried out for burial. As Luther said, she might have been content to still have a wage earner, but that was suddenly gone. Women had very little earning power, and she was now alone and lonely. Some disciples and many people followed Jesus to that city gate. Besides that, the people of the city came out with the casket to support the widow in her sorrow. 

The scene reminds me of the future in the Gospels, with city people coming to meet Jesus at the gate of Jerusalem and guests from the funeral following, so He was surrounded by those who heard about Lazarus and those who saw him live again.

13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.

Luther:

3. Now all this has been written to the end that just as here this deed of mercy befell this widow freely and entirely of grace, only because it solicited Christ’s sympathy, so from this we can draw the general rule that applies to all the merciful deeds of God, that they all overtake us without our merits, even before we seek them. He lays the foundation and makes the beginning. But why does he pity us? In this way it continues to be the grace of God. Otherwise, if we deserved it, it would not be grace. And if it be of grace, then we can say to him: Thou art a gracious God, thou doest good also to them who deserve it not.

The more we see through God's eyes, the more we understand faith in Jesus Christ. He is all grace and mercy, so He does not demand merits to make us worthy of His miracles. He is all kindness and forgiveness. 

Looking back, we can see the blessings that came from difficult and painful times. 

Luther:

4. This sermon seems easy to us, but where are they who mean it with their heart? If we believed that everything comes to us from God’s grace and mercy, we would daily run and rejoice, our hearts would continually rise and dwell in heaven. When we once get to heaven we will see that this is true. Now no one believes it. The god of this world, the devil, has such great power on earth that we do not see the work of God nor know it. 2 Corinthians 4:4 Therefore we do not appreciate it, we misuse God’s mercies, and are entirely unthankful to him. 

14 And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. 15 And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.

This is a demonstration of the miraculous. No one asked Jesus but He responded to her sorrows. We have three recorded examples of Jesus giving back the lives of people, witnessed by many people, scoffed at when the young woman was about to be raised from the dead. Perhaps there were many more, certainly many more miracles so the Holy Land was filled with examples and filled with people who either witnessed them or heard about them. And yet people could easily be fickle instead of steadfast (like the Steadfast Lutheran who started a group by that name and was the first to run away). Other equally amusing names and titles are used today.

16 And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people. 17 And this rumour 

(ο λογος ουτος ) of him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about.

This one miracle spread across the entire region, just as the Gospel of the Risen Christ spread across the world.

Another Life

I have been thinking about people who talk about losing a life, losing a person, especially in light of the widow's son. She doubtless had great blessings from that second life as a continuation of his first life.

If we believe in Jesus Christ and His Gospel, there are two lives, from a point of view. There is certainly sorrow, pain, and a kind of insanity which is unlike anything else. I doubt whether any believer feels normal - or sane - after a loss.

However, there is another life for the Christian believer which is even more glorious than our mortal lives. God gives us a memory which repeats our happy times and blessings, as much as we want. The difficult moments are also tinted with the feelings of everything wonderful and transcendent. 

For no cost at all, we bring up - in our memories - impossibly great events that had to have come from God's guidance and circumstances. And they pop up as well, part of that jumble of memories arriving like spring flowers.

Trinity 15 2023

  

The Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity, 2023

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

Link for today's service.

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Daylight Time

The Hymn #345                       Jesus Lover of My Soul                                                          

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit

Bow down Thine ear, O Lord, hear me: O Thou, my God, save Thy servant that trusteth in Thee.

Be merciful to me, O Lord: for I cry unto Thee daily.

Psalm. Rejoice the soul of Thy servant: for unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

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

Collect

O Lord, we beseech Thee, let Thy continual pity cleanse and defend Thy Church; and because it cannot continue in safety without Thy help, preserve it evermore by Thy help and goodness; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.

Gradual

It is better to trust in the Lord: 

than to put confidence in man.

V. It is better to trust in the Lord: 

than to put confidence in princes. 

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

V. O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. Hallelujah!

The Epistle and Gradual       

The Gospel              

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

The Sermon Hymn #396                           O For a Faith                                

God or Greed

The Communion Hymn #467           Built on the Rock - Grundvig

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 #54                   Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah

                         

Announcements and Prayers

• Randy Anderson, Sarah Buck, Lori Howell, Kermit Way, Callie. 
• Zach is back.

People ask about our Holy Communion.

Roman Catholics put an emphasis on the ordained priest. The presence of the priest validates the communion service. The forgiveness is partial; the elements become only the body and blood of Christ. The priest and his ordination make it effective.

Calvinists reject Baptism and Communion as sacraments. The elements remain bread and wine and do not convey forgiveness. Calvin mocked the Real Presence.

Lutheran Biblical teaching shows what 1 Corinthians 10:16 reveals. The Body of Christ is with the bread through the Consecrating Word; the Blood is with the wine through the consecrating Word. The Word is always effective.

Distance does not attenuate or weaken the power of the Word, which is always divine. When Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish through His Word, the 5,000 families were stretched across the grassy oasis. Nevertheless, these miracles showed Jesus could create this miracle for the entire crowd. If the liturgy, hymns, creed, readings, and sermon are effective, then how could the Words of Consecration be ineffective? Those who agree with the Augsburg Confession are one with us and are welcome to join the distribution - after God's Word has consecrated the elements for those who hear and believe.

KJV Galatians 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.  2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.  4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.  5 For every man shall bear his own burden.  6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.  7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.  8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.  9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.  10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

KJV Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank Thee for all Thy benefits: that Thou hast given us life and graciously sustained us unto this day: We beseech Thee, take not Thy blessing from us; preserve us from covetousness, that we may serve Thee only, love and abide in Thee, and not defile ourselves by idolatrous love of mammon, but hope and trust only in Thy grace, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

God or Greed

KJV Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

This passage from the Sermon on the Mount concerns mammon. It is not about money and not about riches. The best and clearest example is the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazareth, where the rich man exemplifies mammon (Luke 16). Several clues make the matter clear. He dined lavishly each day; we can assume that included his friends and those he wanted to impress. He was clothed in fine linen and purple. Today we can find many broadcasts where the concept of mammon is exemplified. 

We have a lot of information about the Roman Empire at that time. Its wealth was based upon slavery, demonstrating all the extremes of wasting money to impress the others. The Republic lasted only 200 years and tyrants ruled during the Empire, their claims of power based upon family names. 

Jesus' public ministry took place during those times. Israel was controlled by Rome, and Jewish leaders obeyed Rome rather than the Scriptures. The excuse for arresting Jesus was His power and popularity. Their folly led to the destruction of Jerusalem and the rapid spread of the Gospel by land and sea.

The greatness of early Christianity was not warfare or persecution but faith in Jesus Christ and the spread of the New Testament.

The question about God or mammon is not one of power but the proper use of power. Almost every day I hear people longing for mammon to solve their problems and soothe their nerves. The lotteries are the perfect example of mammon, because - even in their minds - mammon will solve all their woes and increase their friendships. People live by "if only I could..." Luther said that about Baby Jesus. He quoted people saying, "If only I could hold the Holy Child in my arms!" He said, "Why not hold your neighbor's baby and change his diapers? Jesus is your neighbor's baby."

Lazarus is the parable's example. He received no food or clothing, the stray dogs licking his wounds. He was lower than a dog, getting his only comfort from them. His faith was honored in that story while the anonymous rich man suffered eternal agonies.

25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Jesus teaches clearly that anxiety about the basics of life is sin, because God will always provide. Christianity in America is a prime example. When the pastors and leaders had faith, they built churches to hold the services and classes. Now there is no faith in Jesus Christ - only a burning lust to have impressive numbers. But lo, how the leaders reward themselves with enormous salaries and benefits. And they lord it over the others, promoting their relatives to cushy positions. 

The LCMS-ELS-WELS have one thing in common. Now that Marvin Schwan's ice cream trucks are Yelloh! - the millions of dollars in grants seem rather weak. The seminary dorms and chapel are gilded but mostly empty. In a touch of irony - reminding us of the Reformation and Rome having people pay for sins, the synod leaders absolved Marvin Schwan of his sin because of the money he gave to honor his name and keep them happy.

 Veterans Honor is the ultimate red rose.

26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

It is only fitting that Jesus, the Lord of Creation, has given us birds and flowers as examples to cure our anxieties! I took a vase of roses to the IV clinic, where various potions are dripped into one's body to prevent major infections and other maladies. The nurses got all excited about the splash of color at the desk - Enchanted Peace, Veterans Honor, Picote Crepe Myrtle, Alium, etc.

1. Where did you get them? Your garden?
2. You have a book about them?
3. I want to start roses some day!

A lot of thoughts, essays, and books are based upon almost total ignorance of Creation. Nothing teaches better and faster than sitting or kneeling or standing on the soil and working a garden. Layers of soil and roots show up. Earthworms wonder who turned on all the lights as they dive back into their cool, dark soil. 

Jesus Christ taught in clear, simple ways, and also gave us countless examples of Creation providing for us - food, restoration of the land, beauty, peace, fragrances, and the interplay of so many aspects of His work. 

Luther called the birds professors, because they teach us by getting up for Matins and singing their hearts out, even though they have to look for food on an empty stomach and feed their noisy, famished young'uns. When the robins did not like their front door security light (warm but not hot) they moved to the backdoor one.

26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

People can read this as harsh criticism or gentle irony. I think of it as irony because we all experience this anxiety. Doubtless we are far more secure than most generations, but the changes are demanding and instant. A trucking firm locally dissolved their company of 30,000 truckers all at once. A message was sent to me by R2 D2, "We are consolidating classes," which told me nothing. However, everything remained the same. 

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness [the righteousness of faith in Him]; and all these things shall be added unto you.

History has shown that the Christian Faith is content with living frugally and working hard. There is no easier way to make plenty of money than by spending only when necessary. Work can be difficult and unrewarding but the same work over time can move mountains. Faith in Jesus Christ means that He will provide far more than we can imagine and in many ways we cannot foresee. 

The Spirit is often used as a parallel with the Church, because the Gospel is conveyed to us through the visible and invisible Word. If people would only follow John 16, they would realize that the primary work of the Spirit is to condemn the world of sin, "because they do not believe on Me."

It is easy to spend a lot of effort on carnal sin, but Jesus Himself emphasized faith in Him. That is the source of grace (Romans 5). Secondly, faith in Jesus Christ means we have a friend, guide, and Good Shepherd who smites the wolves and nurtures the sheep and lambs. 

Enchanted Peace is six or seven feet tall, encouraged by hard-working earthworms.

Trinity 14 2023

  

Bethany Lutheran Church, Springdale, Arkansas

The Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity, 2023

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

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
  

One in Ten 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 third year at Grand Canyon University campus in Phoenix.
• Diagnosis and treatment - Randy Anderson, Lori Howell, Sarah Buck, Pastor Jim Shrader and Chris, Kermit Way + good news for Maria Way, Callie.
• Zach Engleman returns home this week.

 Norma A. Boeckler

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.

One in Ten 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:

KJV John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

The beauty of God's Word is the Holy Spirit teaching us about the Father and the Son. Although some speak of the Spirit being in the background, how do they consider the Spirit in every Word of the Bible? Not only that, as Jesus taught in the Gospel of John, the Spirit gave the knowledge of Jesus teaching the disciples and also what they needed to know in preaching and in writing down the divine passages.

The gross errors of the moderns, rationalists, and apostates come from treating the Scriptures as human documents, often something to mock or to replace with their own "creative" thoughts, which I heard in the 1960s and ever since. In doing so, they cannot see or understand what a passage means and therefore cannot teach Christianity at all. Would anyone go to a restaurant and sit down for a meal of pictures of various foods? So are the churches and synods that refuse to teach faith in Jesus Christ. They know everything, except Jesus saying, "When the Son of Man returns, will He find faith?" (Hint - they are not sure whether Jesus is the Son of Man, because that suggests the divinity of Christ. The same genius level is found in all the modern Bibles and the notorious Beck Bible - denial and removal of verses about the divinity of Jesus.)

The sight of lepers gathered had to be pitiful. Ten gathered together in the hope of gaining the attention and help of Jesus. They bore the burden of being weak, sick, and shunned by everyone. They gave some hope and comfort toward each other, but that made their plight that much more repulsive to the crowds. What chance did they have?

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.

They had faith in Him. We know that because they hailed Him as their Master, their Teacher. This is a good example of the efficacy of the Gospel (Romans 10). Faith comes by hearing the Good News. The miracles of Jesus spread throughout the region because that was God's plan to expand knowledge and to instill the faith of Jesus the Son of God.

Jesus did not say He was healing them. Instead, He emphasized sending them to the priests.

Luther:

He does not first say he will do it, but as though it were already done, he did as they wished. For he does not say: Yes, I will have mercy on you, ye shall be cleansed; but merely: “Go and show yourselves unto the priests.” As though he would say: There is no use of asking, your faith has already acquired and obtained it, before you began to ask; you were already cleansed in my sight when you began to expect such things of me; it is no longer necessary, only go and show your purity to the priests; as I consider you and as you believe, so you are and shall be. For he would not have sent them to the priests, if he had not considered them clean, and so wished to deal thus with them, as those who had become cleansed.

This should resonate with people - Ephesians 3 - God gives us more than we can imagine. 

"KJV Ephesians 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,"

And this similar Promise

KJV Isaiah 65:24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

This point alone should dwell in our minds and be so certain to us that we count on it, treasure it, and think about its meaning, its divine power. That is one of the key concepts of efficacy. At first someone may resist such a great claim, even make fun of it, but agitation brings about more clarity. Can that really be true? If we have a weak concept of God's Word, the Promise here is overlooked. The power comes from knowing God will do what is right and best in the long run. 

That meant a lot that our little group was praying for a neighbor, not someone who asked for prayer and often resisted many things because of very corrupt clergy he knew too well. "They are praying for you." All the medical people are impressed that such a horrible development was responding so well.

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. 

All ten shuffled off and were cleansed along the way. One saw he was cleansed already and began praising God in a loud voice (too weak to shout before). He came back to worship Jesus Christ, falling down at His feet, thanking Him. And this man, an outsider hated by observant Jews, was a Samaritan.

Luther said he would have given leprosy back to the nine who were not grateful to God.

Note that Jesus did not limit His work to Jews, which nowdays would be people born in the right denomination in the right location to the right parents with the right amount of money. The healing miracles spread the Faith very quickly and His resurrection even more.

Eyewitnesses and those cured could not help spreading the news, which matched the Suffering Servant in Isaiah 53 and the details of the crucifixion in Psalm 22.

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.

Luther:

17. Behold, so powerful is faith, to obtain all it wants of God, that God considers it done before the asking. Of this Isaiah says, 65:24: “And it shall come to pass that, before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” Not as though faith or we were worthy of it, but in order that he might show his unspeakable goodness and willing grace, thereby to stir us to believe in him, and comfortingly look to him for every good thing, with joyful and unwavering consciences, which do not stumble after him nor tempt him. So now you also see that Christ hears these lepers before they call, and before they cry out he is prepared to do all their hearts desire. “Go,” he says, I will not add a word, for it has succeeded in your case farther, no promise or consent is necessary; take what you ask and go.

Are not these strong incentives that make the heart joyful and eager?

Behold, then his grace permits itself to be felt and grasped, yea it grasps and satisfies us. This has been said on the first part, namely, faith.

As Luther also says, faith and love go together. Through faith in the Savior, we have everything, even before we ask. One consequence of faith is knowing and experiencing God's protection and help. Because we have so much through God's will and power, we naturally help our neighbors in any kind of need. Where that exists, people are blessed in many ways. 

My experience with clergy is - they do not trust God to help and protect them. The officials can get rid of pastors and often do - it is the nature of wolves to murder and scatter. Just look at the publications of the early 20th century and 100 years later. They worked for almost nothing and produced great works of faith, which was a lot of labor in those days. 

Jonah was tossed off the ship because the sailors knew he was guilty of something, and they were threatened with death. However, Jonah did not die but got a ride to Nineveh. 

The clergy today shiver and moan that they will lose their precious retirement, their health insurance, and - worst of all - the friendship of other sheepish clergy. That makes it easy to herd the clergy sheep and the members into a cage and make them obey man, not God. Like the 9 lepers, they had the complete blessings at one point but dropped them in favor of serving their own needs.

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

It is not up to us to demand from God, but to trust in His wisdom. The carnival types who dangle something before others are always promoting - "Do this for God, and He will do this for you." They often add, "Look at my mansion and my deluxe car. You can have the same, but only if you do..." 

As one Church Growth genius said throughout his speech, "Do this and you will have a lot of happy campers." People sat there and absorbed the toxins. Decades later, nobody was left to attend the formerly large church of happy campers.

Every clergy wolf has a solution - "Satisfy my appetite." But the Savior teaches trust in Him, helping us before we even think to ask, giving us more than we can imagine (Isaiah 65, Ephesians 3).

Daily prayers should include -

1. Thankfulness for all our blessings, including difficulties of the past that led to blessings.
2. Care for those with special needs, from finances to healing, and many other important things.
3. Focus on the Scriptures and faithful Christian works and hymns.
4. Guidance for the future.
5. Repentance for sin and joy in forgiveness.
6. Blessings for others.

Gospel readings strengthen and deepen our faith in Jesus Christ.

The End