Traditional Lutheran worship, using The Lutheran Hymnal and the King James Version of the Bible
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity
The Fifteenth Sunday after
Trinity, 2012
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
Bethany Lutheran Church, 10
AM Central Time
The Hymn #396 O For a Faith 4:18
The Confession
of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual
The
Gospel
Glory be to
Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon
Hymn #657 Beautiful Savior 4:24
Creation Unites the
Scriptural Message of the Faith
The Communion
Hymn # 305:1-5 Soul, Adorn Thyself 4:23
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 #23 Hallelujah! Let Praises Ring 4:77
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 #23 Hallelujah! Let Praises Ring 4:77
KJV Galatians 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.
Creation Unites the Scriptural Message of the Faith
Because the message of the Bible is one, unified
truth, one basic theme can be traced throughout the Scriptures. God reveals so
much in the Bible that we gain from seeing the unity of the Word and the many
ways this truth is taught.
We often describe this lesson as one about God and
mammon, but it could also be called the Creator and Creation.
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.
As Luther wrote, this term
mammon is not the same as money. It means having far more than anyone needs to
live. For instance, I posed a story about a $500 million mansion on sale in
London. The last two owners only lived a few years each in that mansion. One
was assassinated. The other died of illness. Luther said mammon was a weak god
– who must be protected and guarded. Even then, mammon cannot cure illness or
protect someone. I have noticed that the richest people in the world often have
lifetimes cut short because of severe illness or someone wanting to inherit
sooner rather than later.
We can say that this lesson
is about the Creator versus Creation. One sign of the end times is the worship
of the Creation rather than the Creator.
KJV Romans 1:19 Because that
which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto
them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are
clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his
eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21 Because that,
when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were
thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was
darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And
changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to
corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
We can see how fitting
Paul’s verses are today. To suggest Creation invites mockery, but there is a
constant worship of the Creation, which must be called Nature, or Mother Earth.
People build wooden platforms in trees to protect them from being turned into
lumber – the kind used to build the platform.
The tree-huggers have
diverted billions of dollars to protect what they worship.
Everything today is
explained as evolution or nature, never as God’s design. Our Declaration of
Independence and Constitution were written with the assumption of Creation, the
rule of law based on Divine Wisdom, the Author of Life. Although not every Founder
was an orthodox Christian (Thomas Jefferson, for instance) the concept of
Christianity was basic to the understanding of our original documents.
Here the distinction is
clear. As Jesus taught, one can serve God or mammon, not both. Serving one
means hating the other, for God created everything we have and enjoy.
Sometimes people think of
Creation as the hardware – the sun, moon, earth, atmosphere, metals, minerals,
water, animals, plants, and so forth. But there is also the software.
Animals show that best of
all, because they do not go to school but have instant knowledge of how to
build nests, forage for food, and take care of their young. We loved having a
bluejay nest outside our window. The parents fed their little jays all day
long, with extra treats from me. One day the birds were fluttering their wings
in the nest. The next few days saw them fly away. Our son said, “That must be
odd. What are these. Oh wings. I will flap them. Flap. Flap. I will fly. Who
told them they could fly or how to fly?”
The software in animal
behavior is incredibly complex. And it is all coordinated. Everything happens
in the right order. Organic material is attacked and recycled in a predictable
and “scientific” fashion.
We have some grand theories,
but they do not fit Creation. The Great Plains should have been wooded, but the
pioneers found them almost completely devoid of trees. This was a great boon
for soil creation, because prairie grass generated 10 and 20 feet of rich
soil. Because of that, the soil of the
Midwest is the richest in the world.
Likewise, Australia had
major problems when the created order was upset by Westerners introducing new
creatures, such as rabbits and cane toads.
Thus a major and
undisputable revelation of the Bible is that God created the universe through
the Word, and Jesus is that creating Word. Genesis 1 and John 1 teach the same
doctrine, with more detail added in John 1. Each passage has a different
emphasis, but both agree completely.
Creation by the Word is not
a matter of indifference in the Christian Faith. In fact, we can see how
important it is by the many ways it has been attacked and then ignored.
Creation by the Word unites
the concepts of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God being effective, and Creation
itself.
So the Bible is not a book
about God. It is God’s own book. Every Word in it is inspired by the Holy
Spirit in one, unified truth. Because the Holy Spirit is always united with the
Word, the Word is the vehicle or means by which God acts and establishes His
will.
Therefore it is especially
obnoxious to worship the results of the Creation and deny the Creator. This is good psychology, too, which we
expect from the Son of God.
Those who worship the
Creation deny God in the name of Nature, Earth Mother, and other nonsense. My
favorite video is one where a bunch of hippies moan and cry over a bunch of
rocks and dead trees.
Given the power and mercy of
God, it is foolish to reduce our trust in Him for all things and to rely on
ourselves instead.
It is probably true that
someone who dedicates himself to making money will accomplish that goal. One
person asked for advice on how to do that and got this answer on the Net – “I
will tell you everything I did in the last 20 years. If you do the opposite you
will be a millionaire by Tuesday.”
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?
The consequence of trusting
in God is not worrying about the necessities of life. We still do, especially
in such unsettled times, but to be perfect in this regard is the same as saying
we never sin. Our nature inclines us to worry and all the messages around us say
we should worry.
But this is an area where
human emotions are especially fragile. It is easy to be carried away. Often the
least vulnerable are the most inclined to panic. When people panic, they lose
all perspective. So we live with a need to have our frail emotions balanced by
trust in God, through His promises.
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?
For a period of time I did
not feed the birds around our home. But now it is time for them to migrate, so
we expect a lot more birds coming through. Plenty of natural food is available
but sunflower seed gives them more protein and minerals for their needs.
Birds would rather forage on
their own, unlike squirrels. They routinely get into my sunflower seeds and
make a feast for themselves.
A bird wakes up singing each
morning, but he does not know where breakfast is coming from. During nesting
season he is busy making a nest, taking care of his children, and trying to
feed himself. They do so without storage (for the most part – blue jays store
acorns and help spread oak forests).
God stores plenty of nutritious
food for birds for the winter. The insects pupate in hidden places in tree bark
and in bushes. Birds eat that fast food all winter, except when a sleet storm
covers their supply. That is when they need human provided food the most.
The insect cycle provides
food for the parents and worms for the babies in spring. The birds provide
insect control while feeding themselves and their young.
The examples of Creation
show us that God has already provided for us. Our burden as humans is that we
have to think about our lot in life. Human reason makes us proud if things go
our way or despairing and jealous if they do not.
So much is established by
what God gives us and by what God provides. He even gives us faith by Creation.
The Word of God creates faith in our
hearts so that we trust the Promises of God and receive forgiveness of sin
through that trust.
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.
The Scriptures constantly
remind us of the passing of time, how flowers and grass grow and wither. There
is that moment many people reach when they say, “Time is fleeting. All the
important things of the past no longer matter so much. Lasting and eternal
values matter the most.”
The beauty of Creation, so
often portrayed by Norma Boeckler, teaches us that God is the ultimate artist
and designer. I remember seeing the look on the faces of children when I
pointed out that every single element in life was created by the Word, by Jesus
the Creating Word.
KJV John 1:1 In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The
same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without
him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was
the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness
comprehended it not. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through
him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness
of that Light. 9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that
cometh into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him,
and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him
not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons
of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not
of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the
glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
That is all around us and
yet denied by so many.
When Lutherans neglect the
efficacy of the Word, the Creation of the universe by the Logos, they
necessarily deny everyone the tools to understand the Gospel, the Means of
Grace, forgiveness, justification by faith.
What God declares is true.
The Gospel says, Christ has died for your sins. In believing this Promise you
have what the Son of God did for you.
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.
Jesus often said, “O ye of
little faith.” It is often repeated today.
When parents and children
are together, trust builds all the time. The children learn that trusting the
word of their parents is key to having a good, productive, and chaos-free life.
Sadly, many do not know that. They see parents out of control and emulate that
condition as they grow up.
The ideal, as established by
Creation, is to have the home serve as the essential building block of all
society. Parents learn as they raise children, listen to their children
communicating needs. Children mature to the point where they say, “My parents
were a great influence on me. I really value their wisdom.”
God as Father is no
accident. He cares for us and pours out His wisdom in so many ways, providing
for our knowledge and spiritual growth so lavishly that we can hardly miss it –
unless we consciously reject it.
When there is trust, even
more trust builds up. Where trust is lacking, the emotions are even more
influential in destroying the remnants of trust.
Seek first the Kingdom of
God and His righteousness – that means the Gospel comes first. Whatever is
first will displace anything else from first place. If material concerns are
first, the Gospel must be second, or third, or last. If the Gospel is first,
that alone informs how we think about everything else.
At the Crystal Bridges Museum
is a rather simple work of art. It is a red lens that is also convex, curved
inward. It is suspended over a glassed area, so the viewers can look through it
and see people moving back and forth on the other side.
The lens changes everything
in that view. Everything takes on a red glow and the view is smaller, taking in
a larger field than plain glass.
God has given us the Gospel
so we have that Gospel lens to view the world. Everything is different. Forgiveness
dominates. We give God credit for everything, from the smallest blessings to
the greatest miracles.
It is far more than Creation
itself. The red lens is the Gospel, and everything connects to that Gospel.
How can a crucified man rise
from the dead? How can we? The Gospel sets aside the law of sin and death and
gives us forgiveness and eternal life in its place.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity
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| http://www.normaboecklerart.com The Thankful Leper |
The Fourteenth Sunday after
Trinity, 2012
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
Bethany Lutheran Church, 10
AM Central Time
The Hymn # 292 Lord Jesus Christ 1:2
The Confession
of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual
The
Gospel
Glory be to
Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon
Hymn # 192 Awake My Heart 1:22
Thankful to God
The Communion
Hymn # 480 Lord of the Worlds 1:62
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 1:80
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 1:80
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 To God
KJV Luke 17:11 And it
came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of
Samaria and Galilee.
Lenski:
Luke does not keep to the
chronology as we have seen hitherto. He has already brought us far on this
journey to Jerusalem where Jesus was to die, as far as southern Perea, but he
now reverts to the start of this journey, when, after being refused hospitality
by the Samaritans (9:51, etc.), Jesus passed along the border of Samaria and
Galilee to cross the Jordan into Perea. Luke, who is seldom specific about the
localities of his narratives, is so here in order to explain how one of the ten
lepers happened to be a Samaritan. We conclude also that Jesus is on the
Galilean side of the border, for it would be hard to account for the presence
of nine Jewish lepers in Samaria and much easier to have one Samaritan leper
associated with nine Jewish lepers in Galilee near the border.
Luke places this incident of the
lepers at this point in his Gospel as a continuation of 15:1, 2. The entire piece
from 15:1–17:10 is a unit. It referred to publicans and open sinners in chapter
15, and Luke now brings in even a Samaritan, one who did not come in contact
with Jesus in vain.
Lenski, R. C. H.: The
Interpretation of St. Luke's Gospel. Minneapolis, MN : Augsburg Publishing
House, 1961, S. 874.
There are two kinds of
thankfulness, as Luther observed more than once. If a man inherits a vast
estate, he rejoices and tells all his friends how fortunate, how blessed he is.
But the same person is not thankful for the spiritual blessings given to him by
God.
The irony is this – God
provides for us, even for unbelievers. Lenski said we often pray for what God
gives anyway – our daily needs. We should elevate our prayers beyond that level
of anxiety.
This is a miracle story with
an emphasis on thankfulness. Oddly, we once heard it preached at Community of
Joy (ELCA), in Phoenix, the premier Church Growth congregation in ELCA.
However, they left ELCA for the LCMC, about 10,000 members in all. The minister
(a Fuller D. Min. and substitute preacher for Schuller at the Crystal
Cathedral) wore a Hawaiian shirt and joked around like a night club
entertainer. The message was on this text but so vague that I do not remember a
word of it. The congregation enjoyed his little jokes, like wearing a birthday
gift shirt but not his birthday suit.
The message of every CG
congregation is, “Look at how great we are! Look at our size. We are so
successful.” They thank God for having such good numbers. They never talk about
faithfulness to the Word of God. A phenomenal success, Rob Bell, was so
infatuated with his numbers that he wrote a book about not believing in much at
all. His congregation ousted him, even though he tried hard to manage the
firestorm that erupted after publication of Love Wins. Bell believes in
universal reconciliation. Where have I heard that before?
Bell is a good example of
being misled by fabulous numbers and overwhelming material success, only to go
deeper into spiritual blindness and a free fall. His latest gig was speaking at
the nightclub where River Phoenix died – The Viper Room. So appropriate.
This miracle is short and
simple.
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.
Ten lepers gathered their
weak voices from afar to cry out for mercy from Jesus. This is one of the
saddest plights. They were exiles from society. Their disorder was so
frightening that no one wanted to be near them. But they knew about Jesus and
had faith that He would cure them. Together they had enough strength to make a
commotion from a distance, because they would not get near Him or any crowd.
That would not be allowed.
Of all the requests made to
Jesus, were any turned down? As we know from the ending, the nine did not show
any thankfulness. All were cured, not just one.
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 description of the cure
is concise, allowing for the ten to show themselves as cleansed when they came
to the priests (note the plural) for ritual cleansing. The cleansing baths were
very important in Judaism. They are often found in archeological digs. They are
ritual baths for symbolic cleansing, so the transition to baptism as a
cleansing from sin is all the more significant.
Ten lepers arriving cured at
the baths, showing themselves to various priests, means that many more people
witnessed the miraculous power of Jesus. We are much more aware of the
externals. Nothing would be quite as astonishing as a leper cleansed before the
ritual began, not to mention 10 lepers cleansed at once. Like the water turned
into wine, there is no chance for someone to say, “That was a coincidence. One
leper underwent a spontaneous cure. That could happen.” But 10? That is
impossible to explain away, except through the power of unbelief.
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.
Certainly all of the lepers
were rejoicing. Lenski observed that they called Jesus “Master,” which was only
a confession of His role as a rabbi. Rabbis were also known for healing, and
some of our current remedies are derived from rabbinic cures, such as extended
periods of sleep, now called the medically induced coma.
But this cured man came back
and worshiped Jesus as God. This was true faith and a genuine acknowledgement
of the source of the cure.
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.
Where are the nine is a good
way of summing up all that God gives us and the response given by mankind.
77. However, Christ here comforts his poor
Samaritans, who for his name’s sake must risk their lives with the priests and
Jews, and strengthens their hope with the sentence and judgment that he demands
the nine and judges them as God’s thieves, who steal God’s glory, and justifies
the Samaritan. For this hope gives them strong courage, that their cause before
God will be rightly maintained and will stand, but the opposite cause will be
condemned and will not stand, it matters not how great they were and what right
they had on earth.
78. Therefore observe, before Christ justifies the Samaritan, he judges the nine, that we should be certain not to hasten or desire revenge, but leave it only to him, and go our way. For he is in himself so careful to defend the right and punish the wrong, that he first takes up the latter before he rewards his Samaritans.
78. Therefore observe, before Christ justifies the Samaritan, he judges the nine, that we should be certain not to hasten or desire revenge, but leave it only to him, and go our way. For he is in himself so careful to defend the right and punish the wrong, that he first takes up the latter before he rewards his Samaritans.
Thankfulness is for our spiritual blessings. The material
blessings come and go. They are often the target of those who want revenge for feeling
slighted or challenged. It was said at the community college where I taught, “Only
atheists can teach in the religion department, and that includes part-timers,
like adjuncts.” Sure enough, one Baptist minister got in there part-time. He
was shooed away. Those atheists cannot stand the mention of God. They would
gladly see the minister starve while they earned $100,000 for teaching 9-12
hours per week.
The hymn-writers of our Lutheran tradition were not rewarded
with security or a pleasant life. Gerhardt is the greatest writing of comforting
hymns, and he had the hardest life, in every way possible, because he would not
compromise with non-Lutheran doctrine. Those who hailed his anniversary made me
laugh, because they made a show of admiring Gerhardt while being one with those
who made his life difficult.
Difficulties open our eyes to spiritual blessings, because only
the Gospel can comfort and strengthen when nothing else is available.
What moves people to work on obscure doctrinal texts and Latin/German
translations, when no money is there to pay them, no easy academic positions?
They are so energized by opposition that they pounce on each new find as a
treasure almost lost.
When they try to take
away Biblical faith, Biblical faith is more valuable.
When they offer a counterfeit and say, “Here is your faith,
which is so bad and evil!” then Biblical teaching is that much more important.
I read about a truly gifted team of counterfeit money-makers.
They were great, until they got to tropical areas. There the paper divided
because it was perfect, except for being glued together to be thick enough.
We are always in the process of having our faith tested and
purified. We learn to give up what is shallow and material for that which is lasting.
The more we see the real Gospel of the Bible, of Luther and the Confessors, the
more we can detect the counterfeits.
Galatians 5:22 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.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity. The Good Samaritan.
The Thirteenth Sunday after
Trinity, 2012
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
The Hymn # 281 The Savior Calls 1:29
The Confession
of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual
The
Gospel
Glory be to
Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon
Hymn #259 Flung to the Heedless
Winds 1:64
The Good Samaritan Is Jesus
The Communion
Hymn # 308 Invited, Lord, by Boundless Grace 1:63
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 # 464 Blest Be the Tie That Binds 1:39
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 # 464 Blest Be the Tie That Binds 1:39
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.
KJV
Luke 10:23 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. 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? 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 And 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.
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.
 |
| The Good Samaritan, by Norma Boeckler http://www.normaboecklerart.com |
The Good Samaritan Is Jesus
I remember the feeling, when
this lesson came up in church – Now we are going to get it for not being good
Samaritans.
There are so many law
sermons on this lesson that one could build a complete set of books: The Good
Samaritan Condemns You, Four Volumes.
This Gospel does not start
with condemnation, but with blessing instead. And that blessing applies to us.
KJV Luke 10:23 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.
Every single person who
hears the Word of God is blessed. In those days they were able to see and hear
the Savior. Now we hear His words and see Him in the Sacraments.
It is always a blessing
because God’s Word is always effective. Those who listen attentively and
sincerely will receive divine wisdom and guidance from the Holy Spirit. Also,
those who reject it will be hardened and blinded by it, just as those who
mishandle electrical power will be harmed by their careless attitude toward
something both life-giving and death-causing.
There are many occasions
when someone has obstinately resisted the Word but is so disturbed that another
visitation creates a moment of conversion, insight, and rebirth. We cannot
judge when that will happen, so the Word is carelessly sown, knowing the
results are always good.
Verse 24 should remind us
that we are more privileged than many prophets and kings. Before the Savior’s
public ministry, many leaders longed for the salvation of mankind. They desired
forgiveness and peace. They looked for the truth. One could say that the entire
history of philosophy has been a search for the truth. Most philosophers today
(in academic life) are atheists, so they cannot grasp the basics of truth. They
may dance around us in circles with their arcane knowledge, but Jesus said we
need the faith of a little child, not the library of a learned philosopher - to enter the Kingdom of God.
Analogy of Faith
When we grasp the Analogy of
Faith, the Scriptures come alive with an endless supply of insights.
Someone asked me about the
Analogy of Faith. I forgot the term since I never use the words themselves. But
I often bring up that ancient truth of the Scriptures.
Here it is – Since the Word
of God is infallible and inerrant, the Scriptures present a unified truth where
no contradictions are present. The Bible is the Book of the Holy Spirit, with
many human authors but only one divine author, God. Because of that, the unity
and harmony we find is the quality given to it by the Holy Spirit. I have
emphasized that in all the sermons and Bible lessons. Hebrews uses an exotic
set of images and aims at a Jewish group persecuted and discouraged, but the
author does not argue against Paul. He teaches justification by faith with
different words and images at times, but the same doctrine revealed by God.
Therefore, every verse is
connected to every other verse in the Bible. The simpler and more obvious
passages can be used to explain the ones that seem more obscure to us. The
fault is not with God’s Word but with our understanding of the moment. At
times, for instance, people had no trouble with divinity of Jesus, but they
could not accept His birth from a mere woman, a sinful woman. Many errors came
from that attitude – not from the Scriptures but from man’s culture at the
moment. Now people (in general) have no trouble with the humanity of Christ,
but they seek to remove the divinity of Jesus. Thomas Jefferson did that with
his heavily edited Bible, which reduced Jesus to a teacher of morality.
It is good to note that
liberals always pixelate the Bible. They find one passage, one part of one
sentence, and magnify that to be the entire message of the Word of God. They
magnify it to such an extent that no one can recognize it in context. And they
make their newest insight The Law, The Truth. One well known scholar made Jesus
the leader of a sacred mushroom cult. I know – I missed that in the Bible, too.
I laughed when I read that the mushroom starring in the book did not grow in
that area. But the book sold well for a few weeks.
The Analogy of Faith also
means that we must teach the Word of God with all aspects in balance, in proper
proportion. To emphasize the Sacraments at the expense of the Word (as the
Romanists do) is bound to create problems. The Holy Spirit’s work should not be
neglected, but it should not be the only element in all teaching, as if the
Trinity has only one Member.
This digression helps
explain how we need to read this famous but greatly abused Parable of the Good
Samaritan –
25 And, behold, a certain
lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit
eternal life?
It was and continues to be a
Jewish tradition to have the teacher answer questions after giving a lesson.
One of the interesting parts about this is trying to stump the teacher. That is
a great tradition, because it makes the hearers more eager to excel and it
challenges the teacher. Just the opposite is the papal attitude – that the
teacher is perfect and everyone must bow to his authority just because he has
that title. Abusive cults thrive on that attitude.
So we have a valid question,
which Jesus turned into a question.
26 He said unto him, What is
written in the law? how readest thou?
The lawyer has to answer his
own question, which is good. This is good diagnostic work. He may be right or
wrong. One can build on either answer.
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.
It is no accident that the
answer given is the famous summary of the Law, where there is widespread
agreement. The rabbis taught this. Jesus taught this. Luther called it the Two
Tables or the two relationships. The first relationship is faith, our
relationship to God. The second is our relationship to our neighbor. The Law
(better – the Doctrine of the Bible) is summed up in those two relationships.
For the Law salesmen, Jesus’
answer is a god-send. As one said to me, Jesus told us – Do this. It is in
doing.
If they could stop there,
they might make a Law fortress out of this lesson. But Jesus’ answer is ironic,
something lost on those with no sense of humor. Is it possible to do this at
all times, perfectly? Giving the fallen nature of man, no – it is not, so there
must be another answer.
The lawyer revealed his
attitude toward the Word when he said this –
29 But he, willing to
justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
Or, we might say – eager to
justify himself. He was waiting for an answer that he had done all he could do
to inherit eternal life. His answer to the question came in the form of the
great parable. Love your neighbor? Who is your neighbor? We can see at the end
that the neighbor is Jesus, the Good Samaritan.
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.
“A certain man” means this
is a parable, a short story, fiction, with a heavenly meaning.
This is a common occurrence
in travel, a common fear. When cash is relatively scarce, clothing is quite
valuable. In fact, there are scams today to collect clothing in the name of
charity, because of its value. This man was robbed and beaten, left for dead on
the road.
31 And 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.
Jesus gave two examples of
men who avoided helping their neighbor. The priest and Levite crossed over to
the opposite side of the road, to pretend they saw nothing. The roads were
fairly narrow, certainly by our standards, so this was a pretense.
There are many priests and
Levites today. They see a confessional pastor in trouble. They cross over to
the other side of the road. They do not see it. Or they phone and say, “This is
all your fault for causing trouble.” They do not help and they shun the
fellow-pastor who is robbed, beaten, and left for dead on the road. The
willfully blind do not see it.
33 But a certain
Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had
compassion on him,
Notice that the word “good”
is lacking in the text. That has become part of the title, leading us to think
this is about good people (who perfect themselves in the Law) and bad people
(who are the target of a given Law sermon).
The certain Samaritan is
Jesus. His example shows that He alone is the Savior.
He saw the man and had
compassion on him. The prime quality of God is compassion, mercy. We have great
collects that say God’s power is shown chiefly in His mercy.
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.
When we are half-dead and
unable to help ourselves, Jesus comes to us with the Gospel. We do not have the
strength to come to Him. He comes to us in the Word and the Sacraments.
Look at the many steps taken
for this this man:
- Went to him – God pursues us with His Word, He
comes to us.
- Bound up his wounds – Forgiveness of sin,
justification by faith
- Poured on oil and wine – Oil is Gospel
forgiveness, wine is the Law.
- Set him on his beast – God provides continuing
help.
- Brought him to an inn – He created the church
for the Means of Grace.
- Took care of him – The care and compassion are
continuous.
As Luther said about
Galatians and Paul’s greeting – grace and peace are two great words. Grace
comes from God – it is the forgiveness that takes away our sins. Peace is the
result of this forgiveness, which we receive through faith.
Even better, this
forgiveness is not for tiny sins but for great sins, not for conquered sins (because
no one can conquer his own sins) but for nagging sins.
This forgiveness is for
many, for all sins.
The wounded does not deserve
healing. The wounded needs healing. As we know from many medical shows, the
healing needs to start early.
We are not forgiven because
we deserve forgiveness. The healing begins with the Gospel, because without
forgiveness the wounds continue to fester and worsen. There are many stories of
ancients who had one wound and died as a result. One man kicked a stone in
frustration and died later from the infection that began from that injury.
Luther pointed out – the oil
represents the healing of the Gospel, the wine the antiseptic qualities of the
Law.
God’s care is continuous. It
is not an instant of forgiveness and “never do this again” but a life-long
relationship. Abiding on the True Vine – as Jesus explained in John 15. Note
the Analogy of Faith.
Christ created the church by
sending the Holy Spirit, the Means of Grace for our life as Christians. He also
continues to care for each every one of us.
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.
This is perfect example of
how God works through the Gospel, because the earlier steps were not only
adequate but far beyond human efforts. On top of those previous ways to help
the man, the Christ-figure speaks to the inn-keeper and says, “Here is money
for the rest of his recovery. If you spend more, I will pay you back.”
We could see the inn-keeper
as those of us within the church who care for others. Whatever we spend in time
and money on others will be paid back, when “He comes again.” There are many examples
in the teaching of Jesus to show that what is spent or taken away from us will
be returned to us many times over (Analogy of Faith again).
Man looks at this as balancing
accounts. Why help a stranger? I will be out some money, risk something, and
never get paid back, never thanked even. The true Gospel message is to help
without expect pay, rewards, or thanks. That is why the visible church is
breaking down. Career-minded clergy put their own accounts first and will not
risk anything for someone beaten, robbed, and left half-dead on the road.
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.
Love your neighbor, first of
all, means love and trust in Christ. John 16:8ff teaches without any doubt –
sin is not believing in Christ.
This is not a Law parable
but a Gospel parable. The Law salesmen never realize that good works come from
a good person. Faith in Christ makes us good, so forgiveness leads to good works
as the fruit of faith.
Thirteenth Sunday after
Trinity
Covenant and Grace
"The Old Testament dealt with the promises of God to the
chosen people. Thereby God placed Himself in 'covenant' relation to Israel
(berith). This relation, like the promises and the gifts of God to Israel, is
always onesided. It is always God's covenant, not Israel's, and not a mutual
agreement, not a suntheke. This promise and covenant indeed obligates Israel,
and Israel assumes these obligations, but the covenant emanates entirely from God."
R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of
the Epistle to the Hebrews, Columbus: Lutheran Book Concern, 1938, p. 235.
Hebrews 7:22;
"To be sure, Baptism is so great that if you turn from sins
and appeal to the covenant of Baptism, your sins are forgiven. Only see to
it--if you sin in this wicked and wanton manner by presuming on God's
grace--that the judgment does not lay hold of you and forestall your turning
back. And even if you then wanted to believe and trust in your Baptism, your
trial might by God's decree, be so great that faith could not stand the strain.
If they scarcely remain in the faith who do no sin or who fall because of sheer
weakness, where will your brazen wickedness remain, which has challenged and
mocked God's grace? Let us, therefore, walk with care and fear that we may hold
fast the riches of God's grace with a firm faith and joyfully give thanks to
His mercy forever and ever. Amen."
Martin Luther, What Luther Says, An
Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House,
1959, I, p. 57. Treatise on Baptism, 1519
"And, in a word, it remains eternally true what the Son of
God says, John 15:5: Without Me ye can do nothing. And Paul, Philippians 2:13:
It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. To
all godly Christians who feel and experience in their hearts a small spark or
longing for divine grace and eternal salvation this precious passage is very
comforting; for they know that God has kindled in their hearts this beginning
of true godliness, and that He will further strengthen and help them in their
great weakness to persevere in true faith unto the end."
Formula of Concord, Thorough
Declaration, II. 14. Free Will Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, 1921, p. 885. Philippians 2:13; John
15:5
"These treasures are offered us by the Holy Ghost in the
promise of the holy Gospel; and faith alone is the only means by which we lay
hold upon, accept, and apply, and appropriate them to ourselves. This faith is
a gift of God, by which we truly learn to know Christ, our Redeemer, in the
Word of the Gospel, and trust in Him, that for the sake of His obedience alone
we have the forgiveness of sins by grace, are regarded as godly and righteous
by God the Father, and are eternally saved." Formula of Concord, Thorough
Declaration, III 10 Righteousness Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, 1921, p. 919.
"Moreover, neither contrition nor love or any other virtue,
but faith alone is the sole means and instrument by which and through which we
can receive and accept the grace of God, the merit of Christ, and the
forgiveness of sins, which are offered to us in the promise of the Gospel."
Formula of Concord, Thorough
Declaration, III 31 Righteousness Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, 1921, p. 925.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Twelfth Sunday after Trinity. Mark 7:31ff.
Healing of the Deaf Mute
 |
| By Norma Boeckler |
The Twelfth Sunday after
Trinity. 2012
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
Bethany Lutheran Church, 10
AM Central Time
The Hymn #462 I Love Thy Kingdom 4:21
The Confession
of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual
The
Gospel
Glory be to
Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon
Hymn #123 O God Our Help 4:3
Hearing and Speaking Plainly
The Communion
Hymn # 304 An Awful Mystery 4:6
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 # 376 Rock of Ages 4:47
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 # 376 Rock of Ages 4:47
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.
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.
Hearing and Speaking Plainly
Lenski:
“Again” means
that Jesus started once more; this time “out from the borders of Tyre.” In v.
24 we see that the boundaries are referred to. Up to this time Jesus had not
been on foreign soil, but now Mark states positively that “he went through
Sidon,” which lies five miles north of Tyre. But Jesus is only on a journey, we
hear of no teaching or miracles. It seems that he remained unknown, and that he
himself sought to remain so, and that he devoted his time to the instruction of
his disciples, which was the main occupation of Jesus during the last part of
his ministry.
Mark alone tells about Jesus’
passing through Sidon. What other points Jesus touched we do not know. Matthew as
well as Mark report as the destination the Sea of Galilee, its eastern side.
Lenski, R. C. H.: The
Interpretation of St. Mark's Gospel. Minneapolis, MN : Augsburg Publishing
House, 1961, S. 308
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.
In this passage there is an
emphasis upon Jesus keeping away from the opponents and giving time, we assume,
to His disciples, to teach them. The Twelve were tutored for three years. The
crowds were attracted to the gracious presence of Jesus and His powerful
preaching. They also trusted in Him to heal their sick.
It is a testimony to His
power that people sought Him out wherever He went, especially since Jesus was traveling
away from those areas where He would be best known and recognized.
Luther often gave Scripture
passages an allegorical and spiritual meaning, which seems to be a stretch at
first. Upon reading Luther’s commentary, we can see where his grasp of the
entire Bible informed him so well.
There is a vast gulf between
this miracle as seen by the rationalists and the real lesson of the healing.
We can see how the
rationalists can take our initial reaction and make hay with it. This miracle
seems crude and magic-like at first. But the details teach all we need to know.
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.
First we see faith and love.
The crowd brought a deaf-mute to Jesus to heal. They knew of His reputation and
had compassion for their friend and relative. We often call him a mute, but his
poor hearing probably gave him very poor speech, since he did not receive the
immediate sounds we know and take for granted. We sold our New Ulm to a man
with similar problems. His son had to interpret for him. The father heard us
with difficulty and spoke so we barely understood a word. That is a difficult
situation, where every common situation is fraught with communication problems.
In love, they begged Jesus
to lay His divine hands upon their friend. This reminds us that Jesus answered
every single request put before 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.
Lenski:
This preliminary
action (hence expressed by a participle) is both wise and significant for the
man. He is alone with Jesus, removed from the excitement and the distraction of
the crowd. His eyes watch Jesus, and he understands that Jesus is about to do
something for him, for taking him away must have been done for some special
purpose. Thus the man’s attention is riveted upon Jesus alone.
In the same way the next actions
of Jesus speak to the deaf-mute. Jesus uses sign language that is simple and
plain so the deaf-mute cannot help but understand. He thrusts his fingers into
the man’s ears. Here was the seat of one of his ailments—those ears were deaf.
But why do those two fingers (why do some interpreters say thumbs?) draw
attention to the deafness of the ears? The thought is conveyed to the man that
Jesus intends to do something about this deafness. We now have a finite verb,
this is one of the main actions. Let us note in connection with it that the
eyes of Jesus undoubtedly spoke to the eyes of the man.
First the deaf ears, next the mute
tongue. The sign language continues. First a minor action which is again
expressed by a participle: Jesus “having spit.” Some commentators say that
Jesus spit upon the man’s tongue, or, finding this too coarse, that he spit
upon his fingers and conveyed the spittle to the man’s tongue; and then notes
are appended about the supposed healing powers of human spittle. Where does
Mark say or intimate any of these things? Jesus spit and then touched the man’s
tongue, of course, with a finger. Both actions tell the man that Jesus wants
him to centre his attention on his mouth and on his tongue. That mouth and that
tongue are speechless, Jesus must be intending to do something about this
ailment. The actions are symbolic. To talk about the spittle as a medium for
conveying the power of Jesus is not justified by the text; nor is the laying on
of his hand in other cases a medium. The miracles are wrought by the will of
the Lord, sometimes by that will alone, often by that will expressed in an
almighty word even as in this instance. Touching with the hand is only
symbolical.
Lenski, R. C. H.: The
Interpretation of St. Mark's Gospel. Minneapolis, MN : Augsburg Publishing
House, 1961, S. 309.
This part strikes people as
crude, so the skeptics jump on their reaction and say this was borrowed from
old miracle stories. Step by step, the real story is quite different, as Lenski
explained.
First, Jesus took the man
away from the multitude. Nothing would be more confusing for the deaf man than
to hear the din of the crowd and see their gestures. Perhaps no one is really
100% deaf. If so, that person can still feel the vibrations of noise generated
by the crowed. So if the man had a little hearing, the crowd noise and movement
would have been frightening.
Jesus put His fingers in the
ears of the man, showing He would heal them. He spit and touched the man’s
tongue, the other healing. Now that the healing and speech were being restored,
Jesus sighed and said, “Be opened.”
Lenski:
The man understood the sign language of Jesus. It is
impossible to assume the contrary,
i. e., that Jesus had failed in his effort to have the
deaf-mute understand these signs. We may say that this language of Jesus was
intended to arouse faith in the man. But it would be unwarranted to make the
miracle that now followed dependent on the man’s faith. It depended wholly on
the will of Jesus. Jesus sometimes tries to instil faith before the
miracle, he sometimes lets faith follow after the miracle. It all
depends on the case. The deaf-mute may well have received a spark of faith
before the almighty word was spoken; but it was not his faith that enabled
Jesus to heal him, it was solely the power and the will of Jesus.
Lenski, R. C. H.: The
Interpretation of St. Mark's Gospel. Minneapolis, MN : Augsburg Publishing
House, 1961, S. 311.
Luther:
11. He addresses here particularly two organs of
the body, the ear and the tongue; for you know the Kingdom of Christ is founded
upon the Word, which cannot be apprehended or understood except by these two
organs, the ear and the tongue, and he rules in the hearts of men alone by the
Word and by faith. The ears apprehend the Word, the heart believes it; the
tongue, however, speaks or confesses that which the heart believes. Hence,
barring the tongue and ears, there is no perceptible difference between the
Kingdom of Christ and that of the world.
12. For in regard to the outward life a Christian has duties like an unbeliever; he tills the ground, works his fields, and plows just like others, and he undertakes no peculiar work or deed, either in eating, drinking, working, sleeping, or anything else. But these two organs of the body make a difference between a Christian and an unbeliever; a Christian speaks and hears differently; he has a tongue which praises the grace of God and preaches Christ the Lord as being the only Savior, etc. This the world does not do; it speaks of avarice and other vices, preaches and praises its own glory.
12. For in regard to the outward life a Christian has duties like an unbeliever; he tills the ground, works his fields, and plows just like others, and he undertakes no peculiar work or deed, either in eating, drinking, working, sleeping, or anything else. But these two organs of the body make a difference between a Christian and an unbeliever; a Christian speaks and hears differently; he has a tongue which praises the grace of God and preaches Christ the Lord as being the only Savior, etc. This the world does not do; it speaks of avarice and other vices, preaches and praises its own glory.
35 And straightway his
ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.
The man understood the
gestures, and the crowd saw the actions. Watching, they heard the Word of God –
Be opened!
Immediately the deaf man heard
and he spoke plainly. The binding of the tongue might have been physical or
directly related to the hearing problem. Either way we look at it, the healing
was complete and immediate, proven by the clear speaking of the former
deaf-mute.
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.
This news was so great that
the crowds could not stop talking about it. With some miracles, the healed
person testified or followed along as proof (as Lazarus did). This response was
more like the “whole world” testifying about Jesus. Of course, it was not the
whole world, but when a small community is rocked by a great event, it does
seem like that, whether the news is good or bad.
Lenski:
A multitude was present as Mark also reports in connection
with the healing of the deaf-mute. The command not to report the latter miracle
must thus be extended to include also the many others. Since Mark himself
records no reason for this command of Jesus, we are left to figure this out
ourselves. Various opinions are naturally held. The best, we judge, is that
which takes into account the time in the ministry of Jesus. He has only a few
months left, and he does not want the excitement to spread far and wide about
his being the Messiah. The people generally connected earthly, political ideas
with that title, the very ideas which Jesus combated. So he did what he could
to keep his miracles quiet at this time. But, as in this instance, he did not
succeed.
Lenski, R. C. H.: The
Interpretation of St. Mark's Gospel. Minneapolis, MN : Augsburg Publishing
House, 1961, S. 312.
Among
the modern Biblical scholars, much is made of the “Messianic secret.” Why did
Jesus tell so many people to stay quiet about what He did?
Some
wise guys thought Jesus did that just to get them to talk more about Him.
Others turn into various fantasies, which are great for filling in the void
where faith is absent.
The
best solution is the most obvious. The timetable was set and described in the
Old Testament books. The normal reaction of the crowd was to rush the process
and anoint Jesus as the King (Messiah, Son of David). To do that would have
meant more hardship for the innocent, with Rome’s reprisals.
But
the real message is – the Gospel could not be contained. The divine power of
Jesus was so great that the population took over the task of being heralds of
His coming.
The
most powerful miracle of all, for the population, was coming – the raising of a
prominent and wealthy leader – Lazarus. That is clearly the event that tipped
the scale for the triumphant entry into Jerusalem.
Hearing and Speaking Plainly
Many people have said to me,
“I never knew this to be true about Lutheran doctrine.”
They apologize for not
knowing much more, long ago. But that feeling is true for most of us. Luther
had a Medieval papal-centered education. He was shocked to his core by the
corruption in Rome, by the selling of forgiveness. He also had years of study
of the Scriptures, which informed him through the Holy Spirit instead of
through the papacy.
As one secular motto said,
“Good decisions come from experience, and experience comes from bad decisions.”
The world is run by deception
and greed, deception aimed at hiding the greed. Luther said that, and it is
still true. Honest speaking is rare. People learn to deceive and they often
deceive with double-talk. They deliberately say things so the point can be one thing
or the other, exactly the opposite.
There are the deliberate
deceivers and those who do not know better. Combining the two messages, we can often
get confused.
The deliberate deceivers do
not believe in anything except their own good. Therefore, it is in their interest
to let everyone “wander in error’s maze confounded” as Luther wrote in his great
hymn – O Lord, Look Down from Heaven Behold.
I was pleased to see that
one of the most popular blog posts has been Luther’s statement about being taught
by the Holy Spirit.
"The Holy Spirit teaches man better than all
the books; He teaches him to understand the Scriptures better than he can
understand them from the teaching of any other; and of his own accord he does
everything God wills he should, so the Law dare make no demands upon him."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, III, p. 280. Pentecost Sunday John 14:23-31.
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, III, p. 280. Pentecost Sunday John 14:23-31.
When error and deception jolt
us, we hunger for wisdom from the Holy Spirit. That comes directly from the
Scriptures. That is the purest form of God’s Word, an unchanging standard.
Man may make mistakes and
deceive, but the Bible never does, as Luther said in the Large Catechism.
The Word of God is our
measuring rod, and we share insights with each other.
After teaching about justification
by faith for years, I received the best summary from Brett Meyer linking a sermon
from Luther and quoting. Simply put – believing in Christ is forgiveness.
There are so many complications
that only a PhD in Pietism could follow, but Luther’s words are simple and
plain.
Likewise, another Lutheran did
research on the connections with Pietism and Calvinism.
And another searches the
Book of Concord for good quotations to share.
Hearing the truth plainly
means we can speak the truth plainly. That means everything in a confused world
of babbling.
Decades ago, we could count on
a society where the basics of the Bible were known and understood, even if they
were not followed.
Now there is great ignorance
and indifference. The norms are not accepted from the past. The norms are the
opposite of the recent past. That is why we need to speak the truth plainly.
The struggle continues. The
reward for the truth is the cross. But the reward for the “dear, holy cross” as
Luther called it is – is fruitfulness, a blessing in knowledge, and an eagerness
to hear the truth.
Each week I look forward to
looking up the lesson and copying Luther’s sermon onto the blog front page for
people to read.
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