Pr. DFD

Thursday, July 29, 2021

Friday Prior to Proper 13

John 6:22-35 — Bread satisfies hunger. John urges the people to seek bread from heaven and reveals Himself as the Bread of Life. What is the work of God? Jesus replies that the work of God is to believe in Him. The people ask for a sign that would persuade them to believe in Him and refer to the manna received in the wilderness.

Jesus assures them that God sent the bread from heaven, the bread that gives life to the world. Then they ask Him to give this king of bread. He reveals that He is the Bread of Life. Whoever comes to Him and believes in Him will never hunger nor thirst.

In John 6:1-15 is recorded the feeding of the 5,000. (A prelude to the next three Sundays of readings) Some believe that the crowd could have been over 5,000 as only "men" were counted. If you would count "women and children" it could have been up to 15,000 (See Matthew 14:21). Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana seats close to 17,000 people....

According to the phone conversation I had with the concessions manager the following items were sold at the Indiana v Wisconsin game, on Saturday, March 12, 1994...

400 1bs of hot dogs,
3,000 popcorn boxes,
8,200 cokes (about 1,000 gallons)
684 candy bars,
436 nachos,
284 boxes of caramel corn,
917 soft pretzels,
247 polish sausages,
100 sandwiches,
179 bags of peanuts,
50 muffins,
160 cups of coffee.

[2]

This game was played on an afternoon, with tip-off scheduled for 2:00 pm. Most fans had eaten their breakfast and had probably had their lunch also! Besides fans had to pay for their food at the concessions stand at stadium prices!

Jesus feeds the crowd freely. Without cost! When we pray "give us this day our daily bread" we can know that the Savior will supply us with all that we need to support our body and life.

Collect for Proper 13 –Merciful Father, You gave Your Son Jesus as the heavenly bread of life. Grant us faith to feast on Him in Your Word and Sacraments that we may be nourished unto life everlasting;; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever[3]. Amen

Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Thursday Prior to Proper 13

[1]

Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-16 — Bread makes for bodily growth. Christians are to live lives worthy of their calling in love, unity, and growth to maturity in Christ. The church is urged to become what they are by the grace of Christ. Paul appeals for unity on the basis of the unity of Spirit and body. Various functions are gifts of Christ to equip the members and to build up the church in love. The goal of the growth is the matching of the stature of Jesus so that we are not children but mature in faith and love.

Paul identifies himself here as a prisoner of Christ. At other times he refers to himself as a servant, apostle, ambassador and spokesman. To be a prisoner of Christ is to suffer for him. When we are zealous Christians, we will be subject to the opposition and persecution of the enemy, Satan. The test of the true Christian is the suffering he/she experiences in living out the Christian faith.

Seven times the word “one” is used. Repetition indicates the importance of the word in the thinking of Paul. On one side is the word “all”, and on the other side is “one.” All are to be one in Christ, in hope, faith, and love. This unity is demanded because we have one God, one faith, one Spirit.

The word “unity” gives us the insight into the Christian religion as a process of becoming what we are by the grace of God. We are not what we have been and what we will be. We are a growing people of God. We are in the process of attaining unity, of building up the church, of matching the full stature of Jesus. This “until” continues to the end of our existence on earth and is only completed in the heavenly world to come. [2]

Tuesday, July 27, 2021

Wednesday Prior to Proper 13

[1]

Exodus 16:2-15— In response to the people’s complaint that they had no food, the Lord sends food from heaven. Only a few weeks after deliverance from Egypt the people complain about the lack of food. They murmur against Moses and Aaron, but God knows that they complain about Him. They doubt whether the Lord cares about them and His ability to provide for them. In response to their complaints the Lord sends quail in the evening and bread, “manna,” in the morning. To this day the Manna is a mystery – “What is it?” Moses answered, “it is the bread the Lord has given you to eat.” By this the people are to know that He is their God.

Didn’t the Israelites in the wilderness have a right to murmur against Moses and the LORD? They followed His leader out of Egypt where at least, they had food, but now they were starving. They had reason to complain, but they went about getting food in the wrong way. Instead of complaining, why did they not discuss their needs with Moses and take it to God in prayer? Their complaining reveals a lack of faith in the LORD’s hearing and answering prayer.

The LORD’s glory appeared in a cloud. Like a cloud, the LORD is mysterious and hidden – one can’t see much when fly in a cloud or driving in a fog. The LORD is the unknowable an hidden God. Yet, as the cloud indicated, God is ever present. His glory appears when he comes to the rescue of his people, who are in need. His glory is seen best in the cross where the LORD in his Son saves the world.[2]

Monday, July 26, 2021

Tuesday Prior to Proper 13

[1]

Psalm 145:10-21; key verse v15—The eyes of all look to You and You give them their food at the proper time. This is a psalm of praise and fitting for our theme for this week. The Lord is the provider of all both physical and spiritual blessings. He supplies physical food for us daily as we acknowledge in the Lord’s Prayer. He also supplies us spiritually as He comes to us through the means of grace.

PRAISING GOD FOR WHO HE IS AND WHAT HE DOES

This psalm is titled A Praise of David. Though Psalms 17 and 86 were also called A Prayer of David, this is the only one titled A Praise of David, and it is a high point of praise. “Psalm 145 is indeed a monumental praise psalm, a fit summary of all David had learned about God during a long lifetime of following hard after the Almighty.” (James Montgomery Boice)

Psalm 145 is the last psalm attributed to David in the collection of psalms, and it is the last of the nine psalms using some kind of acrostic pattern (9, 10, 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, 119, and 145). Five of these acrostic psalms are attributed to David.

“In Jewish practice this psalm was recited twice in the morning and once in the evening service. The Talmud commends all who repeat it three times a day as having a share in the world to come.” (Willem VanGemeren) [2]

Collect for Psalm 145: Loving Father, you are faithful in your promises and tender in your compassion. Listen to our hymn of joy, and continue to satisfy the needs of your creatures, that all flesh may bless your name in your everlasting kingdom, where with your Son and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, now and forever.[3] -27 July 2021—

[2] https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-145/

Sunday, July 25, 2021

Monday Prior to Proper 13

[1]

Psalm 78:23-25, Antiphon, Psalm 78:72 – With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with His skillful hand. Israel under the care of the Lord’s royal shepherd from the house of David was for the prophets the hope of God’s people (see Ezekiel 34:23; 37:23 Micah 5:4) fulfilled in Jesus Christ. (See Matthew 2:6; John 10:11; Revelation 7:17)

Paul in our Epistle lesson Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-16 speaks repeatedly of growth into the fullness of Christ’s stature and growth as “bodily growth”. As everyone knows, physical growth is not possible without adequate food. The Psalm of the Day Psalm 145:10-21; key verse v15—The eyes of all look to You and You give them their food at the proper time sings of God’s goodness and greatness in satisfying the physical needs of every person. Jesus our Savior fills our deepest needs.

In the center of Pentecost we will be reading the Bread of Life chapter of John 6. Following are the Gospel readings for the next three Sundays.

–Proper 13 John 6:22-35
Eat More Than Bread - The Necessity of spiritual bread for life.
–Proper 14 John 6:35-51
Eat and Live – Spiritual food gives eternal life
– Proper 15 John 6:51-69
To Eat or Not to Eat – The decision whether or not to follow Christ

Collect for Psalm 78: Lord Jesus Christ, shepherd of your Church, to strengthen our faith and to lead us to the Kingdom, you renewed and surpassed the marvels of the old covenant. Through the uncertainties of this earthly journey, lead us home to the everlasting pastures, where we may praise you now and forever. [2] -26 July 2021—

Proper 13 Series B

Proper 13

Exodus 16:2–15

Ephesians 4:1–16

John 6:22–35

For 1 August 2021

Jesus Is the True and Living Bread from Heaven

Having rescued Israel “out of the land of Egypt” (Ex. 16:6), the Lord manifested His glory and made Himself known to His people. He fed them with “meat to eat” in the evening and with “bread from heaven” in the morning (Ex. 16:4, 8, 12). But now, the “true bread from heaven,” which the Father gives to you, is the Son, “who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” (John 6:32–33). Whoever comes to Him “shall not hunger,” and whoever believes in Him “shall never thirst.” He is “the bread of life,” who gives Himself to you as “the food that endures to eternal life” (John 6:27, 35). By the gracious working of God, you believe in Him by the calling of one Spirit through the Gospel, so that you also have “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all” (Eph. 4:4–6). As you eat His one body in the Holy Supper, so you belong to the one body of His Church, in which you “are to grow up in every way into him who is the head” (Eph. 4:15).

John 6:22-35

Merciful Father, You gave Your Son Jesus as the heavenly bread of life. Grant us faith to feast on Him in Your Word and Sacrament, that we may be nourished unto life everlasting; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

According to the concessions manager the following items were sold at the Indiana v Wisconsin game, on Saturday, March 12, 1994...

400 1bs of hot dogs,

3,000 popcorn boxes,

8,200 cokes (about 1,000 gallons)

684 candy bars,

436 nachos,

284 boxes of caramel corn,

917 soft pretzels,

247 polish sausages,

100 sandwiches,

179 bags of peanuts,

50 muffins,

160 cups of coffee.

This was for a 2 pm tip where the crowd had already had breakfast and possibly lunch! And they had to pay for their food!

6:22 narrated from Jesus' disciples - assessing the situation, the crowd could not figure out how Jesus could have crossed the sea.

6:23 Tiberius GK city on the Sea of Galilee, mentioned only in John 6:1; 21:1) Herod Antipus built it in AD 16-22 and named it in honor of the reigning Romas emperor.

"Having given thanks..." does this make the text Eucharistic? It's bread but more than bread...he comes to us, then when He came and now as He has compassion and teaches.

6:26 faith in Jesus was the purpose of all the signs. At the miraculous feeding, the crowds saw only the gifts, not the Giver. You saw and had your bellies filled...they saw but did not understand.

Look at the change of verbs...

6:27 labor - food. Jesus posed an absolute contrast between physical and spiritual "food" without denying the importance of the physical. Set His seal...see Jer. 32:10

"Stop working for the perishable food" bread that we eat will not keep you alive forever...it's the bread you work for after the fall which comes from the cursed earth and your sweaty brow...you still die.

The Orthodox use this terminology of "seal" for baptism.

6:28 don't trust in your daily labor

6:29 "work of God, that you believe" The crowd asked abour righteous "works" but Jesus singled out one necessary work; faith in Him, which is God's gift.

6:30 what sign do you do that we might understand? Who are in the crowd? The Pharisees? Mocking...they use the same verb for work. See Matthew 12 show a sign...

6:31 the crowd quotes the OT to support their demand that Jesus perform a miracle like Moses had done, which they assumed was greater thatn Jesus' signs. Like Mary and Martha only one thing is needful...

6:32 Jeus corrected the crowd on two points - manna came from God not Moses and Moses' bread was not the "true bread from heaven" Only the Father gives that bread.

6:33 the one who gives life for the world is a person, the one Whom the father sends

6:35 "I am" Jesus clearly idnetified Himself as the sources of real life, which lasts forever.

Time in the Word - Proper 13

Time in the Word

July 26-31 2021

Proper 13

Preparation for next week, Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

This coming Sunday marks an interlude in the long series of passages from Mark during the Pentecost season. The Gospels for three Sundays are taken in course from John 6 - The Bread of Life chapter. Jesus explains that the people have come for more physical bread, but He would rather they had spiritual food which comes from heaven, food for the soul. He then identifies Himself as the bread from heaven similar to the manna God sent to His people in the wilderness. The Old Testament. Paul speaks repeatedly of growth into the fullness of Christ’s stature and growth as “bodily growth”. As everyone knows, physical growth is not possible without adequate food. The Psalm of the Day sings of God’s goodness and greatness in satisfying the physical needs of every person. Jesus our Savior fills our deepest needs.

Monday, 26 July 2021—Psalm 78:23-25, Antiphon, Psalm 78:72 – With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with His skillful hand. Israel under the care of the Lord’s royal shepherd from the house of David was for the prophets the hope of God’s people (see Ezekiel 34:23; 37:23 Micah 5:4) fulfilled in Jesus Christ. (See Matthew 2:6’ John 10:11; Revelation 7:17)

Tuesday, 27 July 2021—Psalm 145:10-21; key verse v 15—"The eyes of all look to You and You give them their food at the proper time." This is a psalm of praise and fitting for our theme for this week. The Lord is the provider of all both physical and spiritual blessings. He supplies physical food for us daily as we acknowledge in the Lord’s Prayer. He also supplies us spiritually as He comes to us through the means of grace.

Wednesday, 28 July 2021— Exodus 16:2-15— In response to the people’s complaint that they had no food, the Lord sends food from heaven. Only a few weeks after deliverance from Egypt the people complain about the lack of food. They murmur against Moses and Aaron, but God knows that hey complain about Him. They doubt whether the Lord cares about them and His ability to provide for them. In response to their complaints the Lord sends quail in the evening and bread, “manna,” in the morning. To this day the Manna is a mystery – “What is it?” Moses answered, “it is the bread the Lord has given you to eat.” By this the people are to know that He is their God.

Thursday, 29 July 2021—Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-16 — Bread makes for bodily growth. Christians are to live lives worthy of their calling in love, unity, and growth to maturity in Christ. The church is urged to become what they are by the grace of Christ. Paul appeals for unity on the basis of the unity of Spirit and body. Various functions are gifts of Christ to equip the members and to build up the church in love. The goal of the growth is the matching of the stature of Jesus so that we are not children but mature in faith and love.

Friday, 30 July 2021—John 6:22-35 — Bread satisfies hunger. John urges the people to seek bread from heaven and reveals Himself as the Bread of Life. What is the work of God? Jesus replies that the work of God is to believe in Him. The people ask for a sign that would persuade them to believe in Him and refer to the manna received in the wilderness.

According to the phone conversation I had with the concessions manager the following items were sold at the Indiana v Wisconsin game, on Saturday, March 12, 1994...

400 1bs of hot dogs,

3,000 popcorn boxes,

8,200 cokes (about 1,000 gallons)

684 candy bars,

436 nachos,

284 boxes of caramel corn,

917 soft pretzels,

247 polish sausages,

100 sandwiches,

179 bags of peanuts,

50 muffins,

160 cups of coffee.

Jesus feeds the crowd freely. Without cost! When we pray "give us this day our daily bread" we can know that the Savior will supply us with all that we need to support our body and life.

Saturday, 31 July 2021—John 6:22-58 - The hymn, Father, we Thank Thee (LSB 652) is a liturgical hymn based on John 6. The point of Jesus’ teaching and the text of the hymn is that to live spiritually we need the bread which comes from heaven namely our Lord and Savior Jesus. As Christ is received we as the children of God live new lives. Throughout the next several weeks we will be focusing on Jesus’ teaching on this import chapter from the gospel of John.

In the center of Pentecost we will be reading the Bread of Life chapter of John 6. Following are the Gospel readings for the next three Sundays.