Pr. DFD

Sunday, August 23, 2026

August 24 Monday prior to Pentecost 14 – (Proper 17)

—Psalm 37:5–7; Antiphon, Psalm 37:4—Those who trust in the Lord and in His promises may sometimes be frustrated and tempted to question the goodness and righteousness of God when they suffer trials, tribulations, and afflictions in this life.

David exhorts us here to ‘trust in the LORD . . . delight in the LORD . . . commit your way to the LORD . . . be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him.’ We Christians should remind ourselves that the Lord has demonstrated His goodness and righteousness in many ways, but especially by sending His only-begotten Son to be our Savior. Through Christ, He has already ‘brought forth our righteousness and . . . justice.’ He has given us ‘the desires of our heart’ in the person of our Savior, Jesus, and will, at the Last Day, deliver us out of this vale of tears and take us to himself in heaven.

What does it mean to delight yourself in the Lord (Psalm 37:4)? “To delight myself in the Lord” means to exalt Him so highly that we pursue Him over and above any other person, thing, thought, or action in our lives, especially those things that would knock Him out of first place.

Taking delight in the Lord means that our hearts truly find peace and fulfillment in Him, if we truly find satisfaction and worth in Christ. Jesus reminds us, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things [the necessities of life] will be given to you as well.” Mathew 6:33

Collect for Psalm 37 – Lord Jesus, you bless the poor with the kingdom of heaven. Trust us to put our trust in the Father and to seek his kingdom rather than to imitate the powerful or envy the rich; so may we serve you now and forever.[1]

Almighty God, Your Son willingly endured the agony and shame of the cross for our redemption. Grant us courage to take up our cross daily and follow Him wherever He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever [2]

[1] Collect for Psalm 37, For All the Saints A Prayer Book For and By the Church Vol. II © American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY

Saturday, August 22, 2026

Proper 17 (Pentecost 14)

Pentecost 14 - Proper 17

Series A

Jeremiah 15:15–21
Romans 12:9–21
Matthew 16:21–28

The Glory of God Is the Passion and Cross of Christ Jesus

After Peter confessed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, our Lord, “began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” (Matthew 16:21). Upon hearing this “theology of the cross,” Simon Peter stumbled into a satanic “theology of glory.” But the glory of God is revealed in the Passion and cross of His incarnate Son.

The faithful prophets, such as Jeremiah, suffered persecution and rejection in anticipation of Jesus’ cross. Yet the Lord did not abandon them; He remembered them, and He was with them to deliver them (Jeremiah 15:15–20). By His cross Jesus has redeemed the world, and in His resurrection He has vindicated all who trust in Him. Thus, the Christian life is a discipleship of self-sacrificing love. Since Christ Jesus has reconciled us to God, we “live peaceably with all” (Romans 12:18). By the certainty of His cross and resurrection, we “rejoice in hope,” and we are “patient in tribulation” and “constant in prayer” (Romans 12:12).

Not mere prescriptions which would be Law.

We are marked in baptism any suffering we endure will be vindicated by the Lord.

We share Christ to the world.

See John Pless article "Liturgy after the Liturgy" in Logia

This is what you are given to do. The focus must be on Christ to avoid going back to the Law. This is the death we experience in baptism fascination with self.

We live in humility and faith before God as well as in love for our neighbor. It is the Gospel which drives us.

NB watch the verbs used in preaching. Instead of this is what you need to do, this is who you are. This is how you now look.

The new man still needs guidance. Thus the 3rd use of the law.

Good works are always ambiguous but never arbitrary.

1. This is shown by “serving the Lord.” V. 11

A. Rejoice in hope. ἐλπίδι

1. Rejoice with patient perseverance with those who rejoice. V. 15a

2. Weep with those who weep. V. 15b

B. Be patient in tribulation.

1. “Bless those who persecute you.” V. 14a

2. “Bless and do not curse them.” V. 14b

C. Be constant in prayer.

1. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. V. 17

2.If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. V. 18

2. In the reverent fear of God. We do no harm to our neighbor.

A. “Let love ἀγάπη be genuine. V. 9 This love. Typically refers to divine love. What God prefers. A description of who we are in Christ not prescription.

1. This love. Abhors. Detests. Hates. ἀποστυγοῦντες What is evil.

2. This love. Holds fast to what is good.

B. Love φιλαδελφίᾳ one another. V.10

1. With brotherly affection. Give preference. “For you have been taught by God how to love one another.” This love. Is self-evident. Constant. It simply exists.

2. Outdo one another in showing honor.

– Romans 11:33-36 The knowledge of God is deeper than our understanding

Bigger than Bigger –

In his letter to the Romans. Paul does his best job. In giving us a systematic, organized and logical account of the Christian faith.

Yet, when he comes to the end of the 11th chapter. He takes another look at God. And he realizes. How little he knows and understands about God. He ends his explanation with a doxology of praise. To God. Who is far above all he could think or say.

In our day. We are tempted to localize and minimize God. There is a temptation to have “God” fit into the mold of our humanity. Even a personal appearance by the Almighty wouldn’t do the trick for some. How many times have you heard someone say, “Well, I wouldn’t believe in a God who…” or “That’s not the God I want to believe in…” Others may simply conclude, “I just can’t figure God out!”

Some simply terminate the discussion saying, “If God proved He existed, I still wouldn’t believe in him!” For many. God is too small. Too small to handle the problems of the individual. Let alone the world. Paul would think otherwise.

Consider the greatness of God.

His possessions are unlimited – Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! - V. 33 Paul begins this section with a doxology of praise. Paul worships as he reflects on the grace of God which is lived out in the life of the Christian. That is the essence of your spiritual worship. Reflecting the mercies of God in your day to day living. We come to a worship service. And in service. We worship God.

And our worship finds its roots in the Savior’s mercy. Which is bottomless. God's riches, wisdom and knowledge are beyond measure. How could man ever understand the reasons for His action? Or explain the methods of His working?

Depth. (βάθος) V. 33 – We know God only to the extent that He has revealed Himself. Paul reminds us that what we know is infinitesimal. So tiny. Only a tip of the iceberg. Who can plumb the depths of God’s wisdom? Or His judgment? His will and His grace?

When Paul mentions God’s judgments. He says they are “incomprehensible.” They cannot be tracked out. They are beyond description.

We need Paul’s corrective in reminding us that God is totally-other. He is the hidden, incomprehensible God. Our finite minds are unable to grasp even the smallest part of God’s total truth. And yet, we praise Him. For His acts of mercy and grace.

Man worships God because He is infinitely greater, wiser, and more gracious than men. Seeing ourselves in the light of who God is humbles us. Seeing God in the light of whom and what we are necessitates our praise. We are compelled to worship.

His ways are beyond understanding – Paul, quoting Isaiah 40:13, and Job 41:11a, asks three questions. Which express the transcendent wisdom and self-sufficiency of God. “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor?” - V. 34

Who has known the mind (νοῦν) of the Lord? The greatness of God far surpasses the sum of all of humanity. To God, “The nations are as a drop in a bucket.” (Isaiah 40:15). How do followers of Christ have the “mind of Christ”? The mind of Christ comes to us through the gift of the Holy Spirit. You come to a correct knowledge of Christ through the revelation of His Holy Word. Jesus said He and His Father will come to you. So that you may know Him. And love Him. And keep His word. He will come to you, “and make Our home with him” (John 14:23).

Paul encourages us to “let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). He reminds us, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20). As the Lord comes to you. You can begin to know and understand His will and His ways.

Yet we must remember. We are to know His will and His ways. Paul asks, “Who has been His counselor?” (σύμβουλος)? “Who has been His mentor?” “Who is able to give Him advice?” Are you smart enough to tell Him what to do? The answer to all of these questions of course, is no one. Therefore we are simply asked to petition God as we do in the Lord’s Prayer by saying, “Thy will be done, Lord. Thy will be done.”

His gifts are un-repayable –

Paul finally asks, “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” - V. 35 Put another way, we could ask, “Who first gave to God? Who paid God?” The answer is simple. God owes no man.

God does not declare us righteous and free from guilt in a vacuum, as if He just ignores our sin. No, we have a great debt we owe God due to our sin, a debt that must be paid. God’s justice demands it. Yet this is a debt none of us can pay.

So, God in His great grace planned for your salvation. For God’s grace is more than a character in God. God’s grace is also active—active in Christ. In His grace God sent forth His Son to become flesh and pay the debt we owe Him.

The Father sent Christ Jesus to offer His righteous life in exchange for our sinful lives upon the cross and to take upon Himself the guilt of our sin, our debt. Jesus Christ paid for the sin of the world “with His holy precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death.” Through God’s grace alone we sinners are forgiven and justified because of Christ (propter Christum). [1]

His being is all in all – For from him and through him and to him are all things. - V. 36 The end of all things is God. All things were created for Him. What happened before, now and what is to come finds its root in God. Everything comes from God alone. Everything lives by His power. And everything for His glory. God is the creator. The sustainer. The ruler. And the goal of everything. Paul concludes with a simple yet profound doxology - A statement of praise to God. To him be glory (δόξα) forever Amen.

The final words of this chapter sum up all of human history and show that God is in control of history. He is the source, the means, and the goal of all things. This means He is “the author and the finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).

It means He is the One who began the good work in us, and He is the One who will also complete it (Philippians 1:6).

Paul has come to the end of his greatest work on theology. He has systematically worked out a theology of the Christian faith. When he comes to the end. He realizes how little he knows of God. Contrasted to all God is. Theology is of the mind. And no man can fully grasp the whole truth of God. Thus, theologies come and go. When the mind goes as far as it can. The person contemplating God turns to a worship and praise. God is so great and good. We can only explode in a doxology of praise. We offer unto God ourselves. “As a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 12:1)

________________________

Words – 1,385

Passive Sentences –3%

Readability – 81.2

Reading Level -4.0

Luther’s Seal © Ed Riojas Higher Things

[1] https://lutheranreformation.org/theology/sola-gratia/

Friday, August 21, 2026

August 22— Saturday prior to Pentecost 13 – (Proper 16)

[1]

Sunday’s hymn of the day is Built on the Rock (LSB #645). It is based on the Gospel reading, the confession of St Peter which is the Rock on which Christ’s Church is founded. The last stanza confesses the same truth which is confessed in the Augsburg Confession: The Church is the congregation of saints in which the Gospel is purely taught and the Sacraments are correctly administered.

This hymn has long been a favorite among Scandinavians and Lutherans and included seven stanzas in the 1941 Lutheran Hymnal (Concordia), reduced to five in the 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. The Scandinavian hymn's original seven stanzas were first published in 1837 in Sang-Värk til den Danske Kirke. The adaptation in Worship & Song is of the 1958 Service Book and Hymnal translation by Carl Doving done in 1909.

Author Nikolai Grundtvig was ordained in 1811. He wrote many works, including some on Norse mythology and more than 1,000 hymns. He became a bishop in 1861. Composer Ludwig Lindeman was the son of a concert pianist, an organist in Oslo, and one of Norway's leading musicians of the nineteenth century. He collected and published almost 2,000 Norwegian folk tunes.[2]

Almighty God, whom to know is everlasting life, grant us to know Your Son, Jesus Christ to be the way the truth and the life that we may boldly confess Him to be the Christ and steadfastly walk in the way that leads to life eternal; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen [3]

[2] https://hymnary.org/text/built_on_the_rock_the_church_doth_stand

Thursday, August 20, 2026

August 21— Friday prior to Pentecost 13 – (Proper 16)

[1]

Matthew 16:13–20—The Holy Christian Church is founded upon the confession of Peter—that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Finally! The disciples get it! At least for this Sunday! It came at a crucial time in our Lord’s public ministry. His focus was set on Jerusalem. Where He would complete His work of redemption. He was set to suffer many things. For your salvation.

Our Lord is at a critical location in His ministry. Caesarea Philippi was a Gentile city. Built by Herod’s son, Philip. In honor of Caesar. Jesus stood in a pagan region. Where false deities and their supporters abound. Critical also were His companions. The disciples were personally selected and taught by Jesus. They had witnessed every aspect of His public ministry.

The Lord asked two important questions. At this moment. In this location. Of His disciples. The answers to the questions were important. For them. And for His followers today; the first question was addressed to the disciples, “who do men say the Son of Man is?” (V.13) The second question was addressed once again to the disciples. “But you, who do you, say I am?” (V.15)

And now, the critical question is addressed to each of us, “You, who do you, say that I am?”

We can answer the question only through the intervention of the Holy Spirit in your life. The Spirit’s means are Word and Sacrament. They come to the troubled heart of the sinner. The saving faith freely given by God leads each one of us to confess: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”

The source of our confession and our actions is the faith the Spirit gives us. Because Jesus is the Christ. Your sins are forgiven. Because Jesus is the Christ. You are empowered to live a new life. Because Jesus is the Christ. You have the sure certainty of eternal life.

So. What do you think of Jesus? Who is He? The answer to this question defines your identity. It determines your destiny.

Wednesday, August 19, 2026

August 20— Thursday prior to Pentecost 13 – (Proper 16)

[1]

Romans 11:33—12:8—St Paul’s splendid hymn of praise at the end of chapter 11 follows several chapters of his teaching about the salvation of all people—

The Father sent Christ Jesus to offer His righteous life in exchange for our sinful lives upon the cross and to take upon Himself the guilt of our sin, our debt. Jesus Christ paid for the sin of the world “with His holy precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death.” Through God’s grace alone we sinners are forgiven and justified because of Christ.

Prayer for the Church: Almighty God, grant to Your Church Your Holy Spirit and the wisdom that comes down from above, that Your Word may not be bound but have free course and be preached to the joy and edifying of Christ’s holy people, that in steadfast faith we may serve You and, in the confession of Your name, abide unto the end;[2]

Tuesday, August 18, 2026

August 19— Wednesday prior to Pentecost 13 – (Proper 16)

[1]

Isaiah 51:1–6—In chapter 40, the Lord said, “Comfort, comfort My people.” The comfort would be provided by a Savior, one who would deliver His people out of exile in Babylon, out of exile in a land of idolaters. Chapter 42 begins telling us of this great Savior, who is portrayed as a Suffering Servant. The portion of Isaiah 51 used for next Sunday’s Old Testament reading once again assures God’s people of the comfort which He will provide them: joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song. From where would such comfort be provided? He would be a Descendant of Abraham and Sarah (v. 2), but would bring His light to the peoples, that is, all peoples, not just other descendants of Abraham and Sarah, but for us Gentiles, as well.

Human beings have never known life without the earth, but it will pass away (verse 6). The taunts of the oppressors seem like they will last forever -- but they won’t.

In contrast, the Lord says, “My salvation will be forever, and my deliverance will never be ended” (verses 6b, 8b). Or as the Gospel text says of the church, “the gates of Hades will not prevail.” Sometimes it might seem like Hades is doing just fine against us, but it won’t last. God’s salvation and deliverance do come, and they never end.

Look ahead.

The prophet calls on the exiles -- and we call on our churches -- to look back, to look up, to look down, and to look around in order to find reasons to look ahead to God’s deliverance that is surely coming.[2]

O God, You see that of ourselves we have no strength. By Your mighty power defend us from all adversities that may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul, through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.[3]

[2] https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3371