God’s Faithful People
Collect for Proper 11 –O God, so rule and govern our hearts and minds by Your Holy Spirit that, ever mindful of Your final judgment, we may be stirred up to holiness of living here and dwell with You in perfect joy hereafter; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever.
There is a tension between the faithful and the unfaithful. The unfaithful are the weeds of the parable in the Gospel while the wheat is God’s faithful people. In the final judgment the unfaithful are excluded while the faithful are accepted by God. In the Old Testament lesson the faithful acknowledge God to be the one and only God. For the faithful who are weak, the Spirit intercedes for them. The prayers of the faithful are echoed in the great hymn of the church “Lord keep us steadfast in Thy Word.”
Two simple yet heart felt Prayers –
“Almighty God, grant us a steadfast faith in Jesus Christ, a cheerful hope in Your mercy, and a sincere love for You and one another.”
“Pour out upon us, O Lord, the spirit to think and do what is right, that we, who cannot even exist without you, may have the strength to live according to your will.”
For blessing on the Word – Lord God, bless Your Word wherever it is proclaimed. Make it a word of power and peace to convert those not yet Your own and to confirm those who have come to saving faith. May Your Word pass from the ear to the heart, from the heart to the lip, and from the lip to the life that, as You have promised, Your Word may achieve the purpose for which You send it; through Jesus Christ, my Lord.
“Pour out upon us, O Lord, the spirit to think and do what is right, that we, who cannot even exist without you, may have the strength to live according to your will.”
For blessing on the Word – Lord God, bless Your Word wherever it is proclaimed. Make it a word of power and peace to convert those not yet Your own and to confirm those who have come to saving faith. May Your Word pass from the ear to the heart, from the heart to the lip, and from the lip to the life that, as You have promised, Your Word may achieve the purpose for which You send it; through Jesus Christ, my Lord.
Monday, July 14, 2008 – Psalm 86:1-15 - This is the Psalm portion from which the Introit for next Sunday is taken. The antiphon is taken from verse 6, “Give ear, O lord, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace.” In our need we pray to the Lord because out of His kindness and love our Lord answers each prayer.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008 – Isaiah 44:6-8 –The faithful believe in the one true God. There is no god but God. It could be that Isaiah in these words is recalling a song of Moses, which describes God as “the Rock” (see Deuteronomy 32:4, 15, 30-31). This metaphor the Lord is also common in the book of Psalms. (see Ps. 18:2).
Wednesday, July 16, 2008– Romans 8:18-27 –The faithful have the Spirit intercede for them. The Spirit intercedes for those who do no t know how to pray. Both creation and creatures groan for redemption. Paul sees redemption in its cosmic perspective. With Adam the whole creation fell and the ground was cursed. It is in a state of decay and the whole creation groans for redemption from its bondage of decay and death. Nature is tooth and fang and it exists on the principle of “dog eat dog.” Paul sees the release of nature’s bondage when there will be a new heaven and a new earth at the time of the Savior’s return. Humanity’s sin pollutes nature, ravishes the good earth, and threatens creatures with extinction. Human beings share in this longing for redemption which by faith in Christ we now experience in part. With creation we long for the full redemption of our bodies when Christ returns.
Thursday, July 17, 2008 – Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43 –The faithful enter heaven in the parable of the wheat and the weeds. The parable of the wheat and weeds and Jesus’ explanation of its meaning. Jesus gives this parable because he is criticized for associating with sinners and outcasts (vv. 24-30). The allegorical explanation of the parable is the product of the early church as the parable applied to it in its day (vv. 36-40).
The parable teaches that we are not to judge who is a true or false Christian. We are not to weed out the weeds because in doing so, we would destroy the wheat. On the day of judgment God will judge and separate the weeds and the wheat. Until that time comes the church needs to have patience and forbearance of the weeds among the wheat.
The wheat (good) and the weeds (bad) are in the kingdom, not in the world. We could understand it if the parable applied to the world where there are all kinds of people. The kingdom of heaven is the kingdom of God, and the kingdom of God is God’s realm, God’s people, the church. The church of God consists of good and evil, wheat and weeds.
Friday, July 18, 2008 – Psalm 119:57-64 – This Psalm is suggested for next Sunday. This section falls under the Hebrew letter “Heth” The Lord is the psalmist’s true homestead because it is god’s law that fills the earth with all that makes life secure and joyous. So God’s promises are his hope and God’s righteous laws his delight.
Saturday, July 19, 2008 - John 5:14 – This passage is the inspiration for the hymn “In holy conversation.” {LSB 772} The eternal consequences of sin are more serious than any physical ailment. Thus we look to Christ who has borne our diseases and carried our sorrows.
Sources:
LUTHERAN SEVICE BOOK © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO
THELUTHERAN HYMNAL © 1942 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO
LECTIONALRY PREACHING WORKBOOK SERIES A © 1980 John Brokhoff CSS Publishing Lima, OH
LUTHERAN SEVICE BOOK © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO
THELUTHERAN HYMNAL © 1942 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO
LECTIONALRY PREACHING WORKBOOK SERIES A © 1980 John Brokhoff CSS Publishing Lima, OH
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