Exodus 4:10-31
1 Corinthians 14:1-19
March 22, 2010
They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?" But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."
"Teacher," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us." "Do not stop him," Jesus said. "No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.-Mark 9:33-41
Respect! Arethra Franklyn the queen of soul sang about giving it. Rodney Dangerfield the comedian complained that he never got it. Often we too, may feel that we get no respect – from our peers, from our parents, from our teammates, and from others around us. People often resort to bizarre means to get respect from others, but so often they end up as fools, still crying for – respect.
We are so concerned about getting respect from other people. What about respect from God? God respects all people in the sense that we all are important to Him. After all, He created us in still preserves us. Are we respectable enough by God’s standards to be in heaven one day with Him? How do we get from God the respect that makes us worthy of eternal life? Today our lesson asks the question how we get respect in God’s sight.
God’s respect is not earned. Our humility and service do not measure up to God’s perfect standard. Like the disciples, we would rather be served then serve. Even when we serve, our motive is often self-serving. We make comparisons: “I have served more than you have.” Pride creeps in to stain our service.
We labor under the false pretense if we think we can earn God’s respect by our humble serving. Jesus refused to seek people’s respect under a false pretense. They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it (v.30) The way to God’s respect is opened by honest admission that in ourselves we are not respectable people.
Keep, we pray You, O Lord, Your church with Your perpetual mercy; and because without You we cannot but fall, keep us ever by Your help from all things hurtful, and lead us to all things profitable to our salvation; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Collect for the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost Lutheran Book of Worship © 1980 Concordia Publishing House St. Louis
1 Corinthians 14:1-19
March 22, 2010
They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?" But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."
"Teacher," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us." "Do not stop him," Jesus said. "No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.-Mark 9:33-41
Respect! Arethra Franklyn the queen of soul sang about giving it. Rodney Dangerfield the comedian complained that he never got it. Often we too, may feel that we get no respect – from our peers, from our parents, from our teammates, and from others around us. People often resort to bizarre means to get respect from others, but so often they end up as fools, still crying for – respect.
We are so concerned about getting respect from other people. What about respect from God? God respects all people in the sense that we all are important to Him. After all, He created us in still preserves us. Are we respectable enough by God’s standards to be in heaven one day with Him? How do we get from God the respect that makes us worthy of eternal life? Today our lesson asks the question how we get respect in God’s sight.
God’s respect is not earned. Our humility and service do not measure up to God’s perfect standard. Like the disciples, we would rather be served then serve. Even when we serve, our motive is often self-serving. We make comparisons: “I have served more than you have.” Pride creeps in to stain our service.
We labor under the false pretense if we think we can earn God’s respect by our humble serving. Jesus refused to seek people’s respect under a false pretense. They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it (v.30) The way to God’s respect is opened by honest admission that in ourselves we are not respectable people.
Keep, we pray You, O Lord, Your church with Your perpetual mercy; and because without You we cannot but fall, keep us ever by Your help from all things hurtful, and lead us to all things profitable to our salvation; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Collect for the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost Lutheran Book of Worship © 1980 Concordia Publishing House St. Louis
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