Preparation for next week – Sent to
Serve
The theme for the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
(Proper 10) is sent to serve. Christians are people who are sent by God to serve
Him and His people. Jesus sent His disciples to preach and heal. John the
Baptist is beaded for his refusal to stand down to wicked King Herod.
Faithfulness to God was far more important than obeying the dictates of a mad
king. As John dies innocently, so must the Christ. Amos claimed that the Lord
chose him as a shepherd to go to Israel to preach in the Old
Testament lesson. In the Epistle lesson, we gain the impression that we are
destined to be God’s people through Christ and appointed to glorify Him. We are
a people with a mission and on a mission given to us by God. Occasionally we
might be opposed. This need not be our chief concern. One thing is needed and
that is faithfulness.
Monday, 08 July 2018—Psalm 143:1-2, 8a;
Antiphon, Psalm 143:1— O Lord hear my prayer listen to my cry for
mercy in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. In each of
our readings for this coming week the righteous find themselves confronted by
evil forces. There are those who would want the Christian to cease and desist.
Thus, we must pray to the Lord for deliverance from all our enemies. Psalm 143
is such a prayer. As we make our appeals known to God, not only will He hear us
but also He will act, in His own time to rescue and defend us.
Tuesday, 09 July 2018—Psalm 85(1-7) 8-13;
key verse v.7— Show us Your unfailing love, O Lord, and grant us
Your salvation. This is how God chooses to act on behalf of His people. He
has every right to punish, condemn and destroy. In love, He will offer
forgiveness, life, and salvation. How could He? The cross of Calvary shows us
how deep and profound the Father’s love is for His people.
Wednesday, 10 July 2018—Amos 7:7-15—Amaziah
orders Amos to stop preaching and go home to Judah. Amos, a herdsman from
Tekoa, is sent by the lord to Israel to preach. It is at the time of
King Jeroboam that Amos preached at Bethel, the site of the royal
sanctuary. Amaziah is the high priests who warms the king of Amos’ treason and
who commands Amos to go back to Judah to preach there. Amos
replies that he is not a professional prophet, just a layman, who was called by
God to preach to Israel. He is not preaching for a living, but in
obedience to God’s call.
Amos was preaching in the holy place
of Bethel, the royal seat and place of worship. Amaziah tells Amos to go
home to the South to preach, for the temple is the “king’s sanctuary.”
Since Amos’ message was against the king and nation, Amos had no right to speak
there; it was the king’s chapel and not God’s house. If it is the king’s then
speak in support of the king’s policies and practices. If it is God’s house,
God speaks in His house through His called spokesperson. It was a matter of
civil religion v. true religion.
It was a religious service head in a “White House”
where you would expect sermons supporting the nation. The high priest of Israel
accuses Amos of treason. His preaching does not support the nation.
The king is to be killed and the people are to go
into captivity. This spells the end of the nation. This is a hard message.
Amaziah reports this to the king. The truth often hurts. It does not always
approve what we do.
Thursday, 11 July 2018—Ephesians 1:3-14—
God’s chose and destined us to be His children through Christ. For the next few
weeks, the Epistle lesson will come from St. Paul’s letter to the
Ephesians. This lesson is difficult to relate to the other two lessons. The
central theme of the letter to the Ephesians is the church. This lesson is on
praise to God who in Christ has poured out His love for us, who calls us to be
His children, redeemed us through the blood of Christ, and revealed His will to
us. He has given us His Spirit who is a guarantee of our salvation and eternal
life.
Friday, 12 July 2018—Mark 6:14-29 —Mad
king Herod had John the Baptist killed to honor an oath, to save face in front
of his dinner guests, to quiet a man who firmly told him that his illicit
affair with his sister-in-law was sinful and shameful and to honor Herodias’
request. Verse 20 is the key verse. Although Herod knew he was doing wrong,
his conscious bothered him, and John’s words condemned him Herod was still
drawn to listen to John. When we are overcome by the fear of confronting
someone, we can be comforted in the fact that the Law does convict. God through
the preaching of the Law prepares us to hear, understand and savor the Gospel.
John the forerunner of Christ will preach, baptize and die all like Christ.
First he must die. With the death of John now, the cross becomes the focus of
Christ’s destiny.
Saturday, 11 July 2015— Luke 10:2 – is
the inspiration for the hymn, Spread the Reign of God the Lord (LSB 830).
Who will work for the Lord and His cause? There is plenty of work to be done.
May we pray the Lord would use each of us to be doing His will in our daily
vocations. The opportunity to serve Him is rewarding enough. As we can find
work to be done may we do it joyfully and willingly.
Sources:
Prayers from Lutheran Service
Book © 2006 and Lutheran Worship © 1980 Concordia
Publishing House and from Lutheran Worship © 1980 Concordia
Publishing House.
Schnorr von Carolsfeld woodcut used with
permission from WELS
Lectionary Preaching Workbook Series B –
John Brokhoff © 1981 CSS Publishing, Lima, OH
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