Saturday, July 23, 2022

Seventh Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 12 Series C

 

Luke 11:1-13

No one would ever do this!

When Jesus tells a story, it’s always given for a purpose, a divine purpose. Jesus knows His hearers/ He knows how they will react. He knows how they will behave. He knows what they are thinking before a thought enters their head. He knows your mind because He knows your heart.

Jesus tells a story that is contrary to fact. No one would ever do that! Your elderly neighbor is stranded in her driveway with a flat tire. She sees you retrieving your evening paper. You do not go back into the comfort of your home! Instead, you change her tire or at the very least, you call AAA. Retreat? Never! No one would ever do that!

Your neighbor calls at midnight. Company is coming. He needs three loaves. A friend has come from a long journey. There is nothing to set before him. “I say to you, though he will not rise and give him because he is a friend, yet because of his importunity (persistence) he will rise and give him as much as he needs.” V.8

Trouble me not! The door is shut. My children are with me in bed. I cannot rise and give thee.” No one would ever do this!

With this story Jesus teaches His disciples He taught them to pray. Bette than John. In teaching, He showed them the face of the Father. “God would by these words tenderly invite us to believe that He is our Father and that we are His true children so that we may ask Him confidently with all assurance, as dear children ask their dear Father”.[1]

Fathers, mothers, grandparents only want what is best for their children. If they ask for a loaf, do you give them a stone? If he asks for a fish, do you give him a serpent? If she asks for an egg, do you give her a scorpion?

Why do we fret? Because you only have one shot of being a good parent. If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? V.13

Fathers, mothers, grandparents – evil? Yes! Evil! As sons of Adam and daughters of Eve, we have inherited an evil spirit that has rendered us terminal. The soul that sins it will die. Ezekiel 18:20 Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins Ecclesiastes 7:20 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:8

As sinners, we each find ourselves in the same sinking ship. No one can help us. No one can save us, except for Jesus Christ. He entered time and space to be your redeemer. He took all of your sins, all of your imperfections, all of your evil and wicked habits and foibles and took them to Himself It was there at the cross he died for you.

His enemies made sure He was dead. They took deliberate steps to make sure He was made to be silenced.

As He slept in the tomb, a doubting and skeptical world cried out “He’s in bed with all of His children. The door is shut. It is night. He can’t rise.  The guard, the stone, the seal. They would hold Him, His critics thought. He can’t disturb us any more with His troubling words and His acts of mercy.

But on the third day, Christ victoriously rose from the dead. He now offers to you forgiveness of all of your sin, life and salvation.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8-9

 Rejoice this day. Jesus provides for you. He gives you the opportunity to speak His peace of forgiveness to others and to each other. He provides eternal bread daily according to your need.

God gives daily bread, even without our prayer even to all the wicked but we pray is this petition that He would lead us to know and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving. And what is meant by Daily Bread? Daily Bread includes everything that belongs to the support and wants of the body comes from your heavenly Father. This includes meat drink clothing, shoes, house, homestead, field, cattle, Money, goods, a pious spouse, pious children, pious servants, pious and faithful magistrates, good government, good weather, peace, health, discipline, honor, good friends, faithful neighbors and the like. [2]

In this life and in the world to come the Lord provides. In this life, not only does he forgive sins but He also encourages us to forgive and strengthen our neighbor.

When we pray, “forgive is our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us,” we pray that our Father in heaven would not look upon our sin, nor deny our prayers on account of them. For we are worthy of none of the things for which we pray neither have we deserved them. But that He would grant them all to us by grace. For we daily sin much and indeed deserve nothing but punishment. So we too will sincerely forgive and gladly do good to those who sin against us.[3]

All that is needed is the word “Amen”. What is meant by the word “Amen”? That I should be certain that these petitions are acceptable to our Father in heaven and heard by Him; for He Himself has commanded us so to pray, and has promises that He will hear us. Amen, Amen, that is yes, yes, yea, yea, yo, yo, it shall be so! [4]

Words-1,050
Passive Sentences –10%
Readability – 84%
Reading Level – 4.3
 

 

[1] Introduction to the Lord’s Prayer Small Catechism of Martin Luther LSB pg. 323
[2] Explanation to the 4th Petition of the Lord’s Prayer Small Catechism of Martin Luther  LSB pg. 324
[3] Explanation to the 5th Petition of the Lord’s Prayer Small Catechism of Martin Luther LSB pg. 324
[4] Explanation to Conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer Small Catechism of Martin Luther LSB pg. 324
 


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