July 1 – Wednesday prior to Proper 9

 

Romans 7:14-25a –

The Christian life is one of inner conflict. It is a struggle between the lower and the higher selves. It is a battle between the old and the new Adam. It is a clash between the law of the body and the law of the mind.

What is so wrong?

We do what we don’t want to do – “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want.”  And we don’t do what we want to do – “but I do the very thing I hate.” V. 15

Our better self wants to do right – “I have this desire to do what is right.” Each of us wants to do the right thing.  Not only do we know what is right. We know we should fulfill it.  The victim of this civil war cries out in despair, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” v. 24 This conflict that persists, can only lead to despair of self.

Is there no end? No way out? Paul found the solution in Christ for whom he gives thanks for this deliverance. Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! V. 25

The Solution:

 Affirm the higher self? Better yet, rejoice in Christ’s deliverance. St. Paul says, “For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being.” v. 22

Christ is your peace. Who brings together the two warring selves into one integrated, harmonious person. He has redeemed you. And when we come to Him daily in contrition and faith He forgives our sins.

But He does us even better. He gives you His Holy Spirit. So that you can be the hands, the feet, the fingers, and the toes of Jesus in your world.   

The Reformers taught that a farmer may worship God by being a good farmer. The Reformation proclaimed that a parent, changing diapers, could be as near to Jesus as the Pope. This was scandal. But it was also revolutionary.

"We can't be holy in the abstract. Instead we become a holy blacksmith. Or a holy mother. Or a holy physician. Or a holy systems analyst. We seek God in and through our particular vocation and place in life…Our task is not to somehow inject God into our work. But to join God in the work He is already doing in and through our vocational lives. In the daily rhythms for everyone everywhere, we live our lives in the marketplaces of this world. In homes and neighborhoods. In schools and on farms. In hospitals and businesses. And our vocations are bound up with the ordinary work that ordinary people do. We are not great shots across the bow of history. Rather, by simple grace. We are hints of hope.”

Through your daily work you become the hands and feet the fingers and toes of Jesus. Bloom where you are planted; in short, become a sermon in shoes.

A prayer before we study the Word – Almighty God, our heavenly Father, without Your help our labor is useless, and without Your light our search is in vain. Invigorate the study of Your holy Word that, by due diligence and right discernment, we may establish ourselves and others in Your holy faith.

In our living - Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing were we go but only that Your hand is leading us and Your live supporting us; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

Prayers from Lutheran Service Book, © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis

Luther’s Seal copyright © Ed Riojas, Higher Things

Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life.- Tish Harrison Warren  © 2016 Intervarsity Press   pg. 94, 189

June 30 – Tuesday prior to Proper 9

 Zechariah 9:9-12 – Peace for the nations.  Jerusalem has promised that her king is coming to bring peace to the nations. Rejoice (v. 9). What is there to rejoice about? Can we rejoice over the shortage of energy, the arms race, the pollution of the earth, the racial unrest, and political corruption? God gives Israel reason to rejoice — a world ruler is coming in peace for the peace of the world. If we could have world peace, a world government of justice, a ruler of compassion, we would have reason to shout with joy. Has this King not come in Jesus? Christians should be a celebrating people.

God’s people are called to welcome their coming King with joyful shouts. This is a preview to the depiction of the new Jerusalem as the Bride of Christ. See Revelation 21:2

Says Luther, “Here there is no violence, no armor, no power, no anger, no wrath. Here there is only kindness, justice, salvation, mercy and every good thing.”

In His triumphal entry into Jerusalem Jesus gave public proof that He is this promised King. See Matthew 21:1-11

A simple yet heartfelt Prayer – “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.”

Luther’s Works, American Edition 20:29 copyright © Concordia Publishing St. Louis Fortress Philadelphia, 1955-86

Palm Sunday copyright © Ed Riojas, Higher Things

Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House

June 29 – Monday prior to Proper 9

 Psalm 91:1-10 - This is the Psalm portion from which the Introit for next Sunday is taken. The antiphon is taken from verse 1, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

The refuge that is found in God alone will sustain people even if the body is destroyed. This refuge will provide rescue from those things that would harm our relationship with God. The refuge is precisely that. It is a refuge of solace that can provide an inner strength to endure the harshest trials of life. In that sense, God’s presence is a refuge. Since God is ever present in all circumstances of every waking and sleeping moment, then there is a refuge that one can experience in the here and now, and in the future yet to unfold. God is our rock shelter of hope.

Lord Jesus Christ, when tempted by the devil, you remained true to your Father, who commanded his angels to watch over you. Guard your Church from the plague of sin, so that we may remain faithful to you until the day when we enjoy the fullness of your salvation; for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen

Prayer for Psalm 91, For All the Saints – A Prayer Book For and By the Church Year 1 © 1994American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi NY 

Lift High the Cross copyright © Ed Riojas, Higher Things

Proper 9 Series A (Pentecost 6)

 

Pentecost 6

Zechariah 9:9–12
Romans 7:14–25a
Matthew 11:25–30

Gracious God, our heavenly Father, Your mercy attends us all our days. Be our strength ands support amid the wearisome changes of this world, and at life’s end grant us Your promised rest and the full joys of Your salvation; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 

Jesus Christ, Our Savior, Is Our True Peace and Sabbath Rest

 Though we have died with Christ in Holy Baptism, and we are raised to new life in Him, we find “another law waging war” in our body and life, that is, between our old Adam and the new man (Romans 7:23). By the Spirit of Christ, we “desire to do what is right,” but we are not able to do so because “nothing good” dwells in our sinful flesh (Romans 7:18). “Thanks be to God,” therefore, “through Jesus Christ our Lord,” who delivers us from “this body of death” (Romans 7:24–25). We rejoice in Him, our gentle King, who comes “righteous and having salvation” (Zechariah 9:9). He speaks peace to our embattled hearts, and by His blood of the New Testament He sets us “free from the waterless pit,” and He returns us to the stronghold of our Baptism (Zechariah 9:10–12). Though we “labor and are heavy laden,” He calls us to Himself and gives rest to our souls through His free and full forgiveness (Matthew 11:28), not because we are “wise and understanding,” but by the “gracious will” of God the Father, whom “the Son chooses to reveal” in love (Matthew 11:25–27).

Matthew 11:28 in the Lutheran Confessions
Pr. Andrew Yeager 

There are two parts here: being weary and carrying heavy burdens refer to contrition, anxieties, and the terrors of sin and death; to come to Christ is to believe that on account of Christ sins are forgiven. When we believe, our hearts are made alive by the Holy Spirit through the word of Christ. Therefore these are the two chief parts: contrition and faith. Apology XII Repentance.44

Two conditions must be met for a person to qualify as a propitiator. First, there should be a Word of God from which we know with certainty that God wants to have mercy upon and to answer those who call upon him through this propitiator. Therefore, such a promise exists for Christ…no such promise exists for the saints. Therefore, consciences cannot establish with any degree of certainty that we will be heard if we call upon the saints. Such an invocation does not flow from faith. Then we also have the command to call upon Christ according to [Matt. 11:28], “Come to me all you that are weary…” which certainly applies also to us. Apology XXI Invocation of the Saints. 17.

For in this Sacrament he offers us all the treasures he brought from heaven for us, to which he most graciously invites us in other places, as when he says in Matthew 11 [:28]: “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Surely it is a sin and a shame that, when he so tenderly and faithfully summons and exhorts us for our highest and greatest good, we regard it with such disdain, neglecting it so long that we grow quite cold and callous and lose all desire and love for it. We must never regard the Sacrament as a harmful thing from which we should flee, but as a pure, wholesome, soothing medicine that aids you and gives life in both soul and body. For where the soul is healed, the body is helped as well. Why, then, do we act as if the Sacrament were a poison that would kill us if we ate of it? Large Catechism The Sacrament of the Altar. 66-68.

This Christ calls all sinners to himself and promises them refreshment. He is utterly serious in his desire that all people should come to him and seek help for themselves [cf. Matt. 11:28; 1 Tim. 2:4]. He offers himself to them in the Word. He desires them to hear the Word and not to plug their ears or despise his Word. To this end he promises the power and activity of the Holy Spirit, divine assistance in remaining faithful and attaining eternal salvation. FC Epitome Election. 8.

The true and worthy guests, for whom this precious Sacrament above all was instituted and established, are the Christians who are weak in faith, fragile and troubled, who are terrified in their hearts by the immensity and number of their sins and think that they are not worthy of this precious treasure and of the benefits of Christ because of their great impurity, who feel the weakness of their faith and deplore it, and who desire with all their heart to serve God with a stronger, more resolute faith and purer obedience. As Christ says, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” [Matt. 11:28]… FC SD VII Holy Supper. 69-70.

Therefore, if we want to consider our eternal election to salvation profitably, we must always firmly and rigidly insist that, like the proclamation of repentance, so the promise of the Gospel is universalis, that is, pertains to all people…Christ said, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11 [:28]). FC SD XI Election. 28.

Accordingly, the eternal election of God should be considered in Christ and not apart from or outside of Christ. For in Christ, the holy apostle Paul testifies, we have been chosen “before the foundation of the world” [Eph. 1:4], as is written, “He has loved us in his beloved” [Eph. 1:6]. This election is revealed from heaven through the proclaimed Word, as the Father said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well-pleased; listen to him!” [Matt. 17:5]. And Christ says, “Come to me, all you who are…carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” [Matt. 11:28].

Therefore, if people wish to be saved, they should not concern or torture themselves with thoughts about the secret counsel of God—whether they are chosen or preordained for eternal life—with which the accursed Satan is wont to attack and trouble upright hearts. Rather, they should listen to Christ, who is the “Book of Life” and the book of God’s eternal election for all God’s children to eternal life [Phil. 4:13; Rev. 3:5; 20:15]. For he testifies to all people without distinction that God wills all people who are burdened and weighed down with sins to come to him, so that they may be given rest and be saved [Matt. 11:28]. FC SD XI Election 65, 70.

Similarly, by instructing people to seek eternal election in Christ and in his holy gospel as in the Book of Life, this teaching gives no one cause either for faintheartedness or for a brazen, dissolute life. For this teaching excludes no repentant sinners. Instead, it calls and draws all poor, burdened, and troubled sinners to repentance, to the recognition of their sins, and to faith in Christ. It promises the Holy Spirit for purification and renewal [Matt. 11:28…] Thus, it gives the most reliable comfort to troubled, tempted people, that they may know their salvation does not rest in their own hands. FC SD XI Election 89.

Come to Me, and I Will Give You Rest

Matthew 11.25
 Ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ καιρῷ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν· Ἐξομολογοῦμαί σοι, πάτερ κύριε τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῆς γῆς, ὅτι [a]ἔκρυψας ταῦτα ἀπὸ σοφῶν καὶ συνετῶν, καὶ ἀπεκάλυψας αὐτὰ νηπίοις·
At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children;

Matthew 11.26 
ναί, ὁ πατήρ, ὅτι οὕτως [b]εὐδοκία ἐγένετο ἔμπροσθέν σου.
yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 

Literally “for so it pleased you well”

Matthew 11.27
Πάντα μοι παρεδόθη ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρός μου, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐπιγινώσκει τὸν υἱὸν εἰ μὴ ὁ πατήρ, οὐδὲ τὸν πατέρα τις ἐπιγινώσκει εἰ μὴ ὁ υἱὸς καὶ ᾧ ἐὰν βούληται ὁ υἱὸς ἀποκαλύψαι.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 

Matthew 11.28 
Δεῦτε πρός με πάντες οἱ κοπιῶντες καὶ πεφορτισμένοι, κἀγὼ ἀναπαύσω ὑμᾶς.
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 

Matthew 11.29 
ἄρατε τὸν ζυγόν μου ἐφ’ ὑμᾶς καὶ μάθετε ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ, ὅτι πραΰς εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ, καὶ εὑρήσετε ἀνάπαυσιν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν·
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 

Matthew 11.30 
ὁ γὰρ ζυγός μου χρηστὸς καὶ τὸ φορτίον μου ἐλαφρόν ἐστιν.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software

– Romans 7:1-13 Released from the law and sin

 The Lord Jesus Brings Division on Earth for the Sake of Peace with God in Heaven

The preaching of God’s Law is hard. Because it confronts sin. Brings it to light. And makes things worse. Yet we must if we ever want to free ourselves from the curse of the law.

1. Our sinful self is described by Paul using specific language.

A.         “Sinful beyond measure,” thereby “producing death” in the sinner (Romans 7:13). 

B.        But through our Baptism into Christ, “we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive.” (Romans 7:6). 

2. Now we belong to Christ.

     A.               "Who has been raised from the dead..."

     B.               “In order that we may bear fruit for God” (Romans 7:4). 

3. Belonging to Christ puts us at odds. 

     A.               With the world and divides us from all earthly ties. 

     B.               Not only from our human family, but each person from his own life. 

4. Why Christ came. 

A.               For Christ does not come “to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34). 

B.                 Yet, whoever takes up his cross to follow Christ, and “loses his life” for Christ’s sake, finds new life in Him. (Matthew 10:38–39).

Words –225

Passive Sentences –5%

Readability –80.1

Reading Level – 5.1

Luther’s Seal © Ed Riojas, Higher Things

June 27 – Saturday prior to Proper 8

 John 11:16 – This passage is the inspiration for the hymn “Let us ever walk with Jesus” LSB 685. Thomas is ready to suffer all, even death, for the sake of Christ. Such commitment is necessary yet impossible without faith in Christ. Our prayer: Lord, increase my faith!

“Sigismund von Birken was the son of an Evangelical pastor in Bohemia. His family was forced to flee to Nürnberg when he was three. Birken was an established poet and was appointed a tutor at the age of 16 to the Princes of Brunswick-Lünesburg. His poetic skills led to publication of 52 hymns. However, only three of them have been translated into English. The most prominent of these hymns is Let Us Ever Walk with Jesus and Jesus I will Ponder Now which was the focus of our mid-week Lenten series this spring.

Meditate on this much loved hymn

1 Let us ever walk with Jesus,
Follow His example pure,
Flee the world, which would deceive us
And to sin our souls allure.
Ever in His footsteps treading,
Body here, yet soul above,
Full of faith and hope and love,
Let us do the Father's bidding.
Faithful Lord, abide with me;
Savior, lead, I follow Thee

A Prayer of thanksgiving– Heavenly Father, God of all grace, govern our hearts that we may never forget Your blessings but steadfastly thank and praise You for all Your goodness in this life until, with all Your saints, we praise You eternally in Your heavenly kingdom.

Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis

Luther’s Seal copyright © Ed Riojas, Higher Things

June 26 –Friday prior to Proper 8

 Psalm 119:153-160 – This Psalm is suggested for this coming Sunday. It falls under the Hebrew letter “Resh” the twentieth letter in the Hebrew alphabet.  It is a psalm and prayer of deliverance. “See how I love your precepts; preserve my life.”

We must rely on God to justify us and to defend us in the final day.  This life is full of grief, pain and affliction. Yet, we serve a heavenly Father, and His tender mercies are greater by far than any persecution of the enemy. We feel secure when we listen to His words and trust in His loving-kindness.

The psalmist cries, "Plead my cause, and deliver me: quicken me according to thy word."

Christ is the advocate of his people, their Redeemer. Who is mighty, and thoroughly pleads their cause against the accusations of Satan. He defends their innocence from the calumnies of wicked men, and rights their wrongs, and redresses their grievances.

Christians are promised that we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous. God will plead on the side of David. David knows that he is helpless unless God takes his side. This is like an attorney who pleads your case for you. Christ your Savior works on your behalf, pleading to the Father for pardon, mercy and grace.

These words of comfort and hope mirror the last five words that He spoke to humans before He ascended into heaven. "I am with you always..." Jesus your Savior gives you His guarantee that He will not walk out on you. Never!

Jesus understands your station in life and He promises to do something about this sorry lot.

He promises us the Counselor. For your aid and comfort.

Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit will come and appears on your behalf to be a mediator, an intercessor, and a genuine helper for you.

Who is this counselor? He is the Spirit of truth, the One who can be known and revealed only by faith. He is the One who dwells and lives within you.

While so many live with the mistaken notion that perception is reality, the Savior confirms to you that He is your reality. Christ alone is the solution to any feelings of abandonment. So go ahead. Plead your cause to Him. He has promised to listen. And He will take action according to His gracious will.

Lord, you are just and your commandments are eternal. Teach us to love you with all our hearts and to love our neighbor as ourselves, for the sake of Jesus our Lord.  

Image copyright © Ed Riojas, Higher Things

Prayer for Psalm 119.153-16, For All the Saints – A Prayer Book For and By the Church Year 1 © 1994American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi NY  

June 25 – Thursday prior to Proper 8

 

Matthew 10:34-42 –Jesus calls upon his disciples to love him above all others. Matthew continues in this lesson with the price of discipleship. In verses 34-36, Jesus declares that His coming will cause dissension in families because disciples will love Him more than any member of the family. In verses 37-39, Jesus calls upon His disciples to take up the cross and to lose themselves in His cause. To those who do this, Jesus promises rewards (verses 40-42). In this passage, we have the cost and reward of discipleship.

There are many rewards — reward of a prophet, or a righteous man, of a spokesperson and ambassador of Christ. “He who receives you receives me.” To accept a follower of Christ is to accept Jesus; to help a disciple is to help Christ. To reject a disciple is to reject Christ. What a high honor to be a surrogate of Christ!

The pattern of Christ’s suffering is the outline of ministry. Found in the words of John the Baptizer who said, “He must increase while I must decrease.”- John 3:30

In her book “Generation Me” author Jean Twenge put it this way, “In many ways, there’s no better time to be alive than right now. Think of all the advantages we have that earlier generations did not: television, cell phones, better medical care, computers, more education, less physical labor, the freedom to make our own choices, the ability to move to a more desirable city. These last two, however, begin to hint at the underlying problem. Our growing tendency to put the self-first leads to unparalleled freedom, but it also creates an enormous amount of pressure on us to stand alone.”

It really isn’t about you. It’s always about Jesus.  All too often, we forget that the invisible God is working things out according to His purpose. Not yours. God is free to do as He pleases. He owes no one anything. And yet… And yet, He chose to redeem you. He chose to send Jesus into your world. Into time and space. To become your substitute. To live a perfect life for you. To bear your sin. To die your death. To rise again. To make you His own. And place His Spirit inside of you. To endow you with gifts. So you can be a sermon in shoes. So you can be His witness in this generation.

This tells us that grace alone will make and keep you with Jesus. Your status in this life is not dependent on what you do. It is decided by whose you are. You are in Christ. Therefore, you can choose to do anything you want in this life. You are free. You are free to be anything you want. You can be a butcher, a baker, a candle maker. You are free to be cop a teacher or a farmer. You are free to be a line cook at a greasy spoon or a garbage man. You are free to be a truck driver, a plastic surgeon or stay at home mom.  “Whatever your hand finds it to do…do it with all your might.” - Ecclesiastes 9:10 

“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord.” - Colossians 3:17 

Remember the Service Master cleaning service. In all you do - you are rendering service to the Master. What you do is a reflection of who you are. 

Collect for Proper 8 –O Almighty God, by the working of Your Holy Spirit grant that we may gladly hear Your Word proclaimed among us and follow it’s directing; through Jesus Christ Your Son, our Lord who lives and rules with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever.

Heavenly Father, grant Your mercy and grace to Your people in their many and various callings. Give them patience, and strengthen them in their Christian vocation of witness to the world and of service to their neighbor in Christ’s name; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Image ‘With all your heart,’ copyright © Ed Riojas, Higher Things

Generation Me by Jean Twenge, PhD © 2006 Simon & Schuster

Prayers from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis

June 24 - Wednesday prior to Proper 8

  Romans 7:1-13 – Paul warns Christians not to back into our former way of living. As far as Christians are concerned, a life “controlled by the sinful nature” belongs to our past. The law not only reveals sin, it also stimulates it. The natural tendency in man is to desire the forbidden thing – death. Physical death and beyond that, eternal death - final separation from God – are the fruit of our “union” with the law.

Paul tells us what exactly happened to us. "Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for God" (Romans 7:4). Remember, "we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him." (6:5–8)

This truth is so crucial to the believer's daily walk with Christ that Paul reminds us to "consider (reckon, count upon the fact) yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus" (Romans 6:11). God's solution to our sin problem was to crucify us with Christ. As far as the Father is concerned we were there in the grave with Christ and we rose into newness of life with Him. This happened in Baptism. Now we are joined in an intimate union with our Lord and Savior.

Remember, in Baptism you died to sin. Christ bore the penalty of the law on our behalf and rose from the dead. The moment you were born again in Baptism you were identified with Christ's death and resurrection. You are no longer under the law, but under grace.

Luther observed, "It is impossible for a man to be a Christian without having Christ; and if he has Christ, he has at the same time all that is in Christ. What gives peace to the conscience is, that by faith our sins are no more ours, but Christ's, upon whom God has laid them all; and that, on the other hand, all Christ's righteousness is ours, to whom God has given it. Christ lays His hand upon us, and we are healed. He lays His mantle upon us, and we are clothed; for He is the glorious Savior, blessed forever."

Merciful Father, through Holy Baptism You called us to be Your own possession. Grant that our lives may evidence the working of Your Holy Spirit in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, according to the image of Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior.

Baptism copyright © Ed Riojas, Higher Things

Prayers from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis

History of the Great Reformation of the Sixteenth Century in Germany by Jean Henri Merle d'Aubigné

June 23 – Tuesday prior to Proper 8

 

Jeremiah 28:5-9 – A true prophet is one whose message is fulfilled. One day two preachers were speaking in the temple. They contradicted each other and yet both claimed to be prophets. Whom were the people to believe? One says God will send peace; the other promises trouble. Jeremiah gives the acid test: the true prophet is one whose preaching comes true. So, we have to wait and see who is right.

Here we find God’s bad news (verses 5-8).  Most think God has only good news for us. According to this lesson, God has both good and bad news. For the rebellious and disobedient there is bad news – judgment, war, famine, and death. King Ahab referred to Elijah as “you troubler of Israel,” and “my enemy.” 

Jeremiah’s response was marked by restraint. Nothing would have please him more than to affirm the prediction of an immediate deliverance of the people he loved so dearly.

Micah had bad news of defeat for the kings about to go to war. To say peace because people want to hear it is to be faithless to God who brings judgment upon a sinful people.

Which do you prefer, to be liked or respected?

The false prophets of Jeremiah's day prophesied by other gods such as Baal, the god of sex and success (Jeremiah 23:13). These prophets keep saying "Don't worry! Everything's going to be fine! (Jeremiah 23:17) But they have drummed up their own "prosperity preaching" and none of them has ever been in on the LORD's own council. (Jeremiah 23:18, 21-22) Their words are smooth, sweet, comforting. "But my word," says the prophet speaking in the name of the LORD, "is like fire, like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces!" (Jeremiah 23:29)

These are difficult words. They were difficult for Jeremiah. They challenge us today. May the Lord give us the strength to speak the truth of God’s word when the message is welcomed and courage even if it is not received.

Almighty and everlasting God, You would have all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. By Your almighty power and unsearchable wisdom break and hinder all the counsels of those who hate Your Word and who, by corrupt teaching, would destroy it. Enlighten them with the knowledge of Your glory that they may know the riches of Your heavenly grace and, in peace and righteousness, serve You the only true God; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

A wolf in sheep’s clothing copyright © Ed Riojas, Higher Things

Prayers from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis

June 22 – Monday prior to Proper 8

 

Psalm 89:15-18 - This is the Psalm portion from which the Introit for next Sunday is taken. The antiphon is taken from verse 1, “I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; with my mouth I will make known You faithfulness to all generations.” 

The love and faithfulness that appear here will be repeated fourteen times throughout the course of this Psalm. We trust in the mercies of our Lord because of His love and faithfulness.

Psalm 89 speaks of the rise and fall of David’s kingdom, suggesting a date during the time of the Kings. Because David’s sons, the kings of Judah, did not remain faithful to God, the Lord visited judgment upon His people. Lamenting this harsh treatment, the psalmist call upon God to relent and to restore His people once again.

God is merciful. His wonders never cease. This is the focus of this Sunday’s introit.

Verses 15-18, is best read as a joyful enactment of the psalmist's promise from v. 1 to sing of God's steadfast love and faithfulness. Verse 15 proclaims that "blessed" are the people who know the "festal shout"; who walk in God's light.

This expression, "festal shout" might sound strange.  The Hebrew word, can be used to convey such things as trumpets blowing and war cries. Here in the Psalms it usually denotes a shout of acclamation or joy towards God.

To "know the festal shout" is thus to express the joy that comes from experiencing God's steadfast love and faithfulness. It is significant that it is "the people" who is said to know this--a singular noun in Hebrew. This "festal shout" is something that can only be known collectively, as the gathered people of God. However loud one might yell, one cannot produce a "festal shout" on one's own!

Mighty God, in fulfillment of the promise made to David’s descendants you established a lasting covenant through your Son Jesus. You anointed your servant Jesus with holy oil and raised him higher than all kings on earth. Remember your covenant, so that we who are signed with the blood of your Son may sing of your mercies forever; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.    

Te Deum copyright © Ed Riojas, Higher Things

Lutheran Study Bible © 2009 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis

Prayer for Psalm 89, For All the Saints – A Prayer Book For and By the Church Year 1 © 1994American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi NY 

https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=957

Proper 8 Series A (Pentecost 5)

 

Pentecost 5 

Jeremiah 28:5–9
Romans 7:1–13
Matthew 10:34–42

The Lord Jesus Brings Division on Earth for the Sake of Peace with God in Heaven

False prophets preach what their hearers want to hear, promising peace even when the Lord has spoken “war, famine, and pestilence” (Jer. 28:8). But if “the Lord has truly sent the prophet,” he speaks what the Lord has spoken, and “the word of that prophet comes to pass” (Jer. 28:9). The preaching of God’s Law is hard, because it confronts sin, brings it to light and makes it worse, “sinful beyond measure,” thereby “producing death” in the sinner (Rom. 7:13). But through our Baptism into Christ, “we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive” (Rom. 7:6). Now we belong “to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God” (Rom. 7:4). Belonging to Him puts us at odds with the world and divides us from all earthly ties, not only from our human family, but each person from his own life. For Christ does not come “to bring peace, but a sword” (Matt. 10:34). Yet, whoever takes up his cross to follow Christ, and “loses his life” for Christ’s sake, finds new life in Him (Matt. 10:38–39).

Not Peace, but a Sword

Matthew 10.34 
Μὴ νομίσητε ὅτι ἦλθον βαλεῖν εἰρήνην ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν· οὐκ ἦλθον βαλεῖν εἰρήνην ἀλλὰ μάχαιραν. 
Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 

Matthew 10.35 
ἦλθον γὰρ διχάσαι ἄνθρωπον κατὰ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ θυγατέρα κατὰ τῆς μητρὸς αὐτῆς καὶ νύμφην κατὰ τῆς πενθερᾶς αὐτῆς, 
For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 

Matthew 10.36 
καὶ ἐχθροὶ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου οἱ οἰκιακοὶ αὐτοῦ. 
And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. 

Matthew 10.37 
ὁ φιλῶν πατέρα ἢ μητέρα ὑπὲρ ἐμὲ οὐκ ἔστιν μου ἄξιος· καὶ ὁ φιλῶν υἱὸν ἢ θυγατέρα ὑπὲρ ἐμὲ οὐκ ἔστιν μου ἄξιος· 
Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

Matthew 10.38 
καὶ ὃς οὐ λαμβάνει τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀκολουθεῖ ὀπίσω μου, οὐκ ἔστιν μου ἄξιος. 
And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 

Matthew 10.39 
ὁ εὑρὼν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἀπολέσει αὐτήν, καὶ ὁ ἀπολέσας τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ εὑρήσει αὐτήν.
Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Rewards

Matthew 10.40
 Ὁ δεχόμενος ὑμᾶς ἐμὲ δέχεται, καὶ ὁ ἐμὲ δεχόμενος δέχεται τὸν ἀποστείλαντά με. 
Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.

Matthew 10.41 
ὁ δεχόμενος προφήτην εἰς ὄνομα προφήτου μισθὸν προφήτου λήμψεται, καὶ ὁ δεχόμενος δίκαιον εἰς ὄνομα δικαίου μισθὸν δικαίου λήμψεται. 
The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward.

Matthew 10.42 
καὶ ὃς ἂν ποτίσῃ ἕνα τῶν μικρῶν τούτων ποτήριον ψυχροῦ μόνον εἰς ὄνομα μαθητοῦ, ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, οὐ μὴ ἀπολέσῃ τὸν μισθὸν αὐτοῦ.
And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”

The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software

ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Pentecost 4 - Proper 7

 

Pentecost 4 - Proper 7

Matthew 10:21-33
21 June 2026
Martini Lutheran Church
New Haven, IN
Fear that chases away fear

[1]

O Lord, whose gracious presence never fails to guide and govern those whom You have nurtured in Your steadfast love and worship, make us ever revere and adore Your holy name.[2] 

Fear. What is it?

FEAR is "False Evidence Appearing Real".

And Courage? COURAGE is fear that has said its prayers.

There is much for us to fear these days. Farmers got a late start planting this spring. Inputs were high. Now we wait for crops to mature and grow. But how about the weather? You cannot control it. And then the markets. You cannot control them either.

Whether it’s the student starting out for the first time on new ventures or the couple contemplating the next phase of their lives, the future can be a little bit scary. - A combination of frightening and alarming. Almost sheer terror!

Some of our fears are legitimate and justified. You can fret and worry about your family, your health, your employment, your future. All valid concerns.

Other times, our fears are unreasonable. Paranoid. Irrational. Uncalled-for. Fear can make us feel powerless. You can talk all you want about the futility of fear. But talking is cheap. Which does not make fear go away.

Your feelings are sometimes deeper than any rational arguments. So how do we deal with this emotion of fear? Faith that deals with this basic feeling is the cure for fear. Address your fears. But trust also in Christ. It is faith that conquers fear. Faith conquers fear because…

Faith is certain we shall overcome – Fear God and you lose the fear of judgment for sin. Jesus said: “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant[a] above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master.”  Vv. 24-25   

Pain, prison, and death are not the greater dangers after all. But disobedience and conformity to this age are the greater dangers. Jesus loves you so much He was willing to suffer for you. That you might have faith in suffering with Him.

When He suffered for you. He gave what you needed to suffer with Him. He gave you forgiveness for your sins.

He tells you plainly: "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." Matthew 26:28

Your guilt is gone. Your heavenly Father is on your side equipping you to trust your Savior Jesus.

And, since the Lord is on your side, what can man do to you? Jesus has promised to suffer for you. That you might have faith in suffering with Him.

Faith in God rather than in man – Fear God and the lesser fear of people disappear.

Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. v. 28

Trust not in princes they are but mortal. Do not conform your life to the appeasement of those who may threaten you.

What’s the worst any man could do? Even in a worst-case scenario, if you die at the hands of men, it will be only temporary. If God kills a man, it will be for eternity.

May we have the strength of faith when Peter and the other apostles said in Acts 5:29: “We must obey God rather than men!”

Faith in God’s care for us – Fear God and you lose the fear of failure.

Some may ask. “What if I fail?” “What if it all goes wrong?” What if it doesn’t work?” It doesn’t matter!

The Father loves you. He’s concerned for you. He’s by your side. He’s in your corner. He’s got you back.

He took the lead. He sent Jesus to the cross. To be your substitute. Jesus lived a perfect life. For you.

He suffered and died at the cruel and bloody cross. For you. He broke down the door of death. He ascended into heaven.

He prepares a place for you. He is with you at this very moment. In His Word. In His Sacraments. To strengthen and preserve you.

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Vv.29-31

The Father loves you. You are His. He sustains, directs, supports you. He leads you through troubled waters.

He points you to His promises, which will calm your fears and turn your anxieties and suspicions into a quiet confidence. It is well with your soul when Jesus guides and leads you.

So trust in His timing. Rely on His promises. Wait for His answers. Believe in His miracles.

Rejoice in His goodness. Relax in His presence. Come near to Jesus and He will come near to you. James 4:8

When we take these words of Jesus seriously. (As we should.) We come to this remarkable conclusion; your heavenly Father is completely fascinated by you!

He’s taken the time to count the number of hairs on your head  Who else would do something than that, other than He who is absolutely in love with you! So be rational with your fear.

True. Fear cannot be totally eradicated. It cannot be stripped from the human psyche.

Fear is a part of our make-up. It’s a question of what and whom do you fear. Trust Christ not man.  When Christ is feared; trusted, respected, and held in love and esteem - all other fear soon disappears.

__________

985 -Words
3.4% -Passive Sentences
86% -Reading ease
3.2-Reading level

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[1] The Lord’s Supper, Ed Riojas © Higher Things

[2] Collect for Pentecost 5, Lutheran Worship © 1981 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis

– Romans 6:12-23 We are now slaves to righteousness

 We now enter into a new section of Paul’s letter to the Romans. (6:1-7:6) Paul begins with a discussion. He speaks of the nature of the power of the Gospel. Paul leads to assertions of the reality of the reconciliation and its peace even in the midst of affliction.

 

Christ is always there for you. Even in your darkest hours. Even when you feel like there is no help left. Put your trust in Him. And he will lift you in His arms.  Even in the midst of your darkest hours. Christ remains present.  You can even glory in you weakness. For when you are weak. You are made strong by the power of Christ.  This change happens. Because of the sacramental effected change of lordship, which has taken place in your baptism. You are not your own. You now belong to Christ.  

 

Delivered from sin and death, you now live before God in the righteousness of Christ.

 

1. The outcome of sin is death. 

A.        "For the wages of sin is death," This we can see all around us. Common to human experience is the death of a loved one. Be they friend, family or other. We have all experienced grief loss and sadness. Yet Paul would remind us if the master is sin then we already know the outcome. It is only death. Death is the payment and the reward of sin. Paul uses a military term for wages. It refers to a soldier's daily pay. (opsonia)

 

 

 

B.        And over against those wages is "the free gift of God" which is "eternal life in Jesus Christ."  The word "free gift" has buried in it the word grace. (charis) God's grace is the final word once again!

 

2. He has set you free.

 

A.        From the slavery of sin, death, and the power and realm of Satan. And where does this freedom come from? It comes in your baptism. The place where the Father names you as His own dear child. And not because of what you have attained. Accomplished. Bought. Or achieved. This freedom comes to you simply because God has chosen to love you and adopt you as His own.

 

B.        And has now brought you “from death to life." Because you have died to sin you have been raised to newness of life in Christ. No longer does sin reign over you. You now live in the light of your union with Christ. 

 

3. You are now a new person. Created in Christ Jesus.

 

A.        No longer are you under the law. In Christ you died to sin. In Christ you were raised to newness of life. And thus you now live a new and different life in and through Him.

 

B.        Now you live "under grace."   Because you have died to sin you have been raised you newness of life in Christ. Rather than presenting you bodies as servants of sin we now present our bodies as instruments of righteousness.

1.     Sin will have no dominion over you.

 

2.     Since you are no longer under law.

a.     The law always accuses.

b.     The law always destroys. 

 

 

4.  Hope for today and tomorrow

 

A.   Such is your courage in the face of those "who kill the body but cannot kill the soul."  Do not be afraid to speak clearly and openly what Christ has taught you. Be courageous to speak the truth of Scripture clearly and openly for all to hear even if it appears unpopular or dangerous. 

B.   Although "you will be hated by all" maligned by the world for name of Christ. Any mistreatment for speaking the truth clearly and openly is not some unexpected, accidental. Random, meaningless experience. (Matthew10:22, 25) That is just the way the world treated Christ. It is a sign that you belong to Christ. It's a sign that you are a part of His household. (See Hebrews 13:8) don't be afraid of the names they call you. Those very names. Bind you to Christ. 

C.   You abide in the care of Christ.  Fear not. Your Father will not let anything happen to you apart from His gracious will. You are of more value than many sparrows. Not one of them will fall without your Father's will. No harm will befall you but what your Father Wills. If God has work for you to do you cannot die! 

So I appeal to you. Do not yield to the spirit of this age. Love the truth . What you learn of Christ in the closet speak in the light. What you hear in the Scriptures proclaim from the housetop. You need not fear the face of any man. You are in Christ.  

Words – 820

Passive Sentences –7%

Readability –88.1%

Reading Level – 3.2

Luther’s Seal © Ed Riojas, Higher Things