Pentecost 10 - Proper 15

Pentecost 10 – Proper 15

18 August 2019

Luke 12:51

The fire of God’s Word Divides – Go in Peace or to pieces”

“Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.” 

“Merciful Father, since You have given Your only Son as the sacrifice for our sin, also give us grace  - to receive with thanksgiving the fruits of His redeeming work and daily follow in His way; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Spirit, one God, now and forever.”1 

I would share with you a facebookTM post from a friend which sums up our Gospel lesson for this morning. “The tension in the call to live in the world, but not be of the world has some Christians aping the world, others trying to escape it. Both options leave us functioning as exiles. Jesus calls us to follow him as pilgrims and that tension is the exact shape of a narrow road.” 2 

We usually think of Jesus in terms of the Prince of Peace. Our Gospel reminds us there is another side of Jesus. He’s not always nice. But He is good.  He can also cause trouble, controversy, disharmony and division, Jesus will have no cheap peace. Sometimes He says, “Go in peace,” but other times people go to pieces in terms of disagreement and division. 

There can be no peace at any price. Agreement with falsehood, compromise with evil will not do. When Christ enters as truth, love and goodness people divide themselves either pro or con. It is said that whenever St. Paul preached there was either a revival or a riot. With Jesus there is no neutral ground. You are either for or against Him. Division occurs even in the close-knit family. Some are for while so are against – Jesus. 

How does Jesus cause division?

1. He speaks Truth.

A. If the word had not been preached the world would have gone undisturbed. But the preaching of the Word causes division. Not because of God or because of the Word but because of the sinfulness of humankind.

1 Man cannot believe in Jesus Christ or come to him by his own reason. “Because the natural man cannot accept the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually appraised.” – 1 Corinthians 2:14

2 Man cannot believe in Jesus Christ or come to Him by his own strength. “You were dead in your trespasses and sins. “ – Ephesians 2:1

3 Man cannot believe in Jesus Christ or come to Him by his own will. “The mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God;  for it does not subject itself to the Law of God, for it is not able to do so,” – Romans 8:7

B. This is why Jesus came preaching both Law as well as Gospel. In the Gospel of John, the Savior reminds us, “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuses for their sin. He who hates Me hates My Father as well. “ - John 15:22-23

The miracles Jesus performed and the words He had spoken were clear. They were light and life. The sins of Jesus’ enemies are both deliberate and inexcusable. But they would have nothing of it. They could not take Jesus’ clear word. Human nature has not changed, People will embrace Him and champion His cause or they will reject, refuse and revolt. 

Transition: Jesus causes division when He speaks the truth. He causes division when He refuses to compromise.

2. He refuses to compromise principle.

A. The sinless Christ suffered at the hands of sinners. They finally brought Him to death. The fire of God is not necessarily an eternal flame. Luther: “The Gospel is sometimes life a refreshing summer shower. It can go from one place to the other.” Where is the center of Christianity today? It resides in the continent of Africa.

B. The fire of God can and sadly sometimes goes out.

1. By the water of this world.

2. By smothering the fire by the cares of this life.

3. By letting it burn out for lack of fuel. Sometimes its rust out instead of burn out. 

Transition: Jesus causes division when He speaks truth. He causes division when He refuses to compromise, and when He lives by love.

3. He lives by love.

A. The fire of God’s love can and must be used for good.

1. The fire is contagious.

2. If a Christian is on fire for God, those who come in contact are set on fire too.

B. Christians, followers of Jesus, are to be spiritual arsonists. As we gossip the Gospel we want to deliberately set others on fire with the Gospel of Christ.

1. Jesus tells us, “I have come to set fire on this earth”

2. Where will the newt fire be set? Who will set it? What will be the result? Riot or revival?

3. Christ’s suffering in the fire for you enable you to endure the heat. The writer to the Hebrews reminds us that Jesus, “endured the cross despising the shame.” – Hebrews 12:2

He did all this for you. In the midst of your struggles – no matter what they may be - “consider Him who endures from sinners such hostility against Himself so that we do not grow weary or fainthearted.” – Hebrews 12:3

“There is no perfect life, no perfect job, no perfect childhood, no perfect marriage, and no perfect set of people who will always do what you expect them to do. What we have is a perfect God. Who is able to lead us through this imperfect life with unfailing strength incomparable wisdom, and infinite love.”3  

Jesus suffered in your place when He was forsaken by His father so that you will not be rejected. Your baptism into His baptism of death is the pledge that you will be with Him in paradise forever. He uses the fiery trials you experience as a Christian to refine, purify and disciple you. True. The cost of discipleship is great. For that reason we are both strangers and pilgrims in this land.  But He paid the ultimate price in your place and now uses even trials for your benefit.

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Words – 1,080

Passive Sentences – 5%

Readability – 77.7% 

Reading Level - 5.2

Luther’s Seal © Higher Things

1. Collect for Pentecost 13, Lutheran Worship copyright © 1080 Concordia Publishing House, St, Louis

2. Facebook post by Michelle Van Loon 08 August, 2019

3. Facebook post by Pr. Sean Esterline August 3, 2019

Time in the Word - Pentecost 10 - Proper 13

Time in the Word
 July 30-August 4 2012

Proper 13
Preparation for next week, Tenth Sunday after Pentecost

This coming Sunday marks an interlude in the long series of passages from Mark during the Pentecost season. The Gospels for three Sundays are taken in course from John 6 - The Bread of Life chapter. Jesus explains that the people have come for more physical bread, but He would rather they had spiritual food which comes from heaven, food for the soul. He then identifies Himself as the bread from heaven similar to the manna God sent to His people in the wilderness. The Old Testament. Paul speaks repeatedly of growth into the fullness of Christ’s stature and growth as “bodily growth”.  As everyone knows, physical growth is not possible without adequate food. The Psalm of the Day sings of God’s goodness and greatness in satisfying the physical needs of every person. Jesus our Savior fills our deepest needs.

Collect for Proper 13 –. Merciful Father, You gave Your Son Jesus as the heavenly bread of life. Grant us faith to feast on Him in Your Word and Sacraments that we may be nourished unto life everlasting;; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

Monday, 30 July 2012—Psalm 78:23-25, Antiphon, Psalm 78:72 – With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with His skillful hand. Israel under the care of the Lord’s royal shepherd from the house of David was for the prophets the hope of God’s people (see Ezekiel 34:23; 37:23 Micah 5:4) fulfilled in Jesus Christ. (See Matthew 2:6’ John 10:11; Revelation 7:17)

Tuesday, 31 July 2012—Psalm145:10-21; key verse v15—The eyes of all look to You and You give them their food at the proper time. This is a psalm of praise and fitting for our theme for this week. The Lord is the provider of all both physical and spiritual blessings. He supplies physical food for us daily as we acknowledge in the Lord’s Prayer. He also supplies us spiritually as He comes to us through the means of grace.   

Wednesday, 01 August 20`1— Exodus 16:2-15—  In response to the people’s complaint that they had no food, the Lord sends food from heaven. Only a few weeks after deliverance from Egypt the people complain about the lack of food. They murmur against Moses and Aaron, but God knows that hey complain about Him. They doubt whether the Lord cares about them and His ability to provide for them. In response to their complaints the Lord sends quail in the evening and bread, “manna,” in the morning. To this day the Manna is a mystery – “What is it?”  Moses answered, “it is the bread the Lord has given you to eat.” By this the people are to know that He is their God.

Thursday, 02 August 2012—Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-16 — Bread makes for bodily growth. Christians are to live lives worthy of their calling in love, unity, and growth to maturity in Christ. The church is urged to become what they are by the grace of Christ. Paul appeals for unity on the basis of the unity of Spirit and body. Various functions are gifts of Christ to equip the members and to build up the church in love. The goal of the growth is the matching of the stature of Jesus so that we are not children but mature in faith and love.    

  

Friday, 03 August 2012—John 6:22-35 — Bread satisfies hunger. John urges the people to seek bread from heaven and reveals Himself as the Bread of Life. What is the work of God? Jesus replies that the work of God is to believe in Him. The people ask for a sign that would persuade them to believe in Him and refer to the manna received in the wilderness. Jesus assures them that God sent the bread from heaven, the bread that gives life to the world. Then they ask Him to give this king of bread. He reveals that He is the Bread of Life. Whoever comes to Him and believes in Him will never hunger nor thirst.

In John 6:1-15 is recorded the feeding of the 5,000. (A prelude to the next three Sundays of readings)  Some believe that the crowd could have been over 5,000 as only "men" were counted. If you would count "women and children" it could have been up to 15,000 (See Matthew 14:21). Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana seats close to 17,000 people....

According to the concessions manager the following items were sold at the Indiana v Wisconsin game, on Saturday, March 12, 1994...

 400 1bs of hot dogs,

3,000 popcorn boxes,

8,200 cokes (about 1,000 gallons)

 684 candy bars,

436 nachos,

284 boxes of caramel corn,

917 soft pretzels,

247 polish sausages,

100 sandwiches,

179 bags of peanuts,

50 muffins,

160 cups of coffee.

This game was played on an afternoon with tip-off scheduled for 2:00 pm. Most fans had eaten their breakfast and had probably had their lunch also! And fans had to pay for their food! Jesus feeds the crowd freely, without cost! When we pray "give us this day our daily bread" we can know that the Savior will supply us with all that we need to support our body and life.

In the center of Pentecost we will be reading the Bread of Life chapter of John 6. Following are the Gospel readings for the next three Sundays.

August 12, 2012 – Pentecost 9 – [Proper 13] John 6:22-35

Eat More then Bread - The Necessity of spiritual bread for life.

August 19, 2012 – Pentecost 10 – [Proper 14] John 6:35-51

Eat and Live – Spiritual food gives eternal life

August 26, 2012 – Pentecost 11 – [Proper 15] John 6:51-69

To Eat or Not to Eat – The decision whether or not to follow Christ

Saturday, 04 August 2012—John 6:22-58 - Sunday’s hymn of the day, Father, we Thank Thee (LSB 652) is a liturgical hymn based on John 6. The point of Jesus’ teaching and the text of the hymn is that to live spiritually we need the bread which comes from heaven namely our Lord and Savior Jesus. As Christ is received we as the children of God live new lives. Throughout the next several weeks we will be focusing on Jesus’ teaching on this import chapter from the gospel of John.  

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

The Text This Week can be found at http://www.textweek.com/scripture.htm

Pentecost 10 - Proper 16 Time in the Word

There Is No Other God than Jesus Christ

In Jesus’ day, people had many ideas about who this Jesus was. Simon Peter made the bold and true confession, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” (Matt 16:17) Likewise, in our day, people wonder about Jesus. Was He merely a rabble-rousing Jew. A revolutionary? A great teacher? Did He exist at all? With Peter, we must be bold and proclaim the truth: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” The eternal second Person of the Trinity came down from heaven, assumed flesh and was born of a virgin, lived, died, and rose again for the remission of the sins of all people. He is the One of whom the psalmist tells us in the Introit God declared, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.” (Psalm 2:6) No one could have imagined that this would be the way which the Lord would send One to deliver the world. This is why St Paul writes in the epistle reading, "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! (Romans 11:33) The illustration above carries the title of our Lord: the Anointed One, or, in Greek, ὁ Χριστός, the Christ.

Collect for the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost: Almighty God, whom to know is everlasting life, grant us to know Your Son, Jesus, to be the way, the truth, and the life that we may boldly confess Him to be the Christ and steadfastly walk in the way that leads to life eternal; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Prayer for the Church: Almighty God, grant to Your Church Your Holy Spirit and the wisdom that comes down from above, that Your Word may not be bound but have free course and be preached to the joy and edifying of Christ’s holy people, that in steadfast faith we may serve You and, in the confession of Your name, abide unto the end;

Prayer for the Holy Ministry: O almighty God, Your Son, Jesus Christ, gave to His holy apostles many excellent gifts and commanded them earnestly to feed His flock. Make all pastors diligent to preach Your holy Work and the people obedient to follow it that together they may receive the crown of everlasting glory;

Prayer for Church musicians and artists: God of majesty, whom saints and angels delight to worship in heaven, be with Your servants who make art and music for Your people that with joy we on earth may glimpse Your beauty. Bring us to the fulfillment of that hope of perfection that will be ours as we stand before Your unveiled glory;

Prayer for those who hold special offices in the Church: Lord of the Church, in whose name all who oversee and serve Your flock have been called, grant Your servants all the gifts necessary for the godly administration of their duties for the building of Your Church that they may bring glory to Your name;

Prayer for defending the Church from error: 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;

Monday, 15 August 2011—Psalm 2:6–7; Psalm 117; Antiphon, Psalm 115:18—Next Sunday’s Introit comes is take from three psalms. Psalm 2 is one of the most important messianic psalms, pointing directly to Christ. Psalm 117, the shortest psalm, is Hallelujah song that calls upon all nations to praise the LORD for His steadfast love and faithfulness in keeping His promise to send a Savior to redeem us from sin. The antiphon expands the call to praise the LORD to all time. Thus, all people everywhere and of all times, Praise the LORD!

Tuesday, 16 August 2011—Psalm 138—The beginning three verses and ending two verses of this psalm of David are David’s vow to praise the Lord for His deliverance and protection. The middle three verses, like the Introit call upon all the kings of the earth to give thanks and sing of the ways and the glory of the LORD. His love and mercy extend to all peoples of all time. Christ is the Redeemer of the entire world.

Wednesday, 17 August 2011—Isaiah 51:1–6—In chapter 40, the LORD said, “Comfort, comfort My people.” The comfort would be provided by a Savior, one who would deliver His people out of exile in Babylon, out of exile in a land of idolaters. Chapter 42 begins telling us of this great Savior, who is portrayed as a Suffering Servant. The portion of Isaiah 51 used for next Sunday’s Old Testament reading once again assures God’s people of the comfort which He will provide them: joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song. From where would such comfort be provided? He would be a Descendant of Abraham and Sarah (v. 2), but would bring His light to the peoples, that is, all peoples, not just other descendants of Abraham and Sarah, but for us Gentiles, as well.

Thursday, 18 August 2011—Romans 11:33—12:8—St Paul’s splendid hymn of praise at the end of chapter 11 follows several chapters of his teaching about the salvation of all people—Jews and Gentiles alike—and extols the wisdom and knowledge of the one true God who conceived of, and brought about His plan of Salvation. He then gives practical advice as to what shape our response to God’s love and mercy in Christ ought to take: in leading lives that are acceptable to God, who, by His Word, transforms our minds, that we may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Friday, 19 August 2011—Matthew 16:13–20—The Holy Christian Church is founded upon the confession of Peter—that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. This Church, the Body of Christ, is not distinguished by race or origin, but by those who despair of their own works and trust solely in the merits of Christ, the promised Redeemer, for their salvation.

Saturday, 20 August 2011—Sunday’s hymn of the day is Built on the Rock (LSB #645). It is based on the Gospel reading, the confession of St Peter which is the Rock on which Christ’s Church is founded. The last stanza confesses the same truth which is confessed in the Augsburg Confession: The Church is the congregation of saints in which the Gospel is purely taught and the Sacraments are correctly administered.

Pr. Jeffrey M. Keuning has written this week’s Time in the Word.

Prayers from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House and Luther’s Small Catechism. Artwork by Ed Riojas, © Higher Things

Pentecost 10 - mid-week

1 Kings 3:5-12

Just suppose you had an experience similar to Solomon’s and God said to you "Ask what I shall give you?" God did not limit the number of things to be requested, but it is assumed that one would ask for only one thing if God were to pose such an offer. After all, who would be so bold as to ask for more then one thing? To make the request, one would first have to consider the value of things and one’s greatest need. Your request in a sense would reveal the kind of person you are. Your scale of values, your goals in life, your purpose in living would all be revealed in your request of God. Let’s consider this important question: If you have only one request of God what would it be?
What should you ask of God?
That question can be answered by asking three sub questions. How we answer this triad will give us the answer to our central question for today.
What should you ask of God?
What is most precious to you?
What is your greatest need?
What good can you do for others with the thing requested?
{1} What should you ask of God? That all depends on what is most precious to you. Consider Solomon’s situation. He was the wealthiest of the wealthy. He was the wisest of the wise. Whatever he needed, whatever he wanted, it was his for the asking. He had all the good things that this life had to offer. Yet, his life was limited to only a few years as each of our lives are limited. The psalmist reminds us "the span of man’s life is 70 years and if by reason of strength, 80 years". Each of us is living on borrowed time. So again, the question needs to be asked, "what is most precious to you?"
Is it making money? There are many driven to accumulating wealth. Yet, as Jesus reminds us (in the parable of the rich man who tore down his barns to build bigger barns) that man’s soul was required of his that very night. He never enjoyed the things he had worked for.
Some seem to be driven by pleasure, and good times. And who among us does not want to have a good time in life? Yet the Scriptures again remind us that if we place pleasure and leisure as our top priority we again will be disappointed.
Through the prophet Jeremiah we are reminded "Thus says the Lord, ‘Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the Lord’" (Jeremiah 17:5)
In answering the question what is most precious to you Solomon gives us the answer in his book of Proverbs when he tells us "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5) What should you ask of God? Finding out what is most precious to you will help answer that question.
{2} To help answer the question of what we should ask of God we need to answer a second question, which is "What is your greatest need?"
We each have plenty of needs. I once had the question of need answered this way. Imagine that you were to spend a year on a deserted island. What would you take with you to meet your basic needs? What you would place on that pacing list answers the question as to what is man’s basic need.
Yet, there are also spiritual needs which each of us possess. Each of us have been conceived and born in sin. Because of this condition of sin, we each fall short of the glory of God. There are things that we do which are displeasing in the sight of God. If our sins were not dealt with we would spend eternity separated from God. Our greatest need is to have peace with God.
There are many people who are looking for peace in their lives. How well do people far in finding this peace. There is only one way to find peace with God and that is through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus has dealt with our greatest need, which is the removal of God’s wrath and our sin. He, who knew no sin, became sin for us, so that we might receive the righteousness of God, which is found in Him. Jesus bore our sins in His own body on the tree that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. He took all sin away. He suffered and died on the cross of Calvary for you and for me. In the suffering of Jesus Christ, there is truly peace on earth and good will toward men.
In Jesus Christ, all sin has been forgiven period! When you find forgiveness of your sins then you will also receive peace with God and a purpose in living. As we are so clearly reminded in our Catechism where there is the forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation. These three, forgiveness, life and salvation all go hand in hand. Receive these gifts, and you are will on your way of knowing what you should ask of God.
{3} What should you ask of God? Consider the third sub question. What good can you do for others with the thing requested? In making your request, who benefits from that request? Is it only yourself, your family your friends? Is there anyone else who benefits and is rewarded from your request? A man all wrapped up in himself become a very small package. Is there any value in your request? Will it last? Will it benefit anyone else? Will your request impact others, or will it last only for a season?
As the old adage reminds us "be careful for what you ask for…you just might get it!" We have a gracious heavenly Father who grants our every request according to His perfect will. Our requests of God are not limited to one or two petitions. He answers every request, which is placed, into His care according to faith.
We can come to the Father at any moment and know that He will hear our prayers. What should you ask of God? Whatever it is may it be asked according to faith, and may you come to Him often for He desires of us to come to Him and to come often, often. Never grow weary of prayer. Daily make your requests made known to God. May the Lord so direct us to consider what we truly need and then in faith approach Him in faith and confidence. "Ask and it shall be given to you, seek, and you will find, knock and the door will be open to you" In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Pentecost 10 – Proper 13

August 1, 2010
Pentecost 10 – Proper 13
Luke 12:13-21
Possessed by one’s possessions

We need to have a balance in life. We need to learn how to handle our possessions so that our possessions will not handle us. Jesus is not condemning possessions. There is no virtue in being poor, needy, or devoid of material needs. It is a matter of keeping perspective. Do we possess our possessions or do our possessions posses us? Are we slaves to material goods? It is not a question of being rich or having fabulous homes, expensive jewelry, and having a high income. It is not only the super – rich who can become obsessed with possessions even those of modest means can become enslaved to their possessions – no matter how many or how few they may be. To be possessed by your possessions means.

1. You are greedy for possessions. "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." V. 15

A. Can you handle success? Can you handle wealth? Most people who strike it rich wining the lottery are broke within five to seven years. It wasn’t the money per se it was their priorities. It was their attitude toward it. Your life does not consist in the abundance of your possessions. We live in a consumed consumer society that shouts at us everyday saying, “You need more of this, you won’t be happy without that, you need to look this way, and have these things in order to be accepted, respected and valued by others.” The truth of the matter is this; the things of this world are passing away and only the things of eternity last forever.

B. Can you remember what you received for Christmas when you were seven? So why do you think that your children will be scared for life if they don’t have the latest thing? Remember back to that day in your life. At the time what you received might have been the most wonderful thing in the world. But now, looking back and reflecting you must come to realize that what was truly important was having the people who mattered most in your life with you.

2. To be possessed by your possessions means you never get enough possessions. “He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'” V. 17

A. In just a few weeks it will be here, once again, college move- in day. It’s amazing how much “stuff” an 18 year old can cram into a dorm room! What is amazing to me and I see it each year we take our children and their “stuff” back to campus is those students who arrive in a big honking’ SUV pulling a U-haul which is bigger then the dorm room itself! And remember this student will have a roommate who has come with all of his stuff as well.

B. We can never be satisfied because we always want more. You receive an e-mail from a Mr. Abubakar in Nigeria. He claimed to be the personal friend to the son of the late dictator of Nigeria. He wrote that you were recommended to him as an honest and reliable person to whom he can entrust a sum of money. He explained that the son of the late dictator was using him to send $22 million ill-gotten dollars out of the country. For your help he will give you 20% of the total. He is confident you would not keep all of the money like someone in Germany did a year ago. He asked you to send him your address, fax and phone number, and bank account number. He assures you of privacy. He hoped to hear from you immediately. You don't get something for nothing. We all know that. But why do so many fall for such a scam? We are all tempted by greed.

C. One author put it this way. “If you look carefully you will see that there is one thing and only one thing that causes unhappiness. The name of that thing is Attachment. What is an attachment? An emotional state of clinging caused by the belief that without some particular thing or some person you cannot be happy... Here is a mistake that most people make in their relationships with others. They try to build a steady nesting place in the ever-moving stream of life.”[1]

3. To be possessed by your possessions means you trust your possessions to give the good life. “And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." V. 19

A. Greed seeks worldly things, which must not be equated with true "living”. We stumble when material possessions become a substitute for the proper object of a person's search and worship--God. Therefore, greed . . . is idolatry!

God addresses the man on his own pragmatic terms. He is dealing not with matters of the kingdom or of life beyond death, but with the question of the disposition of his possessions. What will happen to all my stuff? This underscores the fact that in the end he will have to "leave it all". Then it will be someone else’s problem. Walk into any antique shop and it is filled with other people’s stuff. You will never see a U-haul following a hearse.
Solomon reminds us of this reality in the book of Ecclesiastes. I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. - Ecclesiastes 2:18-19

B. Since you can’t take it with you. Since things will not bring happiness we trust in that one thing needful, the only thing that can cause true contentment and joy which is a relationship with the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I have come that they might have life and have it abundantly. John 10:10 Contentment, joy, peace, happiness is not found in the amount and the value of our possessions but in knowing Jesus Christ as our personal lord and savior. Trust not in princes they are but mortal. Look to Him where He may be found. There and there alone will we find lasting peace and joy.

Under Jesus’ protection and by His gifts you can experience the best life can offer. Jesus can give a whole new meaning to living because He provides full satisfaction and perfect guidance. He is your sufficiency. With Him there is both peace and contentment.
[1] Anthony de Mello's 'The Way to Love.'

Time in the Word - Pentecost 10 - Proper 13

The theme for this coming week is “possessed by possessions”. In the Gospel lesson Jesus refuses to champion the cause of one who wants his inheritance and goes on to teach by a parable that in the pursuit of wealth one can lose one’s soul. In the Old Testament lesson, the theme of vanity is shown when a man works hard to accumulate wealth only to leave it to one who did not work for it. In the Epistle lesson Paul gives us a contrast between heavenly virtues and earthly vices which are to be shunned.

Collect for the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost: O God, the Protector of all who trust in You, without whom nothing is strong and nothing is holy, increase and multiply Your mercy on us that with You as our Ruler and Guide we may so pass through things temporal that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever.

Collect for Proper 13: O Lord, grant us wisdom to recognize the treasures You have stored up for us in heaven that we may never despair but always rejoice and be thankful for the riches of Your grace; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God now and forever.

For proper use of wealth: Almighty God, all that we possess is from Your loving hand. Give us grace that we may honor You with all we own, always remembering the account we must one day give to Jesus Christ our Lord.

For steadfast faith: Almighty God, our heavenly Father, because of Your tender love toward us sinners You have given us Your Son that, believing in Him, we might have everlasting life. Continue to grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may remain steadfast in the faith to the end and finally come to love everlasting; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Against the love of money: Almighty God, heavenly Father, You have called us to be Your children and heirs of Your gracious promises in Christ Jesus. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may forsake all covetous desires and the inordinate love of riches. Deliver us from the pursuit of passing things that we may seek the kingdom of Your Son and trust in His righteousness and so find blessedness and peace; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Preparation for next week, the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost

Monday, 26 July 2010—Psalm49:7-8, 13-14a, 15; antiphon, Psalm 49:1-2 God is the owner of the earth and all that is therein. In giving to God we merely return that which is His own. The vanity of life is explained in this psalm. Also this psalm teaches that death comes to all. This psalm is similar to Psalm 39. Psalm 49 is a meditation on life and death. A typical piece of wisdom on life’s inequalities. At the end of the line death waits for the materialist not even he can buy himself off. The “moral” is similar to that of Jesus’ parable of the rich man found in Sunday’s gospel.

Generally speaking the psalmists have no clear concept of life after death and verse 15 is therefore often taken as a reference to premature death. But this undermines the reasoning, which requires ironing out of this life’s inequalities beyond the grave.

Tuesday, 27 July 2010—Psalm 100— Praise God. His mercy endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations. “The Lord is God” and “The Lord is Good” Let the whole earth sing and be glad.

Wednesday, 28 July 2010—Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14, 2:18-26— The vanity of accumulating wealth and leaving it to one who did not work for it. To get property, financial security, and a sizeable nest-egg, one usually must work hard and long for it, unless he inherited a fortune. To get ahead financially, a husband may work night and day, hold more than one job, and his wife may work, too. The question must often come to these people’s minds: Is it worth the work? Are our material desires and standards too high? Are we missing out on the better things of life by giving all our time and effort to making money? Our lesson speaks to these questions.

Thursday, 29 June 2010—Colossians 3:1-11— A Christian seeks to acquire heavenly virtues and shuns earthly vices. Many live according to earthly values. Usual folks walk with heads down, seeing worldly things, and thinking negative thoughts. A Christian lives with his feet planted in two worlds – in this world of materials and vices, and in a higher world of heavenly values where Christ is. Since Christ has ascended, we on earth look to Him for our values, goals, and ideals while on earth. Our lives are impoverished by preoccupation with worldly values leading us into negative thoughts and wicked actions. The wagon of life needs to be hitched to the star of Christ.

Friday, 30 July 2010—Luke 12:13-21— The parable of the rich fool. Jesus said, “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” If it does not consist of material goods, of what does life consist? Most people feel that money is the key to real living. After winning the Irish Sweepstakes, a woman exclaimed, “Now I’m going to start living!” People need to know what makes life worthwhile.

Saturday, 31 July 2010 – Psalm 143:8 – The hymn of the week is “All Depends on Our Possessing” (LSB 732). This much loved hymn is best summed up in stanza three. Contemplate its impact in light of the readings for the week, “Many spend their lives in fretting over trifles and in getting things that have no solid ground. I shall strive to win a treasure that will bring me lasting pleasure and that now is seldom found.”

Prayers from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House
Collect for Tenth Sunday after Pentecost from Lutheran Worship © 1980 Concordia Publishing House
LECTIONARY PREACHING WORKBOOK SERIES C John Brokhoff © 1979 CSS Publishing, Lima, OH

Pentecost 10 - Proper 14

People of Jesus’ day created a situation in which Jesus had an opportunity to explain for Himself who He was. Many ideas, opinions, and reports about Him circulated around the land. Today is no different. All kinds of things are said about Jesus – in books, lectures, sermons, and conversations. So what do you think about Jesus? Why not go directly to Jesus and let Him tell us who he is? Today we see what Jesus says concerning Himself. What does Jesus tell us about Himself?

1. I am from heaven – v.41 "Then the Jews began grumbling about him because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven."

2. I alone see God – v.46 I'm saying that no one has seen the Father. Only the one who is from God has seen the Father. No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him (John 1:18)

3. I am the bread of life –v.48 I am the bread of life

4. I give eternal life – v.50 "This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that a person may eat it and not die. He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." (John 6:36) "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” (John 5:24)

In the Gospel of John Jesus comes to visit a grieving family. He speaks to Mary and Martha who were mourning the loss of their brother. Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the live he who believe in me even though they die will live forever. And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:26)

Time in the Word - Pentecost 10 - Proper 14

The theme for the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost is Eat and Live. His own people, the Jews, grumbled when Jesus told them that He is the Bread of Life that came down from heaven. They saw Him only as a man, not the Savior who had been promised from the very beginning in the Garden of Eden after the Fall (Genesis 3:15). Their own expectations of God’s promised Deliverer blinded them to the fact that He was standing before them.

Christ Jesus offers His gift of eternal salvation to all who will receive it. He calls them, and the Father draws them to Him. But some, because of the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their sin, reject the good gift that God has for them. May we ever nourish our faith through our regular church attendance, hearing the word of God preached and proclaimed, and receiving the body and blood of Christ.

Monday, 3 August 2009—Psalm 34:8–10; Antiphon, Psalm 145:16—The antiphon should be familiar to us, as it is part of the prayer before a meal which Luther included in the Catechism. The psalmist David then says to taste and see that the Lord is good. How are we to do this? St Peter tell us that we should be like newborn infants, longing for the pure spiritual milk. We have tasted that the Lord is good, for we have heard His Word of forgiveness and salvation, we have eaten of His Holy Supper, and we long for more.

Tuesday, 4 August 2009—Psalm 34:1–8—The psalm appointed for next week is one taken from a bizarre incident in the life of David, when he pretended to be insane before Achish, a Palestinian king in the line of Abimelech. The entire story is recorded in 1 Samuel 21:10-15. David exhorts us to extol the Lord at all times, for as the Lord delivered David in answer to his prayer, so He also has delivered us from sin, death, and the devil.

Wednesday, 5 August 2009—1 Kings 19:1–8—Despite the fact that the Lord had shown that He alone is the true God in Elijah’s showdown with the prophets of Baal, wicked Queen Jezebel clung to her false gods and sought to kill Elijah. To escape, Elijah fled to the wilderness near Beersheba. There, the Lord fed him with bread. The Lord feeds us also; not through the ministrations of an angel, but by farmers, truckers, stock-boys, and grocery-store clerks. “God gives daily bread to everyone…we pray that He would lead us to realize this and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.”

Thursday, 6 August 2009—Ephesians 4:17—5:2—In this section of our reading from the book of Ephesians, St Paul tells us that, since we have been set free from bondage to sin and death, we should live outwardly in way that reflects our new life in Christ. We are to live as children of light, no longer living in the darkness of sin. Those in the world ought to see a difference in how Christians live versus how the rest of the world lives. As children of God, we imitate God, not the ways of the world.

Friday, 7 August 2009—John 6:35–51—“I am the Bread of Life,” declares Jesus. The bread that He gives is better than earthly bread, for that can only sustain the body while we sojourn in this earthly vale of tears. The bread that Jesus gives—the bread that Jesus is—sustains our souls for all eternity. Jesus gives Himself for the life of the world.

Saturday, 8 August 2009—Again this week, the hymn of the day is O Living Bread from Heaven (LSB 642). This second stanza proclaims that we have been led by the Lord to His house to receive His good gifts of forgiveness. We could not, and do not, do this on our own, but He leads us, and then feeds us with Word and Sacrament. The ‘food’ we receive in the Divine Service is better than the food we eat daily at our meals, for it is food that gives eternal life.

Collect for Pentecost 10—Gracious Father, Your blessed Son came down from heaven to be the true bread that gives life to the world. Grant that Christ, the bread of life, may live in us and we in Him, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

This week's Time in the Word is written by Pr. Jeffrey Keuning who is the pastor of St. John's Casey and Zion, Dexter, IA