Pentecost 17 - Proper 22

Pentecost 17 – Proper 22

06 October 2019

Luke 17:1-11

"Lord increase our faith"

The disciples upon hearing Jesus’ instruction cry out, “Lord, increase our faith!” These demands the Savior places upon them is nothing we should not expect. The faith that the Savior demands of us to be disciples dedicated to His cause should call each of us to pray this petition also, “Lord, increase my faith.”

Stumbling Blocks are Inevitable. Vv. 1-2 “Temptations to sin are sure to come.

It will happen. What will happen is also unsettling. It is not possible. That those stumbling blocks will not come. Temptation to sin is inevitable.  Those that will seek to entice you to spiritual and moral failure are unavoidable. The danger is serious. Salvation as taught in the Bible is by God’s grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. Adding anything to this foundation of faith poisons it. “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.” (1 John 1:10) Because of sin and its allure Jesus addresses how we need to deal with one another.

Forgiveness Must Be Extended Vv. 3-4 “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

The Savior’s words are strong. But not harsh. Be humble. Recognize of your own weaknesses and sin.  Be motivated by love. Take the log out of your own eye so that you can help your brother with the speck in his own. Trust in Jesus. Who became a man. Lived a sinless life. Then voluntarily died on the cross as the sacrifice and substitution for your sin. His resurrection proved His sacrifice was sufficient. All His claims and promises are true. His price of redemption is applied to all who believe in Him. They are forgiven. And adopted into God’s family. Assured of eternal life with Him.

Christians forgive in the same way that God in Christ has forgiven them. As a reflection of what God has done for you in Christ.  Offer forgiveness. To those who have offended you.

To Rebuke. (ἐπιτίμησον) To Repent. (μετανοήσῃ) To Forgive. (ἄφες) Are each serious. And difficult. But until that person repents. That is. They change their mind and accept the responsibility for their offense. They will not accept your forgiveness. For they have no recognition they have done anything wrong. The relationship will remain hindered. Or even broken. Although forgiveness remains offered. But until that person repents. That is. They change their mind and accept the responsibility for their offense. Repentance. And forgiveness. Are a serious business. But not impossible.

Someone will argue. “It can’t be true repentance if they keep doing the same sin!” Perhaps. But how often does God forgive you for the same repeated sin? Some sins are easy to turn from. And not repeat. But be honest about those you have difficulty with. And keep repeating. What about lying? Less than gracious language? Selfish attitudes? Pride? Coveting? Idolatry – letting something else be more important to you than God?

Failure to fulfill the many “one another” commands the Lord has given you – Love “one another.” Be devoted to “one another.” Be patient with “one another.” Be kind with “one another.” Be hospitable to “one another.” Comfort “one another.” Encourage “one another.” etc. We are to forgive in the same manner and same frequency as God. As a reflection of Him controlling our lives.

Faith Must Increase Vv. 5-6 5 “The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”

Faith is not a commodity. By which you fill a larger bucket. Faith is belief and trust in God Himself that grows stronger. 

The measure of faith is its trust in Christ. It grows stronger as knowledge of Him and His promises increase. It strengthens. With greater trust in Him. That He will fulfill His promises.

Christians do not need additional faith. They only need to exercise what they already have to make it stronger.

Service is Expected Vv. 7-10 And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’?  But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’?  Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’ ”

Perhaps the greater tragedy is that sin blinds people to the truth of God’s character. Though He owes us nothing. Not even a thank you for service rendered to Him. Yet out of His own character. He provides for all of creation. He sustains life. 

The Lord is longsuffering. Patient. And kind. He then goes further. To redeem sinful man. By paying the penalty of sin Himself in Jesus Christ offering forgiveness, eternal life and adoption into His family to all that will believe.

I do not understand such love. But I am very glad it is true. I am but a creature. Redeemed by Christ. An unworthy slave. Whose every service is at best only what I should do. Yet my Lord forgives my sins against Him. And invites me to join Him at His table as His adopted son forever. To which we each must say, “Lord increase our faith!”

Recognize the danger of stumbling blocks. And those who set them. People will sin against you. And you will sin against others. Forgive others as God has forgiven you in Christ Jesus. Forgive others. The same way you would want them to forgive you. Seek to grow in the knowledge of Christ. And His will so that your faith will grow.  And exercise it. So that it may become stronger as your trust in God grows. Seek to follow and serve Christ. Grateful for the opportunity and in praise of Him that He is a merciful master who loves and cares for those who belong to Him.

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Words –1,060

Passive Sentences – 2%

Readability – 77.3%

Reading Level -4.4

Time in the Word - Proper 22

Preparation for Next Sunday

Pentecost 17 – Proper 22

30 September – 05 October 2019

The Faith of a Christian

Collect for the Seventeenth Sunday of Pentecost:  O God, without whose blessing we are not able to please You, mercifully grant that Your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and govern our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Father, Your love for us surpasses all our hopes and desires. Forgive our failings, keep us in Your peace and lead us in the way of salvation. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, for ever and ever. Amen

Collect for Proper Twenty-two: O God, our refuge and strength, the author of all godliness, by Your grace hear the prayers of Your Church. Grant that those things which we ask in faith we may receive through Your bountiful mercy; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever.

Collect for Psalm 62: Lord God, in a constantly changing world we look to You as our rock of hope. Hear us as we pour out our hearts to You, and give us Your grace and secure protection; through Jesus Christ Your Son our Lord.

Prayer for a 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 this faith to the end and finally come to life everlasting; through Jesus Christ, our Lord

This coming week’s theme “The Faith of a Christian” can be found in all three lessons. In the Gospel lesson Minimal faith produces maximum results. In the Old Testament lesson faith waits for God to vindicate His own. In the Epistle lesson we find the sincere faith of the faithful. 

The famous phrase of the Reformation comes from the Old Testament lesson – ‘The just shall live by faith.” The Epistle deals with the “sincere faith” of Timothy, the faith of his mother and grandmother, and Paul’s faith. The heart of the Gospel lesson deals with faith: the disciples’ request for more faith and the faith the size of a mustard seed. The verses preceding and following the passage on faith (Vv. 5, 6) may give us difficulty in seeing faith in the entire gospel. These verses can be reconciled if we see them as the behavior of those with faith. Thus the hymn of the day will bear out this theme in the words, “I Know My founded on Jesus Christ my God and Lord.” The focus of faith is always directed at the Savior.

Morning Prayer Readings for this coming week:

September 30  Reading # 29 Moses before Pharaoh - Exodus 5-12

October 1        Reading #30 The Exodus- Exodus 12-14

October 2       Chapel

October 3       Reading #31 Manna in the Wilderness - Exodus 15-16

October 4       Reading #32 The Ten Commandments - Exodus 19-20

Catechism Review: Close of the Commandments and 1st Article of the Apostles’ Creed with the explanation  up to the phrase “…and still preserves them.”

Parents, review the Bible Story and Catechism portion with your student each day.

Monday, 30 September 2019—Psalm 119:162, 164-165, 167 antiphon, Psalm 119:166—In the Introit for Sunday, we pray, I hope for Your salvation, O lord, and I do your commandments. Faith is another word for trust. Trust is another word for taking God at His Word. The Psalmist has trust because He follows after the Lord and does His will. This is not something the natural man can do be himself. It is something we do as we walk by faith. Thus we are forced to look to Christ where the hope of our salvation finds its root. We trust in Him to bring all of this to pass. 

Tuesday, 01 October 2019—Psalm 62 — Psalm 62 is a psalm of longing and trust. Humbly, trustingly, the psalmist commits his cause to God. Man is bent on destruction (vv.3-4) but what is he (vv.9-10)? Power belongs to God alone, who wields it with love and justice (vv.11-12). 

Wednesday, 02 October 2019—Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4— In a world of adversity a righteous one lives by faith. Our Old Testament lessons brings up the perennial problem: Why? Why does God permit evil to thrive in the world? When a Christian cries for help in distress, why does he not get an immediate answer? Why doesn’t God do something about what Habakkuk experienced? – “violence,” “wrongs,” “trouble,” “destruction,” “strife and contention.” The answer received: Wait for the lord and He shall bring it to pass. The righteous waits for God to make things right, to come to the rescue because He has faith in God’s character. The world seems to be waiting for God who never comes. Christians by faith know God is coming eventually to save. We need faith to wait for God. 

Thursday, 03 October 2019—2 Timothy 1:1-14— Paul remembers the faith of Timothy and confesses his faith in Christ. We face challenging times. The loss of faith is seen in a decline in church membership, a fall-off of church attendance, in the popularity of radical sects, and the secularization of society. Some have a view of the church today with faith becoming traditional and zeal burning low. Hence the encouraging words of St. Paul to a young Christian pastor whose church was facing considerable challenges. As we go through life and as the years pass we need to be exhorted to keep the faith vibrant. We do this as we continue in the faith of the fathers – vs. 5 and as we hold fast to the faith even in times of suffering – vs. 8.

Friday, 04 October 2019—Luke 17:1-10 —The apostles ask Jesus to increase their faith. The Savior responds in reminding us that even a little faith is a lot. This might catch some off guard. Like the disciples, many of us are eager for a larger portion of faith – the faith to guide people aright, faith to forgive, faith to serve just for the privilege. As we face the tough issues of life, we cry out for more faith. No one can honestly say, ‘I have all the faith in the world.” If we really have faith do we need more? Jesus corrects the disciple’s desire for more faith. He says the quantity or degree of faith does not matter. It is sufficient just to have faith. The parable of the mustard seed emphasizes that the smallest amount of faith can do wonders.

Saturday, 05 October 2019—2 Timothy 1:12 - Sunday’s Hymn of the Day is I know My Faith is Founded,  (LSB #587). Faith finds its focus in Jesus Christ. This is the message of our hymn for the week. As we focus on Christ our faith will be sustained and grow as the Lord directs us. The next three months will be extremely busy for most. Some may feel overwhelmed. Can your faith take all that life has to offer? Our faith is sufficient when it finds its focus in Christ.

Sources:

Prayers from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House

Collect for Pentecost 17 from Lutheran Worship © Concordia Publishing House

Lectionary Preaching Workbook Series C by John Brokhoff © 1979 CSS Publishing Lima OH

For All the Saints A Prayer Book for and By the Church Vol. II © 1995 by the American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, N 

Schnorr von Carolsfeld woodcuts © WELS permission granted for personal and congregational use

Time in the Word - Pentecost 17 ~ Proper 21

In the Lessons for this week, we deal with sin and an appeal to turn to God for mercy. The Gospel lesson tells of two sons, one of whom repented and entered the Kingdom even though at first he disobeyed the Father. Through Ezekiel, God appeals to sinners to repent lest they die, for His will is for everyone to live. In the Epistle lesson, Paul deals with the problem of disunity in the Philippian congregation resulting from selfishness and arrogance, and appeals for unity by adopting the humble mind of Christ. The suggested Psalm deals with the theme by asking God not to remember the sins of our youth and appealing to God’s mercy and steadfast love.

Collect for Proper 21 – Almighty God, You exalted Your Son to the place of all honor and authority. Enlighten our minds by Your Holy Spirit that, confessing Jesus as Lord, we may be led into all truth; 

Lord God heavenly Father, since we cannot stand before You relying on anything we have done, help us trust in Your abiding grace and live according to Your Word; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

O God, You are the Strength of all who put their trust in You. Mercifully accept our prayer, and because through the weakness of our mortal nature we can do no good thing without Your help, grant us the help of Your grace that, keeping Your commandments, we may please You in both will and deed.

For Home and Family – Visit, we implore You, O Lord, the homes in which Your people dwell, and keep far from them all harm and danger. Grant us to dwell together in peace under the protection of Your holy angels, and may Your blessing be with us forever, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. 

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.

For Schools – Almighty God, our heavenly Father, since You have committed the care and nurture of children to Your people, graciously enlighten those who teach and those who are committed to their instruction that they may know the truth and trust in You all the days of their lives; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. 

Monday, September 25, 2017 – Psalm 147:1-5, Antiphon, verse 6 – “The Lord lifts up the humble He casts the wicked to the ground.” Those who acknowledge that they are without resources in and of themselves, the Lord lifts up while others who trust in themselves will be cast down. This is the definition of faith.

Tuesday, September 26, 2017 – Psalm 25:1-10 – The Psalm appointed for next week has as the key verse, verse 6, “Be mindful of thy mercy, O Lord, and of thy steadfast love, for they have been from of old.”  The Psalmist asks the Lord to remember the Lord’s long-standing mercy and love but not to remember his long-standing sin.

Wednesday, September 27, 2017 – Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32 – God wants all to repent and live. In Sunday’s first reading, God appeals to Israel to repent and live. Turn from evil to good and you shall live. With that we can agree, but the rub comes in making the turn. What will create a desire to change? Where does one get the power to break away from sin to walk in righteousness? The answer is in “a new heart and a new spirit.” But how does one get a new heart? This takes us to Jesus who said, “You must be born new.” Thus, one does not straighten out his life and then come to Jesus. He comes to Jesus as he is in sin and gets a new spirit. He then follows a new way of life.

Thursday, September 28, 2017 –Philippians 2:1-4, 14-18 – Turn from conceit to humility for unity.   Paul in the Epistle lesson appeals for unity in the Philippian congregation. Paul, in appealing for unity, presents Jesus as the model of humanity and obedience. Paul pleads for unity in the congregation at Philippi. He uses Jesus as an example of humility. In this lesson Paul shows the dual reality of the humanity and divinity of Jesus. His deity is indicated by the words, “in the form of God” and “equality with God.” His humanity is expressed in the phrases, “emptied himself,” “the likeness of men,” “in human form,” “obedient unto death.” This humility and obedience led to Christ’s exaltation. It is God’s will that every tongue confess Him as Lord. In the light of this, Christians are to work out their salvation as God works in them.

What is the solution to lack of church unity? Paul urges his people to have the mind of Christ. His mind was one of humility demonstrated in His taking the form of a servant and dying on a cross. 

Humility is expressed by considering others better than yourself and being concerned more about others than yourself. Arrogance and pride divide and cause trouble while humility draws together into a unity.

Friday, September 29, 2017 – Matthew 21:23-27 – The sinner who repents enters the Kingdom of God.  The Gospel lesson tells of two sons, one of whom repented and entered the Kingdom even though at first he disobeyed the Father. In the Parable of the Two Sons we learn a valuable lesson concerning sin and an appeal to turn to God for mercy. With this parable, Jesus confronts the religious leaders of His time (priests, scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees) who condemn Jesus for His association with sinners (publicans, prostitutes, and so on). This one son who says, “I go” but does not, represents the religious leaders. The other son who says, “I will not go” but later changes his mind and obeys, represents the sinners. Moreover, Jesus points out that when the religious leaders saw sinners repenting upon hearing John the Baptist, they still did not repent. Consequently, the sinners will enter the kingdom before the leaders will.

Here is a case of repentance in action. One son refused to go to work in his father’s vineyard. Then he changed his mind and went to work. This about-face, change of mind from disobedience, from no to yes, from going in the wrong direction to turning in the right direction is the meaning of repentance. When the religious leaders heard the Baptist’s call to repentance, they did not heed it, while the sinners of the day did. It was shocking to the professional religious leaders that Jesus claimed the sinners and not the religious ones were in the kingdom.

Saturday, September 30, 2017 – John 8:31 – This passage is the inspiration for the hymn, “Lord Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word.”  Faith clings to the Lord and His teaching. We are called to be faithful; faithful to the Lord, to His Word, to each other.

Sources:

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

Lutheran Worship Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis MO © 1980, page 83.

Lectionary Preaching Workbook Series A by John Brokhoff © 1980 CSS Publishing Lima OH, page 253.

Image © Ed Riojas Higher Things 

Pentecost 17 - Proper 20

September 19, 2010
Pentecost 17 – Proper 20
Luke 16:1-15
The Right Use of Your Money

It is no easy task to decide what to do with your money. They first reaction to the title may be, “Nobody needs to tell me what to do with my money” But how hall we spend our money? Shall it be spend or invested? And if so, how much? Does a Christian handle his money differently than a pagan? If so, does Jesus have anything to say about a practical, down-to-earth problem such as this? Most people do not know what to do with their money, if they have any. As a result, it may be lost, wasted, or spent unwisely. What Jesus has to say about our money.

1. Make provision for the future – v. 3 the manager said to himself. What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg.

A. The unjust steward was concerned about his future. We trust God to see us through. Yet, gifts and blessings don’t simply come to us falling from the sky. He works through means and He gives us the means to fund our future. He has given us skills by which we can obtain gainful employment. He has given us talents to be used for His service and our neighbor’s good. He has given us abilities to work creatively and productively.

B. He used money to provide a place to live. Money is not evil in and of itself. It’s how we choose to use it. Money has a luster to itself. It can easily corrupt us if we are not careful. It can draw us to itself as a moth is drawn to a flame. It is the love of money which is the root of all sorts or evil. The manager was shrewd enough to use the means at his disposal to plan for his future well being. A question: Are you shrewd enough to use the means God has given you to provide for those individuals God has placed in your life? We are living in challenging economic times. May the Lord show us and teach us the difference between needs and wants between necessities and niceties.

C. It is Christian to look ahead and make provision for future needs: for education, covering for health care and times of illness, retirement. You can live on love for about a week and then you become hungry. Selling a kidney to fund your child’s college education isn’t a wise plan. Neither is play the lottery to fund your retirement. Therefore one needs a strategy that is God pleasing and wise.

D. Are you making plans for your long –term future? It is with this mood that we approach the gospel story for today. The basic thrust of the gospel is this:
Are you making plans for your long term future? That is, are you making plans for your long-term future…with God? Are you concerned about maintaining for yourself only an earthly inheritance? Are you concerned about laying up for yourself treasures on earth for retirement? Are you equally concerned about laying up for yourselves treasures in heaven for your eternity?

Yes, we can spend all kinds of time worrying about what is going to happen between the years sixty-five and eighty-five. We can spend all kinds of time worrying about what is going to happen for those twenty or thirty years after retirement but are we equally thoughtful about those twenty to thirty light years in the future with God? Are you planning for your long term future? Are you shrewd? Are you really shrewd?

2. Make friends with it – v. 9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into earthly dwellings.

A. By the right use of money, you can make friends for God. God’s people should be alert to make us of what God has given.

B. Are we being faithful stewards with the gifts God has given to us? Do we return back to God as we have been blessed? Or do we horde it all for ourselves? Do we live within our means or beyond our means? Is our appetite to big for our stomach or do we live satisfied lives?

3. Be honest in handling money – v. 9 use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves.

A. By helping those in need, who in the future will show their gratitude when they welcome their benefactors into heaven and into “eternal dwellings.”

B. In this way worldly wealth may be wisely used to gain eternal benefits. Supporting missions and mission projects helps us keep our minds on eternal things rather then on the here and now.

4. Make money a servant of God – v. 13 No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

A. Jesus said the same thing in his sermon on the mount in Matthew 6:24 We serve God by using our money wisely. Take a look at the ledger of your check book. It is more then an accounting of your day to day needs. It shows your priorities. What are your main concerns? It can be used as a window into the soul.

B. James 4:4 reminds us, “Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” Those who are spiritually unfaithful, who love the world rather than God will find themselves in rebellion against God and alienated from God. There needs to be a proper balance with respect to our money, our priorities, our aims and our goals.

We can not serve both God and money. Which will take first priority in your life? How you use your money will reflect your matters of importance.

May we serve God rightly with all of our resources. As you have been blessed, bless God with all that you have. Then, you will be making a right use of your money.

Face of Christ
http://spiritlessons.com/Documnets/Jesus_Pictures/Jesus_Christ_Pictures.htm

Time in the Word - Pentecost 17 - Proper 20

The Right Use of Money

We now turn to the money chapter from Luke’s Gospel. In dealing with today’s theme, we must consider next Sunday’s lessons. Both deal with our material possessions. For this coming week’s Gospel the parable of the unjust steward is put in the framework of the following verses, 1-13. Alone the parable does not deal with the above over-all theme, but interpreted in the light of the following verses, the Gospel deals with the proper use of money. The Old Testament lesson deals more with how we get our money rather than how we use it. On the surface, the Epistle does not seem to deal with money at all, but a closer study shows that the implication is, if we pray for secular authorities, we shall have a society in which there can be economic justice and this the conditions described by Amos in the Old Testament would be prohibited.

Collect for the Seventeenth Sunday of Pentecost: O God without whose blessing we are not able to please You, mercifully grant that Your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and govern our hearts; 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 Twenty: O Lord, keep Your church in Your perpetual mercy; and because without You we cannot but fail, preserve us from all things hurtful, and lead us to all things profitable to our salvation; through Jesus Christ, Your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever.

Collect for Psalm 113: Lord Jesus, surrendering the brightness of Your glory, You became mortal so that we might be raise from the dust to share Your very being. May the children of God, always bless Your name from the rising of the sun to its going down, for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever.

Prayer 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 this faith to the end and finally come to life everlasting; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Prayer for likeness to Christ: O God, by the patient suffering of Your only-begotten Son You have beaten down the pride of the old enemy. Now help us, we humbly pray, rightly to treasure in our hearts all that our Lord has of His goodness borne for our sake that following His blessed example we may bear with all patience all that is adverse to us; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Monday, 13 September 2010—Psalm 119:137-140, 142; antiphon, Psalm 119:144—In the Introit for Sunday, we pray, Your testimonies are righteous forever; give me understanding that I may live. The Lord and His law is righteous. As we cling to God’s Word and follow it we then shall live before God in righteousness, innocence and blessedness.

Tuesday, 14 September 2010—Psalm 113 — Psalms 113 – 118 are a group of psalms linked traditionally with the Jewish feasts of Tabernacles [Harvest] and Passover. In Jewish homes Psalm 113 and 114 are sung before the Passover meal. In the psalm for the week we encounter God. He is above and beyond His creation, yet closely concerned for the humblest of His people. This is an apt description of God. This first song of praise begins and ends with the word “Hallelujah”, which means praise. Praise God forever.

Wednesday, 15 September 2010—Amos 8:4-7— God promises never to forget the rich persons’ oppression of the poor. Does it matter how we get our money? Should a Christian be glad for his money and not ask questions how it was made/ Can a Christian in good conscience accept money derived from pornography, prostitution, or trafficked drugs? Should the church have investments in countries where civil rights are denied? In Amos’ day the people are rich but for all the wrong reasons. We still live in a world where the rich get richer and the get poorer. What is the answer to all this? The word of the Lord through Amos is the answer. The kind of wealth God condemns consists of 1. Greed – vs. 5a - They cannot wait for the holy days to be over that they can make more money. Compare today’s commercialization of holy days: Sunday, Christmas, Easter. 2. Dishonesty – vs.6a – Short weights: today’s false advertising. 3. Enslaving people – vs.6a – Today we are making people slaves to debt by over-purchasing. 4. Inferior products – vs. 6b – “Refuse of the wheat;” compare today’s scandal of overseas’ shipment of dirty wheat.

Thursday, 16 September 2010—1 Timothy 2:1-5— Paul urges prayer for all people, especially rulers, that we may live in peace. Paul talks about the hands of prayer. In recent years, there is a growing practice in some churches for people to raise their hands while praying, or some pastors hold out their hands with upraised palms when leading the people in prayer. In our Epistle Paul urges us to pray for all people, especially those in high positions, that we may have that kind of world in which the gospel can flourish. Your hands in prayer are lifted hands – lifted up to the Source of our help, our Lord and Savior Jesus. Your hands in prayer are open hands – opened by faith to receive what we pray for. Your hands in prayer are holy hands – free from hatred and anger; filled with forgiving love.

Friday, 17 September 2010—Luke 16:1-15— The parable of the unjust steward. People need guidance on how to handle their money. Is it a virtue to be poor and a sin to be rich? Should a Christian despise money? Isn’t the love of money the root of all evil? In our Gospel lesson for Sunday Jesus has advice about money. He says that money can be your god. For a disciple this is an impossible situation, for no one can serve two gods. Trying to love two is impossible to do! Should a Christian then not strive to accumulate possessions? Where do you draw the line that money will not be in reality your god? John Wesley suggests a Christian should 1. Get all the money you can. 2. Save all the money you can. 3. Give all the money you can.

Saturday, 18 September 2010—1 John 3:16-18 - Sunday’s Hymn of the Day is We Give Thee But Thine Own, (LSB #781). Here is the definition of love. It is found in a person. It is found in an action. Jesus laid down His life for us. We in turn love and serve our neighbor. Actions speak louder then words. Thus John can say “If anyone has material possession and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? The faith is taught and it is caught. May we in love befriend and serve our neighbor.

Sources:
Prayers from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House
Collect for Pentecost 17 from Lutheran Worship © Concordia Publishing House
Lectionary Preaching Workbook Series C by John Brokhoff © 1979 CSS Publishing Lima OH
For All the Saints A Prayer Book for and By the Church Vol. II © 1995 by the American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY
The etching by Jan Luyken illustrating Luke 16:1-9 in the Bowyer Bible, Bolton, England. © Wikimedia Commons afreely licensed media file repository http://artlibre.org/licence/lal/en

Time in the Word - Pentecost 17 - Proper 21

Sunday’s Theme is Tolerance. In the Old Testament lesson Moses tolerates the giving of the Spirit. In the Epistle, James calls for intolerance of wickedness. In the Gospel, Jesus approves a non-follower’s use of His name. Coupled with tolerance is an underlying theme of resistance. Jesus urges to get rid of anything that causes us to sin while in the Old Testament lesson the Israelites complain about the monotony of daily manna. James condemns the sin of arrogance and persecution of the poor.

Collect for Proper 21 – Everlasting Father, source of every blessing, mercifully direct and govern us by Your Holy Spirit that we may complete the works You have prepared for us to do; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Monday, 21 September 2009—Psalm 135:1-3, 13-14, Antiphon, Psalm 135:13 –Your Name, O Lord, endures forever, Your renown, O Lord, throughout all ages. Psalm 135 is a call to praise the Lord – the one and only true God, the Lord of all creation, the Lord over all the nations, Israel’s redeemer. The Psalmist reminds us that the Lord and His redeeming work will be remembered throughout time. Thus we praise Him for His marvelous deeds.

Tuesday, 22 September 2009—Psalm 104:27-35; key verse v24—. How many are Your works, O Lord! In wisdom You made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures. The psalmist recalls the fifth day of creation. (Genesis 1:20-23) The realm of the sea is structurally balanced with the celestial realm, (see Vv. 2-4) as the other boundary to the realm of earth. And the Lord orders each day of your life as He has promised to guide and sustain you.

Wednesday, 23 September 2009— Numbers 11:4-6; 10-16, 24-29 – Moses tolerates the giving of the Spirit. The Lord provides seventy elders to assist Moses in meeting the needs of the people and gives his spirit to others than the seventy. The Israelites are in the wilderness and complain to Moses that they have only manna and no meant. Moses takes the complaint to God who orders Moses to bring seventy elders to the meeting place outside the camp. Some of Moses’ spirit was given to the elders and they began to prophesy. Two men, Eldad and Medad, were not invited to the meeting of the seventy. While in the camp, they received the Spirit and prophesied. Joshua was jealous for Moses and asked him to stop the two. Moses refused and wished that all of the people had the spirit and were prophets.

Thursday, 24 September 2009— James 5: (1-12) 13-20 – James calls for intolerance of wickedness and a return to God for the avoidance of evil. This lesson continues where last Sunday’s Epistle has stopped. James urges his readers to turn to God and away from wickedness. Among the evils we are to avoid are judging others, boasting, and injustice to the poor.

Friday, 25 September 2009—Mark 9:38-50 – Jesus approves a non-follower’s use of His name to cast our demons. He urges the extermination of those sins that result in hell. The first part of the Gospel (Vv. 38-41) obviously parallels the Old Testament lesson. It deals with Jesus’ approval of a non-disciple casting out demons in Jesus’ name. The next section (Vv.42-48) deals with Jesus’ “little ones” – not children but his disciples or new converts. The point is that any sacrifice is worth eternal life rather than going to hell forever which is described as eternal torment. A third section of the reading deals with salt. It is a call to radical obedience rather than to accommodation to the world.

In Christ you are free. There is much Christian liberty and freedom the child of God can experience in this life. The Lord wants His followers to enjoy the fullness of life. All that God created is good. However, if any part of us or any habit causes us to sin, we are to get rid of it. It would be better to abstain and deny ourselves certain pleasures and privileges than to allow one pleasure to ruin the whole. When should we allow our Christian liberty to be exercised? When might you deny yourself certain “freedoms” for the sake of someone else? How might we better live balanced lives?

Saturday, 26 September 2009— John 14:2; 1 John 4:19; John 8:12 - Sunday’s hymn of the day, Thee Will I Love, My Strength, My Tower. (LSB 694) Having seen what the Lord has done, having experienced His goodness and mercy, having entered into His presence we are now called to praise the Name of the Lord which is expressed in this wonderful hymn.

Collect for Pentecost 17— O God, without whose blessing we are not able to please You, mercifully grant that Your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and govern our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

A prayer for God to guide us – Direct us, O Lord, in all our doings with Your most gracious favor, and further us with Your continual help, that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in You we may glorify Your holy name and finally, by Your mercy, obtain eternal salvation; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

A prayer for steadfast faith– Almighty God, our heavenly Father, of Your tender love towards 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 this faith to the end and come to life everlasting; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

For the Hope of Eternal life in Christ –Almighty, everlasting God, whose Son has assured forgiveness of sins and deliverance from eternal death, strengthen us by Your Holy Spirit that our faith in Christ increase daily and we hold fast to the hope that we shall not die but fall asleep and on the last day be raised to eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

For those in distressed - Almighty and everlasting God, the consolation of the sorrowful and the strength of the weak, may the prayers of those who in any tribulation or distress cry to You graciously come before You, so that in all their necessities they may mark and receive Your manifold help and comfort; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

A Prayer for Peace: O God, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works proceed, give to Your servants that peace which the world simply cannot give that our hearts may be set to obey Your commandments and also that we, being defended by You, may pass our time in rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayers from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 and Lutheran Worship © 1980 Concordia Publishing House and from Lutheran Worship © 1980 Concordia Publishing House.
Schnorr Von Carolsfeld woodcuts © WELS permission granted for personal and congregational use
Lectionary Preaching Workbook Series B – John Brokhoff © 1981 CSS Publishing, Lima, OH