Saturday prior to Proper 27

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Luke 21:25-36; Matthew 25:31-46-Sunday’s hymn of the day is The Day Is Surely Drawing Near (LSB 508).  Just as the days are growing shorter so also time is counting down to the end of the church year and the end of the world as we know it. This calls for vigilance, patience, and faith. These themes and ideas are all communicated in this much treasured hymn.

"The day is surely drawing near When Jesus, God's anointed, In all His pow'r shall appear, As judge whom God appointed. Then fright shall banish idle mirth, And flames on flames shall ravage earth, As Scripture long has warned us.”

"My Savior paid the debt I owe, And for my sin was smitten; Within the Book of Life I know My name has now been written. I will not doubt, for I am free, And Satan cannot threaten me, There is no condemnation!"

The last day! Children know all about last days—the last day of school before summer or the last day before the Christmas break. Adults, too, may eagerly count down the days (and hours) until the last day of work before a long-anticipated vacation. Our hymn celebrates a very different last day: the Last Day. The "day is surely drawing near" when God will bring life on this earth—life as we know it now—to an end, the day when Jesus, God's Anointed, will return to judge the earth.

We do not always think of Jesus as a Judge. In fact, we may view Him as very non-judgmental, perhaps not in His interactions with the Pharisees and other opponents, but certainly with the many people who received His compassionate forgiveness and healing. As Scripture says, "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him" (John 3:17). Jesus came not to condemn, but to be condemned on behalf of the world, to shoulder the burden of the world's sin and carry it to the cross.

But the Day of Judgment is coming, and God the Father "has given all judgment to the Son" (John 5:22b). The apostle Paul explains that God "has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a Man whom He has appointed; and of this He has given assurance to all by raising Him from the dead" (Acts 17:31). Jesus, the appointed Judge, warned of signs that would alert us to the nearness of that day—wars, earthquakes, persecution, false prophets, a darkened sun and falling stars. On the Last Day, "fright shall banish idle mirth." The day of Jesus' return will be a day of terror for many, but it will be a day of joy—eternal joy—for all who believe in Him, because our Judge is also our Redeemer, who took onto Himself our sin, guilt, and shame, and clothed us in His righteousness.

For all who trust in Christ Jesus, "there is therefore now no condemnation" (Romans 8:1a). Satan can no longer accuse us before God. Our sins were judged and condemned at the cross of Jesus and washed away in His blood. Our names are written in the Book of Life. Today, on that Last Day and for all eternity we are held securely in the hand of the coming Judge, the crucified and risen Son of God, our Savior and our Shepherd.

THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You have promised that You are coming soon. We long for the day when we will see You face-to-face and live in Your presence forever. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! [2]

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[1] The Crucifixion, Schnorr Von Carolsfeld woodcuts © WELS permission granted for personal and congregational use 

  ional use

[2] https://www.lhm.org/dailydevotions/default.asp?date=20191117
 

Friday prior to Proper 27

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Mark 12:38-44–The sacrifices of God – a sacrifice of faith. Jesus compliments a poor widow for her sacrificial gift to the temple. Verses 38-40 serve as an introduction to our Gospel lesson for Sunday. Jesus warns the disciples against the scribes, for in their greed they devour widows’ houses. By contrast we see an impoverished widow who places two of the smallest coins, worth a penny, into the temple’s treasury. Jesus is sitting across from the offering boxes and observes the gift being given. He calls attention to the widow’s penny in contrast to the million-dollar gifts of the rich.  He claims that she gave more than any other, because she gave out of her poverty while others gave out of their abundance. 

Jesus warns against using self-serving religion to elevate ourselves above others. Clergy especially need to listen to Jesus at this point. Jesus shows all religious leaders and scholars the model for their leadership; humility, service, and sacrifice. For His sacrifice has atoned for us all.

Jesus uses the sacrifice of a widow to illustrate for His disciples the character of absolute dependence on God. Wealth and possession can pose a spiritual threat - wealth has a way of owning its possessor. Jesus' love and sacrifice motivate us to offer our whole lives to Him as our daily offering of gratitude. He gave up everything, including His life, on the cross for us.

A widow was almost always poor because she had no husband to support her. There was no insurance policies, no death benefits plan, no Social Security. Because she was extremely poor, she could have been excused from giving to the Lord’s treasury. Rather she should have been given something from the treasury. Her gift proved that she was not poor spiritually. She had the riches of faith in God to motivate her.

Lord, grant us humble hearts and willing spirits to fulfill our callings faithfully.

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[1] Two pennies © Google images

 

Thursday prior to Proper 27

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Hebrews 9:24-28–The sacrifices of God – a sacrifice of love. Christ offers Himself but once for the sins of the world and is coming again.  The author of Hebrews uses the cult to explain the atonement and return of Jesus. As the Jewish high priest annually entered the holy of holies in the temple, Jesus, the high priest, entered the heavens, the temple of God.

Christ offered himself but once for the sins of the world and is coming again. The author of Hebrews explains the atonement and the return of Christ. As the Jewish high priest annually entered the holy of holies in the temple, Jesus, the high priest, entered the heavens, the temple of God. The high priest offered a sacrifice annually but Christ as high priest offered his sacrifice but once. The high priest offered not his own blood but Jesus did. His one-time sacrifice took away sins. As judgment comes after a person’s death so Christ will return for the judgment of the world and to receive those who are waiting for him.

Who ever heard of a priest offering a sacrifice of himself? This is the mystery and the glory of Jesus’ sacrifice. He stands at the altar as the officiating priest, but he offers himself as the lamb. With this in mind, we can understand the explanation of the Atonement as a sacrifice that satisfied the justice of God. The price for our sins is paid by God himself.

“Once upon a time” Jesus came into the world. It sounds like a story, but this “story” is true! Once he lived and died for his people’s freedom from Satan. Only once did he appear in the world as a man. Only once did he die for the world’s sins. Only once will he return to wind up world history, to gather his people and establish his everlasting kingdom. There is no need to look for another to come. There is no new revelation to be made. In Christ God made his last effort to reconcile the world.[2]

Collect for Proper 27 –O Lord, by Your bountiful goodness release us from the bonds of our sins, which by reason of our weakness we have brought upon ourselves, that we may stand firm until the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever 3

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[1] The crucifixion Schnorr Von Carolsfeld woodcuts © WELS permission granted for personal and congregational use

[2] Lectionary Preaching Workbook Series B, John Brokhoff © 2006 CSS Publishing, Lima, OH

 

Wednesday prior to Proper 27

 

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1 Kings 17:8-16–The sacrifices of God – a sacrifice of obedience. At first Elijah was fed by ravens. Sometime later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land.  Then the word of the Lord came to him:  “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.” (Vv. 7-9)

Elijah saw the flow of the brook slow down until it dried up. His source of water was gone. There may very well be different kinds of drying brooks we might experience:

· The drying brook of popularity, ebbing away as from John the Baptist.

· The drying brook of health, sinking under a creeping paralysis, or a slow consumption.

· The drying brook of money, slowly dwindling before the demands of sickness, bad debts, or other people’s extravagance.

· The drying brook of friendship, which for long has been diminishing, and threatens soon to cease.

Why does God let them dry? He wants to teach us not to trust in His gifts but in Himself. He wants to drain us of self.[2]

There a widow feeds Elijah out of her minimum supplies for many days because the supply of oil and meal was never exhausted. The setting is the northern kingdom of the 9^th Century with Ahab as king and Elijah as prophet. Because of Israel’s faithfulness, Elijah calls down a drought which lasts three years. When the brook dries up, God sends Elijah to a widow in Zarephath for food and drink lest he starve. However, the widow and her son are also dying of starvation. They have a tiny amount for a last meal before dying. Elijah commands her to give food to him and promises that the meal and oil will not fail. True to his word, each day there was enough for one more meal. The Lord preserves His prophet and is faithful to His Word.

O God, the strength of all those who put their trust in you, mercifully accept our prayers and, because through the weakness of our mortal nature we can do no good thing without you, grant us the help of your grace, that in the keeping of your commandments we may please you both in will and deed; [3]

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[1] Elijah is fed by ravens Schnorr Von Carolsfeld woodcuts © WELS permission granted for personal and congregational use

[2] https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/1-kings-17/

[3] A collect for trust, Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St, Louis

Tuesday prior to proper 27

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Psalm 146; key verse, verse 9a—The Lord watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow but He frustrates the ways of the wicked. In both the Old Testament lesson as well as the Gospel, a poor widow gives all that she has because of great obedience and a strong faith. The key verse reminds us that the Lord will vindicate His own especially the stranger, the widow, and the orphan. The Psalmist invites us to praise the name of the Lord especially for His tender mercies to His people.

The praise of the Lord is worthy of our trust.

Psalm 146 begins a series of five final songs in the Book of Psalms, and the five are known as the Hallelujah Psalms. “In the earlier psalms, we have studied the writers’ grief, shames, sins, doubts, and fears. We have witnessed the people of God in their defeats and victories, their ups and downs in life. We have encountered rebellious words and struggling faith. All this is behind us now. In these final psalms every word is praise.” (James Montgomery Boice)

We instantly connect this list with the work of Jesus the Messiah.

· Jesus opened the eyes of the blind (Matthew 9:27-29).

· Jesus raised those who are bowed down (Luke 13:11-13).

· Jesus loved the righteous (Matthew 13:43, 25:46).

· Jesus watched over the strangers (Matthew 8:5-10).

· Jesus blessed the fatherless and widow (Luke 7:12-15).

· Jesus turned the way of the wicked…upside down (Matthew 21:12).

· The logical conclusion is that Jesus is Yahweh, the LORD.[2]

Sunday’s Theme of sacrifice is evident in all three of our lessons for this coming week. In the Gospel a widow makes a sacrifice of money by giving her last penny. The widow of Zarephath gave her last portion of meal and oil to Elijah out of obedience to his command. Jesus made the once-for-all-time sacrifice for the sins of the world out of love for humankind. The Lessons call upon us to give our all as a sacrifice to God. As we are nearing the end of the church year, the sermon hymn reminds us to keep our heads up to be vigilant as the Son of Man will return at the right time to bring this earth to a close.

Collect for Psalm 146: God of glory and power, happy indeed are those who  have put their trust in you. Shine the brightness of your light upon us that we may love you always with a pure heart and praise you forever; through Jesus Christ our Lord.[3]

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[1] The Crucifixion Schnorr Von Carolsfeld woodcuts, copyright © WELS permission granted for personal and congregational use

[2] https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-146/

[3] Collect for Psalm 146, For All the Saints, A Prayer Book For and By the Church, © 1996 The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY

 

Monday prior to Proper 27

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Psalm 107:1-2, 41-42, Antiphon, Psalm 107:8 – Let them thank the Lord for His steadfast love, for His wondrous works to the children of men!  The Antiphon along with the entire psalm is a call to praise the Lord for His unfailing love in that He hears the prayers of those in need and saves them. The Lord has heard the cries of His people in times of great need. Our God will act to help and save His people.

This past 01 November the church celebrated All Saints Day. John writes, “A great multitude … from all tribes and peoples and languages” cry out, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne” (Revelation 7:9–10). Faith-filled saints from every place and time with unified voices eternally magnify the Lamb of God. As His beloved children, we, too, “shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). Joined with the throng of angels and a myriad of saints, we shall “serve him day and night in his temple” (Revelation 7:15). In our earthly tension vacillating between saint and sinner, faith and doubt, sacred and profane, we earnestly seek Jesus to calm our fears, comfort our spirits and forgive our sins. The Holy Spirit, through faith in Christ propels us forward, fortifying us in Word and Sacrament, to our eternal home. In the midst of our constant struggle as believers, we need to be blessed. And so we are. The poor in spirit, the meek, the hungry, the thirsty, the merciful, the pure and the persecuted are all blessed, and we will most certainly inherit the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:1–12). 2

O Almighty God, by whom we are graciously knit together as one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of Jesus Christ, our Lord, grant us so to follow Your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living that we may come to those unspeakable joys which You had prepared for those who love You; through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. 3

Gracious Savior, keep my eyes ever focused on You and Your blessings, which are mine by grace alone. Amen 

Sources:

1. All Saints, copyright © Ed Riojas, Higher Things

2. Lectionary summary LCMS commission on worship

3. Collects for All Saints, Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis