Ash Wednesday

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
Jesus – our true treasure

Lord, protect us in our struggle against evil. As we begin the disciple of Lent, make this season holy by our self-denial. Grant 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

We sometimes associate Lent with giving up certain things that may be sinful or that may easily lead to sin. This negative approach to the Lenten season frustrates a proper Gospel emphasis and promotes a self-righteous attitude. The Gospel for this Ash Wednesday is a section of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus warns us not to practice certain piety only to secure the praise of others. He was speaking of the self-righteousness that can dominate our thinking about repentance.

He warns us not to practice our righteousness for the primary purpose of being seen and honored by others. He warns us not to concentrate on all the good we are doing by keeping a detailed account of how we have provided for the needs of others. We are not to make a display of our prayer life but to pray naturally and quietly. Fasting is not to be done for display but privately before God as a genuine expression of what we are experiencing in our spiritual life.

You are gathering treasures in heaven not on earth. Your heart is already in heaven with God and Christ, in whom alone true treasures are to be found. With Jesus as your heavenly treasure you are able to serve Him with a piety that flows naturally and joyously from faith in Him.

It is easy to become so earth-oriented that we forget that Jesus and heaven are our highest treasures. Lent again reminds us that where our treasure is, there will our heart be also. In this section of His Sermon on the Mount from which the Gospel is taken, Jesus says that by focusing on Him as a treasure, we maintain a balance in our Christian life between the earthly and the heavenly.

1. We can be more keenly aware of the distinction between the earthly and the heavenly.
A. Christ embodies all the spiritual values that are not of the earth.
1. In Him are found basic truths conveying assurance that God is our gracious Father, who has opened heaven’s doors to us because of what Christ accomplished at the cross and at the empty tomb.
2. In Him we find real peace in all the changes of this life and also joy in death.
B. What we have in Christ cannot be taken away from us by thieves or by rust or any earthly corruption.
1. All our earthly treasures – our health, too are temporal.
2. But what we have in Christ provides a basis for enjoying all these earthly treasures, because Christ has secured for us an anchor that hold in all the changes of life.
Transition: We receive Christ and His treasures of forgiveness and peace with God fully and freely at our baptism. Yet we continue to gather for ourselves heavenly treasures as we cling to Jesus as our highest treasure.

2. We can gather for ourselves treasures in heaven.
A. We gather for ourselves heavenly treasure when we do not need to publicize the good we are going for others.
1. We do good to others so naturally that we are hardly aware of doing it.
2. When our primary concern is not to get the praise of others but simply to meet their needs in response to what Jesus has done in meeting our needs, our Father will reward us. His ways of rewarding go far beyond what we can imagine here on earth or in heaven Men may praise us, but it far more significant to gather heavenly treasure by having God’s blessing.
B. We gather heavenly treasure when we don’t need to show others how beautiful our prayers are.
1. God does not look at the form, length, or pithiness of our prayers. Since prayer is an expression of our faith, what matters is that we are praying from the heart and without fear or doubting.
2. By so praying we gather treasures in heaven. When we pray in response to God’s promise that He will answer our prayers, His answers to prayer are a far higher reward that any human recognition for our praying.
C. We gather treasure in heaven when no pious activity on our part is carried out for ostentatious display.
1. Fasting, for example, has its place in the Christian life, but we don’t fast to call attention of others to how pious we are.
2. There is reward in such recognition, of course, but what is that human recognition in comparison to the heavenly recognition god gives us who are fasting as a genuine expression of our relationship to Christ?

How good it is to have as our highest treasure! From Him we gain insight into the distinction between the earthly and the heavenly. From Him we gain power to keep on gathering treasures in heaven.

Schnorr von Carolsfeld woodcuts © WELS Permission to use these copyrighted items is limited to personal and congregational use

The parable of the Pharisee and the Publican

Amos 5:6-15 Ash Wednesday
Hebrews 12:1-14 February 17, 2010

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men— robbers, evildoers, adulterers— or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. - Luke 18:9-14

Lost to our time and culture but painfully obvious to the hearers of Jesus’ day was the context into which Jesus places the parable, “two men went up to the temple to pray…” It was unheard of for any man to pray standing by himself. A minyan (which literally means to count, number; pl. minyanim) in Judaism refers to the quorum required for certain religious obligations, which is ten men.[1] The fact that these men were at the temple praying outside of the sacred assembly meant only one thing. There had been scandal. They had been placed under a ban.The fact that they could only pray individually tells us there had been humiliation, dishonor and shame. They had been excluded because of some public sin. The contrast between the two men and their prayer is evident. One trusted in himself and felt justified to focus on his own merits. The other, by contrast, pleads for mercy. The old song sings, “faith looks to Jesus Christ alone who did for all the world atone, He is our one redeemer.”[2]

Today we begin the Holy season of Lent as we walk with the Savior observing His passion suffering and death. For our offenses the Son of Man was willing to suffer in our stead. As we contemplate our need and the Savior’s sacrifice for us may we like this simple man pray the prayer of faith, “God have mercy upon me, a sinner.”

Almighty and everlasting God, who hates nothing that Thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent; create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of Thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord.[3]

[1] The source for the requirement of minyan is recorded in the Talmud.
[2] Salvation Unto Us Has Come from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis
[3] Collect for Ash Wednesday Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House St. Louis

Schnorr von Carolsfeld, woodcuts © WELS Permission to use these copyrighted items is limited to personal and congregational use.

Time in the Word - Lent 1

The theme for the First Sunday in Lent is “A Good Confession.” In the Old Testament lesson, Moses shows that by our giving back to God, we confess all the good He has done for us. St Paul speaks of the confession which we make with our mouths, that Jesus is Lord. The Gospel has Jesus Himself rightly confessing the Word of God to overcome temptation and defeat the devil’s false confession of that Word.

Collect for the First Sunday in Lent: O Lord God, You led Your ancient people through the wilderness and brought them to the promised land. Guide the people of Your Church that following our Savior we may walk through the wilderness of this world toward the glory of the world to come; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Monday, 8 February 2010—Psalm 91:9–13; Antiphon, Psalm 91:15–16—Both the Introit and the psalm of the day are drawn from the same psalm. The antiphon has the Lord speaking words of reassurance to us, that He shall be with us in trouble, and shall rescue us and show to us salvation. This is how the Lord treats those that love Him, those that make Him their Dwelling Place.

Tuesday, 9 February 2010—Psalm 91:1–13—The key verse is v. 1: He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. Many dangers, both physical and spiritual, face us every day. Nevertheless, the composer of this psalm has no fear or anxiety, because he knows that the Lord is His Refuge and his Fortress.

Wednesday, 10 February 2010—Deuteronomy 26:1–11—People give to the Lord for different reasons: some, grudgingly, out of a sense of obligation; some, only when there is a specific need which must be met; some, because they believe that giving to the Lord will bring some sort of earthly reward, monetary or otherwise. These directions to the Children of Israel from the Lord through His prophet Moses show that giving back to the Lord is a privilege, when we realize that all we have comes from Him. It should be a pleasure for us to give generously to the Lord; for doing so reminds us of all the blessings He continually showers upon us and gives us reason to rejoice.

Thursday, 11 February 2010—Romans 10:8b–13—We confess in the meaning to the Third Article of the Creed, ‘I believe that I cannot, by my own reason or strength, believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to Him. But the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith…’ When we make confession of our faith, whether it be a simple Jesus is Lord or a fuller confession, such as one of the Creeds, or even one of our Lutheran Confessions, we are simply saying back to God what He has first said to us.

Friday, 12 February 2010—Luke 4:1–13—What chutzpah! The devil tries to tempt the Son of God! As in the Garden of Eden, when he tempted the first humans into following him in sinning against God, he quotes the Word of God. But the One whom he tries to deceive this time is not just a man; He is also God Almighty Himself, the Word made flesh. Jesus knows how the devil likes to twist God’s Word for his own nefarious purposes, and overcomes all the devils schemes and cunning. Jesus does what we are unable to do, on our behalf. He defeats the devil in the test in the wilderness, and will later defeat him completely at the cross.

Saturday, 13 February 2010—Sunday’s hymn of the day is the ‘Battle Hymn of the Reformation,’ Luther’s great hymn, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God (LSB 656). Luther based the hymn on Psalm 46, but the Introit and Psalm of the Day, Psalm 91, also expresses the same idea, that the Lord is a great Fortress and Refuge. We can take rest in Him when we are assaulted by the slings and arrows of the Evil One, for Christ has defeated the devil. He still seems powerful to us, but he is merely in his death throes until the Last Day, when Christ will cast him into the abyss for all eternity.

Collect for Ash Wednesday: Almighty and everlasting God, You despise nothing You have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent. Create in us new and contrite hearts that lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness we may receive from You full pardon and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Prayer for aid against temptation: O God, You justify the ungodly and desire not the death of the sinner. Graciously assist us by Your heavenly aid and evermore shield us with Your protection, that no temptation may separate us from Your love in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

Prayer in times of temptation: Almighty and everlasting God, through Your Son You have promised us forgiveness of sins and everlasting life. Govern our hearts by Your Holy Spirit that in our daily need, and especially in all time of temptation, we may seek Your help and, by a true and lively faith in Your Word, obtain all that You have promised; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for patience: O God, by the patient endurance of Your only-begotten Son You beat down the pride of the old enemy. Help us to treasure rightly in our hearts what our Lord has borne for our sakes that, after His example, we may bear with patience those things that are adverse to us; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

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. Amen.

Prayer of hope of eternal life in Christ: Almighty, everlasting God, Your Son has assured forgiveness of sins and deliverance from eternal death. Strengthen us by Your Holy Spirit that our faith in Christ may increase daily and that we may hold fast to the hope that on the Last Day we shall be raised in glory to eternal life; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Prayers from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House
Woodcut by Julius Schnoor von Carolsfeld, a nineteenth-century German artist known especially for his book Das Buch der Bücher in Bilden (‘The Book of Books in Pictures’), ©WELS.

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

Transfiguration

O God, in the glorious transfiguration of Your only-begotten Son You once confirmed the mysteries of the faith by the testimony of the ancient fathers, and in the voice that came from the bright cloud You wondrously foreshowed our adoption by grace. Therefore mercifully make us coheirs with our King of His glory, and bring us to the fullness of our inheritance in heaven; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever.


Transfiguration Sunday – the last Sunday in the season of Epiphany is transition Sunday as we move from Epiphany to Lent. While the climax of Epiphany is Transfiguration, the climax of Lent is Good Friday. Both involve mountains: Mt. Hermon and Mt. Calvary. What happened on Mt. Calvary was decided on Mt. Hermon. Between the two peaks is the valley of lent. Jesus comes down the mountain of Transfiguration and begins His journey “up to Jerusalem” to Mt. Calvary. We examine today the twin peaks of Jesus’ life and ours today.

1. The place – a mountain top. Transfiguration and Calvary – glory and shame.

A. Transfiguration – went up with His three best friends, Peter, James, and John. Before the cross, Resurrection, and Ascension, we get a glimpse of the inner, true nature of the Son of God. Until this time we saw God’s glory manifested in Jesus as the Wise Men saw in him a king, in John the Baptist’s confession of Jesus as Messiah, and in the miracles of Jesus.
Now we see directly the divine nature of Jesus. This brings us to the uniqueness of Jesus — “They saw no one but Jesus only.” In the light of Jesus’ being the only Son of God, then, we must confront the pluralism of our day. In the movie O God! John Denver asks George Burns (who plays the part of God), whether Jesus was his son. “God” answers, “Jesus is my son, Mohammed is my son, Buddha is my son, and Confucius is my son.”

B. Calvary – went up alone. Christ will suffer alone for you. There, at the cross, suspended between earth and heaven the Son of God dies. He cries from the cross, “My God, why?” The Father turns His back on His own Son so that you will never experience separation from God. People have the mistaken notion of referring to a place as “God forsaken.” There is only one place that is truly God forsaken. We see the Son of God hanging there, alone, forsaken by God and by men.

Transition: We know of the place – a mountain. What is the response of those that were there?

2. The Reaction – men did not understand the experience.

A. Transfiguration – “Not knowing what He said” – Vs.33 The Transfiguration is an experience that blows the mind. Many questions go unanswered. How could the holy presence of God come into a human frame? How do you explain the exceeding brightness of the physical Jesus? How could Moses and Elijah appear in bodily form? Does God come in a cloud and does God have a real voice? Perhaps our only reaction and answer is worship. Like Peter, we do not know what to say. Like the disciples, we are overcome with awe and adoration. Jesus and his three disciples go up to pray and worship and the experience results in worship of Christ.

B. Calvary – “For they know not what they do” – Luke 23:34. Someone once quipped, “If ignorance is bliss…this must be paradise!” Man, driven mad by his sin kills the Lord of life.

Man, possessed by his passions and desires destroys an innocent man. Sinful humans obsessed and reckless by their refusal to listen to the clear words that offer salvation and life are content to live in their lack of knowledge. Man wants it his way and the Father allows it – at the expense of His own dear Son.

Transition: We go to the mountain. We hear the responses. But why have we come?

3. The Reason – why go up to the mountain?

A. Transfiguration – To get God’s approval to die. The Transfiguration was Jesus’ experience with God, not the first - nor the last, but it was an experience so intense that the glory of God transfigured him into the brightness of the sun.

B. Calvary – to die in obedience to God. Since Jesus has come to the full possession of God’s glory, he is prepared to fulfill his mission as Messiah by going to Jerusalem to the cross.
Because of this, the Transfiguration is a preparation for our Lenten pilgrimage to suffer and die with Jesus.

Conclusion: Walking down from the mountain Jesus commands His disciples not to tell anyone until the Son of Man rises from the dead. As we enter the season of Lent we observe the Savior’s passion setting our sights on a hill called Calvary. But we always are and always will be Easter people. In that context continue to gossip the gospel as we fix our eyes upon Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.


Schnorr von Carolsfeld, woodcuts © WELS Permission to use these copyrighted items is limited to personal and congregational use.

Time in the Word - Transfiguration

Collect for the transfiguration of Our Lord: O God, in the glorious Transfiguration of Your beloved Son You confirmed the mysteries of the faith by the testimony of Moses and Elijah. In the voice that came from the bright cloud You wonderfully foreshowed our adoption by grace. Mercifully make us co-heirs with the King of His glory and bring us to the fullness of our inheritance in heaven; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

“Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant,” but Christ Jesus “has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses” (Heb. 3:3, 5). A beloved and well-pleasing Son, faithful even to the point of death, Jesus’ own body was raised up on the third day as the house of God, and He has brought us into that house through the waters of Holy Baptism (Heb. 3:6). Thus, it was not Moses the lawgiver, but his successor, Joshua (the Hebrew name for Jesus), who led the people into the promised land (Deut. 34:1–4, 9). Now, on the Mount of Transfiguration, the New Testament Joshua appears in the glory that He is about to manifest by His “departure” (exodus) in Jerusalem (Luke 9:31). Having entered the waters of the Jordan in His Baptism, He passed through those waters and entered into glory by His Cross and Passion. What He thereby accomplished in His own flesh and blood, crucified and risen, He reveals and gives to His Body, the Church, by the means of His Word. Therefore, the Father declares from heaven, “Listen to Him!” (Luke 9:35).

Monday, 8 February 2010—Psalm 84:1–2, 9, 11; Antiphon, Psalm 84:4—The Introit sings of the great joy of being in God’s house. What better place to be, than in the Lord’s house on the Lord’s Day, when He is bringing His good gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation to us through Word and Sacrament! What better place to be than at the Lord ’s Table, where we receive the body and blood of Christ, crucified for us for the forgiveness of sins! Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise!

Tuesday, 9 February 2010—Psalm 99—The key verse is v. 9: Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy! This psalm is a hymn of praise, which focuses attention on God’s gracious dealings with His people. His holiness is extolled, a holiness which makes sinners fear and tremble to be in His presence, but then the psalm proclaims that we can approach Him, for He has made a way for us to do so: He is a forgiving God. In the past, he gave priests such as Moses and Aaron and Samuel to mediate between God and man, but now He has give His Son, Jesus Christ, as the perfect priest for all of us who believe on His name. We can approach Him and Exalt the Lord our God and worship at His holy mountain.

Wednesday, 10 February 2010—Deuteronomy 34:1–12—This last chapter of Deuteronomy recounts the death of Moses. Because of his disobedience, he was not allowed by God to go into the Promised Land, but he was allowed to see it. When Moses died, the Lord buried him where no one man knows, but later the archangel Michael would dispute with the devil over the bones of Moses (Jude 9). Moses would then later appear on the mount of transfiguration with Elijah and Jesus. He enjoys a far better Promised Land than the physical land of Canaan; he enjoys the beatific vision in heaven, which reward awaits all believers in the promise and fulfillment of God for the forgiveness of sins in Christ.

Thursday, 11 February 2010—Hebrews 3:1–6—Moses was the greatest of the prophets, but there is a still-greater prophet: Jesus Christ. Jesus is also extolled here as a great apostle and high priest. Prophets and apostles deliver the Word of God to mankind. Jesus is the Word made flesh who dwelt among us (John 1:14). Priests intercede between God and man, and the high priest offered up sacrifices to God on the Day of Atonement. Jesus, the great High Priest, offered up Himself as the greatest sacrifice, a one-time sacrifice that atoned for the sins of the whole world for all time.

Friday, 12 February 2010—Luke 9:28–36—This is a rare glimpse of the divinity of Jesus, which was cloaked in His humanity. Before Peter, James, and John, Jesus is transfigured, that is, His divine nature shows forth. With Him stand Moses and Elijah: Moses who was buried by God, and Elijah, who was taken to heaven in a chariot of fire (2 Kings 2:11). The topic of their conversation is Jesus impending death, resurrection, and ascension, the fulfillment of all that these great Old Testament prophets had proclaimed to the people, the long-promised Messiah who delivers His people from their sins.

Saturday, 13 February 2010—Sunday’s hymn of the day is a liturgical hymn, O Wondrous Type! O Vision Fair (LSB 413), which recounts the Transfiguration of Our Lord in the first two stanzas, proclaims that we shall share in this splendor in eternity in the next two stanzas, and ends with a doxological stanza, that is, a hymn of high praise to the Holy Trinity.

Prayers from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House
Woodcut by Julius Schnoor von Carolsfeld, a nineteenth-century German artist known especially for his book Das Buch der Bücher in Bilden (‘The Book of Books in Pictures’), ©WELS.

This week's Time in the Word is written by Pr. Jeff Keuning who serves St. John Dexter and Zion Casey IA

In Memoriam

James Riemke

May 3, 1939 - February 7, 2010

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith - 2 Timothy 4:7

Time in the Word Epiphany 5

Monday, February 1, 2010 Jesus calls us to service. This is one of the accruing themes of the season of Epiphany as Jesus has come and has manifested Himself in His word and work as we behold His glory. Our response is to follow Him in willful obedience and service. What is it that God is calling you to do this week, this month, and this year? Take time thinking about this subject. In His first miracle, Jesus' mother tells the servants, "Whatever He tells you, do it." That is good advice for us to heed and follow.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010 - Isaiah 6:1-11 Isaiah chapter six is one of the grand chapters of the Old Testament. Here we have the call of Isaiah to be a prophet of God. Isaiah did not necessarily want to accept his call. He felt he was unqualified. He knew that he was a sinner and that he would be sent to a sinful nation who would not want to listen to him. What was he to do? God forgave his sin and used him in a mighty way. Can God use you to do His bidding? Of course, He can. No matter what "sin" might be prohibiting you, God in Christ has forgiven you to do His work for Him.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010 - 1 Corinthians 14:12-20 We continue in a series of readings dealing with the activity of the Holy Spirit. The role of the Holy Spirit is to edify and build up the body of Christ known as the church. The church will grow not by human means, by cunning ways, by programs, or building structures. The kingdom comes and grows by the Holy Spirit actively working in the lives of people. The Spirit comes through those means of grace that God has given us. May we call upon the Spirit to build us up to be His church.

Thursday, February 4, 2010 - Luke 5:1-11 In this season of Epiphany, we recall a series of first things. We have witnessed Jesus' first miracle; we have heard His first sermon. Now we see His first disciple called into active service. Peter is an interesting sort of fellow. He speaks first and questions later. He is bold in faith at one moment and timid the next. Peter is a lot like us today. He had his own questions and fears. He had sickness in his family. He worked long hours trying to run a business. When Jesus called Peter, he responded. The Savior used common ordinary people like you and me to be His followers. What is it that God is calling you to do? May we take the example of Peter and faithfully follow when we are asked to go.

Friday, February 5, 2010 - Psalm 136 The Psalm for this week falls under the Thanksgiving theme as the refrain reminds us, "For His mercy endures forever." Such is the testimony of faith. What is it that we have witnessed in our life? Has it not been the tender mercies of God? As you read this Psalm, think of the many blessings that God has given to you and then respond with David for His mercy endures forever.

Saturday, February 6, 2010 - Psalm 112 Portions of the Introit for next Sunday are taken from Psalm 112. David reminds us that "wealth and riches are in His house; and His righteousness endures forever." Why do we come on a regular basis to God's house? Is it not to receive the gifts of God? God is rich in mercy. He can and will supply you with whatever you need. All of His mercy is for the asking. Whatever your need might be, come and ask of Him who will give out of the abundance of His mercy. Today He stands ready to supply you with whatever you might need.

Prayer for Epiphany 5 - O God, our Loving Father, through the grace of Your Holy Spirit You plant the gift of Your love into the hearts of Your faithful people. Grant to Your servants soundness of mind and body, so that they may love You with their whole strength and with the whole heart do these things that are pleasing in Your sight. Amen.

Sources:

Lutheran Worship Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO.©1982 p.25Lectionary Preaching Workbook Series C John R. Brokhoff C. S. S. Publishing Co. Lima, OH © 1979