Saturday, March 6, 2021

Lent 3

Lent 3
March 7, 2021
John 2:18-19
The message of the cross cleanses the heart

A man sleeps in death. So sad his passing. What crime had he committed? He stirred up the people. He questioned those in authority. He exposed their hypocrisy. His message could not be tolerated. What was so offensive; the word he spoke?

A man sleeps in death. So sad his passing. Cut down in his prime. So prematurely. Was it necessary? Why all this fuss?

Could there not have been a compromise?

A man sleeps in death. Itinerant. A loner. A poor man. His only possession was his garments – which were auctioned off; by the guard, to the winner, in a game of dice.

A man sleeps in death. In love a friend steps forward; but secretly, for fear of the authorities. There is a tomb nearby in which no one had been laid. The final tribute of an acquaintance who wishes to remain anonymous.

A man sleeps in death. A holy day is coming. Time is passing. In hast he is buried. It will do for now. After the observance, they shall return. Then, they can bring more spices to anoint his body and remember his life. And mourn their loss. So unfair. So useless. So sad his passing. Was it all necessary? Why?

Lord Jesus, You slept in death only to rise to new life. Without Your resurrection, Your death has no purpose. Only in Your rising can we understand Your passion.[1]

Then the Jews demanded of him, “What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” John 2:18-19

The cross is the chief and central symbol of the Christian. Jesus gave the cross as the only sign given to men as to His identity and His work.

Christians live, worship, and work under the sign of the cross; for the way of the cross includes cleansing the heart.

The sign of the cross is –

I. The sign of authority – to drive out the traders. To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!” John 2:16

A. Jesus exposes religious pretension. Some inadvertently cheapen the Gospel through marketing – Bart Simpson famously once said: “take the latest hip teenage rage into the church just to make it relative!”

Jesus is not a brand. And people are not objects by which we treat them as customers. Rather, they are ones for whom Christ suffered, died and rose again.

The leadership of Jesus’ day forgot all that. No wonder Jesus was so passionate. “He had come to assert the claims of God upon his own nation, and he keenly felt the spiritual indifference which had turned worship into a means of profit.”[2]

B. Jesus calls the Temple “My Father’s house.”

Jesus was not always a nice or polite person. “Niceness” is neither a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23), nor a character trait of Jesus. Jesus was tremendously kind and gracious to most people; especially the oppressed.

But he scornfully denounced the religious leaders as hypocrites who stubbornly refused to believe Jesus’ true identity as the Messiah, who were burdening the people with unnecessary rigorous, religious rules.

Because we can never truly be certain about the inner heart of a person and their circumstances; open rebuke is rarely something we should engage in. (cf. 1 Corinthians 5:4).

Jesus knew the true heart of the people around him; especially those who opposed him. (John 2:24).

While we are called to be loving, kind and gentle, we are also called to be strong and courageous. Allowing unbelief, ignorance, injustice, and evil to go unchecked, where we can make a difference, is not love. Rather it is a sin of omission.

Not only did Jesus’ act of clearing the temple reveal his passion for the things of God, it also revealed his authority. “Jesus’ act in cleansing the temple presupposed authority as the representative of God.” (Tenney 1976:84)

Transition: John writes that while watching this impressive spectacle, the disciples were reminded of Psalm 69:9 which says: “Zeal for your house has consumed me!”

II. The sign of cleansing – clean up the commercial interests. Then his disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” John 2:17

A. These words come from where the Psalmist is lamenting the suffering that has resulted from his faithfulness to the Lord. Later, after Jesus’ death and resurrection, the disciples will finally understand that it was the Father’s plan that Jesus’ zeal would alienate the religious leaders and lead to his crucifixion.

B. The Savior’s words beg the question; have we lost a sense of awe or reverence? There should be solemnity sincerity and seriousness to our worship. Zeal for the Divine consumed Jesus. As Christ’s followers we must follow suit.

Jesus is not anti-temple, but anti-exploitation. He acknowledges the temple as his Father’s house. He insists that it be treated with the reverence due the house of the Lord.

III. The sign of healing – by the cross the broken relationship with God is healed. Then the Jews demanded of him, “What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” John 2:18-19

The resurrection of Jesus is the ultimate authentication that he is who he says he is. Jesus says, “You want proof that I have the right to condemn religious pretension? Just wait until you kill me and then I raise myself up in three days.”

The real question for all of us is whether the resurrection really happened or not. Pay attention to this question. If it did, then we need to pay attention to Jesus.

If Jesus really did come back from the dead as he said here, we need to pay attention to him, because he is no ordinary man.

That’s what we learn here. Jesus condemns religious pretension, and he replaces it with himself. Jesus is the alternate to the ritual of religion. Jesus is the way of connecting with God. And he gave his life willingly for you so that you could be in communion with God. Jesus is the way of connecting with the Father.

The prophet Isaiah announced; “All we like sheep have gone astray.” Yet by his cross and his victory over the grave the Savior reconciles us to the Father and to each other.

The solution to the problem of religious pretention is the cross where the price of disobedience was paid and where perfect obedience to God was demonstrated. Since Christ has fulfilled the demands of the Law, believers in Christ are now free from the curse of the Law as a means of finding favor with God. There is not deceit or deception by Jesus’ words and actions. He cleared the temple to make way for you to worship God in sincerity and truth.

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Words- 1,215

Passive Sentences- 6%

Readability-72.3 %

Reading Level- 5.7

[1] Parish Devotional posted 20 March, 2009

[2] Tenney, Merrill C., JOHN: The Gospel of Belief – An Analytic Study of the Text, Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1976.

Saturday of Lent 2

DAY 16: March 6, 2021 Saturday of Lent 2- Matthew 5:23-26

So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.”- Matthew 5:23-26

Our only hope of reconciliation with others comes from the death and resurrection of Jesus. In Him we are made clean. Paul would remind us, “in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.-2 Corinthians 5:19 Paul further explains, “Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him."-Romans 4:8

God; in His endless love, has given His Son for you; who has assumed your nature, and died in your stead. Through Christ’s death and his glorious resurrection the Father’s anger is stilled. He is satisfied with Jesus’ work and action. God's decision to not count the sins of which we are guilty against us is a gift of His grace. Not only does faith receive this work of Christ personally; the Spirit directs and motivates us to become reconciled with others and to forgive.

From Luther’s Small Catechism we are reminded:

We pray in this petition that our Father in heaven would not look upon our sins, nor on their account deny our prayer; for we are not worthy of anything we ask, neither have we deserved it. But we pray that He would give us everything by grace, for we daily sin much and deserve nothing but punishment; and we on our part will heartily forgive and readily do good to those who sin against us. [1]

Grant, most merciful Lord, to Your faithful people pardon and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve You with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. [2]

God our Father, by your gifts to us on earth we already share in your life. In all we do, guide us to the light of your kingdom. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen [3]

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[2]Collect for Saturday of Lent 2 http://liturgues.net/Lent/LentenCollects.htm

Friday, March 5, 2021

Saturday prior to Lent 3

Psalm 67:1-2— The hymn of the Day is May God Bestow on Us His Grace {LSB 823}. These verses introduce a prayer. The heart of the prayer is found in verse one, echoing the priestly benediction that God’s people have received for thousands of years. The Lord blesses us as He comes to us in the person of Jesus Christ our Savior.

In a sermon delivered on Christmas morning in the year 1522 Luther writes:

Now, if you steadfastly believe, if you rejoice in God your Lord, if you are alive and his grace satisfies, if your wants are all supplied, how will you employ yourself in this earthly life? Inactive you cannot be. Such a disposition of love toward God cannot rest. Your zeal will be warm to do everything you know will be to the praise and glory of a kind and gracious God. At this point there is no longer distinction of works. Here all commands terminate. There is neither restraint-nor compulsion, but a joyful willingness and delight in doing good, whether the intended achievement be insignificant or difficult, small or great, requiring short service or long.[1]

Collect for Psalm 67: Father, through your power the earth has brought forth its noblest fruit, the tree of the cross. Unite all people in its embrace and feed them with its fruit, everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord.[2] -06 March 2021

[1]https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/luther_martin/Incarnation/Gods_Grace_Received_Must_Be_Bestowed.cfm

Illustration of The Crucifixion is from a woodcut by Baron Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, 1794-1872, a distinguished German artist known especially for his book, The Book of Books in Pictures. Copyright © WLS permission granted for personal and congregational use

Terry W McAllister

April 21, 1963 - February 23, 2021
Committal Service: March 06, 2021

Jesus, lead Thou on till our rest is won;
And although the way be cheerless,
We will follow calm and fearless,
Guide us by Thy hand
To our Fatherland.

If the way be drear,
If the foe be near,
Let not faithless fears o’ertake us;
Let not faith and hope forsake us;
For through many a woe
To our home we go.

When we seek relief
From a long felt grief,
When temptations come alluring,
Make us patient and enduring,
Show us that bright shore
Where we weep no more.

Jesus, lead Thou on
Till our rest is won.
Heav’nly leader, still direct us,
Still support, console, protect us,
Till we safely stand
In our fatherland.[1]

Death is so limited…
It has not crippled love,
It has not shattered hope,
It has not corroded faith,
It has not eaten away peace
Nor destroyed confidence

It has not killed friendship,
It has not shut out memories,
It has not silenced courage,
It has not invaded the soul,
Nor reduced eternal life.

It has not quenched the Spirit,
It cannot, has not,
Nor will not lessen the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ![2]

Almighty and most merciful God, in this earthly life we endure sufferings and death before we enter into eternal glory. Grant us grace at all times to subject ourselves to Your holy will and to continue steadfast in the true faith to the end of our lives that we may know the peace and joy of the blessed hope of the resurrection of the dead and of the glory of the world to come.[3] Lord Jesus, bless Thy Word, that we might trust in Thee.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. - Ephesians 2:8-9

In this world we will confront the trauma of suffering. We experience grief and loss. This loss reminds us of just what kind of world to which Jesus came — a hostile world that not only did not want Him, but tried to kill and destroy Him.

No, no one can take your pain away. But there is someone who understands that pain. You see, there is a person who knows and understands you. His name is Jesus Christ. We need to remember, especially today, that there was a nativity. Jesus entered time and space to be human just like you.

In that manger, the Son of God didn’t just insert Himself into human activities. He inserted Himself in the grittiness of human flesh. He was also a person who knew pain and anger. He became angry Himself on occasions, and ultimately was the victim of anger. This life that you live. Your struggles. Your anger. Your weakness. Your woes. Your sorrows - your Lord knows all. Even your joys exactly. Because He became a man.

The coming of Jesus into our world changes everything. For we do not have a God who was too proud to know His people. Or, a God content to rule from a great distance. Or, a God whose majesty was too awesome for us to behold. We have just the opposite. Jesus, the son of Mary and Joseph, who experienced the very same humanity, the very same problems, and the very same challenges that we do.

No, you do not walk this road alone. Jesus is the God who came down from heaven. He was that man. “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. –Isaiah 53:3-5

Terry’s passing reminds us that we are living in a broken world outside of Eden. We live in a world filled with disappointment, wounds and loss.

Today, show your scars to Jesus and He will show you His. He will take your scarred heart in his scarred hands and love you, and love you, and love you still more; until all that matters is not the scar upon your heart, but the scar embedded in His hand.

Terry has taken a walk - from one end of God’s kingdom to the other – from the kingdom of grace into the kingdom of glory. He closed his eyes to this world and when he opened them again, he saw Jesus face to face.

Today we celebrate Terry’s victory of life.

God is completely responsible for our salvation from front to back! We don’t one-day wake up and decide to follow Jesus – He plants the seed of faith in our heart. He then nourishes that faith by giving us His eternal Word, which is able to make us wise unto salvation.

This is what St. Paul reminds us when he tells us in Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Terry McAllister knew he was a sinner. He knew the scriptures well, which simply says, “All have fallen short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:28

Yet, pay attention to the clear words, and the gentle voice of Terry’s Good Shepherd Jesus who says, “All that which the Father gives me shall come unto me; and he that comes to me I will in no wise cast out”. John 6:37

Terry knew of this reality that when God pardons, He does not say He understands your weakness or make allowances for your errors. Rather, He disposes of, finishes with, the whole of your dead life and raises you up with a new one.

He does not so much deal with your failures as does He drop them down the black hole of Jesus' death. He forgets your sins in the darkness of the tomb. He remembers your iniquities no more in the forgetfulness of Jesus' death.

He finds you in the desert of death, not in the garden of improvement. And in the power of Jesus' resurrection, He puts you on His shoulders, rejoicing, and brings you home![4]

Terry understood grace. And Grace is karma's worst nightmare: we get the exact opposite of what we deserve. Grace is found in the God who loves us all; who loved us even unto death, even death on a cross.

In the gospel of John, Jesus came to visit a grieving family. He came to greet Mary and Martha who were grieving the loss of their brother Lazarus. In His conversation with them Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” Then He asks, “Do you believe this?” ^{John 11:25-26}

We each must ponder this question…

(1) - Is Jesus the resurrection and the life? The testimony of Scripture is undeniable! – The early disciples would simply say, “We are witnesses of these things!” Acts 5:32; 10:39

(2) - Do you believe – that whoever believes in Jesus, even though they die will live and not die?

Terry believed this – he knew that he was a sinner. But he also knew that Christ is compassionate who has promised to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness –

For this reason we can say that Terry McAllister is alive, he is well, he is whole, he is at peace, he is in the very presence of Jesus his Savior. And, if we continue in this same faith, we will see each other – never to be separated by distance or space. That is why you and I are and always will be Easter people.

If there is one thing, I have learned in life it is this - we cannot go it alone. We need each other. We need a Savior. Our Lord Jesus has given us a wonderful promise. – May it be yours this day. – “I am with you always.” Were the last words Jesus spoke to humans while He was standing on this earth. This is not a wish. – It is a reality we know by faith.

Terry knew the Savior’s voice. Now he sees His face.

This service is for the living. –Terry McAllister was given the opportunity to live his life. – We continue on. - Life will be different. – There shall be a new sense of “normal” in your routines. - But we walk by faith. – Until that day comes in your life when Jesus will call you from this world to a world that has no end. – From an earthly kingdom – to a heavenly kingdom – From a place which is limited to a place that is beyond time & space. May the Savior so walk with you until we are re-united with those who have gone before us.

[4] Robert Farrar Capon, Parables of Grace, pg. 3

Illustration of The Crucifixion is from a woodcut by Baron Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, 1794-1872, a distinguished German artist known especially for his book, The Book of Books in Pictures. Copyright © WLS permission granted for personal and congregational use

Friday of Lent 2

DAY 15: March 5, 2021 Friday of Lent 2- Matthew 5:21-22

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire – Matthew 5:21-22 [1]

Jesus begins this section with these words, “And I say to you…” Who is this “I”? Who is presumptuous to go beyond what Moses said? Who does the “I” think he is – one greater than Moses, the might prophet of God? Here we confront Christological considerations. Jesus is speaking. Here we find a greater than Moses. In the words, “I say to you.” Jesus is placing Himself above all other religious teachers and prophets. How can he rightfully do this? Jesus speaks as God’s Son, the Word made flesh. He has the mind, the Spirit, and the essence of God the Father. As the Word of God, Jesus’ word is truth excelling all other teachers. Thus, the Scriptures testify of Him and we interpret them in the light of Christ. [2]

Anger is a raw emotion. Paul would remind us, “Be angry but do not sin.”-Ephesians 4:6 Moses got angry when the people made an idol. Prophets got angry when widows and orphans were neglected, and when the stranger wasn’t provided with hospitality. Jesus got angry and overturned the tables of those who were profiting from poor worshipers.

The problem comes, even with righteous anger, when we are so angry that we do harm. The problem comes when we stay angry instead of letting that anger subside and morph into looking for creative and constructive solutions to unjust actions and systems. The problem comes when anger is a way of life, or a lens through which we view other people. The problem comes when anger interferes with relationships.

Insults and angry words almost never help things; they make things worse. In angry times, it’s important that we rebuild broken relationships. It’s important that we offer criticism in such a way that it constructs bridges instead of barriers. It’s important that we let love for our fellow human beings turn anger into listening, and then into action. Otherwise, our anger will kill us.[3]

O Lord, that as Your Son Jesus Christ prayed for His enemies on the cross, so we may have grace to forgive those who wrongfully or scornfully use us, that we ourselves may be able to receive Your forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. [4]

Lord Jesus, Bread of Life, in Your great compassion You fed the multitudes with a few loaves and a few fish. Feed us the holy food of Your Word broken open that hearts may burn and Your very body and blood that eyes may be opened to see You as the very Bread of heaven; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit; one God, now and forever. [5]

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[2] Text notes Epiphany 6 – Series A

[3] https://melissabanesevier.wordpress.com/2017/02/06/anger-and-murder/

[4] Collect for Friday of Lent 2, , http://www.liturgies.net/Lent/LentenCollects.htm

Thursday, March 4, 2021

Friday prior to Lent 3

John 2:13-22—Jesus cleanses the temple of those who traded in it.

Man’s failure to keep God’s law. Jesus cleanses the temple of those who traded in it. In the first three Gospels, Jesus begins His ministry in Galilee, but in John’s Gospel the focus is on Jerusalem. In the first three Gospels, the cleansing of the temple comes at the end of Jesus’ ministry, but John’s Gospel puts it at the beginning. In the first three Gospels, the cleansing of the temple becomes the immediate cause of Jesus’ arrest. In John, the cleansing is related to the Jew’s demand for a sign authorizing Him to take such dramatic action. Jesus’ sign was the destruction of the temple and rebuilding it in three days – a forecast of His death and resurrection.

“Who are you to say or do what you said or did?” This question is the same as the Jews’ asking Jesus for a sign. The temple with its activities, services, and programs is in the charge of the priests who were authorized to take care of the temple. Who is this itinerant peasant preacher to say what is right to do in the temple? This question is certainly in order. Jesus gives them the sign of the cross. He is the one whose temple will be destroyed and rebuilt on the third day. This proves who He is – the Messiah – and He has the right and the authority to cleanse the temple.

A 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 needs, 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.[1] -05 March 2021

Illustration “Jesus Clears the Temple” is taken from a woodcut by Baron Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, 1794-1872, a distinguished German artist known especially for his book, The Book of Books in Pictures. © WLS Permission granted for personal and congregational use.

Thursday of Lent 2

DAY 14: March 4, 2021 Thursday of Lent 2- Matthew 5:20

Jesus declares, "For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." [1]

When most people consider righteousness they think of being a very good person, a person who obeys the Ten Commandments. This is not wrong thinking. Certainly God desires that we be good people and that we obey His Commandments. In Jesus’ day the Pharisees were viewed as the most righteous people on earth. They had dissected God’s law (Ten Commandments and special Jewish laws) into over 630 laws, and they maintained that they kept such laws; they were indeed outwardly righteous, and people considered them to possess the ultimate righteousness.

Jesus said that our righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees. How can we be more righteous than the most righteous people on earth? It can happen—as revealed in both the Old and New Testaments—because we can have a righteousness that does not come from our obedience to God’s laws.

An Old Testament example of this righteousness is found in the classic verse about Abram’s faith: And he believed the Lord, and he [God] counted it to him as righteousness Genesis 15:6. Abram was given righteousness; it was a righteousness that was from outside of Abram, for it was a righteousness that came by God’s declaration based upon Abram’s faith. This declared righteousness is called justification.

Why would God do this? Why would God declare someone righteous? Is their faith considered the greatest act of righteousness? No, God declares someone righteous—including Old Testament believers—because their faith is in Christ. Jesus, the object of faith, gives righteousness. Abram’s faith was in the Christ who was at the center of God’s promises given in Genesis 15.

In his letter to the Romans (3:20-24) the Apostle Paul clearly presents the differences between righteousness that is derived from keeping God’s law and righteousness that is given as a gift to a believer in Jesus. Of the righteousness from keeping God’s law he wrote: For by works of the law no human being will be justified [declared righteous] in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. For us there is no righteousness before God in keeping God’s law; instead, sin is thus exposed. But of the real righteousness before God Paul then wrote: But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law [writings of Moses] and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified [declared righteous] by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. [2]

O Lord, strong and mighty, Lord of Hosts and King of glory: Cleanse our hearts from sin, keep our hands pure, and turn our minds from what is passing away; so that at the last we may stand in Your holy place and receive Your blessing; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen [3]

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[2] Rev Dr. Daniel J Brege Commentary on the Gospel lesson for Epiphany 5 Series A

[3]Collect for Thursday of Lent 2, http://www.liturgies.net/Lent/LentenCollects.htm