Pr. DFD

Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Wednesday of Lent 1

DAY 7: February 24, 2021 Wednesday of Lent 1- Matthew 5:5

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” – Matthew 5:5

The meek. Who are they? They are the lowly. The humble. Meekness is an attribute of human nature and behavior. It has been defined several ways as righteous, humble, teachable, and patient under suffering, long suffering willing to follow after Christ; an attribute of a true disciple.

The follower of Christ receives with meekness the words implanted in us by the Holy Spirit. The epistle James instructs us, “…for man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and every expression of evil, and humbly receive the word planted in you, which can save your souls.” -James 1:21

Lent is a time of reflection. When the Word of God through the Law judges and chastens us; when it divides between soul and spirit, and joints and marrow; when it crushes and humbles us; when it takes away; when it lays us bare – then it is vital to be quiet and meek and admit that the Word of the Lord is right. The Law always convicts, hunts us down to confront us. Then, we need to keep our mouth closed instead of answering back, defending and excusing ourselves. When the Law crushes us we need to hear the message of the Gospel.

Then, you will be led further on the way of life, the way of Christ. You shall inherit the earth. You are the salt and light in this world.

Blest are they, the lowly ones;

They shall inherit the earth.

Rejoice and be glad!

Blessed are you, holy are you.

Rejoice and be glad!

Yours is the kingdom of God. [1]

Bless us, O God, in this holy season, in which our hearts seek Your help and healing; and so purify us by Your discipline that we may grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. [2]

[2]Collect for Wednesday of Lent 1, http://www.liturgies.net/Lent/LentenCollects.htm

Tuesday, February 23, 2021

ANNAS: "I Can't Believe that Jesus Is Lord!"

There is simply no way that I can bring myself to believe that this man, Jesus of Nazareth, was truly who he claimed to be. I heard my son-in-law, Caiaphas, say to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." And this man said, "Yes, it is as you say" [Matthew 26:62-64]

It is astounding that this man would claim to be the Christ. I have heard that some people believe when Jesus was born angels actually appeared to shepherds and said, "A Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." [Luke 2:11]

Do you believe that? Jesus certainly believed he was the promised Christ. When He preached his first sermon in Nazareth, he clearly claimed to be the anointed one; that is, The Christ, the chosen one - the Messiah [Luke 4:18,21] No wonder they tried to throw him over a cliff! If I had been there I would have done the same thing!

Our people have been waiting for the Messiah for hundreds of years. We know that our redemption is dependent on Messiah. One day he will come to save us. The Messiah will be our deliverer. He will rescue us from the evil that holds us in bondage.

Until that time though, we must focus our attention upon the temple. For it is there, in the temple, that we perform the sacrifices that are necessary to maintain our relationship with God.

The temple's institutions and rituals are deeply rooted in the history of our culture. It is the temple that defines us as a unique nation on all the earth.

But this Rabbi from Galilee claimed to be greater than the temple. [Matthew 12:6] He wreaked havoc at our temple services [Matthew 21:12-13] He even claimed that if the temple were torn down he could rebuild it in three days [John 2:19; Matthew 26:61] Only the Messiah could be more important than the temple and the sacrifices. This Jesus wanted to turn the attention the love and the faith of the people away from the temple and onto himself. He wanted to redirect the entire focus of their worship. He wanted the people to look to him as their hope of eternal salvation. I simply could not allow that!

What kind of Messiah did he claim to be? He made that very clear when he applied the divine name of "I AM" to himself. He claimed to be God! This Rabbi from Nazareth used for himself the very same name God used when he revealed himself to Moses from the burning bush [Genesis 3:14] At his trial we asked him, "Are you then the Son of God?" He replied, "You are right in saying I AM" [Luke 22:70]

Now we know that the Messiah will be like no other. No one on earth will be more powerful. HE will crush his enemies under his feet. HE will be the greatest of all prophets. HE will establish Zion, the throne of David, as an everlasting kingdom.

Some of our Rabbis have pointed out that the Messiah may even be some kind of pre-existent, angelic, heavenly being. But, it is beyond human comprehension, that the Messiah would actually be the Lord himself - the same Lord who delivered our people from Egyptian bondage.

Is it possible that our Savior God would take on human flesh and walk among us as one of our very own Rabbis? If that would happen it would surely be a historic event of eternal significance. It would alter completely our idea of our God and who we are as his people.

If God himself came to earth as our Messiah it would demonstrate a divine love so great that it would be incomprehensible to any human. Could God do that - of course He could. But would God do that - does He love us that much? I just can't bring myself to believe that he does.

Jesus made it very clear through his life and through his teachings that he believed he was God in the flesh, come to earth as the promised Messiah. He believed that he was the one on whom our hopes of salvation depend. He forgave sins and he taught that without him we are lost and condemned. We are a righteous people.

WE simply could not tolerate him making such remarkable claims. Nor could we risk the possibility of another disastrous political revolt. That's why we had him arrested.

We tried him and found him guilty of blasphemy -ridiculing God. But f we were wrong we have made a terrible, terrible mistake and we are the blasphemers. If what Jesus said is true then we not only ridiculed the Almighty; but he allowed us to have him condemned and executed! It is possible that we have crucified the Lord of glory? I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE IT!

Concluding thoughts: Annas had good intentions. If we give him the benefit of the doubt. He only wanted what, he truly thought, was the best for his people -his family's leadership. Under the leadership of his family Annas sought to maintain the nation's traditional religious notions and avoid a disastrous military conflict with Rome. No doubt he thought these goals were good, right, and God pleasing.

But human logic that is not enlightened by God often lends itself to the wrong cause. Even supposed devotion to God can become a source of evil, as in the case of Annas, who condemned to death the very Messiah their true prophets had instructed them to expect.

To do the God pleasing thing takes more than good intentions - one must be lead by God himself through his Holy Word. How many people today have good intentions? They want to do the right thing, but they are misguided and mistaken because, like Annas who rejected the Word of God in the flesh, they reject the Word of God in the Bible.

Yet God often brings good out of the evil deeds of human beings. With the misguided decision of Annas we see how the unjust crucifixion of Jesus became the world's greatest good, its hope of eternal salvation.

In the First Epistle of John we read the glorious hope- fulfilled "The blood of Jesus, God's Son purifies us from all sin."

Thought Annas, Caiaphas, Pilate and all who condemned Jesus did great evil by their words and actions, God overruled their deeds to bring salvation to all who repent and believe. By the grace of God, we, with Christians of all time, believe that Jesus is indeed the divine Messiah. How sad that Annas couldn't believe it also. By grace through faith we believe that Jesus is our Lord and Savior.

Illustration from a woodcut by Baron Julius Schnoor von Carolsfeld, 1794-1872, a distinguished German artist known especially for his book, The Book of Books in Pictures. copyright © WELS used by permission for personal and congregational use.

Wednesday of Lent 2

Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16—In our Old Testament reading, Abram’s name is changed to Abraham as the Lord gives him the covenant of circumcision. The covenant is God’s. God calls it “my covenant” as He initiates and established it. God has covenanted to keep His promises. The Lord gives us His pledge to be the protector of His people and the One who provides for their well-being and guarantees their future blessings. The Lord calls Abraham to walk before Him and be blameless. We do this through our adoption into the family of God.

“Neither will your name any more be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations” (v. 5). Names have always been important. Our names stand as a proxy for ourselves. Our name in the form of a signature on a legal document binds us legally to certain obligations. We like for people to call us by name, and hearing our name called tends to get our attention, even if the voice is distant—perhaps especially if the voice is distant.

In some cultures, parents give their children names that have special meanings—Native Americans come to mind—and a person’s name might be changed later to commemorate a significant accomplishment by that person.

God, on several occasions, changed a person’s name to signify a change in that person’s life and relationship with God. Abram becomes Abraham (17:5). Sarai becomes Sarah (17:15). Jacob becomes Israel (32:28). “Name and existence come extraordinarily close together in Hebrew thought. Perhaps it is going too far to say that the Hebrews believed that nothing existed unless it had a name (cf. Eccl 6:10a). But certainly they believed that one’s name lived on in one’s descendants (Gen. 48:16), and that without male heirs one would be left with ‘neither name nor remnant upon the face of the earth’ (2 S. 14:7; cf. Dt. 25:5-10)” (Bromiley, 481).

In this instance, God changes Abram’s name to Abraham and gives the reason—”for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.” Ab means “father.” Abram could mean “the father is exalted” or “he is exalted as to his father” (Hamilton, 464). God combines Abram’s original name with the Hebrew word for “father of a multitude”—‘ab-hamon—to create the new name, Abraham. [1]

A Prayer for humility: O God, You resist the proud and give grace to the humble. Grant us true humility after the likeness of Your only Son that we may never be arrogant and prideful and thus provoke Your wrath but in all lowliness be made partakers of the gifts of Your grace; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. [2]

[1] https://sermonwriter.com/biblical-commentary/genesis-171-7-15-16/
[2] A Prayer for Humility, Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis

The Woodcut Illustration “The Crucifixion” 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.

Tuesday of Lent 1

[1]

DAY 6: February 23, 2021 Tuesday of Lent 1- Matthew 5:4

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” – Matthew 5:4

“In the midst of life we are in death. From whom may we seek help? From You alone, O Lord, who by our sins art justly angered. Holy God holy and mighty, holy and merciful Savior, deliver us not into the bitterness of eternal death.” This 14th Century hymn has been used for thousands of years as part of the Christian committal service. [2] Death is result of the first great catastrophe known to man – the rebellion of our first parents Adam and Eve in the garden. In the midst of life we are in death.

In this life we experience sorrow. Sorrow over our sin and its consequences, sorrow over our failures and misgivings, sorrow over the loss of friends and family members, sorrow over our own mortality. Every time you arrive at church you are reminded of this certainty as you drive past the cemetery.

Yet Christ flips death on its head by promising us new life. Paul reminds us, “If our hope in Christ is for this life alone, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.” – 1 Corinthians 15:19-21

Remember Jesus’ promise, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33

Because of Christ’s suffering death and glorious resurrection we can say, “In the midst of death we are in life.”

Blessed are they, full of sorrow;
They shall be consoled.
Rejoice and be glad!
Blessed are you, holy are you.
Rejoice and be glad!
Yours is the kingdom of God.[3]

Grant to your people, Lord, grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh and the devil, and with pure hearts and minds to follow you, the only True God; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.[4]

[4]Collect for Tuesday of Lent 1, http://www.liturgies.net/Lent/LentenCollects.htm

Monday, February 22, 2021

Tuesday prior to Lent 2

Psalm 22:23-31—In this psalm, David vows to praise the Lord when the Lord’s sure deliverance comes. The vows appear in verses 22 and 25. Verses 23-24 anticipate the calls to praise that will accompany the psalmist’s praise. Verses 26-31 describe the expanding company of those who will take up the praise – a worldwide company of persons form every station in life and continuing through the generations. No psalm or prophecy contains a grander vision of this scope of the throng of worshipers who will join in the praise of God’s saving acts.

An important element of Psalm 22 is verses 29-31. Not only will the living praise God, but all those “who sleep in the earth” (verse 29) and all future generations, “those yet to be born” (verse 31). This psalm of lament is a powerful model for believers today; life confronts us with issues and happenings that sometimes feel unbearable. And so, we cry out to God; we tell God what is wrong; we tell God what we want God to do; we recall those past instances in our lives (or in the lives of those around us) when God has made a way for us to handle the situation; and, then, and only then, we can praise God for God’s goodness and tell others about it.

When Jesus uttered the opening words of Psalm 22, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” on the cross, he was calling his hearers to remember the words of the whole psalm — “for he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted; he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him” (verse 24). Thus, “all the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD” (verse 27).

Collect for Psalm 22: Father, when your Son was handed over to torture and felt abandoned by you, he cries out from the cross. Then death was destroyed and life was stored. By his death and resurrection save the poor, life up the downtrodden, break the chains of the oppressed, that your Church may sing your praises; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. [1]

[1] Collect for Psalm 22, For All the Saints, A Prayer Book for and by the Church Vol. III © 1995 The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY
Illustration “The Crucifixion” from a woodcut by Baron Julius Schnoor von Carolsfeld, 1794-1872, a distinguished German artist known especially for his book, Das Buch der Bücher in Bilden (The Book of Books in Pictures)
https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/second-sunday-in-lent-2/commentary-on-psalm-2223-31

Monday of Lent 1

DAY 5: February 22, 2021 Monday of Lent 1- Matthew 5:3

[1]

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” –Matthew 5:3

Jesus will begin His sermon on the mount declaring nine times that His disciples are blessed. They are blessed because of what He has done for them. These beatitudes are not demands Jesus is foisting upon you. Rather, this is your new reality in Christ. These are the gifts which the Savior bestows. These beatitudes are not prescriptive – steps and demands you must accomplish, they are descriptive. This is your truth as you await the new heaven and new earth. (See Revelation 21:1)

The beatitudes are found throughout the Scriptures in such places as Psalm 1:1; Luke 11:28; Revelation 19:9.

In Lent we lay bare our sin, our imperfections, our weaknesses. We come to the Lord, not only confessing our sin but realizing our own inadequacies.

The spiritually poor – those persons who acknowledge their moral bankruptcy theirs is the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of heaven is yours. Not what you strive to accomplish but by the gift which is given to you by faith. Even now, by faith, you receive this gift. This reward is repeated also in v 10.

Blessed are they, the poor in spirit
Theirs is the kingdom of God.
Rejoice and be glad!
Blessed are you, holy are you.
Rejoice and be glad!
Yours is the kingdom of God.[2]

Lord Jesus, prepare us for that eternal Sabbath when You will rest in us, just as now You work in us. The rest that we shall enjoy will be Yours, just as the work that we now do is Your work done through us. But You, O Lord, are eternally at work and eternally at rest. It is not time that You see or in time that You move or in time that You rest, yet You make what we see in time. You make time itself and the repose which comes when time ceases; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.[3]

Almighty and everlasting God, mercifully increase in us Your gifts of holy discipline, in almsgiving, prayer and fasting; that our lives may be directed to the fulfilling of Your most gracious will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.[4]

[4]Collect for Monday of Lent 1, http://www.liturgies.net/Lent/LentenCollects.htm

Sunday, February 21, 2021

Monday prior to Lent 2

Psalm 115:11-13; antiphon, Psalm 25:6

The Introit for the Second Sunday in Lent sets the theme for the day: Lent is a time of suffering as the way of the cross often involves suffering for the Christian. In the midst of our suffering, we cry out with the Psalmist as the antiphon suggests, “Remember Your mercy O Lord, and Your steadfast love. We ask the Father to look at us through His eye of mercy as He remembers the work of Christ our Savior.

The LORD through the prophet Malachi teaches, “I am the Lord I do not change.” This is comforting news for us. Past mercies form a ground for the expectation of future blessings. God's character cannot change; his action as one time will always be consistent and harmonious with his action at another. If he has been kind and merciful to David in the past, David may count on his continuing the same in the future. For they have been ever of old. Not lately only, or to David only, have his mercies been shown, but through all past time, to all his servants.[1]

Justice protects the innocent, who may safely appeal to it for defense or redress. But for the guilty nothing remains but to trust in mercy. Trusting in mercy always implies a deep, heartfelt conviction of personal guilt. Trust this God of mercy whom for your sake sent his only son to become the atoning sacrifice for your sin.

Collect for Psalm 115: Lord God, creator and ruler of the universe, you have entrusted the care the earth to its people. Grant that your children surrounded by sings of your presence may live continually in Christ, praising you through him and with him, now and forever.[2]

[1]Pulpit Commentary, https://biblehub.com/commentaries/psalms/25-6.htm

Illustration “The Crucifixion” from a woodcut by Baron Julius Schnoor von Carolsfeld, 1794-1872, a distinguished German artist known especially for his book, Das Buch der Bücher in Bilden (The Book of Books in Pictures)