Reminiscere Sunday, The Second Sunday in Lent, 2014
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Time
The Hymn #652 I Lay My Sins on Jesus 1:24
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual
The Gospel
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn # 454 Prayer Is the Soul's Sincere Desire 1:41
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn # 454 Prayer Is the Soul's Sincere Desire 1:41
God's Grace Is Concealed at Times
The Hymn # 281 The Savior Calls 1:29
The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn # 374 Grace Tis a Charming Sound 1:91
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn # 374 Grace Tis a Charming Sound 1:91
KJV 1 Thessalonians 4:1 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. 2 For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God,even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: 4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; 5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: 6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. 7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
KJV Matthew 15:21 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. 28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
Second Sunday In Lent
Lord God, heavenly Father, grant us, we beseech Thee, by Thy Holy Spirit, that He may strengthen our hearts and confirm our faith and hope in Thy grace and mercy, so that, although we have reason to fear because of our conscience, our sin, and our unworthiness, we may nevertheless, with the woman of Canaan, hold fast to Thy grace, and in every trial and temptation find Thee a very present help and refuge, through Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
God's Grace Is Concealed at Times
KJV Matthew 15:21 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
The questions we ask of a text will shape the answer. Often the wrong questions are asked. Normally this text is used to ask, "Why was Jesus being so difficult with this woman?" A better question is, "Did Jesus ever turn down a request for healing?"
The answer to the better question is, "No, He never did." That shapes the other question, which becomes, "What are we supposed to learn from this?"
The ELCA published a book called The Bible - Texts of Terror, which was designed to help people realize how oppressive the Bible is. But the Bible is a book of comfort, written for our benefit and preserved with miraculous accuracy.
I have a book Alias Shakespeare because they are still debating who wrote Shakespeare's plays. We know who wrote the Bible, and we know even the most minor details are confirmed (when available) by archaeological finds.
So this Canaanite woman's desperate plea should make us long to find the comfort offered in this miracle. Jesus healed in various ways and conducted Himself differently in those miracles that are preserved for us - there were many others. Since groups of miracles were summarized, why are certain miracles offered in such detail? Answer - because each miracle has a different teaching emphasis.
This malady is heart-wrenching, because this is a mother pleading for her daughter. She has a daughter but does not - the vexation takes her daughter away from her and causes them both enormous suffering.
23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
The response seems cold and even worse - the disciples say - "Dismiss her! Heal her daughter and make her go away." They are annoyed and not friendly. We know that only friendly churches grow. I would not let the disciples be greeters or ushers.
At the point where people want to twist this the wrong way, we are to find the comparison with our own lives.
If no one has experienced this, then I am surprised. We face a difficult situation, especially concerning someone we love. We pray about it - and we see no results. In fact, we continue to pray about it, and it seems no better. In fact, people are scornful that this difficult malady or problem (of another sort) has been laid on our shoulders with no relief. They are gleeful and make matters worse - and still it continues. People even wonder out loud why believers suffer especially.
False teachers say, "You must pray our way, to get good results." They will even offer their techniques, which always work for them. As one person said, "I will send our healing team over to impose our healing oil."
Because of these experiences, the Canaanite woman's plight is noteworthy.
24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
Although there is pressure on Jesus from the woman and the disciples, He answers by saying - "You do not belong to the right synod." Some will think I am mocking the text, but Jesus did bring up something irrelevant. But this a good parallel to the synodical franchise system of today. Each one says that the others are not worthy, not kosher. That cannot even be questioned, even though the label is completely off the mark. No one asks, "Does this person trust the Word of God? Does this person have faith in Christ?" Instead they ask, "Is this person certified by our synod, a sect controlled by false teachers and an insurance company?"
When the woman hears the challenge, she responds with faith - she worshiped Him and said again, "Lord help me."
Luther often made this point - that God exercises our faith to make it grow. When people are left unchallenged or run from the challenge, their faith shrinks to nothing. That is the fate of the clergy and laity who crave the approval of others.
So one part of the lesson is to continue to have faith, even if we seem to be getting no answers. Patience in abiding in Christ (John 15) will bear fruit, and bear fruit abundantly.
26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.
Here is the question of worthiness. When we meet with silence after earnestly praying, we feel our unworthiness. Others seem to do much better. They seem to be beloved while we feel like outcasts.
In hearing the worst kind of rebuke, the woman answers with faith. Is Jesus calling her a dog? He is making a rhetorical statement. I might say to a class, "Maybe we should have your parents write a big check and print out a diploma. Then you will not have to study any more."
The bluntness of the term "dogs" is met by the optimism of faith - even the little dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the master's table. The least little bit of favor would suit her.
28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
Jesus praised her faith, which is another lesson to be learned. When people attack a word for a long time, the term accumulates a bad reputation regardless of its real meaning. For example, a considerable number of people react against such things as BBQs, gasoline engines, and wood fireplaces. So much propaganda has been unleashed about global warming that they think those things are inherently evil.
A faction among Lutherans have done the same with "faith." But this woman is an example of faith. And there is nothing bad about faith in the Bible - only in the imaginations of false teachers.
Faith is trust in God, in His love and mercy. Faith does not emphasize the person but God. Faith is not a work, except it is a work of God, Who creates and sustains faith in us.
