The Tenth Sunday after Trinity, 2014. Luke 19:41-48.
Jesus Weeping Over Jerusalem
The Tenth Sunday after Trinity, 2014
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Time
The Hymn # 202 Welcome Happy Morning 4:28
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
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #267 If God Had Not Been 4:61
Love and Compassion
The Communion Hymn # 305.5-9 Soul, Adorn 4:23
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 # 657 Beautiful Savior 4:24
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 # 657 Beautiful Savior 4:24
KJV 1 Corinthians 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. 2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. 3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. 4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
KJV Luke 19:41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, 42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. 43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, 44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. 45 And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; 46 Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves. 47 And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him, 48 And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him.
Tenth Sunday After Trinity
Almighty and everlasting God, who by Thy Holy Ghost hast revealed unto us the gospel of Thy Son, Jesus Christ: We beseech Thee so to quicken our hearts that we may sincerely receive Thy word, and not make light of it, or hear it without fruit, as did Thy people, the unbelieving Jews, but that we may fear Thee and daily grow in faith in Thy mercy, and finally obtain eternal salvation, through Thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
KJV Luke 19:41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
As Luther wrote in his sermon on this text, Jesus had two ways to address the rejection of God's Word. One was to use threats, which He did more than once - such as saying it would be better to have a millstone around one's neck and be thrown into the sea.
The other is to express love and compassion toward those blinded by their rejection of the Word. We can see that here, because His reaction is not to weep over His coming passion, but to weep over the horrors that would be visited on the city in the future.
We can see that in America today, with its wholesale rejection of its religious foundations. When I was discussing Mayberry with friends on Facebook, I pointed out that it was a make-believe city that we liked, because it reminded us of the towns we grew up in. And now these same areas are visited with constant crime. They are marked with pawnshops and bail bondsmen, and all the pock-marks of crime, vice, and drug addiction.
My father had a downtown bakery that was open 24 hours. Women worked there at night and no one worried about their safety. The back door was locked at night, but the front door was open. No one would think of doing the same today. Likewise, school problems were so minimal that trivial incidents in today's world were treated as major events that shocked people. Where are their parents? people would wonder.
Our town was closed for Sundays. Nothing happened after noon, and the only store open on Sunday was the drugstore - closing at noon. Where else would people buy the Des Moines Tribune?
When Moliners go back, they are shocked, as we were, about the emptiness of the downtown, with so many closed stores in a strange contrast to some impressive John Deere museum buildings, showcasing the equipment (no longer made there). We drove the streets to look at the old Deere mansions and saw streets lined with decaying homes.
I know the Lutheran churches of the 1960s were nothing like the ones today, with all the ELCA fads taking over. Some dissented as left (Faith, Moline) but my home congregation stayed, and its sister church hosted the ELCA fanatics who lost the battle at Faith. True ELCA members have no Faith now, but WELS and Missouri and the ELS are happy to work with them.
42 Saying, "If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes."
Which things belong to peace? They are primarily faith in the Gospel of Jesus, forgiveness of sin, and salvation. Everyone wants peace, which is in the first triad of those fruits of the Spirit:
- Love
- Joy
- Peace. Galatians 5
The day of judgment was fast upon Jerusalem, as Jesus approached for the last time in His earthly ministry. They would hail Him as the Messiah and then abandon Him for the crucifixion. The contrast is so great, and yet it has been true of humanity since the beginning.
Luther said - when the Germans are hot for something, they are really hot. Then they are cold. They flocked to the Lutheran churches when the Reformation began, but they ran back to Rome when troubles developed. There are few who remain faithful, and few who refuse to compromise.
In era after era, clergy have pledged to obey those pastoral admonitions where they must remain faithful to the Word. But officials and members press them to compromise, and they do, often for the sake of earthly peace and institutional prosperity.
Faith in Jesus during those days of judgement in Jerusalem proved to be filled threats and obvious conclusions as He was condemned and executed as a religious threat and as an enemy of the Roman Empire.
When I think about ELCA dissenting bishops, I recall how I watched them get elected, serve the institution gladly, and get along with everyone. ELCA was always quick to chop anyone (or any family member) who dared question its infallibility. One pastor's kid said something rude about the LCA, and his father was punished. Likewise, various clergy parasites and their kin retaliated against my family, too cowardly to face me. And with ELCA, these same bishops in retirement suddenly found their Holy Mother Sect to be loathsome and disgusting. They were there at the creation. I saw one of these dissenters installed as a bishop, saw him elected as a buddy-buddy chair of the bishops, and POW he was opposed to everything he participated in and funded.
The trouble with compromise and unfaith is this - it paints people into a corner where they cannot escape, because they only want to turn the clock back a few years - to when they were happy and blind. But they do not want to go all the way back to the Scriptures as they are, because that is too radical.
However, the disturbances and afflictions can make people lose their illusions and return to the Word alone. And additional attacks can make people go to the Book of Concord the way runners grab bottles of water after a race.
43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,
This one verse should give everyone goosebumps, because Jesus described the Roman attack on Jerusalem forty years before the campaign began. Zealots began with a successful attack against Rome and thought they were winners. But they only defeated the garrison troops, the ones left to keep the peace. Their folly brought an enormous force traveling with their slaves to aid the soldiers in the important work of circumvallation - surrounding a walled city with another wall, to prevent any escape or entry.
When America has a big storm, people empty the shelves of food and water before it hits. Batteries are gone. Flashlights are sold. All essential food is bought up. Strawberry Poptarts are especially prized during storms, so large shipments go to Walmarts in anticipation.
The reaction to potential hunger is panic buying, and the reaction to circumvallation is panic hoarding. I don't believe my father ever got over rationing in WWII. He stockpiled everything, even those things he no longer needed but might need - just in case. I threw some out and dared him to carry them down into the basement again. I won that one.
Jerusalem had stores of food and miraculously engineered fresh water supply. The food supply was burnt early and everyone began hoarding and stealing. Horrible things happened afterwards, as you might imagine.
44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.
The invasion of Rome came during the pilgrimages, so the greatest possible population was trapped in the city, adding to the burden of defense and feeding people. They boiled their sandal laces to have something to eat - and worse, cannibalism erupted.
When soldiers got into the city, they looted the city, looking for gold. The rumor that gold was hidden in the Temple led to it being destroyed - not one stone left on another. Gold does that to people. In Phoenix, people still brave the dessert trying to find the Lost Dutchman's Mine.
Jesus is warning people - "Because you did not realize the visitation of God's wrath would be upon you." As Luther has commented, God uses enemies to punish apostasy and make people wake up to their folly.
Russia and Germany abandoned the Gospel for two similar forms of paganism (Nazi socialism in Germany, Marxist Communism in Russia).
41. Let Germany, which, praise to God, now has the Gospel, beware, that she may not meet the same fate, as it already so strongly everywhere indicates she will. For we dare not think that the contempt and unthankfulness, which are gaining control among us as great as among the Jews, will remain unpunished. After that he will let the godless world complain and cry: If the Gospel had not come, such things would not have come upon us; just like the Jews at Jerusalem blamed all their calamities to the preaching of the Gospel, and they themselves at the risk of their own necks prophesied that if Christ with his Gospel should continue, the Romans would come and take away their place and nation. And afterward also, even the Romans blamed their destruction to this new God and new doctrine. Just as it is said at present, since the Gospel has appeared things have never been right.
In America we have daily invasions, bringing in drugs (the price of crossing the border) and vice (too grim to relate here). And we pay daily for these horrors and pretend (on a national scale) that it is not happening or affecting us.
Weather is also a warning, because it takes little to turn calm, productive seasons into times of drought, or blizzards. And earthquakes warn us how fragile this calm can be. If God withdraws His protection from us, we cannot overcome the natural forces unleashed upon America, especially when we have weakened our character to making immorality and genocide legal.
The beheading of a journalist was horrible, but doctors do that everyday to the unborn. How is that not worse? Are we better?
45 And he went into the Temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought;
Is anything more obvious than the commercialization of the worship service? Congregations sell their souls for a pittance, hawking insurance and overpriced chicken, not to mention grocieries and other items.
The Jews were rather subdued compared to the modern Lutheran, who must pass through a gauntlet of street-hawkers selling "slave days" and bake sales, junk collection (paper and cardboard), Junk for Jesus sales, insurance, local merchants, and more.
When a Christian wrote to a famous journalist about all these gimmicks - and more - he asked how they could support their congregation better. They were always short of money. Horace Greeley said, "Try religion."
The ghastly apparition of the local congregation today is a haunting antitype of the church in the past. Instead of dignified music praising God, untalented rockers screech about themselves. Cynical ministers know they can make more people happy with cutesy stories and vain efforts at coaching. Perhaps people will flock to see someone more pathetic than they are - with addictions, neuroses, and even greedier and harder of heart. That is why people liked Evel Knievel. He could not ride a motorcycle. He crashed all the time while lecturing about cycle safety.
46 Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.
This saying is engraved over an enormous Presbyterian church in Midland, but the minister worried that he could not move the dinner theater out of the nave to have a funeral. It was clear from his comments that he had to ask permission and hope for a positive answer.
The most important part of our lives is the spiritual part. God takes care of our material needs and then some, but we can easily neglect the better part. When Mary and Martha were visiting with Jesus.
Luke 10
39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.
40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
One thing is needful, which is faith. Mary was not worried about work. She wanted to hear the Word of God from the Savior.
Faith makes the tree good, because faith receives the grace of God, the forgiveness of sin. From this comes peace but also a great love and thankfulness.
47 And he taught daily in the Temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him, 48 And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him.
Even though Jesus knew about the upcoming events, far in advance, he taught daily in the Temple. The popularity of Jesus led to the peculiar way in which He was arrested, at night, with a betrayer identifying Him with a kiss.
Luther:
42. And thus it will also go with the world; as its people despise and persecute God’s Word, and become so hardened and blinded, they will blame no one as the cause and merit of their destruction but the precious Gospel itself; which nevertheless alone preserves, thank God, what is still preserved; otherwise all things would long since lay in one common heap of ruins. And yet it must bear the blame for everything that the devil and his clans transact. Because people continue to blaspheme and will not recognize what our sins deserve and the grace and mercy which we have in the Gospel, God must thus repay such blasphemers, so that they become their own prophets, and for a double wickedness receive a double reward.
This premonition has already gone forth, except that it is yet withheld on account of the faithful few; just as he beforehand admonished the Jews by this example when he cast those that sold and bought out of the temple, and afterwards went into the temple himself and finally taught until the day of his death, and yet for a time withheld as long as he could, and afterwards by his Apostles until they would no longer tolerate them; so now we, who cleave to Christ, restrain punishment as long as we live; but when these too shall lay down their heads, then the world will realize what it once had.
