The Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity, 2014
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship
Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Daylight Time
The Hymn # 513 Art Thou Weary 4:37
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 Gospel
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #657 Beautiful Savior 4:24
Which Is Easier To Say?
The Communion Hymn #305 Soul, Adorn Thyself 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 #277 I Heard the Voice 4:57
Nineteenth Sunday After Trinity
O mighty and everlasting God, who by Thy Son Jesus Christ didst mercifully help the palsied man both in body and soul: We beseech Thee, for the sake of Thy great mercy: Be gracious also unto us; forgive us all our sins, and so govern us by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may not ourselves be the cause of sickness and other afflictions; keep us in Thy fear, and strengthen us by Thy grace that we may escape temporal and eternal wrath and punishment, 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 Ephesians 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. 26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27 Neither give place to the devil. 28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
KJV Matthew 9:1 And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city. 2 And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. 3 And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. 4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? 5 For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? 6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. 7 And he arose, and departed to his house. 8 But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.
Which Is Easier To Say?
KJV Matthew 9:1 And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city. 2 And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.
There are two approaches to the Word of God. One is to hold up a mirror and see whatever image is in that mirror.
Roman Catholics find allegories that mine the riches of the earth to build their institutions. Their official pronouncements about society seem socialistic, but their organization is an example of extreme capitalism. Each monastery and convent, each order, has to raise its own money, so all the individual parts are keen about ways in which to encourage purchases (religious objects) and gifts (for the mission). We lived near one Catholic order (Maryknoll) where the priests told us of how many thousands of letters they sent out regularly. The young ones were Leftists, but it is doubtful that they expressed their actual views in the letters.
Rationalists find some way to deny the miracle, to say the illness was simply in the mind of the person healed by Jesus. They say the individual had an emotional problem, which went away when near Jesus, so that was healing.
Those who deny and repudiate faith never discover that the miracle begins with faith.
2 And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed
These friends had faith that Jesus would heal this man. The trust came from the reputation of Jesus as a miraculous healer. They were moved by compassion to bring the paralyzed man within reach of Jesus. So there was a plan. He could not go by himself, so they coordinated the trip. In faith and love, they brought the two together.
We do the same whenever we bring Jesus and others together through the Word. The Word is the instrument that brings the Savior to others, and that meeting will always have its effect.
Sometimes God works through large numbers, the way the Sower went out to sow the seed (the Word). Many difficulties oppose the Word, but it finds its place and grows with astounding yields.
Often God works through individuals, who arrange this meeting between the Savior and the individual. These friends were not trying to balance the budget of the local synagogue. They were not looking for "success" in an evangelism campaign. They were giving of themselves to help another person, and they trusted that person to Jesus.
and Jesus seeing their faith
The Son of God could discern the thoughts of the crowd, which is often mentioned in His response to the opponents. But in this case He could also see their faith. They were carrying this man in a litter, which may sound easy at first, but the burden grows with distance in a bright desert sun.
Faith is God-pleasing and bears the fruit of love. We see that in our pets, since they are completely reliant on us for food, comfort, and security. When we have a close relationship with an animal, it expresses its appreciation all the time (or every so often, in the case of cats). People can see the relationship. Birds and squirrels do the same when they are fed regularly. They grow less afraid and more likely to ask for what they need.
I think this happens in the animal kingdom so we can see our relationship to God more clearly. As my religion class pointed out, worldly wisdom teaches people to rely completely on themselves. That is exactly the opposite of the revealed truth of the Word. All material and spiritual benefits come from God alone, and we should rely on Him, trust Him, and love and thank Him for all His blessings and His protection.
We pray for people because we believe God will answer those prayers according to His wisdom, giving more than we can ask or even imagine. Prayers come from faith and love.
The emphasis on business in the church has extinguished faith and love, because everything is seen as a gimmick to make things better from man's perspective, to show outward signs that appeal to the Old Adam. That is why so many congregations mix a show of faith with a message that is entirely man-centered.
said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer;
As Luther observed, this is another way for Jesus to say, "Have faith. Do not be afraid. Your illness will be taken away."
This is a man who cannot use his muscles very well at all. He cannot walk, That means he must rely on others for the most basic needs of life. He is weak and vulnerable to all kinds of mischief and trouble. Every day is lived in anxiety and distress.
Jesus' nature was so apparent in words and deeds that His voice soothed people (or angered them) and nurtured immediate faith in their hearts (and likewise, immediate hatred and opposition).
I had a not-so-great physician who said, "This won't hurt." A giant spark leaped from her cattle prod - and it hurt. She said, "I'm sorry. It won't hurt this time." Zap. It sparked and burned out of control, and it did hurt. Faith vanished.
In contrast, God promises and His promises are sure. He gives true comfort, and His Gospel displaces our fears and distress.
Luther:
2. These words show and contain in brief what the kingdom of Christ is, namely, this sweet voice, these motherly and fatherly words penetrating our inmost soul: “Thy sins are forgiven.” In no other sense are we to view the kingdom of Christ, so far as it is understood, than how we are to live before God. As you, beloved, well know that our highest duty is rightly to establish the conscience that we may know how we stand before God and our neighbor. Therefore we must also hold fast to these words and become accustomed to the expression: “Son, be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven”, and like sayings of which the Gospel is full.
3. From this it follows that the kingdom of Christ is realized where nothing but comfort and the forgiveness of sins reign not only in words to proclaim it, which is also necessary; but also in deed, as we shall see in this example.
thy sins be forgiven thee.
This is the statement aimed an enraging the opponents. And now we have many non-Jewish opponents outraged by the concept of forgiveness through faith. I lost count of how many "Lutherans" have denounced me for teaching what Luther taught so clearly, what is revealed so clearly in the Scriptures. And they add - cult leader, crazy, etc. But that is what often happens when obstinate unbelief meets faith. The Word is effective driving them mad. As James says about demons, they believe but their hides bristle.
It is noteworthy that Jesus emphasized forgiveness and faith rather than healing. Forgiveness is the most important part, while healing is the outward sign of the man's justification by faith.
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| Dr. Robert Preus answered the question, "When are we forgiven?" |
3 And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. 4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? 5 For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?
The scribes did not say this out loud, but Jesus knew their thoughts. Blasphemy means specifically an attack against the nature of God. They believed He was only a man, perhaps a special healer, but still only a man. For Him to forgive sins was an attack against God. In fact, they were blaspheming, but could not accept that in their self-delusion. Jesus challenged them by asking, "Which one is easier?"
Luther:
10. We have now sowed a little of the Word, and this the devil cannot stand, for he never sleeps; the worms and the beetles will come and infect it. Yet so it must be, Christ will prove his Word, and examine who has received it and who not. Therefore let us remain on the right road to the kingdom of Christ, and not go about with works and urge and force the works of the law, but only with the words of the Gospel which comfort the conscience: Be happy, be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven.
Luther on False, Proud Spirits - afraid of God
18. Paul calls all false spirits bold and proud. Yes, in their filth with their protectors they are proud and impudent, otherwise they are the most cowardly villains that can be found. When they are to appear and answer for their conduct, they cannot produce a single answer. Among themselves they are bold, and venture to catch God in his own Word; but when it comes to the test, they simply despair. But the Holy Spirit stands firm, checks their buffeting, makes us bold and courageous, comforts weak consciences and says: “Be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven.” The true spirit is bashful, and becomes bashful in the sight of God, as Christians do who bow before God, honor him and are not proud. But before tyrants the Holy Spirit encourages them so that they fear neither tyrants nor devils, and are not frightened even if they tore their heads from their shoulders.
But in God’s presence they fear and tremble like a rustling leaf. But, alas, I see the great mass of people are only concerned about continually hearing without understanding what is said. and when the time comes that they should give an answer, they stand like the pipers and can answer nothing.
Arise and walk is just as difficult in their minds, because they could never claim a miracle like that. Rather than express wonder and faith about the miracle, they only wanted to accuse. This is another case of unbelievers being so blind that they see nothing good in front of them.
The rationalists want to make a big deal of the healing and then dismiss this, but this miracle is really about faith and love. In faith the friends bring this helpless man to Jesus. They believe, and Jesus admonishes the paralytic to also trust in Him - be of good cheer.
When faith is dismissed, works must enter. The entire unbelieving world trusts in works, as long as they define their blessed works of unfaith. Faith unsettles them, so they must promote works without faith.
6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. 7 And he arose, and departed to his house. 8 But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.
Jesus dramatically showed the power of His healing Word, when He commanded the paralytic to rise and walk to his own house. The man rose and went to his home, which was a great marvel for the audience.
The miracle connected the healing power and forgiving power of Christ. So many woes in our society would be healed by the forgiveness of sin. Faith in God makes our worst society evils so repugnant that they cannot even be considered.
Because the Catholic Church put so much emphasis on people giving their faith to others (such as babies being baptized) Luther was anxious to teach repeatedly that faith is individual. No one can give his faith to another. However, we certainly can show kindness to others so that the Word has an opportunity in their lives. Aiding them in becoming believers is far more important, but the first part is often being neighbors and helping anyone in need.
The fanatics drive people to do this or that, to prove they are all special in the eyes of God. But true honor toward God is to use what we have in faith to glorify him. That can be as simple as visiting people in nursing homes and cheering them with music. Nothing is quite so pleasing as hearing talented people sing hymns of faith. Many would consider this a lot of trouble and lacking in prestige, but what the world despises, God honors. Whatever is done in faith glorifies His Name.
Conducting our work, whatever our station in life, is the best way to honor God in faith. I see students who want to do their best in school and others who cut corners and deceive the system with plagiarism. I find workmen who do their best - and then some - and others who do as little as possible and charge too much.
I wonder about the future of society where doing as little as possible is a talent. I go to the same place all the time for mulch; I am a frequent flyer. If a teen is helping, I can count on him acting like he is being tortured, moving as slowly as possible. One showed up, in slow motion, after I loaded 15 bags by myself. I could have towed away a stack for all he cared. He was probably peeved that he walked all that way for nothing.
Still, doing our work in faith will always achieve benefits for others that cannot be measured. The intangibles are the most important. I told my religion class that they would feel much closer to people they prayed for, if they prayed for them by name. That would fix them in their minds and create a relationship that did not exist before.
If all we can do is create islands of believers during the last days of an insane old world (Chemnitz' description of his times), then that is good. That can only happen through the faithful teaching of His Word, and doing our own work in faith, thankfulness, and love.
