Five Inches of Rain - And the Squirrels Feast

 "Is breakfast ready yet?"

We had 5 inches of rain in the last 24 hours, with misting and more rain on the way. All my rain-barrels and buckets were full this morning. The birds and squirrels were hungry, so hungry that the juvenile squirrels were eating at two levels, on the Lowe's bird-feeder above and the platform feeder below.

I could not get a good photo inside, so I went outside to try, knowing the squirrels would run. But they did not run away, only around the corner. I caught the same two peeking around the corner to see if they could travel back a few feet and eat some more. The brickwork makes it easy for them to travel along the house, up and down.

They really made me laugh.

The rain beat down the Butterfly Bushes, which are sagging with the weight of the soggy branches. The roses perked up from the rainstorm, and more will be blooming. Although the weather felt wintery this morning, we will contiue to have 70 degree days until the end of October. November and December will also be warm, if Accu-Weather lives up to its name.

The leaves are green on the trees and not falling at any great rate. Fortunately, the pine needles are falling rapidly, so we have plenty to gather for the Hosta garden.

Facebook friends really loved the three dozen roses I gathered for our chiropractor friend, so I will post it again.

 Our Moline thought I ran out of bud vases, but I said,
"No, this was a request for three dozen at once."

 We never get used to the roses.
The front yard is all roses or mulched places
for a few more.

Social Activism and Politics

The Brotherhood of the Kingdom was a small group of men who met to get political activism worked into the mainline denominations. Their victories included the Federal Council of Churches, which changed its name to the National Council of Churches when the FCC was too openly in favor of Communists.

This became known as the Social Gospel Movement, which reached its peak with the Rauschenbusch lectures at Yale on the Theology of the Social Gospel Movement. The name went away, but the agenda did not.

I believe the Methodists had the first social statement denominational statement, which was quite similar to the FCC's statement. The other established denominations followed.

The program of FDR's administration was the same as the Brotherhood of the Kingdom's, Methodists', and FCC's.

Hillary Clinton's background is often listed as Methodist, but one of the pastors influenced her to study the social activist magazine of the denomination.

 "As a teen, she visited inner-city Chicago churches with the youth pastor, Don Jones, her spiritual mentor until his death in 2009." 

She kept those magazines for many years, and they were packed up and followed her on her moves.

“I am grateful for the gift of personal salvation and for the great obligation of the Social Gospel to use the gift of grace wisely, to reflect the love of God and to follow the example of Jesus Christ to the greater good of God’s beloved community,” she said. “That’s what led me to devote my life in the ways I could to serving others.”
http://religionnews.com/2016/09/08/clinton-describes-activist-social-justice-faith-to-baptists/

 A. D. Mattson taught the Social Gospel Movement his
entire time at Augustana College and Seminary.

In a similar way, the Church Growth Movement is no longer a popular term, but the agenda is so pervasive, no one needs to use it anymore. The Protestant denominations have taken over the agenda and the pathetic theology behind it, without questioning it.

If someone thinks that going to a mainline church - or any other church - has no influence on and individual, look at Hillary Clinton as an example.

---

1908 Methodist Social Creed[edit]

The Methodist Episcopal Church stands:

For equal rights and complete justice for all men in all stations of life.

For the principles of conciliation and arbitration in industrial dissensions.

For the protection of the worker from dangerous machinery, occupational diseases, injuries and mortality.

For the abolition of child labor.

For such regulation of the conditions of labor for women as shall safeguard the physical and moral health of the community.

For the suppression of the "sweating system."

For the gradual and reasonable reduction of the hours of labor to the lowest practical point, with work for all; and for that degree of leisure for all which is the condition of the highest human life.

For a release for [from] employment one day in seven.

For a living wage in every industry.

For the highest wage that each industry can afford, and for the most equitable division of the products of industry that can ultimately be devised.

For the recognition of the Golden Rule and the mind of Christ as the supreme law of society and the sure remedy for all social ills.

When the Federal Council of Churches adopted the social creed in December 1908, they added the following phrase at the end:

To the toilers of America and to those who by organized effort are seeking to lift the crushing burdens of the poor, and to reduce the hardships and uphold the dignity of labor, this Council sends the greeting of human brotherhood and the pledge of sympathy and of help in a cause which belongs to all who follow Christ.^[3]

Too Many Turtles on Fenceposts

"If a Turtle Is on a Fencepost, Someone Put It There"
This quotation has been attributed to various people, so it must be true.

When fenceposts are garnished with turtles out to infinity, a lot has been going on. Some wonder if there will ever be a return to normal.

One example - out of many - is the lack of sermons today. In place of sermons are little talks that do not demand much of the minister or the congregation, and both parties seem pleased. 

Writing is a function of thinking and directly related to speaking. Those who do not prepare a written text are going to fill the air with words and say little. One solution is for them to read or memorize something from another person. The trouble is, no matter how clever it is, the sermon does not belong to the individual - nor do the thoughts.

This situation has developed because congregations, denominations, and seminaries have so little trust in the sermon that it has become the least important part of worship - or in reality - the entertainment seeker service that replaced worship years ago.

Community of Joy in Phoenix was one of the largest congregations in America. This quasi-Lutheran congregation put all its emphasis on professional musicians, so every service was a showcase for one famous act or another. The congregation no longer exists, swallowed up by an Assemblies of God church.

When the Fuller-trained minister got rid of the professional music, the membershp faltered.

Preaching office or fashion show?
This pose explains it all.

Luther - The Predigtamt - The Preaching Office
Luther referred to the pastoral office as the preaching office - Predigtamt. All of the work of the Christian Church is done through the Word, and Luther placed a special emphasis on the proclamation of the Word as the most important part of this.

Luther's sermons are easy to obtain, from many collections, but it takes time to develop a capacity to understand and appreciate them. Most ministers are being fed a diet of baby food by the denominations, so Luther only appears to be difficult. In fact, Luther says more in a paragraph than most say in a year of preaching.

One approach might be to pick a paragraph and develop those thoughts for a sermon.

Warning - Luther always preached Justification by Faith, so the UOJ Snowflakes are going to melt down if they expose themselves to the heat and warmth of Luther's sermons. 

The style of Luther's sermons is almost always an examination of each verse of the text. Sometimes he picks a theme, but usually he explains the text from a variety of perspectives, using his great grasp of the entire Bible to show how all the verses relate to each other.

True, his sermons are a definite problem for those who want to preach universal absolution without faith, because Luther always preaches about the importance of faith and how the Gospel creates this active and energetic force from God.

False teachers also stumble, fall, and hurt themselves when they see Luther identifying and describing false doctrine.

If Lutherans read a Luther sermon each week, they would have to ask themselves if they follow Luther or their denomination's favorites - Craig Groeschel, Leonard Sweet, Andy Stanley, and Rick Warren.

I had an epiphany when I studied the Social Gospel Movement (political activism through the church). I realized the Lutheran Church in America was recycling the Social Gospel of Walther Rauschenbusch, complete with the liberal German rationalism behind it.

At a retreat, Franklin D. Fry (son the first LCA president) used an example from the Social Gospel Movement. "Should we bind the wounds of the man beaten on the road to Jericho or make the road to Jerico safe?" I asked if he followed the Social Gospel Movement. "No!" So I asked, "Why did you use the classic example from the Social Gospel Movement?"

As Luther fans recognize already, the Good Samaritan is not a parable for do-gooder social activists. The Good Samaritan is Christ and His work through the Means of Grace. Fry's question was intended to make people feel good about salvation by works.

Church historians can explore further and see how the Rauschenbusch approach doomed his denomination and seminary, only to have it repeat itself in Church Growther Babtists like Warren and Stanley.

Suggestions - 

1. Ministers should read a Luther sermon each week and post it to their blogs or Facebook pages. 
2. Ministers should also quote Luther often. 
3. Ministers should provide Luther's works for his members.

Notice I did not say "Lutheran" ministers. All ministers should. In the past every denomination recognized Luther as the premier Biblical expositor and preacher.

Fall Planting and Winter Growth

 I make the coffee each morning and just
switched to de-caff. But we have regular coffee for back-up.

I planted a small White Profusion Butterfly Bush to serve as a screen or shade for the kitchen window. That means, if all goes well, the birds and butterflies and bees will flutter around the plant while we use the kitchen sink.

Mrs. Ichabod asked, "Will it grow during the fall and winter?"

Fall planting is one of the economic and beneficial jobs of gardening. For instance, fall bulbs (also called hardy bulbs) will send out their roots and grow up to the surface of the soil, only to breach the surface and bloom when the temperature is right. The right bulbs, like Daffodils, will multiply and create large drifts in time, if they are divided before they crowd themselves. Grape Hyacinths are another that will beautify the yard and multiply.

I bought a few Lily-of-the-Valley plants for under the Crepe Myrtle bush and the maple tree. They need shade and spread through their root system. Like the roses, which tolerate a fair amount of cold weather, the new plants are enjoying the fall rains and building strength for the spring.

 Beautyberry is well named,
but it looks much better close up in the garden.

Time Conflicts
If I waited to plant the Butterfly Bush in the spring, getting one would push planting into later in the spring. The vendors have to provide stock and Almost Eden does not handle those bushes. Everyone wants to plant in the spring, if they have a shovel and wheelbarrow, but relatively few plant in the fall. Getting plants and equipment at bargain prices is much easier in October than in April. I bought a solid concrete birdbath for $7 last fall.

This is also a good time to move plants. I have a Beautyberry in the wrong place, so I can move that to the rose garden, off to the side, or perhaps up front where people can admire it in the fall.

I have several Bee Balms that could move up front or over to the rose row in the back. Some roots are going to be left behind in the move, but they will grow back by spring.

 This clumping Bee Balm has good manners
and attracts bees and Hummnigbirds.

The Big Rain and Severe Weather Watch
Rain was supposed to fall, after a little bit yesterday. Sassy and I had a long, enjoyable walk with a stop at John and Pat's. The clouds were barely dripping, even though we heard distant thunder. Sassy suddenly began sniffing the air and processing the data. Soon, a BOOM! went off over our heads, and we went home.

All day we have had surges of pounding rain and light rain, finally a severe storm watch that did not fulfill its dire promises of damaging winds and hail.

I looked at all the new cardboard being soaked and soggy, waiting for its layer of leaves or needles. A thick layer of cardboard and leaves will give the soil creatures, especially the noble red wiggler earthworm, time to burrow up and down, moving organic matter into the soil to lighten and fertilize it. Their numbers increase vastly when conditions are right, and they lock usable plant nutrition in the root zone.

The soil creatures will slow down during the winter, but a large population ready to work in the spring - and feed the birds - will do a lot for gardening.

Lily-of-the-Valley: plant it once, divide it forever.

Men Overboard - First Female President of Luther Seminary - Where Jack and Robert Preus Attended. UOJ Triumphant. From 2014

Robin Steinke came to install the new female head of the Berkeley ELCA seminary,
which has very few students but very valuable land.
The seminary has merged with California Lutheran U.,
so Boss Bloomquiest is merely a dean.

This ELCA pastor, Nadia Bolz-Webber preaches herself and really likes the word "like." She likesays like whenever transitioning to another, like, story about her favorite topic, her amazing life.

Bolz-Webber is popular with the in-crowd in WELS,
but they have a thing for the ambiguous in transition.

---

Feel free to watch the installation of Robin Steinke as president of Luther Seminary, where Jack and Robert Preus attended.

I found the entire service to be strained, awkward, and weird. This is the largest seminary for Lutherans, but the church was not full. The school is located in the Twin Cities, where one ELCA congregation alone has 10,000 members. Those attending seemed mostly to be seniors - not seniors in seminary, but elderly and possibly stunned.

The choir was small; the orchestra accompanying it was every bit as good as a high school band.

One of the opening songs was African, so Steinke can be seen rocking back and forth a bit. The new ELCA presiding bishop, Liz Eaton, is petite and mannish. Robin Steinke is large and mannish, wearing slacks, heavy boots, and preaching from the chancel holding a notebook. The face mike reminded me of Ski's attempts to be cool.

The pulpit was nearby but empty. Everything is in code. The radical Left knows what the language and symbols mean. Pacing about in the chancel is a message, like Ski preaching in his car repair clothes. Words about new horizons and reaching out to the marginalized  - that means their radical Left activism that will leave liberal mouths hanging open in dismay.

If you want to study bumbling sermons, try to listen to Steinke. Everything seems to say, "We finally got to take over the ELCA institutions, and now it is not so fun."

I could not find a news story about the event, which should be a major bragging point. The gay Left was thrilled with Eaton taking over ELCA. Reconciling Works, their home base, bragged about Eaton, who is safely married to a man. Why not Steinke? Her domestic status is never mentioned. That may account for the sullen reaction to her installation - but I am only speculating.

Karen Bloomquist is the new dean of the transplanted California seminary.
Her obedient husband Bill is on the right.
The old campus had a spectacular view - they will miss Sodom-by-the-Bay.

This pot on the head dance was part of the Bloomquist installation.
Where do they get these clowns?

Try to read her Leftist mumbo-jumbo below.
She is not speaking in tongues.
She is speaking in gay Marxist rhetoric.

Karen Bloomquist

• Dean and Chief Administrative Officer
• kbloomquist@plts.edu
• (510) 559-2710

I am a constructive theologian/ethicist, pastor and administrator, committed to preparing the people of God to discern critically and work collaboratively with others to further God’s liberating mission in pluralistic, multi-faith contexts.  Given the global horizons within which I have been networking, teaching and writing over the past decade, I am eager to find ways in which my experience, expertise and perspectives might be drawn upon in the preparation of religious and other leaders in settings throughout the world.  Throughout my career, my passion has been relating to, analyzing and actively seeking to change situations of injustice and furthering God’s mission in the world.

The preacher at the Bloomquist installation was a long-term friend,
and has a doctorate in feminist theology.

Education
Ph.D., Theology, Union Theological Seminary [The Devil's Playground], NYC
M.Div., Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary
B.A., Sociology and Religion, St. Olaf College

Professional History
Director, Department for Theology and Studies, Lutheran World Federation
Associate Professor of Theological Ethics, Wartburg Theological Seminary
Director for Studies, Division for Church in Society, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Assistant Professor of Church and Society, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
Pastor, Lutheran Church of St. Philip, Brooklyn, NY
Pastor, Faith American Lutheran Church, Oakland, CA

Chairman of the Board -
Don't say his name three times in a row.

Last Big Harvest of Roses - Three Dozen For North Arkansas Chiropractic

This is the family portrait on the Ichaboat hood.

I had a tall order for October 10 - find as many roses as possible for a promotion at North Arkansas Chiropractic. Chris has been seeing him for pain management, and he is very good. Chris was greatly improved over a period of time and continues to  go. I do well if I keep in shape, but I have also appreciated his work.

Fortunately, we had two rains last week, but I also supplemented with some watering on Saturday. We had cold nights, which slowed down the blooming, but sunny days over 70 degrees. The white KnockOuts decided to provide some great, delicate, five-petaled roses. The pink KnockOut gave up only one. The reds had quite a few blooms in great shape.

A white KnockOut hogs the camera space here,
and a red KO shows off its profile.

The orange Easy Does It rose
is just behind the Paradise rose.

A double red KnockOut rose makes a beautiful
miniature.

The roses have been a lot of fun this summer, with no spraying and no fertilizing, - but weeding, pruning, and watering.

The biggest change has been more attention paid to growing host plants for beneficial insects - thanks to Jessica Walliser and Sharon Lovejoy. The rose garden is surrounded by Spirea and now enjoys Mountain Mint, Cat Mint, and Horse Mint to attract beneficial bugs.

Our helper found a good supply of cardboard and finished the back of the Wild Garden. We have had good success with suppressing most weeds in the back, although various plants are left alone - like Pokeweed and Queen Ainn's Lace - and new shade plants are being introduced.

We also obtain more pine needles for the Hosta garden. In mulching we need more pine needles and dozens of leaf bags. Our helper even begged a flatbed driver to deliver all his bags to our house. He refused.

Paradise, multi-colored, is past its peak,
but it performs well and blooms often.

The Twentieth Sunday after Trinity, 2016. Matthew 22:1-14. The Parable of the Marriage Feast for the Son

 Jesus turned water into wine at the Cana wedding,
by Norma Boeckler.

The Twentieth Sunday after Trinity, 2016

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Daylight Time

The Hymn #  39                   Praise to the Lord                              

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 # 370                    My Hope Is Built           

   

Invitations and a Singular Dress Code

The Communion Hymn # 246             Holy, Holy, Holy              

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 # 309                          O Jesus Blessed Lord         

 by Norma Boeckler

     

KJV Ephesians 5:15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. 18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

KJV Matthew 22:1 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, 2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. 4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. 5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: 6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. 7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. 11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

Twentieth Sunday After Trinity

Lord God, heavenly Father: We thank Thee, that of Thy great mercy Thou hast called us by Thy holy word to the blessed marriage-feast of Thy Son, and through Him dost forgive us all our sins; but, being daily beset by temptation, offense, and danger, and being weak in ourselves and given to sin, we beseech Thee graciously to protect us by Thy Holy Spirit, that we fall not; and if we fall and defile our wedding-garment, with which Thy Son hath clothed us, graciously help us again and lead us to repentance, that we fall not forever; preserve in us a constant faith in Thy grace, through our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

by Norma Boeckler

Invitations and a Singular Dress Code

KJV Matthew 22:1 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,

The parables of Jesus are so powerful because they preserve the teaching of Jesus in a concise and easy to remember way. They translate easily because the circumstances of the parables are basic to all cultures. The main loss can be seen today when only a small percentage of Americans understand the plants and animals created for our benefit. That is not the fault of the parables but the result of an agricultural society that is largely urban now.

The rationalists and scoffers try to separate the ministry of Jesus and the teaching of Paul in this way. They claim that Paul presented faith in Jesus as a new doctrine that was unknown to Jesus. Here is a parable that no one would dispute as coming from Jesus, and the necessity of faith in Him is taught so clearly and from so many perspectives, that missing the lesson can only reveal blindness and hardness of heart. 

Am I wrong in saying most people know this parable by heart in most of the details? The ending is quite strange, with one wedding guest being tossed into Hell, so that is hard to forget by itself, not to mention the details about the excuses.

 2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,

Every two months I teach the Old Testament story about kingship coming to Israel because they demanded a king to rule over them, to be like their neighbors. God gave them a king, even in their rebellious mood, but He gave them a new concept of kingship in the Messiah, something they would not recognize for many centuries.

This certain king - typical parable language - is God the Father, and the marriage feast is for His Son Jesus. The Old Testament has this image already in the Song of Solomon, and our relationship with God is often discussed in the same way, such as Hosea's marriage to a wanton women representing the faithfulness of God and the apostasy of His people.

Jesus spoke of Himself as the groom and the Church as the bride. God created the marriage of a man and his wife by the Word. All societies recognize this as basic to their structure, even though there are exceptions that prove the perversity of man. Those women caught up in polygamy, still widely practices in Utah and Arizona, hate it. 

So a marriage is a major event in the lives of people, and we all know about weddings we have attended going back to childhood. They are special occasions where people set aside their schedules to participate, often traveling to be there.

3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. 

The various invitations can be seen at happening over centuries, because the Promise of the Messiah began at Genesis 3:15 and continued throughout the Old Testament. Noah was a preacher of righteousness (2 Peter 2:5).

The binding of Isaac foreshadowed the sacrifice of Christ. The Gospel began in the Old Testament, because Abraham believing God (Genesis 15) meant more than having a son. The Promise was being a Father of Many Nations. Abraham was the forerunner of the Messiah and the Christian Church, the Father of Faith in Him.

The Psalms and the prophets are full of the Gospel Promises, too, all invitations to believe in the coming Messiah.

But the Jewish people did not remain faithful to the Word and hoped for another kind of Messiah. As Israel declined, Greece took over. Then a brief rebellion restored the throne, but that did not last long. Once they had enough turmoil and bloodshed, they invited Rome to come in as peacekeepers, and Rome stayed. Israel became a Roman province and a pagan king was placed on the throne of David. 

"The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be." Gen 49:10

4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. [fatlings are the young fattened for slaughter]

More invitations are sent, and these are repeats to those who refused before. Now the feast is made even more attractive. 

Luther:
4. These words beautifully picture to us and teach how we should make use of the life of the saints; namely, to introduce examples by which the doctrine of the Gospel may be confirmed, so that we may the better, by the aid of such examples and lives, meditate upon Christ, and be nourished by and feast upon him as upon fatlings and well fed oxen. This is the reason he calls them fatlings. Take an example: Paul teaches in Romans 3:23f. how the bride is full of sin and must be sprinkled by the blood of Christ alone, or she will continue unclean, that is, she must only believe that the blood of Christ was shed for her sins, and there is no other salvation possible. Then he beautifully introduces the example of Abraham and confirms the doctrine of faith by the faith and life of Abraham, and says, 4:3: “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness.” That is a true ox, it is properly slain, it nourishes us, so that we become grounded and strengthened in our faith by the example and faith of Abraham. Again, soon after Paul lays before us a fine fatling, when he cites David the Prophet of God and proves from him, that God does not justify us by virtue of our works, but by faith, when he says, Romans 4:6-8: “Even as David also pronounceth blessing upon the man, unto whom God reckoneth righteousness apart from works,” saying in Psalm 32:1-2: “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not reckon sin.”

My oxen and my fatlings are the feast of Gospel blessings and comforts. These examples convey the enormous amount provided to us as well as the varieties of comforts and blessings. At any given feast, multiple examples of meat, fish, vegetables, desserts, and other food are provided, not out of necessity, but to please everyone in every possible way.

The Scriptures, hymns, and liturgies provide countless ways in which to keep us in the faith and enjoying the benefits of Christianity, in spite of bearing the cross. We had a special meal at my 50th reunion because we sat with other ministers and their wives, plus a couple very active in their own church. 

Jesus was judged by the high priest, 
by Norma Boeckler.

5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: 6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. 7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 

The reaction to the Gospel Word has always been apathetic, hostile and violent.

Luther describes the groups variously. 

These are the three barriers that prevent us from coming to the marriage feast. The first, or the farm, signifies our honor; it is a great hindrance that we do not think of Christ and believe in him; we fear we must suffer shame and become dishonored, and we do not believe that God can protect us from shame and preserve us in honor. The second go to their spheres of business, that is, they fall with their hearts into their worldly affairs, into avarice, and when they should cleave to the Word, they worry lest they perish and their stomachs fail them; they do not trust God to sustain them. The third class are the worst, they are the high, wise and prudent, the exalted spirits, they not only despise but martyr and destroy the servants; in order to retain their own honor and praise, yea, in order to be something. For the Gospel must condemn their wisdom and righteousness and curse their presumption. This they cannot suffer; therefore they go ahead and kill the servants who invited them to the dinner and the marriage feast. They were the Pharisees and scribes, who put to death both Christ and his Apostles, as their fathers did the Prophets. These are much worse than the first and second classes, who, although they despised and rejected the invitation, yet then went away and neither condemned nor destroyed the servants.

Most recall from Mark 13 and parallel passages, that Jesus predicted the Fall of Jerusalem, and it happened as He described it. This is another reference to that future event. Rejection of the Son and the Apostles meant that Rome would come and destroy Jerusalem.

8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.

The wedding feast is something out of the constraints of time, because the festal invitations began when the Gospel was first taught in Genesis and continues today as people hear about the Son's love for the Bride, those who believe in Him.

The initial guests rejected the invitations, though they were well prepared with the Old Testament lessons and worship for many centuries. The apostles went out in all directions to find people to attend this festival, and they gathered them, the good and the bad.

11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

This part threw me, long ago, when I was a young seminarian. How can one explain such a strange and violent reaction to clothing. As I mentioned before, the baptism robe probably was doubtless associated with the idea of "putting on Christ," a term used by Paul. 

The Groom is the Savior and the Bride is comprised of the sinners who are Christian believers. The Groom is "Beautiful Savior" but we are not. We are gnarled and twisted by the effects of sin, but we are given the robe of Christ's righteousness, so we are beautiful too.

As Luther wrote in his sermon, when a man marries a woman, he thinks only of her, and she thinks only of him. Two individuals become one and grow away from the self-centeredness of individualism to the selflessness of marriage and family.

Likewise Christ thinks only of His Bride, all believers, and they think only of Him.

But some show up who still believe in their works making them righteous. Martin Chemnitz taught in his Justification book that justification became so distorted that people had to examine exactly what it meant.

Before the Reformation, justification by faith was not taught as the Gospel. Works had to be added. When Luther emphasized justification by faith, the Church of Rome did everything possible to silence Luther, kill him, and scatter his followers.

In era after era, Lutherans have abandoned the Biblical doctrine, only to have it scorned and rejected again. As we can see from the ending of this comforting and warning parable, this is aimed at us also. Our hope is based upon the merits of Christ, not our own works.

The empty tomb,
by Norma Boeckler.