The Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity, 2017
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
Comfort from Man or God
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
Hymn #50 Lord Dismiss Us
KJV Ephesians 3:13 Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. 14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him beglory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
KJV Luke 7:11 And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. 12 Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. 13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. 14 And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. 15 And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. 16 And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people. 17 And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about.
SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
Lord God, heavenly Father, who didst send Thy Son to be made flesh, that by His death He might atone for our sins and deliver us from eternal death: We pray Thee, confirm in our hearts the hope that our Lord Jesus Christ, who with but a word raised the widow's son, in like manner will raise us on the last day, and grant us eternal life: 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.
KJV Luke 7:11 And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people.
In this lesson, we see how the Word is so powerful that God can make the dead alive again. This answers many objections and questions, starting with those who claim that Jesus was so kind and gracious that His presence made those who thought they were ill become healthy again. It was a psychosomatic illness. Since the young man was dead, he did not have any emotions to heal him.
But there is another lesson as well - which we see in the tiny detail - it was a widow's son, her only son.
12 Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.
Funeral processions were and are public events and difficult to overlook. In a smaller town, almost everyone knows the individual. In Sturgis, Michigan, with 10,000 people, we learned how restrictive geography could be. We mentioned something to a long-time resident, who said, "I know don't know people from there - I am from the south part of town."
But in villages with strong ethnic ties, people know each other - or at least they imagine they do. Everyone should join in mourning because it shows respect for the dead.
This little detail - the only son of his mother, and she was a widow - is most significant, for related reasons. As a widow, she depended on him for her home and food, since she could make very little on her own. Secondly, as Luther noted wisely -- she must have thought she was fine when losing her husband, because her son was young and could take care of her the rest of her life.
13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.
This is another example, as illustrated by the Good Samaritan - who is Jesus - showing the Savior graciously intervening in a crisis. The beaten man in the parable was about to die. This young man had already passed away. Although this death was not His business, Jesus came to the widow, because of His love and mercy, saying, "Do not cry in mournful loss."
The large group of mourners meant that many witnesses saw what happened, so it is no wonder that the entire region gathered to see and hear Jesus.
Lenski - Luke Commentary
The situation that Jesus encountered is sketched effectively so as to let us feel the full pathos of the scene. Jesus, the Prince of Life, here meets death, carrying away his helpless prey. Looked at thus, the scene becomes dramatic in a supreme way. The city was walled and was entered through a great portal in the wall. The aorist means that Jesus drew near, and the following imperfect that the dead man was in the act of being carried out. Jesus and his great following stopped, and the large funeral procession came toward him and then also stopped. The imperfect pictures how the dead man was carried out... The surprise occasioned by the meeting of these two bodies of people is marked by "lo." It seemed purely accidental but was the hand of providence. The masculine perfect participle is used like a noun, but its tense indicates a condition that set in and continues just as the perfect of the verb itself means "to be dead."
14 And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. 15 And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.
One meaning for this miracle is that by witnessing the raising of a dead man, people began believing in Jesus. The divine miracle confirmed His divine teaching. When Jesus said in another place - at least pay attention to the miracles - He was urging them to believe, since His mission was to plant faith in their hearts.
We can witness the divine power in that touching the bier made the pall-bearers stop immediately. Then He spoke life into the young man - "Arise." The young man came to life and spot. And Jesus handed him over to his mother.
4. This was, indeed, no jest in the life of the widow. First, she lost her husband, and then her only son, whom she loved, died. Among those people it was regarded a great misfortune, if parents could not leave a name or children. They regarded this as a great disfavor of God. Hence this widow, who after the death of her husband, placed all her hope and comfort in her only son, must have had great sorrow when her son was torn from her and she had nothing left on earth. Under such circumstances the thoughts were undoubtedly forced upon her: Behold, you are also one of the cursed women to whom God is such an enemy that they must pass from the earth without leaving an offspring. For thus it is written in the Psalms and the Prophets, that God threatens the ungodly, that he will destroy them root and branch, exactly as when one so entirely destroys a tree that neither leaf nor twig remains. This was regarded as the greatest curse and punishment, as may be seen in the lives of many emperors, kings and princes, who were so completely destroyed that nothing is known of them. This has the appearance as if it were the utmost disfavor.
Another point made by Luther is that people naturally trust in their own solutions rather than relying on God. In response to a crisis, they say, "I know what I will do." This is why so many quack clinics exist and make millions. We had one nearby - but long ago - where everyone trusted that this quack could cure them of cancer in Eureka Springs. Instead, they were locked away to suffer.
Quack religious leaders used to rely on staged miracles, but now they have a better method. It is all up to the person to believe in his own miracle, whether physical or financial. "Sin is not believing hard enough," said Dr. Robert Schuller, who lost his position, fractured his fractious family, and left the congregation he founded.
This event is an attack, as Luther observed. Believers and unbelievers are attacked by misfortunes and tragic losses. I know how the unbelieving world responds, "You have a liability, something that makes me sick with worry, so I will avoid you. You are bad luck for me and you make me unhappy, because your malady (or your family member's illness) make me sick with worry."
No one is prepared for a mystery illness or one that lasts for decades, either. There are so many "cures" passed on by Job's comforters. You lived in the wrong place. You have bad DNA. You ate the wrong food.
A sick child. How awful. Let's compare that to this widow. She had a husband did not not worry when she lost him - she had a son. She did not think about how special her son's years were - until they were gone. Now she is beyond comfort, except God has intervened.
On a personal note, our experience is that any child is a blessing. We know many severely handicapped children, after having two very special daughters of our own. Bethany and Erin Joy were great blessings that we enjoyed and many others enjoyed for a period of 13 years. And they still do, because the book Angel Joy is being shared by by college medical/nursing students born around 2000, more than a decade after they lived. At the Moline reunion we sat with the grandparents of a very special child with a rare syndrome. When he is in his grandmother's arms, both are obviously in a state of bliss, peace, and happiness.
Luther noted in his 1 Peter commentary that children with special problems are that much more valued by their parents. Each so-called flaw becomes a jewel, at least for believers. We can experience that with all ages and types, and with all manner of difficulties.
Black Americans have a saying which was shared in a film I saw - "God only gives special children to special parents. He knows they can handle the challenges." That is just as true in forgiving the extra chores required as it is with the extra anxieties and the need for forgiveness.
Those challenges mobilize us to know the Christian faith in the deepest sense, because they make us hungry for a comfort we cannot find in man's answers. Anton Boisen was deeply wounded by mental distress so profound that he was hospitalized several times and suffered in many ways. The result was that he was instrumental in founding the concept of chaplains working within institutions to help people with their spiritual problems.
When we deal with mortality early in life, the answers of St. Mammon mean very little. For the longest time we had a little comb in the car. Every time I saw that comb I heard the dialogue. "Did you get a shampoo Erin?" Cooing laughter. "Did they put conditioner in your hair?" She loved that question even more and cooed, laughing. She tensed up for the last one, her favorite. "Did they blow dry it?" Big laughter. Her nurse, who bathed a lot of helpless children, said, "I never saw a chile love having her hair washed like yours." So she lit up people with smiles and laughter, far more than a bouquet of roses would.
Who says that little ones do not believe? Jesus said we should believe as a little child, or we will not see the Kingdom of Heaven.
16 And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people. 17 And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about.
How could this not spread around - raising the dead with His Word alone? Given God's ability to raise the dead, forgive our sins, and provide eternal life, how can we not cast our cares upon Him?
Paul urges and encourages us this way -
Ephesians 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.
Amen.
