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| Norma A. Boeckler |
The Tenth Sunday after Trinity, 2018
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
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
What Belongs To Peace
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 #457 What a Friend We Have in Jesus
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 #457 What a Friend We Have in Jesus
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.
Luther’s Sermon on Luke 19:41-48 - End Times
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| Peter Drucker is more important to Lutherans than Luther is. |
Background for This Sermon Below
My kin from way back were bishops in the Seventh Day Adventist sect, like UOJ and Pietism - a branch of Calvinism.
This may sound familiar - "Legal universal justification separates God's justifying act from the reception of the gift of the Spirit, or the new birth. Legal universal justification is a totally objective act that does not make any difference in the life of the individual until he or she is justified by faith, that is to say, when the person decides not to reject the gift of justification that is already his or hers. Therefore, those who have been legally justified, the whole human race, have not been baptized by the sanctifying presence of the Spirit in their lives; they know nothing about the new birth." Adventist
The Return of Christ in Judgment has been an important topic among Christians since the beginning. The New Testament passages speak of delay (Mark 13, 2 Thessalonians 2) and observing the signs. But some have focused on the signs as if they can predict the End, which Christ says (Mark 13) He cannot do.
An unbalanced view is typical of a sect, which will make a verse or a half-verse its entire message. Coupled with that obsession is their need to proclaim themselves rather than the Gospel of the Savior. Once a CLC (sic) pastor gave a sermon praising the perfection of his tiny group. A member said to me afterwards, "I'll bet you never heard a sermon like that before." I said, "Oh, all the time. That is a typical WELS sermon, too."
Passages about the End Times are significant because we draw closer to the End. As our visitor said, "WWII matched all the characteristics of the End Times. But here we are today." That is quite true, and it speaks to message of 2 Thessalonians and Mark 13 about God blocking or delaying the final consumation.
Left on our own, we would quickly ruin everything, not by using soda straws and eating meat, but by abandoning the Word, faith in Christ, and natural law (God commands what is good for us). That God holds back the End is a testimony to His grace, that more may hear the Gospel.
Biblical studies today - I am working on an excellent book, one of the few I would suggest to anyone - Hays - The Faith of Jesus. However, as good as the book is for background, the author remains in the scholarly category by treating the Bible as a book and the sources as a series of human authors. The only place this kind of scholarship can go is pure rationalism, which may best explain the unified philosophy of all mainline groups today - Catholic, Lutheran, whatever. As James wrote about demons - "They believe but their hides bristle."
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| Norma A. Boeckler |
What Belongs To Peace
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.
Nothing shows the compassion of Jesus more than His weeping over Jerusalem. The irony is - Jerusalem means - Place of Peace - but the city is best known for warfare.
1. This Gospel presents that which took place on Palm Sunday, when Christ rode into Jerusalem. On this occasion, he preached two or three days in the temple, which was more than he ever did before at one time.
The sum and substance of this Gospel is, that Christ grieves and laments over the afflictions of those who despise God’s Word.
2. Now you have often heard what the Word of God is, what it brings us, and what kind of scholars it has. Of all this nothing is said here. Only the punishment and distress which shall come upon the Jews because they would not recognize the time of their visitation, are here described. And let us well consider this, because the time of their visitation also deeply concerns us. If they are punished who do not know the time of their visitation, what will be done to those who maliciously persecute, blaspheme and disgrace the Gospel and the Word of God? However, here he only speaks of those who do not know it.
The sum and substance of this Gospel is, that Christ grieves and laments over the afflictions of those who despise God’s Word.
2. Now you have often heard what the Word of God is, what it brings us, and what kind of scholars it has. Of all this nothing is said here. Only the punishment and distress which shall come upon the Jews because they would not recognize the time of their visitation, are here described. And let us well consider this, because the time of their visitation also deeply concerns us. If they are punished who do not know the time of their visitation, what will be done to those who maliciously persecute, blaspheme and disgrace the Gospel and the Word of God? However, here he only speaks of those who do not know it.
The timeline is important to know:
- Jesus was born a few years BC.
- He was crucified and rose about 30 AD.
- The Zealots defeated a small group of Roman soldiers, which brought the entire Imperial Army to Jerusalem, where they surrounded the city with a wall and starved the city, around 70 AD. The soldiers destroyed the Temple and pried apart stones looking for hidden gold.
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.
This is a clear description of Rome's method of conquering a great city. In fact, Jerusalem was so difficult to attack and destroy that people said only a miracle could bring it down. They had total access to fresh water, an easy place to defend - high up, and food storage. Sealing up the city brought about fear, hoarding, and even destruction of food.
Mass fear is easily generated. Word spread that the gasoline line that pumped gas to Phoenix was severed. Story after story made it appear that all auto traffic would soon stop. If we got into lines, would we last long enough to get a few quarts. Fear domniated the conversations, but when I drove by stations, they did not even have lines waiting.
The food shortage in Jerusalem was far scarier. One storage area was burned. Bullies grabbed what they did not need. People literally ate leather, and worse.
because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.
The attack happened when the city was full of pilgrims. Doubtless everyone made preparations that did not include being trapped together with a mass of frightened people. We know so much because Josephus had himself smuggled out; he kissed up to Rome, so he could write up his adventures.
As Luther wrote in his sermon, Jesus had two ways of warning people. One was to threaten them with the results of their stubborn resistance. That should never be overlooked. His greatest critcism was not against obvious sins but against foundational sin - not believing in Him. John 16:8ff condenses the Holy Spirit's work of preaching into one basic message - "sin is not believing on Me."
Someone can easily say, I am faithful to my wife, I do not steal or slander, and I covet nothing. I even say "Sir, and Officer" to the police, and I give to Lutherans for Life.
So it is also very easy to rail against every kind of sin and make up a few more, like praying with the wrong synod. But all those things are the hallmark of Pharisees and Pietists. The Pietists turn what is outward into the cause of Justification.
The antidote, Jesus taught, was and is - faith in Him. He taught this in two ways. One is through identifying the sin of unbelief. The other displays His sorrow that people would suffer so much.
I think we tend to overlook the humanity of Jesus when we read over those familiar stories we have heard and read for decades. Jesus knew He would raise Lazarus from the dead. Why did He weep and violently shake at the tomb? Jesus knew that this had to be, according to the Father's time-table, and everyone must play a suffering role in the Atonement, Resurrection, and future work.
Jesus, seeing ahead, knew what good would be accomplished, but He also felt great empathy for those who would also bear the cross.
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.
Knowing this would provoke Jewish authorities against Him, Jesus preached in the Temple area for days and rebuked them for making the House of God a marketplace, which reminds me of the influential Willow Creek Community Church, where people are encouraged to buy their lunch at the expensive food court outside the sanctuary doors - on the same floor where no cross is displayed anywhere, lest someone be offended. Lutheran pastors get "scholarships" to learn from Willow Creek.
13. But this is only a beginning, although it is frightful and terrible enough.
For there is no greater distress and calamity than when God sends us sects and false spirits, because they are so impudent and daringly bold, that they are really to be pitied. On the other hand the Word of God is such a great treasure, that no one can sufficiently comprehend its worth. For God himself considers his treasure immensely great, and when he visits us with his grace, he earnestly desires that we should gladly and freely accept it, and does not compel us as he is able to do, but it is his will that we should gladly obey it from choice and love. For he does not wait until we come to him, but he comes first to us. He comes into the world, becomes man, serves us, dies for us, rises again from the dead, sends us his Holy Spirit, gives us his Word, and opens heaven so wide that all men can enter; besides he gives us rich promises and assurances that he will care for us in time and in eternity, here and there, and pours out into our bosoms all the fullness of his grace. Therefore the acceptable time of grace is now at hand.
For there is no greater distress and calamity than when God sends us sects and false spirits, because they are so impudent and daringly bold, that they are really to be pitied. On the other hand the Word of God is such a great treasure, that no one can sufficiently comprehend its worth. For God himself considers his treasure immensely great, and when he visits us with his grace, he earnestly desires that we should gladly and freely accept it, and does not compel us as he is able to do, but it is his will that we should gladly obey it from choice and love. For he does not wait until we come to him, but he comes first to us. He comes into the world, becomes man, serves us, dies for us, rises again from the dead, sends us his Holy Spirit, gives us his Word, and opens heaven so wide that all men can enter; besides he gives us rich promises and assurances that he will care for us in time and in eternity, here and there, and pours out into our bosoms all the fullness of his grace. Therefore the acceptable time of grace is now at hand.
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.
In spite of the threats and the sorrow, Jesus still taught daily in the Temple. The only remedy is to teach the truth, because God opens up heaven through the treasure of the Gospel.
As Gideon, a layman, has been writing, there is a great foundation to all our work in the efficacy of the Word, which is what the Scriptures teach from Creation to the End.
Our institutions and virtues do not convert, no matter how glorious the buildings might be and how glowingly winsome we try to be. I can find more glorious buildings (on the surface at least) in Las Vegas and see shinier faces beaming toward me at the car dealership.
The most important peace that anyone can have is that inner peace that comes from the forgiveness of sin and our utmost trust in God.
For one thing, we see in Jesus the kindness, gentleness, and grace of God. Is there any doubt about the nature of God's own Son and God the Father Himself. The Gospel of John addresses that topic completely in such simple words that no one can refute or question it. No surprise - the so-called scholars rail against the Fourth Gospel most of all. So brainy, so educated, so wrong.
In John's Gospel we find the infinite power of God revealed as the Creating Word of Genesis 1. The majesty of the Trinity is declared in Genesis 1 and explained in clear words in John 1.
The Virgin Birth? God became man and dwelt among us. The Scriptures often tell us the same message in different words, just the way we explain complicated matters to others by employing stories, analogies, similes, and metaphors.
The nature of Jesus - full of grace and truth.
What is God the Father like - Jesus, in the bosom of the Father (closest to Him) He explains the Father to us. (The verb is used for exegesis, a term for teaching the exact meaning of the Word.0
Jesus judges and accuses us as the new Moses? No, the Law came through Moses, grace and truth through Jesus Christ.
Although Jesus always taught faith in Him, He said in John, "I do not condemn you. The Word has already condemned you." That is really significant, because the nature of Jesus is to create and strengthen faith in Him.
That faith gives us inner peace in the midst of all turmoil and trouble, because we became brothers with Him in that relationship.
As taught in the earliest days, Jesus is our example, so we follow Him in our words and deeds. Paul makes very clear that He is our example of faith.
It is the faith of Jesus in the Father that moved Him to teach and to do everything in harmony with God. That should not be downplayed because of His human nature. We can identify with His human nature and see in Him the suffering - within and without - that we endure. Sometimes it is physical. At other times it is completely internal. When Jesus faced His horrible torture and torturous death on the cross - accompanied by hatred and rejection - He was in agony and said "Take this cup from Me, if it be Your will."
He suffered in our stead, so we can say or think, "What I do in such a small way is a way to experience what Jesus did and to follow Him on the way of the cross."
That is what makes Jesus such a remedy for everyone. We all lack in various ways; we fall short; we suffer many kinds of physical and emotional pain.
18. But believers in God risk all in him and transfer all things into his care, for him to do according to his pleasure, and think thus: God has given you your home and wife, you have not produced them yourself; now because they are God’s, I will entrust them all to his care, he will keep them from all harm. I must otherwise leave all at any rate, therefore I will bravely trust him with them, and for his sake give up all I have. If God wants me here, he will give me other treasures, for he has promised to give enough for this life and for the life to come. If he does not want me here, I owe him a death, which will bring me into eternal life; when he calls me, I will go trusting in his Word.
19. Whoever is not thus disposed, denies God, and must at the same time lose both, the present and the eternal life. The belly with its foul odors is our God, and prevents us from clinging to God’s Word. First, I will be certain how I shall feed, and where my supplies are. The Gospel says:
Trust in God; and your stomach shall most certainly be provided for, and have enough [without believing or trusting in it]. But if I have only five dollars they give me so much courage to think I have anyhow enough food for ten days, that I trust in such limited provisions, and do not trust God who fed me hitherto, that he will care for me to-morrow.
19. Whoever is not thus disposed, denies God, and must at the same time lose both, the present and the eternal life. The belly with its foul odors is our God, and prevents us from clinging to God’s Word. First, I will be certain how I shall feed, and where my supplies are. The Gospel says:
Trust in God; and your stomach shall most certainly be provided for, and have enough [without believing or trusting in it]. But if I have only five dollars they give me so much courage to think I have anyhow enough food for ten days, that I trust in such limited provisions, and do not trust God who fed me hitherto, that he will care for me to-morrow.
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| Norma A. Boeckler |
