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| KJV Cambridge Lectern Bible - Complete service on video |
Reminiscere Sunday
The Second Sunday in Lent, 2020
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
Hymn # 151 Christ, the Life of All the Living - Winkworth translation
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
Remember, O Lord, Thy tender mercies and Thy
loving-kindnesses: for they have been ever of old.
Let not mine enemies triumph over me: God of Israel,
deliver us out of all our troubles.
Psalm. Unto
Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul: O my God, I trust in Thee; let me not be
ashamed.
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
O God, who seest that of ourselves we have no strength,
keep us both outwardly and inwardly that we may be defended from all
adversities which may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts which may
assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth,
etc.
The Gospel
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
Sermon Hymn #142 A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining - Gerhardt
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
Sermon Hymn #142 A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining - Gerhardt
Faith - Against All Odds
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 with Thy Blessing
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 with Thy Blessing
Prayers and Announcements
- Treatment and recovery - Christina Jackson, Lori Howell, Pastor Jim Shrader
- Hospitalized - a brother who has just been given the two-part Covid shot
- Today - Important speech, DEP Trump, Right Side Broadcasting
- Wednesday, 7 PM - MidWeek Lenten service, Chapter 3 Luther's Galatians. Ask for a free print copy of Galatians or a free PDF - or both.
- Making plans for video and for a literature discussion wiki.
- Thank you for the donation of the Cambridge Lectern KJV Bible. It will be used for Scripture readings, for the sermons, and the Vesper Psalms.
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| Lutheran Library - Gerhardt's Biography |
KJV 1 Thessalonians 4:1 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. 2 For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God,even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: 4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; 5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: 6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. 7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
KJV Matthew 15:21 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. 28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
Second Sunday In Lent
Lord God, heavenly Father, grant us, we beseech Thee, by Thy Holy Spirit, that He may strengthen our hearts and confirm our faith and hope in Thy grace and mercy, so that, although we have reason to fear because of our conscience, our sin, and our unworthiness, we may nevertheless, with the woman of Canaan, hold fast to Thy grace, and in every trial and temptation find Thee a very present help and refuge, 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.
Faith - Against All Odds
Introductory - Matthew 15:21-28
The Canaanite woman's story has been portrayed as an example of "hard sayings," where Jesus seems to be unduly harsh with the woman who is only asking healing for her daughter, so harsh that the disciples are annoyed with Him.
In fact, if we look at this story, lacking faith in Jesus, there is so much material to fuel the suspicions and mockery of unbelievers. It has been the center of many efforts to twist the Word of God, but that is not by accident. The Word of God is not for idle gawkers and sidewalk superintendents. They become even blinder and more obstinate by using the healing for their own damage to the Truth.
But if we read it carefully and with faith, it is an inspiring miracle that gives us goosebumps.
KJV Matthew 15:21 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
Some might wonder why this woman seems to have several nationalities. For the Jewish audience, Canaanite refers to the ancient pagan race conquered by the Israelites. Mark, writing for Gentiles, calls her Greek and Syro-Phoenician. (Lenski, Mark). Thus another so-called contradiction is vanquished.
One thing we learn especially from Mark's Gospel is that Jesus was always being pursued by people and crowds looking for healing miracles. Jesus took time to teach His disciples and that was not possible with constant demands. So, the woman made sure she could find Him and ask Him.
We know this woman had already heard the Gospel - faith comes by hearing the Word, Romans 10 - because she displayed her faith in her pleas of mercy. "O Lord, Thou Son of David." Like the blind man, she saw with the eyes of faith, not obeying her life-long religion, whatever it was. The Promised Messiah would help her, she was sure. "My daughter is grievously vexed with a devil."
1. This Gospel presents to us a true example of firm and perfect faith. For this woman endures and overcomes in three great and hard battles, and teaches us in a beautiful manner the true way and virtue of faith, namely, that it is a hearty trust in the grace and goodness of God as experienced and revealed through his Word. For St. Mark says, she heard some news about Jesus, Mark 7:25 (7:25 "For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:"). What kind of news? Without doubt good news, and the good report that Christ was a pious man and cheerfully helped everybody. Such news about God is a true Gospel and a word of grace, out of which sprang the faith of this woman; for had she not believed, she would not have thus run after Christ etc. In like manner we have often heard how St. Paul in Romans 10:17 says that faith cometh by hearing, that the Word must go in advance and be the beginning of our salvation.
2. But how is it that many more have heard this good news concerning Christ, who have not followed him, and did not esteem it as good news?
Answer: The physician is helpful and welcome to the sick; the healthy have no use for him. But this woman felt her need, hence she followed the sweet scent, as is written in the Song of Solomon 1:3. In like manner Moses must precede and teach people to feel their sins in order that grace may be sweet and welcome to them. Therefore all is in vain, however friendly and lovely Christ may be pictured, if man is not first humbled by a knowledge of himself and he possesses no longing for Christ...
Thus many do not think of Jesus properly unless they encounter some great difficulty, sorrow, or loss. A self-satisfied modernist will look upon passages like this and make jokes about them, wonder aloud about "contradictions," and leave more scar tissue to harden the hearts of others and their own. At a gathering of liberal ministers, an academic can say, "Christianity grew through the sword," and no one will murmur. If one person objects to this nonsense, the rest will think, "One more reason to avoid the dissenter." So we can look at this miracle in the same way - most of the world mystified and a bit sarcastic - relatively few people moved by its powerful message of God's love.
23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
To some, this sounds like Jesus and His disciples were incredibly mean. Shoo her away! - that is what they think they are hearing or reading. It is not a coincidence we are singing "Lord dismiss us with a blessing..." That concept is being expressed here. The disciples do not like hearing her call out repeatedly, so they are saying, "Give her what she wants and send her away in peace."
Two parts are always together in the work of Christ. One is believing. The other is expressing that faith. Since faith comes by hearing the Word, those who realize and believe the entire portrait of Christ in the Scriptures will confess that truth and always oppose rejection of it. Jesus alone and the disciples alone would not have spread the Gospel except through this combination of faith and witnessing to the Faith.
Luther expresses this by saying that Jesus was a like a hunter chasing and exercising that witness out of her. We do that on a modest scale when youth are confirmed in the faith and asked questions in front of the congregation. That was once a great tradition in many Lutheran groups, but the liberals decided to have first communion early like the Catholics and make confirmation into nothing. As I mentioned to one member yesterday, two years of Greek were expected in college for those going to seminary. Latin did not have the same draw. Now it is a summer class before seminary and must have all the sticking power of camp-firmation classes, where a little bit of catechism is mixed with a week of fun, games, and swimming.
24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
This is direct challenge to her and to her request for mercy. It is oddly in sync with the passage in Galatians 2, where Paul argued that he won the contest of faith being the requirement of Christian membership, not Jewish circumcision and kosher food laws. Jesus is playing the role of the Judaizers here while letting the woman prove the argument of Paul - faith in Jesus is the requirement.
She did not take the bait to argue for being - in some way - from the house of Israel. She proved her sincerity by worshiping Him (kneeling at his feet) and expressing her faith by saying "Lord, help me."
This miracle is different in Jesus not responding at once or even beginning to show what He would do (as in looking up into Heaven or designating what He would do for the sick, blind, or deaf man). The outward appearance is indifference, silence, and implied rejection. This is also explored and portrayed in Pilgrim's Progress. There are times of waiting.
26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.
This is the most direct and easily misunderstood part of the miracle. Jesus answered
her faith and patience in the words that would appeal to the Judaizers. The bread is for the Children of Israel, so it should not be taken away from them and given to the unworthy.
Jesus is not calling her a dog in this miracle but using a term for the little pet dogs that consume scraps. The dogs who licked poor Lazarus' sores were the wild, scavenger dogs. Lenski makes this distinction in his Matthew commentary.
This is certain a forewarning about Judaizers and a concise teaching about the real Children of Abraham. She answered in faith, as the New Testament teaches, pointedly in John 8 and Romans 4 - Those who believe in Christ are the true Children of Israel and heirs to the Promise. Jesus answered the objections by saying, "Before Abraham was, I AM."
Romans 4 teaches that Justification by Faith was not unique with Abraham in Genesis 15:6 but was true of all who believe in Him.
28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
The woman would cheerfully accept scraps, and that is the ultimate expression of faith, asking but not demanding, trusting and waiting. Her daughter was healed from that point on.
This miracle is extremely important because faith in Christ is the chief doctrine in the Word of God. This faith in Him connects with all we do, and there is a direct connection with faith and prayer.
A Good Miracle for Us All
I was counting the people exposed to error before they came to a knowledge of the true Scriptures and faith in Jesus as He is taught from the Word of God.
The Apostle Paul was trained in Pharisaical Judaism, which gave him the training to know the Messianic Promises without seeing them in Jesus and the Christians. The Risen Christ converted him to faith.
Augustine was a great classical scholar and intellectual, who looked down on the Christian Bible, though his mother prayed for him to convert. When children played and sang a song, "Take and Read," he picked up the Scriptures and the Word converted him.
Luther was a devout, Medieval Roman Catholic, who was trained in Catholic philosophy but told to earn a doctorate in Biblical studies. Exposure to the Word itself taught him how different the Scriptures were from his monastic training.
Many of us began in liberal or liberal Masonic or Justification without Faith congregations, with many errors embedded in our training. However, the defenestration (throwing out of the window) the KJV awakened many to the English version of Luther's German Bible.
In addition, many difficulties have come along for individuals, because being aware of errors is a sure way to invite trouble from the Apostates, as if Jesus ordered the disciples to sleep while He was praying.
This Canaanite woman is a miracle for those who feared the grace and mercy of God had gone away, especially since it seemed to have gone over to the other side - where the Protestants bow down to Roman Catholic Scriptures, paraments, and holy days; where the "true Gospel" is proclaimed as a version of Marxism while miracles are rejected. It is one of those twists of fortune that one man, Eugene Nida, because he could not tolerate translating in Mexico became a supervisor instead - and lived to be almost 100 years as the top man in the American Bible Society and United Bible Societies.
When we are in the Canaanite waiting time, it is difficult to bear. I know millions are waiting for the American policies they supported to receive political action. Many drop away discouraged, and that is a good term to remember. Dis-courage means being afraid, despairing, giving up.
God uses negative, destructive times to start over and often to use them for His glory. I have a long list of people who were heroically nasty, dishonest, and vindictive, but they are on my thank list now. I would have settled down to middle class ease, luxury, and going to seed if they had not driven me to a place where I could study, write, and teach the truth to people who appreciate it.
That is quite an experience to have people appreciate sermons. Few clergy have that, and I am sure that drives them into being lazy bores of finding another profession.
I can look at others in the congregation and see that faith in Christ has energized them to accomplish many things that would be impressive for a large congregation, let alone a tiny one. For example, intense interest in the hymns has made that a priority and a teaching point, which led to a blog with 15,000 views in a few months. You know - the boring, old-fashioned, irrelevant, KJV language -The Lutheran Hymnal. If anyone thinks that is a waste of time, then they believe expressions of faith in God's Word are a waste of time. And - of course - that is where many people have gone, where so many churches have become theaters, homes, and restaurants.
