Fiber Optic Road Crew Gets Flowers for Their Wives

 

 Enchanted Peace blooms rapidly, grows tall, stays fresh in the vase, and has fragrance.

The cul-de-sac has been packed with construction crews and the ditch-witch. They are installing ATT fiber optic in the front, even though we have Ozark Electric fiber optic in the back.

I was outside with my shears, looking for a few items, so I thought, "Why not share the flowers with the crew?" Earlier a salesman was stunned by the garden, birds, bees, and butterflies.

I filled two large party cups with water and added Enchanted Peace, Butterfly Weed, and a red rose. I walked them across the street and offered them to anyone with a wife or girlfriend. Two of them asked and one said, "My wife will really love this."

I do a tiny bit of weeding each day, but that is mostly to prune away the wilting flowers and the deadwood. Growth is so great this year that I am editing some plants to let more sunlight in for the starters (Honeysuckle, for example). 

That also leads me to say to myself, "Odd flower. I wonder if I planted it or a bird got it started." One recent surprise was mullein, and now I have three mulleins in the area. That got me singing, "Come to me my mullein-coly baby." 

 Mullein grows its flower spike the second year.

National Weed Your Garden Day, 2023 - A Fierce Rebuttal

 

Weeds - Guardians of the Soil is considered a classic in gardening, for good reason.

Written by a Journalism Graduate!

"One of the best gardening tips is to stay in control of your garden. Unfortunately, weeds grow fast, very fast. With inattention, they can soon become overwhelming. Giving daily attention to your garden makes it easier to maintain. Weeding 5 or 10 minutes each day will make the job seem bearable. It might even be enjoyable. This way you will be in control, and the weeds will not!"

The Rebuttal

Almost all weeds improve the soil and benefit wildlife. Some are annoying, but their bad habits can be tamed with an eye to Creation rather than the gardening center's chemical Chernobyls. 

Deep roots (dandelions, Joe Pye, Pook Weed) break up soil, improve the soil, and drill downward to let rain penetrate further.

Shallow roots like wild strawberries fill in bare spots and bloom in the darkest shade, providing tiny brilliant red strawberries for the birds, who respond with free planting chores aided by fertilizer.

Prolific seeds serve as food for wildlife, and they can be tamed, like the dreaded crab grass. The hated crab grass was brought over as a grain producer. When I had a patch where it was growing promiscuously, I laid down cardboard and bales of straw on top. Crab grass ended its monopoly by turning into compost on the spot. Now bee balm and other desirable plants flourish there.

Rank weeds can often be crowded out by clumps of attractive flowers. Once they are established the unwanted weeds can be squeezed out automatically or simply cut low enough to despair of becoming dominant.

Likewise, an unproductive area, such as shallow soil around a maple, can be beautified by the right kind of spreading herb. I am using bee balm under the maple because of shallow tree roots and shallow soil.

Mountain mint defies everything else, so I am letting some flourish while crowding out what I do not want.

Poke berry - that hideous strength or a bird feeder that multiplies? My rules are - 

1. Cut poke off at the soil level in the front gardens.
2. Let them loose to grow in the back gardens, with hosta, Joe Pye, and some Clethra.

Jesus, the Lord of Creation, engineered all the plants and animals to work together. Not unlike our bodies, which are far more complicated, plants swap, share, improve, smother, beautify, and fructify everything. 

I leave most stalks up for the winter. My mother asked why, in Minnesota. I said, "Most birds will land on corn and sunflower stalks to have a safe spot above the snow for spotting food. Meanwhile the roots rot into the soil and improve it."

So I leave with this question - Which is more dangerous ugly?

1. A dandelion herb, which provides lining for the hummingbird nest, wine for the wine-bibber, and a root converted to a coffee substitute?

OR

An angry, desperate gardener storming down the hardware store aisles for the most toxic and long lasting poison he can find. Take a moment to inhale that herbicidal aisle. 

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - “And They All with One Consent Began To Make Excuse.”

 

Click here - Complete Second Sunday after Trinity, Second Sermon

16. Now when the hour came to go to the table, that is, when the time came for our Lord Christ to be born, to suffer and rise again from the dead, then the servants went out, John the Baptist and the Apostles, and said to those who were bidden, to the people of Israel: Dear people, hitherto you have been invited, now is the time to come, now the supper is ready! Your Lord Jesus Christ, your Messiah is already born, has died and rose again, therefore do not remain away any longer, come to the table, eat and be happy, that is, accept your promised treasure with joy, who has according to promise delivered you from the curse and condemnation and has saved you. And this message was brought especially to the leaders of the people, who held high places in the spiritual and civil governments. But what did they do with it? “And they all with one consent began to make excuse.”

17. This was a lesson for those guests who sat with Christ at the table, and especially for the good-for-nothing babbler, who wanted to master Christ and preached much about the bread in the kingdom of God; blessed is the man who eats bread in the kingdom of heaven! Yes, Christ answers, do you want to know how blessed you are? I will tell you. The bread is now on the table and the supper prepared. John the Baptist was here, I and my Apostles invite you now to come to the supper; but you do not only stay away, you let the host sit at his great and glorious supper, but you even want to excuse yourselves and yet be pure. Hence it is a twofold sin, not only that you despise the Gospel, but even claim to be doing right, and to be even holy, pious and wise; this is a very grievous sin. It were already too wicked not to believe in the Word of God our Lord; but as they go further and despise it, and yet want to be just besides, is going entirely too far. As our young noblemen also do, who have disgraced and blasphemed the Sacrament and have given to us erring creatures only one part, and at the same time excuse themselves, and claim thereby to have done right. Yea, they also condemn us, and oppress us with all kinds of martyrdom, murder and drive away the people who truly desire to enjoy the whole Sacrament. But let them only pour out their rage hot enough, who knows, who will yet be compelled to sweat in this bath?

Tom Fisher and John 10

 

 Black eyed Susie and her mother

Dear Pastor Jackson,

Today I will again focus on Christ our good Shepherd in John 10 and highlight Luther's comforting thoughts from his book Bondage of the Will. These comforting words of Luther are very precious to me because they bring me close to the Shepherd and Bishop of my soul, our Lord Jesus Christ. "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree that ye being dead to sin should live unto righteousness by whose stripes ye are healed. For ye were as sheep going astray but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls." (1 Peter 3 )

 I also want to share a true wonderful story of a little cuddly ewe lamb I named Black Eyed Susie, cared for by her mother named Misty. This true story lead me to think of my own mother teaching me to pray the Lord's prayer, and to believe in God my Heavenly Father and in His holy infant child Jesus. It also lead me to think about my grandmother reading Luke 2 to all of us grandchildren every Christmas. All of us grandchildren would gather around the old round oak table as our grandmother read Luke 2 to us by the flickering light of the old coal oil lamp:

"And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God,  and saying,  Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:1-14

And so my grandmother and my mom constantly taught me God's Word so now I believe in God my Heavenly Father and in His holy infant child Jesus. 

I am pondering in amazement about how God's grace, God's kingdom, and God's Word all came to me by my mother and grandmother:

*Bringing me to be baptized into Christ and receive the entire Christ and His righteousness in the name of God the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

*Praying the Lord's prayer with me every night and then answering all my 'God questions' (My brother and I became skilled in spontaneously asking never ending  questions about God until finally our mother would tossel our hair and tell us it was now time to go to sleep trusting God our Heavenly Father )

*Reading God's Word to me from the King James Bible and then later having my brother and I read the King James Bible out loud. My grandmother would have my brothers and I look up Bible passages from Portals of Prayer and then read them from her old dog eared King James Bible.

*Bringing my brothers and I to church every Sunday and then asking both of us to explain what we learned from the sermon. When we visited our grandmother on her farm our whole family would go to her church: St. John's Lutheran Church. Grandmother would give us a 'chicklet' to chew on reminding us to sit still and listen. Here I learned to love the King James Bible liturgy from the red hymnal at a very young age. I also observed the blessing, strengthening, and peace my mother and grandmother received at holy communion. I perceived it was not empty but abundantly full of God's blessings, and a peace that was beyond understanding.

*Consistently teaching my brothers and I the 10 commandments through out the day. 

*Teaching my brothers and I to be happy especially as we worked. I can still hear my mother singing as she did the laundry and the endless menial tasks that tend to make us feel sorry for ourselves. My mom grew up on a farm during the 1920's and 1930's. They had no electricity, no running water, no indoor bathroom, no air conditioning, no centralized heating, but they all had the one thing needful: to listen to, read, and ponder God's Words. This gave all of them true happiness and peace as they did all those menial labor intensive chores on the farm. My mom would often tell me how she could hear her mother singing 'What a Friend We Have In Jesus' as she carried two buckets of milk from the barn to the house. 

*Teaching my brothers and I to endure hardships, sickness, failures, disappointments, trusting God''s Fatherly merciful care. 

God has mother's care for the greatest in the kingdom of God: little infants, and little children.  Their angels do always behold the face of their Father in heaven. Wow! This should make every mother join with the virgin Mary saying:

"My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath showed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; as he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever." Luke 1:46-55

So women preach to us too, especially when we are little. They bring us to Jesus our Shepherd and Bishop of our souls. "And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein. " Luke 18:15-17 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father in heaven. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. How think ye? If a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine that went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones perish. Luke 18:10-14

Ringo watches the sheep.

Just one little lamb with a black eye brought all of these thoughts to mind. Black Eyed Susie had a rough start. I found her way at the other end of the pasture yelling her head off for her mother Misty.  She was still wet as I carried her back to her mother. Misty immediately started to lick her off. I thought everything was going good until Ringo, my guardian dog kept playing with this little lamb,  preventing it from nursing. I had quite a time keeping Ringo away from Black Eyed Susie. Finally Ringo got the message and I was sure she had nursed. It takes about five days for new lambs to latch onto their mother. Until then they do not know their mother's voice and easily get lost. The grass is tall so little Black Eyed Susie easily got lost and separated from Misty her mother.  I would often find little Black Eyed Susie lost in the tall grass at the far end of the pasture. I would pick her up and begin to carry her back to Misty.  At first she would squirm and kick a little. Then she would snuggle down and enjoy the journey through the pasture. Black Eyed Susie is the most special, cuddly and snuggly little lamb I have ever carried. Christ our Shepherd carries us too!

It is so comforting that Christ our Lord calls us lambs when we are little and sheep when we are older. Christ here shows how precious we are to him. He is the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls!!

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:  and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one " John 10:27-30

Our old nature, reasoning, and our old will constantly add sneaky, subtle works righteousness to our justification. Luther constantly corrected this error that is around all our necks, firmly pushing us back to Christ the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls. Do it yourself 'christianity' runs full throttle here in America and throughout the world adding our own will power, decisions, endeavours, and emotional devotion to our justification. This eternally fatal error is engrained in the Bible Belt especially among Baptists who insist you must make a decision for Christ and come forward to the alter to accept him into your heart. Oh how they despise God's work, will, name, and power in Baptism. Smart aleck LCMS pastors, seminary professors, and laymen further undermine and corrupt justification by faith in Christ. They teach universalism they cleverly call objective justification (everyone is already forgiven without faith). Then they add synergism calling it subjective justification (man must decide to accept their false dogma that everyone is already forgiven without faith in Christ). Be sure to read page 169 of Pastor Jackson's book, The King James Version: Apostolic Texts, Precise Translation versus Fraudulent Texts and Heretical Translations; and also page 11 of The Path To Understanding Justification. Perhaps all of these sneaky errors could be described by the term 'free-will'. Luther called it a lie  Now a word from Luther from his wonderful book, Bondage of the Will. Every Christian should read it and reread it because here Luther grinds our highest powers of reasoning, will, endeavouring, and devotions into less than dust. 

"As to myself, I openly confess, that I should not wish "Free-will" to be granted me, even if it could be so, nor anything else to be left in my own hands, whereby I might endeavor something towards my own salvation. And that, not merely because in so many opposing dangers, and so many assaulting devil's, I could not stand and hold it fast, (in which state no man could be saved, seeing that one devil is stronger than all men;) but because, even though there were no dangers, no conflicts, no devils, I should be compelled to labor under a continual uncertainty, and to beat the air only. Nor would my conscience, even if I should live and work to all eternity, overcome to a settled certainty, how much it ought to do in order to satisfy God. For whatever work should be done, there would still remain a scrumping, whether or not it pleases God, or whether he required any thing more; as is proved in the experience of all justiciaries, and as I myself also learned to my bitter cost, through so many years of my own experience. 

But now, since God has put my salvation out of the way of my will, and has taken it under His own, and has promised to save me, not according to my working or manner of life, but according to His own grace and mercy, I rest fully assured and persuaded that He is faithful, and will not lie, and moreover great and powerful, so that no devils, no adversities can destroy Him, or pluck me out of His hand. "No one (saith He) shall pluck them out of my hand, because My Father which gave them me is greater than all." (John 10:37-28). Hence it is certain, that in this way, if all are not saved, yet some, yea, many shall be saved; whereas by the power of "Free-will," no one whatever could be saved, but all must perish together. And moreover, we are certain and persuaded, that in this way we please God, not from the merit of our own works, but from the favor of His mercy promised unto us; and that if we work less, or work badly, He does not impute it unto us, but as a Father, pardons us and makes us better. This is the glorying which all the saints have in their God! (Martin Luther,  On The Bondage Of The Will, Associated Publishers and Authors, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1971, pg 148-149)

Time has gotten away from me again  It is time to do chores. Ringo will be waiting for me and if course I need to make sure little Black Eyed Susie is doing well.

Pastor Jackson please add your comments or corrections as you wish. If possible please publish the photo of little Black Eyed Susie and Misty her mother. [Done!]

I just got in from chores and I am happy to report that Misty and little Black Eyed Susie are doing great. They were both nibbling on lush red clover at the far end of the high pasture.

Tom Fisher

Brief Notes on Nutrition

 

Food choices have definitely changed for me since I found Eat To Live in my own library. The first part was eliminating colas, sweetened/fake-sugar drinks, and fast food. I began a daily vegetable stew with chick peas, chopped greens, walnuts, blueberries, onions and green/red peppers, tomato paste, and sesame seeds.

For fruits I began experimenting with fresh apples, oranges, pineapple, and pears.

Dr. Joel Fuhrman is correct - that combination reduces weight steadily and creates a craving for the foods listed above.

I am no expert - I ignore trademark brands, such as Keto. They all stress something too much when our bodies were created to mix and blend the ingredients from the first chewing to the final leg of the journey. 

Digestion is far more complex than anything I imagined, so I have learned that most of the medicine I need is administered by poor people eating vegetables, greens, and fruits, while the weight problems come from using the high priced, fad-centric, diets.

I ate meat post-Fuhrman, often from high-salt, high-fat Schwan frozen foods. Now I am eating a small amount of sausage meat with the vegetable stew, plus eggs with toast for a morning breakfast.

Those who have trouble with blood sugar (diabetes), blood pressure, heart issues, and overweight - start with Fuhrman's Eat To Live.

Why didn't anyone tell me to eat greens, vegetables, and fresh fruit?

My parents did? I meant someone who did not grow up on farm and eat those things fresh. That doesn't count.

Southern Babtists Have Extended the Left Boot of Fellowship to Rick Warren, DMin Fuller Seminary. We Visited Warren by Accident, Not Purpose Driven

Rick Warren, DMin Fuller Seminary, Southern Babtist, denied he was influenced by Robert Schuller. 

It all began with a trip that had nothing to do with Rick Warren. I was attending an insurance conference with Christina, so we drove from Phoenix. We were looking for a hotel when we went past a sign that said Purpose Driven Street.

We never let a once-in-a-lifetime meeting go by, so we parked the car and went into the church. I was shocked to see an outdoor baptismal pool. "Did you know he was Babtist?" Neither one of us did. Later I asked various Lutheran pastors the same thing, and they were also surprised. Warren was hotter than Georgia asphalt in WELS - at that time.

We listened to Warren ad lib at a paid conference he presented in his church auditorium. We listened in the back, grew tired of the jibber-jabber, and left. Later we were invited to a very exclusive and gated development where a husband and wife wanted to show everyone their success. The husband asked me what I thought of Rick Warren and immediately guessed my allergy to the phony. He said, "We are members. We think he is great."

Warren reminded me of Robert Schuller's emptiness and steroidal ego. WELS and the LCMS have the same problem, completely ignoring the Scriptures, bashing the KJV and TLH, always chasing the latest fad and folly. Lacking Scriptural knowledge and loathing Luther, they rely on boasting about Holy Mother Synod and they wrinkle their noses about their almost identical cousins.

WELS is way ahead of Rick Warren's dogma and practice.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Trinity 2 - "And They All with One Consent Began To Make Excuse."

 

 The Great Supper - Tintoretto

Click here - Complete Second Sunday after Trinity, Second Sermon

10. Following this address one of them who thought himself much more learned than Christ the Lord, begins to say: “Oh, how blessed is he who eateth bread in the kingdom of God.” As though he would say in his great wisdom: You make yourself unprofitable enough by your preaching! If it would depend on preaching, I can do that, too, even better than you; for I consider this a truly great sermon: “Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.”

11. Christ replies to him: Yes, says he, I will tell you how blessed you and your comrades are: “A certain man made a great supper, and bade many,” and they despised it and would not come. This blow was meant for him. As though he would say: You say much in the words, that he is a blessed man who eats bread in heaven! Oh, but you are in very great earnest! What an excellent holy man you are, namely, you are one of those who are invited and yet do not come. These are hard, sharp and terrible words when rightly considered; for he is speaking to real thorough-going rogues, who sat about the table, not because they wanted to learn anything, but in order to observe him closely to see by what means they might come to him and take him. To those he spoke this parable: “A certain man made a great supper.”

12. This man who prepared this supper is our Lord God himself. He is a great and rich Lord, who also once prepared a feast according to his glorious majesty and honor, and it was such a supper which is called great and glorious not only on account of the host, who is God himself, for it would be a glorious supper if he had only given a vegetable broth or a dry crust; yet the food is beyond all measure great and costly, namely, the holy Gospel, yea, Christ our Lord himself. He is himself the food, and is offered unto us through the Gospel, how he has made satisfaction by his death for our sins, and has redeemed us from all the misery of eternal death, of hell, of the wrath of God, sin and eternal condemnation.

13. This preaching of Christ is the great and glorious supper with which he feeds his guests and sanctifies them through his holy Baptism, and comforts and strengthens them through the Sacrament of his body and blood, that nothing may be wanting and a great plenty may be at hand and all become satisfied. Thus this supper is justly called a glorious, great supper on account of the fare and food, so costly and richly prepared that no tongue can describe it and no heart sufficiently grasp it. For it is an eternal food and an eternal drink, by partaking of which a man shall nevermore thirst nor hunger, but be forever satisfied, his thirst is quenched and he becomes joyful; and this not only for one man, but for the whole wide world, even if it were ten times wider, they would all have sufficient. For it is an inexhaustible food and an everlasting drink, as our Gospel says: He who believeth on this Lord Jesus Christ, that he was born for us of the Virgin Mary and crucified for out’ sins under Pontius Pilate, died, descended into hell, and rose again from the dead and sitteth at the right hand of God, etc.; he who believes this, eats and drinks truly from this supper. For to believe in Christ the Lord means to eat and to drink, from which the people become satisfied, fat and stout and strong, so that they are joyful forever.

The First Sunday after Trinity - The Rich Man and Lazarus

 

Bethany Lutheran Church

Springdale, Arkansas

Pastor Gregory Jackson

Link for Vimeo Saved Service

The Hymn #93              O Lord, We Welcome Thee

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit

O Lord, I have trusted in Thy mercy: 

my heart shall rejoice in Thy salvation.

I will sing unto the Lord: 

because He hath dealt bountifully with me.

Psalm. How long wilt Thou forget me, O Lord? 

How long wilt Thou hide Thy face from me?

The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19

Collect

O God, the Strength of all them that put their trust in Thee, mercifully accept our prayers; and because through the weakness of our mortal nature we can do nothing without Thee, grant us the help of Thy grace that in keeping Thy commandments we may please Thee both in will and deed; 

through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.

The Epistle and Gradual    

Gradual

I said, Lord, be merciful unto me: 

heal my soul, for I have sinned against Thee.

V. Blessed is he that considereth the poor: 

the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

V. Give ear to my words, O Lord: consider my meditation. Hallelujah!

The Gospel              

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed             p. 22

The Sermon Hymn #429              Lord, Thee I Love   - Winkworth translation

 Division - One or the Other

The Communion Hymn #342  Chief of Sinners

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 #658             Onward Christian Soldiers          

Prayers and Announcements         

• Those continuing in treatment and therapy - Kermit and Maria Way, Pastor Jim Shrader and his wife Chris,  Dr. Cruz Family, Sarah Buck, Ivy Anderson's mother.
• We have a number of Biblical resource books and KJVs, concordances for those who want them.

KJV 1 John 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19 We love him, because he first loved us. 20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

KJV Luke 16:19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. 27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

First Sunday After Trinity

Lord God, heavenly Father, we beseech Thee so to rule and govern our hearts by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may not, like the rich man, hear Thy word in vain, and become so devoted to things temporal as to forget things eternal; but that we readily and according to our ability minister to such as are in need, and not defile ourselves with surfeiting and pride; in trial and misfortune keep us from despair, and grant us to put our trust wholly in Thy fatherly help and grace, so that in faith and Christian patience we may overcome all things, 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 the Rich Man and Lazarus

Lord, let at last Thine angels come, To Abram's bosom bear me home, 

That I may die unfearing; And in its narrow chamber keep
My body safe in peaceful sleep 

Until Thy reappearing. 

And then from death awaken me That these mine eyes with joy may see,
O Son of God, Thy glorious face, My Savior and my Fount of grace, 

Lord Jesus Christ, My prayer attend, my prayer attend,
And I will praise Thee without end. TLH #429

 We Are Lazarus

KJV Luke 16:19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

The woven narrative of the Four Gospels

People express frustration when the Gospel stories are unique, when they overlap, and when they are almost the same. The truly dense persons (the professors and sceptics) find fault with one thing or another, but consider this - the Four Gospels are unified and beautified by providing a complete portrait of Jesus Christ with details and with unique stories like this one. For example, Luke has unique sections that we would never want to see missing, such as this parable, the Prodigal Son, and the Good Samaritan. Nor would we want to edit - in the Gospel of John - the I AM sermons, the emphasis on His divinity and on the work of the Holy Spirit. Consider this especially - the names of people suggest that these were known to the first generation of Christians. I see group pictures of classmates from 50 years ago and think, "There's the future bird colonel. There's the future wife of the Police Chief in Boston. She went to Broadway!" Similar captions are throughout the New Testament, including Paul's letters.

KJV Luke 16:19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

This is a parable, not a personal story, but a universal story about mankind. In only a few words Jesus contrasts the believer (Lazarus) with the rich man (no name). The theme of this parable is faith, because Lazarus had faith - taken up into heaven by the angels, to the bosom of Abraham (another way of saying heaven, used in Judaism). The rich man was buried - big funeral - and went to Hell.

The contrasting details are memorable. The rich man clothed himself in purple and fine linen and ate like a king every single day. Neither one was necessary every day, but he clearly enjoyed showing off and attracting a large crowd admiring him. But there was a beggar named Lazarus (God's help) who was left at his entrance to get food, so diseased that he had open wounds.

21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

He could have been fed by the servants. The scraps alone would have been enjoyed by beggars. But he did not exist in the eyes of that crowd, who were beggars in their own way. His lowliness is described by the street dogs coming to him and licking his wounds. Lazarus could not have been anymore downtrodden than being tended by stray dogs, and hearing noise of the constant banquets every day.

22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 

The beggar died and carried by the angels to be in heaven with Abraham, close to him (in his bosom). A funeral is not mentioned. But the rich man had a funeral and was buried. Often the most notorious are prepared for a grand exit. 

Lazarus is symbolic of all those who have nothing but rely on Jesus Christ, because this is a parable about faith - those who have none and those who trust in the mercy of God. In addition, it points out how some mistakenly look down on those with so little because they trust in finery, possessions, and those people who admire the same things. They want to sit near the rich man and laugh with him, but they loathe and avoid the weak, sickly, aging, and imprisoned. 

It does not take long to figure out who is avoiding Lazarus these days. Child not perfect? - how terrible! Have you tried these vitamins? Is it in the family? Elderly people? - they are honored as elderly in Asia and ignored here. 

Small church? - you should see how big ours is! What are you doing wrong? Our neighbor asked me, "How large is your church?" I said, "We are world wide, in the Philippines, Australia, with connections in Canada... but still a small group." No one will put a small church on a magazine cover, but large ones are often treated with awe until they blow up for various reasons, not for their faith but for coveting wealth, property, limousines, private jets, and worse.

23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

In the afterlife there are only two states. One is enjoying the peace and joy of eternal life. The other is the torment of eternal death and agony. The worst torture could be knowing the majesty and mercy of God but now out of reach and untouchable.

The rich man now wants to enjoy the state of Lazarus, just a little, but that is impossible.

Luther:

4. For this rich man is not punished because he indulged in sumptuous fare and fine clothes; since many saints, kings and queens in ancient times wore costly apparel, as Solomon, Esther, David, Daniel and others; but because his heart was attached to them, sought them, trusted in and chose them, and because he found in them all his joy, delight and pleasure; and made them in fact his idols. This Christ indicates by the words “every day,” that he lived thus sumptuously daily, continuously. From this is seen that he diligently sought and chose such a life, was not forced to it nor was he in it by accident, or because of his office or to serve his neighbor; but he only thereby gratified his own lust, and lived to himself and served only himself.

5. Here one traces the secret sins of his heart as the evil fruit. For where faith is, there is no anxiety for fine clothing and sumptuous feasting, yea, there is no longing for riches, honor, pleasure, influence and all that is not God himself; but there is a seeking and a striving for and a cleaving to nothing except to God, the highest good alone; it is the same to him whether his food be dainty or plain, whether his clothing be fine or homespun. For although they even do wear costly clothes, possess great influence and honor, yet they esteem none of these things; but are forced to them, or come to them by accident, or they are compelled to use them in the service of others.

My Old Testament students often land on King David, for his combination of infidelity and proxy murder. However, in faith, David repented of his sins and did not spare himself in confessing them to God and leaving an inspired record. He became Lazarus in that regard, because none of his power and wealth meant anything but his Psalms of contrition remain the standard of sorrow for sins and complete forgiveness. They are certainly the work of the Holy Spirit, but they are spoken through a man saying "Create in me a clean heart, O God."

25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

This is a good example of those who have hardened their hearts against the Word and then find terror at the reality of God's Word. Like their behavior in life, they want to cut a deal appealing to them but it is not possible. Most importantly, the real treasure is spiritual and it cannot be taken away from believers.

27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

Efficacy of God's Word

This part of the parable can be summarized as the efficacy of God's Word. As I have said many times before, efficacy when changed to English letters is energy. That is not simply a word or word group in the Bible but a basic truth illustrated by the Holy Spirit working through the Word, always having an effect.

We had rain recently, then a real sod-soaker, and today a sprinkle more so far. Does anyone need to ask how long the grass and weeds are, how lush the flowers are, how tall the Joe Pye is? The greening and the growth come from rainfall. Rain and snow prove efficacy - water from the faucet is bleached and not the same.

The rich man ignored the plight of Lazarus, which is described clearly in the Scriptures, helping the poor. Now he wanted to save their proud necks. The brothers hardened themselves against the Word, so even if someone came to them from the dead, they would not listen.

So in telling this great parable, Jesus teaches us two things. One is that we should care for the weakest of the weak, the poorest of the poor - the unborn. Starting from there, we should respond to our neighbor's needs as if to Lazarus. Jesus said in the Judgment Parable - I was naked and you clothed Me, I was hungry and you fed me, thirst and you gave Me to drink, in prison and you visited Me. We are visiting several prisons in this area with the KJV Bible. The needs increase, so now I get orders for the small (for children) the medium (women's and men's prisons) and extra large print (geezers like me). What we can do is very little, but what God can do is endless.