WOW! More Than 80 People Came To Observe the 225th Birthday of the Worst "Lutheran" Ever.

 S. S. Schmucker is the spiritual father of all the dumb Schmuckers who call  themselves Lutheran but are really generic Protestants wanting to shed the burden of Luther, Melanchthon, and Chemnitz. The ELCA contingent has proven themselves eager to work with LCMS and WELS, to worship together at Fuller Seminary, Trinity Divinity, and other melting pots of toxic Schmuckerism.

Seminary, college founder Schmucker's 225th birthday marked

• By Michael Cooper-White For the Gettysburg Times
 
• 23 hrs ago
 
•  0

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Email

1 of 2

More than 80 gathered Saturday at Gettysburg College to observe the 225th birthday of local Lutheran leader Samuel Simon Schmucker. (Photo Courtesy of Michael Cooper-White, now working at Union Seminary, NYC.)

More than 80 people gathered at Gettysburg College Saturday to honor the 225th birthday of one of Gettysburg’s most famous citizens, Samuel Simon Schmucker.

As a young man in the 1820s, Schmucker had three goals: to establish a theological seminary, a preparatory academy, and translate a German theology book into English.

Within a decade after his arrival in Gettysburg at age 27, he had founded both the Lutheran Seminary and today’s Gettysburg College, as well as helped establish Christ Lutheran Church. Major campus buildings are named in honor of Schmucker at both the seminary and college.

Schmucker’s legacy expanded beyond his initial goals as he became a prominent citizen involved in founding Evergreen Cemetery, where his grave resides on a high point of the burial grounds.

Other callings would come Schmucker’s way, which propelled him to become a nationally and internationally recognized church leader.

He played a major role as Lutheran congregations formed the General Synod, including writing its constitution. Schmucker traveled to Europe to raise funds and collect books from continental Lutherans for his fledgling seminary.

The Schmucker legacy was celebrated by a series of speakers at Saturday’s commemorative event, sponsored by several college departments, Christ Lutheran Church, and the Lutheran Historical Society of the Mid-Atlantic.

Leading off was the Rev. Dr. Maria Erling, Professor of Modern Church History and Global Mission at United Lutheran Seminary (ULS). In her lecture on “Schmucker’s Long Shadow,” Erling described how the pioneering leader confronted challenges posed by a divided Lutheran church and polarized American society.

Lutherans in the 19th century disagreed fervently over matters of doctrine, and Americans were divided over slavery. While taking a stand against slavery, Erling said, Schmucker attempted to preserve unity among Lutherans and forge collaboration with other protestants as well.

“Schmucker concluded the western frontier demanded a new approach that was not exclusively Lutheran,” Erling said. But his new approaches were not embraced by more conservative ecclesial contingents, so Schmucker ended up being “skewered in both doctrinal debates and over slavery.”

Schmucker

Mid-Week Lenten Service 2024

Bethany Lutheran Church

Third Midweek Lenten Service

7 PM Central Time

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

->Click Here for the Zoom Link<-

The Hymn #479          Zion Rise                                 
The Order of Vespers                                             p. 41

The Psalmody                 
The Lection                            The Passion History

The Sermon Hymn #381                       I Know My Faith Is Founded

Faith Is First, Prayer Follows

 
The Prayers

The Lord’s Prayer

The Collect for Grace                                            p. 45

The Hymn #558            All Praise To Thee

                 Faith Is First, Prayer Follows

     People find ways to complicate the Christian Faith. If we look at the Fourth Gospel, it is clear that Jesus placed faith in Him as the starting point, the only starting point. The Gospel of John is very important in teaching us about faith, because the other details are already in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The apostate scholars love to dismiss John, but that is because the message is so powerful and clear.

    The effect of Gospel teaching and preaching is to plant faith in the hearts of people of all ages, even babies. I just watched a video where a very good singer vocalized for a very young baby. The baby listened to every word and note, trying to imitate the singer singing about love. Babies and small children learn very quickly, and faith is planted in their hearts and minds so they can grow spiritually. 

    Everything in Christianity, correctly taught, begins with faith. Trust means seeing and hearing the message of Jesus the Son of God just as He teaches it. I said to on FB friend, John's Gospel can be read easily in any language, and it is easy to learn a language through the simple words of that Gospel. The friends said, "I supposed that is what God intended." 

    Faith in Jesus means seeing Him exactly as He is, though too many are willing to drift away with their dreams and claims. One way to look at this is to ask why people hated him so much and tried to oppose Him at every opportunity. The thorn in their minds was this simple - Jesus taught the righteousness of faith in Him while they adhered to the righteousness of works.

    So this lingers in all of mankind. People want to know what they must do to be a follower of Jesus. That is because they come from the righteousness of works and only think that way. Jesus does not ask disciples to punish themselves or do all kinds of acts of contrition. He has already done that through His atoning death. As the Canaanite woman's story shows, Jesus wanted to pursue and hunt her until she gave the purest possible confession of faith in Him. "Even the household dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the Master's table." Jesus pushed her to the extremes of faith in Him, and she responded with faith. Her daughter's healing happened immediately.

    Of course that miracle clearly asks us to be patient about how God works. His time is not our time, because we cannot even imagine the majesty and complexity of Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is so complex that only a child can understand. When I ask  children about all the miracles of Jesus, they have the same idea, such as walking on water and healing the sick - "Jesus is God. He can do anything." It takes many years of study to have the wrong idea and deny the truth. When a priest and a teaching brother asked me about the actual resurrection of Christ and the Virgin Birth, they were outraged and said, "There is no dealing with you!" We were in the classroom of Notre Dame's seminary, and they were completely in line with the teacher of that class, a PhD who became an honored professor at Harvard.

    That means, faith in Jesus Christ is beneficial, but nothing good can happen from unfaith. There are many worldly benefits that fall upon those who have rejected the truth, in spite of all the wisdom of the ages - when people believed - and when they denied. 

    The first benefit of faith in Jesus is forgiveness of sin. That is an ongoing process that benefits the individual and everyone else, because faith grows and brings fruit. People should easily find this lesson in the garden and lawn. We planted hundreds of daffodil bulbs over time and our winter rains were almost endless at times. Now the ugly bulbs have turned into beautiful varieties of color, size, and height. Girls live on each side of my house, and they gather on the  front fence near Porchie and Dustmop. I grabbed a few vases and gave them a vase of daffodils for each family. There is nothing quite like daffodils when most of the outside colors are brown and grey.

    If anyone wants to know more about Jesus, the Gospel of John is a great place to start, reading slowly and carefully. There the connection of faith and prayer go together. Jesus teaches us to pray about His work among us, and He never stops helping us and blessing us. 

    

    

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Lent 3 - “The last state is become worse with them than the first.” 2 Peter 2:20. And if we neglect the great light which we now have, it will come to pass in our case also, that we shall become worse than we were before, for the devil does not slumber."

 

Complete Luther Sermon Here -> Oculi. Third Sunday in Lent - Luke 11:14-23.  

11. He answers them fourthly, with pointed proverbs and teachings, as: “He that is not with me is against me,” and, “He that gathereth not with me, scattereth.” “The devil is not with me for I drive him out, hence he must of necessity be against me.” But this saying does not apply to the devil alone, but also to the blasphemers whom he here convicts and condemns, as being against him since they are not for him. “To be with Christ” is to have the same mind and purpose as Christ, that is, to believe in Christ that his works save us and not our own, for this is what Christ holds and teaches. But “to gather with Christ” is to do good out of love to him, and to become rich in good works. He that does not believe is, by his own free will, not with Christ but against him, because he depends upon his own works. Therefore, he that does not love, does not gather with Christ, but by fruitless works becomes only more sinful and drifts farther and farther from the faith.

12. In the fifth place, he answers with a threat, namely, that the last state always is worse than the first. Therefore we should take heed that we not only refrain from blaspheming the Gospel and Christ, who does such great things for us and drives the devil out of us; but with zeal and fear hold fast to them, in order that we may not become possessed of seven worse devils whereas one possessed us before. For thus it was with the Jews, who had never been so wicked as while the Gospel was being preached to them. So also under the papacy, we have become seven times, (that is, many times) worse heathen under the name of Christ than we ever had been before as St. Peter says: “The last state is become worse with them than the first.” 2 Peter 2:20. And if we neglect the great light which we now have, it will come to pass in our case also, that we shall become worse than we were before, for the devil does not slumber. This should be sufficient warning.

13. Finally, when the woman cries out to Christ and praises him, saying, “Blessed is the mother that bore such a son,” etc., he opposes her carnal worship and takes occasion to teach all of us the substance of this Gospel, namely, that we should not go gaping after the works or merits of the saints but rather see to it that we hear and keep the Word of God. For it does not concern or profit us in the least to know how holy and honorable the mother of this child might be, nor how noble this Son of hers may be; but rather what this Son has done for us, namely that, by grace, without any merit or worthiness on our part, he has redeemed us from the devil. This fact is proclaimed to us through the Word of God, and this we are to hear and hold in firm faith; then shall we too be blessed like this mother and her child. Although such a Word and work will be blasphemed, we should suffer it and give an answer with meekness, as St. Peter teaches, for the improvement of others. 

Jerusalem - by Edward Blake - Music by C. H. H. Parry

 

Working on the Zoom - Doc Lito Was Right - We Need Three Computers

 

The Best Buy computer helper came over to finish what we started with the "online repair" from overseas. We settled issues about sound, voice, and the saved video. I will practice more tomorrow. I can stretch earphones from the library but I will trade them for blue tooth.

Grand Canyon U. seems to be having the same shortage of students problems as other schools. I had a course dropped from my schedule because of low enrollment, which is more likely in the summer. I began to expect that after a short lapse (five weeks) last year.

The new priority in 2024 will be the Reformation Seminary, so I will be soliciting ideas for the way we work and start teaching very soon.

We can be using the chat feature soon.

 Mixed feelings about Zoom.

Who Won? The Champions of Apostasy - Slime Marches On

 

The Big Five - ELCA-WELS-LCMS-ELS-CLC (sic) - moved step by step into apostasy, which means they once were loyal to the Christian Faith and finally rejected it. The question is not whether this happened but how this was so massive in effect.

Here is a little factoid. ELCA began officially in 1987 with 5.4 million members. Wickedpedia has the current number at 2.9 million, almost half the size and going down rapidly.

Where did the 2.5 million - or, pick a number - go? The Big Four have lost members at the same time, so the promise of one consultant, "Expect a big chunk from ELCA members running to other Lutheran congregations" has failed.

That means all the Church Growth gimmicks have failed so badly - they could not even keep up their own precious numbers. Here are the reasons:

1. Their pastors do not teach faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2. The managers (they are not leaders) despise the KJV and promote atrocious, devious Bibles, three from the gay National Council of Churches - RSV, ESV, NRSV.
3. District managers (they are not leaders) and pastors hate Luther and his Biblical doctrine. 
4. Pastors do not visit their own members, at home or in the hospital.
5. The synods worship themselves, not the Holy Trinity.
6. The managers (they are not leaders) spend lavishly on themselves and gimmick specialists.

 Fifty years of Church Growth - and then some.

From Former "It's OK To Pray" DP Dave Benke. ALPB Ovaltines Discuss Their Failing Colleges

 

LCMS DP Dave Benke signs his posts - "It's ok to pray" - because he invited himself to the pan-religious 9-11 Yankee Stadium event and led in prayer there. LCMS ended up firing Wallie Schulz for finding Benke guilty. Benke was hired back from the Schulz verdict and so "It's OK to pray" is on all his Ovaltine posts - aka ALPB Online Forum.

Benke quote:

The new CUWAA Strategic Plan called, "Wholeheartedly, We Will" was worked on for a year by a hired external consultant and dozens of stakeholders. This plan was approved by the Board of Regents during their February 8, 2024 meeting.

*** 

GJ

My initial response was - Church Growth Management by Objective Strikes Again!

Examples -

This plan includes the following goals:

1.3.1 Within 3 years, the Enrollment and Academics Units will collaborate to ensure that the

university—across its campuses—serves the largest number of LCMS church work students in

the CUS.

1.3.2 Within 4 years, the Enrollment and Mission and Church Relation Units will collaborate to

grow the number of Christian traditional undergraduate students across its campuses to 90%.

3.1.1 Within 4 years, the Enrollment and Student Success Units will achieve an overall

enrollment of 8,500 students across the campuses. ( GJ - There's more, but this is enough.)

Graduates of Fuller Seminary have to be the dumbest of all, because they have caused a rapidly increasing downhill slide ever since 1980 or so. After 44+ years of shrinkage, they continue to pander to the Drucker MBO, its crafts and assaults. The hired external consultant (big salary) got various people to write exuberant statements about what would happen for their LCMS colleges in the years to come. 

All colleges, universities, and community colleges are shrinking - a fact which most people ignore. I might guess that they had a frenzy of expensive additions to aim for the country club effect, to attract more students. One idea, years ago, was to charge less tuition (via grants and scholarships) to make the first two years easier to pay. Student/parent payments go up for the last two years because course credit transfers do not work very well. 

One university said on the phone, "We can only count six hours of credit from your previous school." The student said, "Then I am not signing up." The counselor responded, "OK. All your credits will transfer."

Student loans are mortgages on the students' futures, so not to worry, students and parents. America has decided that lacking a four-year degree might not be so bad.

One can guess that all the Lutheran colleges will fade away in the next decade. Most - if not all of them - major in non-Lutheran students.

And one more item which again is astounding to me:  ENDOWMENT QUESTIONS
🚨IMPORTANT NEW INFORMATION: Of the anticipated $9 million deficit in operations between the two campuses this fiscal year, it appears that over $7 million is in depreciation. In other words, not contributing to a cash flow problem. This is not to be ignored, but the operating deficit is largely depreciation and not a loss of cash.
RESEARCH
• (Updated 2/26) Comparative Data within a sample of 39 institutions in Michigan and Wisconsin: https://bit.ly/comparative-data-2-26
• (New!) Long-term trends for CUWAA (as a whole), Wisconsin, and Ann Arbor https://bit.ly/cuwaa-long-term-trends
Additional questions for consideration:
Would the money that has been raised for Ann Arbor campus projects such as the Maier Center and the Weight Room addition (some $10 million) be returned by Concordia University Wisconsin to those who provided the funds?
Would the dollars originally given by various Districts of The LCMS and the Michigan Church Extension Fund be returned to them by Concordia University Wisconsin? The assumption was that those funds were given for a long-term solution, not a 10-year-solution.
The endowments that are held by CUW for CUAA (now valued at some $27 million) were generally given by Michigan District residents for the benefit of Michigan students. Would those funds be returned by Concordia University Wisconsin to the Michigan District to use to defray expenses for Michigan students attending Lutheran high schools, or other Concordia universities, or the seminaries?

What in the world is going on here?

Dave Benke

It's OK to Pray

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Lent 3 Oculi - "And as that house must be conquered by a stronger man and thus wrested from the tyrant, so must man also be ransomed through Christ and wrested from Satan."

 

Complete Luther Sermon Here -> Oculi. Third Sunday in Lent - Luke 11:14-23.  

6. In the second place, he replies with a public example and a similar work, when he says: “By whom do your sons cast them out?” As if he would say: “Is this not simple idiocy? Just what you praise in your sons, you condemn in me. Because your sons do it, it is of God; but because I do it, it must be of the devil.” So it is in this world. What Christ does, is of the devil; if some one else did it, it would be all right. Thus the tyrants and enemies of the Gospel do now, when they condemn in us what they themselves do, confess and teach; but they must proceed thus in order that their judgment may be publicly approved, when they are condemned by all justice. The sons, of whom Christ here says that they drive out devils, were, I think, certain exorcists among the people, for God, from the beginning, had given this people manifold spiritual gifts and he calls them their “sons,” as though to say: I am the Son of God and must be called a child of the devil, while those who are your sons, begotten by you, do the same things and are not to be considered children of the devil.

7. “Therefore shall they be your judges,” that is, I appeal to them. They will be forced to decide that you wrongfully blaspheme me, and thus condemn yourselves. For if one devil does not drive out another then some other power must do it that is neither satanic nor human, but divine. Hence the words: “But if I by the finger of God cast out demons, then is the kingdom of God come upon you.” This finger of God is called in Matthew 12:28 the Holy Ghost, for the words read thus: “But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons,” etc. In short, Christ means to say: If the kingdom of God is to come unto you, the devil must be driven out, for his kingdom is against God’s kingdom, as you yourselves must confess. But demon is not driven out by demon, much less by men or the power of men, but alone by the Spirit and power of God.

8. From this follows that where the finger of God does not cast out the devil, there the devil’s kingdom still exists; where Satan’s kingdom still exists, there the kingdom of God cannot be. The unavoidable conclusion then is that, as long as the Holy Spirit does not enter our hearts, we are not only incapable of any good, but are of necessity in the kingdom of Satan.

And if we are in his kingdom, then we can do nothing but that which pleases him, else it could not be called his kingdom. As St. Paul says to Timothy: “The people are taken captive in the snares of the devil unto his will” 2 Timothy 2:26. How could Satan suffer one of his people to take a notion to do something against, and not for, his kingdom? Oh, it is a striking, terrible and powerful statement that Christ here admits such a dominion, which we cannot escape except by the power of God; and that the kingdom of God can not come to us until that kingdom is driven out by divine, heavenly power.

9. This truth is proved in the case of this poor man, who was bodily possessed of the devil. Tell me, what could he and all mankind do to free him from the devil? Without a doubt, nothing. He had to do and suffer just as his master the devil willed, until Christ came, with the power of God.

Now then, if he could not free himself from the devil as to his body, how could he, by his own power, deliver his soul from Satan’s spiritual dominion? Especially is this the case since the soul, because possessed of sin, is the cause of all bodily possession as a punishment, and sins are more difficult to remove than the punishment of them, and the soul is always more firmly possessed than the body. This is proved by the fact that the devil permits the body to have its natural powers and functions; but he robs the soul of reason, judgment, sense, understanding, and all its powers, as you readily see in the case of this possessed man.

10. He answers them in the third place, by a comparison taken from life, namely that of a strong man overcome by one stronger, and robbed of all his armor and goods etc. By this he testifies also that no one but God can overcome the devil, so that again no man can boast of being able of himself to drive out either sin or the devil. Notice how he pictures the devil! He calls him a mighty giant who guards his court and home, that is, the devil not only possesses the world as his own domain, but he has garrisoned and fortified it, so that no one can take it from him. He rules it also with undisputed sway, so that it does whatever he commands. Just as little as a house or court may withstand or contend against the tyrant who is its master, can man’s free will and natural powers oppose sin and Satan, that is, not at all; but they are subject to them. And as that house must be conquered by a stronger man and thus wrested from the tyrant, so must man also be ransomed through Christ and wrested from Satan. We see again, therefore, that our works and righteousness contribute absolutely nothing toward our salvation; it is effected alone by the grace of God.

The Book Is Being Sent Out Today - My Good Shepherd: Jesus' Titles of Majesty - KJV - Designed by Norma A. Boeckler

 

The Kindle version has been available for a few days. The paperback went live this morning, so I am sending copies to our basic mailing list, already paid for. The project got going when I was thinking about how many titles Jesus has in the Bible. I found a KJV list and sent it to Norma A. Boeckler, our artist-in-residence.

Norma arranged it with her own graphics, a great idea. A list by itself is not as captivating as color illustrations and the text.

The next book - The Efficacy of the Word in the Means of Grace - is already written. I will be working on the text soon. That is a topic completely ignored by the highly trained Fuller Seminary graduates of this generation. Norma A. Boeckler just agreed to do the Efficacy graphics.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Lent 3 Oculi - "This is a beautiful Gospel from which we learn many different things, and in which nearly everything is set forth as to what Christ, his kingdom and his Gospel are: what they accomplish and how they fare in the world."

 

Complete Luther Sermon Here -> Third Sunday in Lent - Luke 11:14-23. Oculi. 

TEXT: Luke 11:14-23. 14 And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered. 15 But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. 16 And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. 18 If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. 19 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges.

20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. 21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: 22 But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. 23 He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.

I. CHRIST’S DEFENSE AGAINST HIS BLASPHEMERS.

1. This is a beautiful Gospel from which we learn many different things, and in which nearly everything is set forth as to what Christ, his kingdom and his Gospel are: what they accomplish and how they fare in the world. In the first place, like all the Gospels this one teaches us faith and love; for it presents Christ to us as a most loving Savior and Helper in every need and tells us that he who believes this is saved. For we see here that Christ had nothing to do with people who were healthy, but with a poor man who was greatly afflicted with many ills. He was blind, as Matthew says; also dumb and possessed with a demon, as Luke tells us here. Now all mutes are also deaf, so that in the Greek language deaf and dumb are one word.

By this act Christ draws us to himself, leads us to look to him for every blessing, and to go to him in every time of need. He does this that we also, according to the nature of love, should do unto others as he does unto us. This is the universal and the most precious doctrine of this Gospel and of all the Gospels throughout the church year. This poor man, however, did not come to Christ without the Word; for those who brought him to Christ must have heard his love preached and were moved thereby to trust in him. We learn therefore that faith comes through the Word; but more of this elsewhere. 

2. Secondly, it is here demonstrated how Christ and his Gospel fare in the world, namely, that there are three kinds of hearers. Some marvel at him; these are pious and true Christians, who consider this deed so great that they are amazed at it. Some blaspheme the Gospel; these are the Pharisees and scribes, who were vexed because they could not do the like, and were worried lest the people should hold Christ in higher esteem than themselves. Some tempt him, like Herod desired a sign after his own heart, that they may make sport of it. But he answers both parties; at first, the blasphemers in this Gospel, and later on the tempters, saying that no sign shall be given this wicked generation except the sign of the prophet Jonah, of which we read in the verses following. He answers the blasphemers in a friendly way and argues five points with them.

3. In the first place, with honest and reasonable arguments he concludes from two comparisons that one devil cannot cast out another; for if that were so, the devils would be divided among themselves and Satan’s kingdom would indeed not stand. For nature teaches that if a kingdom is divided against itself and its citizens drive out each other, it is not necessary to go to war against it, for it will come to ruin soon enough of itself. Likewise a house divided against itself needs no other destruction.

Even the heathen author Sallust, teaching only from the light of nature and experience, says: “Great wealth passes away through discord, but through concord small means become large.” If now the devils were divided among themselves to such a degree that one should drive out the other, Satan’s dominion would be at an end, and we would have rest from his attacks.

4. What then were these blasphemers able to say to such clear arguments? They were put to silence, but their hearts were hardened, so that they did not heed his words. A hardened heart will not be instructed, no matter how plainly and clearly the truth is presented; but the faith of the righteous is strengthened when they see that the ground of their faith is right and good.

And for the sake of such we must answer those whose hearts are hardened, and put them to silence. Even though they will not be converted nor keep silence still it serves to reveal their hardened hearts, for the longer they talk the more foolish they become, and they are caught in their folly, and their cause is robbed of the appearance of being right and good, as Solomon also says in Proverbs 26:5: “Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.” That is, answer him according to his folly that his folly may be put to shame for the sake of others, that they may not follow him and be deceived, thinking that he is right. Otherwise, where no such condition exists, it is better to keep silent, as Solomon also says in the same chapter, verse 4 “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.”

5. Nor could they say here that the devils only pretended to be divided among themselves and to yield to one another in order to deceive the people, for it is publicly seen how they resist and contend, cry and rave, tear and rage, when they see that Christ means to expel them. It is then clearly seen that they are opposed to Christ and his Spirit, and they are not united with him, to whom they must yield so unwillingly. Therefore it is only a flagrant blasphemous lie, in which they are caught and put to shame, by which they try in venomous hate to give the devil credit for a work of God. From this we learn not to be surprised when our doctrine and life are blasphemed and stubborn hearts will not be convinced nor converted, although they are overwhelmed, as it were, with tangible truth and completely put to silence. It is enough that through our arguments their obstinate folly is revealed, acknowledged and made harmless to pious people, so that the latter may not be misled by its fine pretension. They may then go whither they will, they have condemned themselves as St. Paul says, Titus 3:11.

6. In the second place, he replies with a public example and a similar work, when he says: “By whom do your sons cast them out?” As if he would say: “Is this not simple idiocy? Just what you praise in your sons, you condemn in me. Because your sons do it, it is of God; but because I do it, it must be of the devil.” So it is in this world. What Christ does, is of the devil; if some one else did it, it would be all right. Thus the tyrants and enemies of the Gospel do now, when they condemn in us what they themselves do, confess and teach; but they must proceed thus in order that their judgment may be publicly approved, when they are condemned by all justice. The sons, of whom Christ here says that they drive out devils, were, I think, certain exorcists among the people, for God, from the beginning, had given this people manifold spiritual gifts and he calls them their “sons,” as though to say: I am the Son of God and must be called a child of the devil, while those who are your sons, begotten by you, do the same things and are not to be considered children of the devil.

William Tyndale - Forerunner of the King James Bible

 

As the husband marrieth the wife before he can have any lawful children by her, even so faith justifieth us to make us faithful in good works. But neither the one nor the other should remain barren. Faith is the holy candle wherewith we must bless ourselves at the last hour; without it, you will go astray in the valley of the shadow of death, though you had a thousand tapers lighted around your bed.”  

Reminiscere The Second Sunday in Lent. 2024

 Jean Germain Drouais: The Woman of Canaan at the Feet of Christ

The Second Sunday in Lent, 2023

Bethany Lutheran Church

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

->Zoom link to the service is here<-

Hymn # 145       Jesus Refuge of the Weary - Savanarola          

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit

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

Collect

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 Epistle and Gradual  

Gradual

The troubles of my heart are enlarged: 

oh, bring Thou me out of my distresses.

V. Look upon mine affliction and my pain: 

and forgive all my sins.

Tract. Oh, give thanks unto the Lord; f

or He is good: for His mercy endureth forever.

V. Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?

Who can show forth His praise?

V. Blessed are they that keep judgment: 

and he that doeth righteousness at all times.

V. Remember me, O Lord, with the favor that 

Thou bearest unto Thy people:

Oh, visit me with Thy salvation.

     

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  

Crumbs from the Table

 

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
Hymn # 50      Lord Dismiss Us with Thy Blessing

Prayers and Announcements

• Medical care - Randy Anderson is home, Pastor Jim Shrader, Chris Shrader, Doc Lito, Sarah Buck, Lori Howell, Callie and her mother Peggy.
• Wednesday, 7 PM - MidWeek Lenten service,

  

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.

Crumbs from the Table

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.

Here are two indications that Jesus should have nothing to do with this woman. "Of Canaan" is a reference to a region where horrible pagan rituals had been celebrated in the past - so necessarily not a welcome place. The second is that she heard of Jesus (Mark 7:25), and we know faith comes by hearing the Gospel (Romans 10). Luther has said that Christianity is both a mouth religion, spreading the Gospel using our voices, and a faith religion, believing the Gospel Word. Mark uses the more modern name - Syrophoenician, rather than Canaanite. We do that too, with various labels for Chicago, New York, and the Quad-Cities (aka Tri-City). 

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.

This woman was certainly taught by someone, because she called Jesus by His title - Son of David, one of His titles of majesty. She already believed in His divine powers, because she said, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David." She trusted in His divine power to heal her daughter, vexed by a devil. That is how we feel when dealing a disorder or disease that has great power over a loved one, especially a child, and there seems to be no solution in sight. In such a situation, a mother only has one thought, how to spare the child. In this case she seeks out Jesus though torn from her duty of helping the girl. A mother will use all her energy to keep a baby alive, even when the forces of nature seem utterly opposed it. And that teaches everyone how much a mother can do under the circumstances. We had two examples of that, and the two girls had everything except muscular strength, but that strength faded away each year. 

23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.

Jesus did not answer, and His disciples said "Send her away!" That did not mean "Get rid of her" but "Give her the blessing she wants so she can go." Jesus healed all those who came to Him. Mark emphasizes what was happening over those three years. People everywhere were asking for miracles and receiving them. Mark and Luke emphasized how He withdrew for rest and prayer. (Mark 1:35 and Luke 5:16) I flummox seminary students by telling them to follow the example of Jesus, setting Himself apart to pray. They say, with few exceptions, my favorite - "I have read Mark many times over it. I know that book very well. Your statement is not there." When I give the exact verse - "Oh, now I see it, and I never did before." 

     The disciples seem to be mean about their call to send her away, but they want to stop her crying out to Jesus and give their ears a rest. That would be the natural response to a group who had seen so many miracles. Jesus never neglected a single one. That is why we should continue to pray and let the Savior work out the details over time, so we can see that His will is best.  

24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Jesus' response was appropriate and correct. Israel had longed for the Son of David for many centuries, going back to Abraham being promised as many children as there are stars in the sky, not simply descendants by blood, but children of the Promise, millions upon millions. The Son of God is certainly in the Old Testament. When God said, "Let there be light," there was another One involved - the Son executing the command. See John 1 for confirmation. The Holy Spirit hovered over Creation and teaches us those lessons to this day. The Gospel of John is especially clear about the Spirit teaching us of the Father and of the Son, yet the hardened and greedy hearts cannot add up to Three (in One). When Adam and Eve were expelled from Paradise, the Son was promised (Genesis 3:15). Eve was so sure of this happening soon that she said, "I have given birth to a man-child__the LORD. (Genesis 4:1) And to make sure we all know such things, Jesus said in John 8 - "Before Abraham was, I AM."

    Those Biblical facts teach us the meaning of God's time, which is not our time at all. We cannot fathom God's use of time, but we can observe it and see how little we can comprehend. 

25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.

This is a clear sign that the woman considered Jesus to be God and bowed down in humility before Him. Alexander the Great wanted to be considered as a god, and his own soldiers thought that was disgusting. He had various opportunities to make himself godlike and they convinced him. This woman was not praying for herself but for her dear daughter. Her faith was so firm and her love for her daughter was so great that nothing could stop her. 

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 statement from Jesus has the outward effect of shaming the woman, especially in the use of dogs. Even today we think of dogs, especially unknown ones, as dirty, loud, and mess-makers. They will eat anything as scavengers. So taking away bread "from the children" and throwing it to dogs is natural in one sense, with the appearance of an insult. But the woman counters with Lord - knowing she is praying to God - and gives a little twist to her response. Jesus seemed to emphasize the harshness of his response. Dogs can be be the mongrels that licked the wounds of Lazarus, showing how weak he was. But this woman says - even the little pet household dogs  eat a few crumbs from the Master's table. Jesus is God, the Lord, and the Master. Her daughter is like a loving, lovable puppy, not a smelly dirty mongrel.

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.

Now we see that Jesus was not being mean and cross with her, but revealing to the disciples, that they will endeavor to convert not only the Jews - trained all their lives in the Gospel of the Old Testament - but also the foreigners who would have no background in the Scriptures. The woman is the example of complete faith in the Savior, undaunted by the apparent resistance of Jesus and convinced in His power to heal her daughter.

    The Matthew 15 lesson teaches us to have this kind of faith, not just in a moment, but throughout all the challenges of life.