News About Valparaiso University - The Canary in the Coalmine

 

"It looks like we are going to need a bigger mask!"

"The president of Valpo announced today that the theology major and minor will be discontinued. If you read his announcement closely, you will see that what will replace that major and minor will be something dealing with "religion," but it is unclear to the theology and philosophy faculty how this new, reimagined program will look or how it will be taught, given the serious faculty reduction in the theo/phil dept. The only remaining philosophy faculty member was informed this morning that his position will be terminated at the end of the next academic year. With my departure, the dept. has just three remaining tenured faculty members whose graduate degrees are in Christian theology.

Unclear to me is how theology will continue to be a required component in the gen. ed. curriculum, given the very small size of the dept. Perhaps the administration intends to hire cheap labor to teach those required courses? (I think we had as many part-time and adjunct faculty teaching theo courses this past year as we had full-time tenured theo faculty.)

Among the other programs that will be discontinued are the bachelor of music (all concentrations), the German major, philosophy major and minor, and the theology and ministry major. Christ College lost its secondary humanities major. It now looks like the admin. plans to shutter the Brauer Art Museum for good, perhaps selling off the art collection to raise money for dorm renovations (?). It is very difficult for me to fathom the end of theology and German at Valpo, two historically stellar depts--both tied to German Reformation history and American church history--but that's the current situation.

I heard this morning that enrollments are significantly down." Matt Becker

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"This turn at Valpo is truly disturbing, and matches ironically with the impending demise of Concordia Ann Arbor.  The Concordia Matters Official Page at Facebook keeps documenting the incredibly awkward and mission-absent methodologies being pushed on Ann Arbor. 

One thing that might have been a great next step would/could have been a decided effort by Valpo to reach out to these many stranded students and families with Valpo's quality Lutheran/Christian theology programs including music, German, philosophy and the like.  Which no longer exist. 

Both places have that downside feel of a fire sale.  Everything must go.  It's just going to take awhile.  We're running out of legacy institutions. 

And if you take the blinders off, that includes the local congregation as well.  I still like the advice given by Paul Hinlicky - work as hard as you can on the local Gospel mission.  It will be tougher than ever, but it will remain the beating heart of the Church.  Even when steeples and classrooms are closing."

Dave Benke It's OK To Pray

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"Valpo is in the news this morning for breaking ground on the new Rafi Interfaith Center. President Padilla joined our U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan (D) and the guy paying for it for the front page first shovel photo. The donor's daughter, a VU grad, led a Muslim prayer to kick off the event. Apparently the donor owns the land and is paying for the building, so Valpo is really just putting their name on it and incorporating into their programming.

Unfortunately, the article seems to be behind a paywall.

https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/education/vu-breaks-ground-on-interfaith-center/article_312fe11a-6192-11ef-bf9b-9f6823dc0c32.html"

Peter Speckhard

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GJ - The elderly ALPB Ovaltines have posted the reality of Valparaiso University and Ann Arbor. The same is happening at Bethany Lutheran College/Mini-Seminary and Martin Luther College School of Ministry. The ELS and WELS colleges are 29 miles apart, but they have spent about 30 million dollars on their two, gigantic gyms. "Build it and they might come." 

Have a look at ELCA's shrinking seminaries :(

 Link this for the combo.

Three Garfield Elementary School students, from the same class and neighborhood - Moline, Illinois, earned degrees at Yale University.

"The cost of attendance at some colleges is now nearing six figures a year, after factoring in tuition, fees, room and board, books, transportation and other expenses.

Among the schools appearing on The Princeton Review’s “The Best 389 Colleges” list, eight institutions — including New York University, Tufts, Brown, Yale and Washington University in St. Louis — have a sticker price of more than $90,000 for the 2024-25 academic year, according to data provided to CNBC."

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Trinity 13 - "However when the Samaritan comes, he helps, that is, when Christ comes and offers us his mercy, and says: Behold, you are indebted to love God with all your heart, but you have not done it; now believe in me, I will give you my sufferings: this will help me. Here he lifts me on his beast, that is, on himself, and takes me to the inn, that is, into the Christian Church."

 

"Thou shalt love God with all thy heart, so that thy whole body from the crown of the head to the soles of the feet, inwardly and outwardly, goes forth in love, and rejoices in God and honors him."

KJV Luke 10:23-37.
Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity.
The Good Samaritan

OF THE LAW AND THE GOSPEL.

38. I have often told you, dearly beloved, that the entire Scriptures consist of two parts, of the law and the Gospel. It is the law that teaches what we are required to do; the Gospel teaches where we shall receive what the law demands. For it is quite a different thing to know what we should have, and to know where to get it. Just as when I am given into the hands of the physicians, where it is quite a different art to tell what my disease is than to tell what medicine I must take so as to recover. Thus it is likewise here.

The law discovers the disease, the Gospel ministers the medicine. This you clearly see in today’s Gospel. The lawyer comes desiring eternal life, and inquires what he shall do to secure it! The law tells him, and says: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, with all thy strength and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.”

39. He who reads this only superficially as this lawyer here does, will not understand it. One must enter into it and portray and even behold himself in it. For if I try to love God with all my heart, I will soon see how far I fail. So, with all the soul, that is, with the inner soul which I feel in the flesh, that I love and experience love in all my senses; for to love with the soul in the Scriptures means the love that a gallant youth feels towards his beloved. Again, with all thy strength, that is, with all thy members. Again, with all thy mind, that is, all thy senses, thoughts and delusions must be directed toward God. For if I am to love God with all my heart, soul, strength and mind, then my eyes dare not give one scornful glance, my tongue speak an angry word, my feet, hands, ears must all be one, and give forth no angry sign. That is to say: Thou shalt love God with all thy heart, so that thy whole body from the crown of the head to the soles of the feet, inwardly and outwardly, goes forth in love, and rejoices in God and honors him.

40. Now find me a man who is chaste or otherwise pious with a burning passion and love; there is none such on the earth. We find ourselves much more inclined to anger, hatred, envy, worldly pleasures, than to tender heartedness and other virtues. And when I find in my inclination such a spark, it is all false, the law is not satisfied. But I find not only a spark in me, but a whole bakeoven full of the fire of evil inclinations, for there is no love in the heart, nor in any member of the body. Therefore I here see in the law as in a mirror, that everything I have is condemned and cursed; for not one jot of the law shall pass away but all must be fulfilled, as Christ says, Matthew 5:18: “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished.”

41. Now you do not find in yourself, that you do with all your soul and with all your heart, with joy and pleasure, what the law requires of you; therefore you are condemned and the child of satan; then know by this how to govern yourself in the future. Behold, you must first come to the knowledge to confess that you are the devil’s own property. But if you would know no more than how you are to treat him to be freed from him, you would have to perish. To this end the law serveth, that we may learn that we are condemned, for this evil lust is found in us all, and yet we should not have a spark of it in us.

42. Our sophists failed to see this, and have taught, if a man does the best he can, God then gives him grace. They are blind guides, and themselves confess that man has little desire for the good; yet still, if he go and do it, even though disorderly, unwillingly, indolently, he is nevertheless in favor with God. Christ here teaches the contrary that we should go forth with a passion and love and do the law with a joyful and happy mind. Now, whom would you rather believe, Christ or the sophists? I leave this to you. From such false knowledge the cloisters later arose, into which men entered and contended that if a man were only in a cloister, and it matters not how unwillingly he was there, then he would be saved. So they taught. But now Christ’s will is that man should do good works willingly and joyfully.

Hence, if they are done with a troubled conscience and a heavy heart, it is sin. Therefore cease from all works that you do not perform with pleasure and love.

43. They therefore should have said: Man, do you see, you poor condemned creature, you should have delight in God’s law, and you have no pleasure in it; hence show some delight and love, or you are God’s enemy and the devil’s friend. Thus the people would have bravely forsaken their own presumption and come to a knowledge of themselves and would have said: O God, now I am condemned. Yes, this is right. Here every one might soon know and conclude, that we all belong to satan, as long as we find within us displeasure in the law of God. Therefore, boldly cast away all works from you, then you will find delight in and love for God’s law in your heart. I experience indeed that God’s law is holy, right and good, but it is my death. And if it could be, I would prefer that it did not exist. And thus all people are disposed in their hearts, as St. Paul very beautifully writes in the seventh chapter of Romans.

44. Had we now remained in this condemnation, we would have had to perish forever. Therefore another part is added, the Gospel, which speaks of consolation and teaches salvation, and whence we are to obtain it, so that the law may be satisfied. Now when I see by the law that I am condemned, lying even among murderers, half dead, the devil has stolen my soul and taken it captive in Adam and Eve, with all faith and righteousness, and has left nothing except my bodily life which will soon be extinguished; now here come the Levite and the priest, who render human satisfaction and teach this and that; but it does no good, they pass by.

45. However when the Samaritan comes, he helps, that is, when Christ comes and offers us his mercy, and says: Behold, you are indebted to love God with all your heart, but you have not done it; now believe in me, I will give you my sufferings: this will help me. Here he lifts me on his beast, that is, on himself, and takes me to the inn, that is, into the Christian Church.

After this he comes and pours into me his grace, which is the oil, so that I feel I am lying on his shoulders, this gives me a very joyful conscience; moreover he pours into me wine, which is to devour and drown the old Adam. But even then I am not perfectly well. Health has indeed been poured into me and there is a turn for the better, but nevertheless I am not perfectly restored to health. Meantime Christ serves and purifies me by the grace he pours into me, so that day by day I become purer, chaster, milder, gentler and more believing until I die, when I shall be entirely perfect.

46. Thus when we now come before God the Father and are asked: whether we have also believed and loved God, and have wholly fulfilled the law; then the Samaritan will step forth, Christ the Lord, who carries us lying on his beast, and say; Alas, Father! although they have not wholly fulfilled thy law, yet I have done so, let this be to their benefit because they believe in me. Thus all saints must do, however holy and pious they may be, they must lay on Christ’s shoulders. If even the most holy people, as priests and Levites, could not satisfy the law, how shall we undertake to do so with our reigned works, bald pates and caps? O our wretched and corrupt nature! Let this be sufficient for the present, and let us call on God for grace.

Gollum's Ring - Fits Matt the Fatt, Mirthless Mark Schroeder, And the Rest of the Walther Cult

 

A conservative journalist associated the Democrat Party, its crafts and assaults, with Tolkien's Gollum, the demonic fellow who lusted for the special ring that Bilbo Baggins found. Indeed, the ring was enchanting and destructive at the same time.

Archbishop Liz Eaton has felt the magic of that ring as well.

One Church Growther (ELS) jumped all over me for reading The Lord of the Rings. It turns out that he was wary of LOTR but enchanted by Fuller Seminary. His fake doctorate from Ft. Wayne was anti-Scripture, immersed in the real dangers ahead.

This little post is an analogy of an analogy, so patience is warranted. Literature is full of analogies, and universities even test that skill when students apply for scholarships. In literature, there are Moby Dick, Pilgrim's Progress, LOTR, and many more analogies.

American denominations are bewitched by Fuller Seminary, so much that laughable DMin programs promote the idea that they are Doctors! Ha! One can judge the diploma by how many minutes it takes for them to send out stationary as "Dr. Larry Leeryson," even before the precious diploma dries. The "rings of power" have infected many seminaries that long to produce doctors. They may be little DMins (which sound like "demons"), and they all look toward Fuller Seminary as Holy Mother Evangelism, though they are limited to toxic ideas from that fetid stream.

By now, all the Protestant denominations, Rome, and others - thus -

J. P. - Youth Ministries Discipleship Director

370+ followers

Youth Ministries Discipleship Director · Experience: The Salvation Army · Education: Fuller Theological Seminary.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Trinity 13 - "Then the Samaritan lifts the wounded man on his beast. This beast is Christ the Lord himself, he carries us, we lay upon his shoulders, neck and body. There is scarcely a more lovely picture in the entire Gospel, than where Christ the Lord compares himself to a shepherd, in Luke 15:1, who carries the lost sheep on his shoulders back to the fold. He still continually carries his lost sheep thus at the present day."

 

Psalm 23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

KJV Luke 10:23-37.
Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity.
The Good Samaritan

34. Then the Samaritan lifts the wounded man on his beast. This beast is Christ the Lord himself, he carries us, we lay upon his shoulders, neck and body. There is scarcely a more lovely picture in the entire Gospel, than where Christ the Lord compares himself to a shepherd, in Luke 15:1, who carries the lost sheep on his shoulders back to the fold. He still continually carries his lost sheep thus at the present day.

35. The stable or inn is Christianity, here in this world, where we must remain for a short time. The host is the preacher of the Word of God and of the Gospel, who is to nurse and care for us.

36. Now here we have the substance of the Gospel. The kingdom of Christ is a kingdom of mercy and grace, in which there is nothing but a continual carrying of the lost. Christ carries our infirmities and sicknesses, he takes our sins upon himself and has patience when we fail. We still always lay about his neck, and yet he does not become weary of carrying us, which should be the greatest comfort for us when we are in conflict with sin.

37. Ministers in this kingdom are to comfort the consciences, deal gently with them and feed them with the Gospel, carry the weak, heal the sick, and know how to divide the Word rightly, and administer the same to every one according to his needs. This is the office of a true bishop and minister, and not to proceed with violence as our bishops do, who come threatening with stocks and the block, crying: “Ho! up there, up there, who will not, must!” This should not be, but a bishop or minister ought to resemble one who waits upon the sick, who treats them very gently, gives kind words, speaks very friendly to them and exercises all diligence in their behalf. Thus a bishop or minister should also do, and remember that his bishopric or parish is nothing but a hospital and an infirmary, where he has very many and various kinds of sick people for treatment. When Christ is thus preached faith and life meet together and fulfill the commandment of love. 

Reformation Seminary - The Wedding at Cana - John 2_3

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KJV John 2 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: 2 And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.

Marriage is blessed by Jesus, the disciples too. Mary seems to be there as the   host for the couple.

3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. 4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.

Ran out of wine, Mary stated the problem. "Woman" twice in this Gospel. John 19:26. Care for Mary, tradition - Ephesus.

5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.

Mary, of all people, knew the divinity of her Son.

6 And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.

Firkin is in Music Man -  about 10 gallons per firken. Purification rituals were and are essential.

7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.

This command did not involve Jesus touching the water.

9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, 10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.

Very detailed about what happened, abundance and quality of the water turned into wine.

11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

Miracles = signs. ταυτην εποιησεν την αρχην των σημειων. Miracles - believe.

 

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Trinity 13 - "But wine is sharp and signifies the holy cross that immediately follows. A Christian need not look for his cross, it is always on his back. For he thinks as St. Paul says, 2 Timothy 3:12: “All that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” This is the court-color in this kingdom. Whoever is ashamed of the color, does not belong to this king."

 

KJV Luke 10:23-37.
Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity.
The Good Samaritan

29. The parable stands in bold relief, and pictures us perfectly, what we are and can do with our boasted reason and free will. If the poor wounded man had desired to help himself, it would only have been worse for him, he would only have done harm to himself and irritated his wounds, and only prepared more misery and distress for himself.

Had he remained lying quiet, he would have had as much suffering. Thus it is when we are left to ourselves. We are always lost, we may lay hold where we will. Hitherto man has always acted thus, he has thought out many ways and methods how we might reform our lives and get to heaven.

One found this way, another that, therefore so many kinds of orders arose: in like manner the letters of indulgence and crusades originated; but they have only made evil worse. Such is the world, and it is thus finely portrayed in this wounded man, it lies in sins over head and ears and cannot help itself.

30. But the Samaritan who has fulfilled the law and is perfectly healthy and sound, comes and does more than both priest and Levite. He binds up the sores of the wounded man, pours in oil and wine, lifts him upon his own beast, and brings him into the inn, takes good care of him, and when he departs he carefully commends him to the host, and besides leaves him a sufficient supply of money, while neither the priest nor Levite would do one of these kind acts. The priest signifies the dear sainted fathers before Moses; the Levite the priesthood of the Old Testament. All these however have accomplished nothing by their works, and have passed by on the other side like this priest and Levite.

31. Therefore, if I had for example all the good works of Noah, Abraham and of all the dear fathers, they would still be of no benefit to me. They have indeed beheld the wounded man lying helpless and half dead, but they could not help it. He who lay there half dead, saw it too, but what of it, he could make it no better. The dear sainted fathers saw very well that the people lay in their sins over their ears, and also felt the anguish of sin, but what could they do to remedy it? They could make it only worse, but not better. These were the preachers of the law, and showed what the world was, namely, full of deadly sins, and it lay there half dead, and could not help itself, notwithstanding all its powers, reason and free will. Go then, thou beautifully painted rogue, and boast of thy free will, of thy merits and holiness!

32. But Christ, the true Samaritan, takes the poor man to himself as his own, goes to him and does not require the helpless one to come to him; for here is no merit, but pure grace and mercy; and he binds up his wounds, cares for him and pours in oil and wine, this is the whole Gospel from beginning to end. He pours in oil when grace is preached, as when one says: Behold thou poor man, here is your unbelief, here is your condemnation, here you are wounded and sore. Wait! All this I will cure with the Gospel. Behold, here cling firmly to this Samaritan, to Christ the Savior, he will help you, and nothing else in heaven or on earth will. You know very well that oil softens, thus also the sweet, loving preaching of the Gospel gives me a soft, mild heart toward God and my neighbor, so that I risk my bodily life for the sake of Christ my Lord and his Gospel, if God and necessity require it.

33. But wine is sharp and signifies the holy cross that immediately follows. A Christian need not look for his cross, it is always on his back. For he thinks as St. Paul says, 2 Timothy 3:12: “All that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” This is the court-color in this kingdom. Whoever is ashamed of the color, does not belong to this king.

Bathroom Remodeled - Reformation Seminary Lecture Tomorrow, 11 am - John 2 Wedding Miracle

 

The bathroom remodeling is done, minus some painting in the near future. Even this morning, one major task and some finishing got done.

I am looking forward to upcoming lectures. I plan on a steady supply of Johanninge passages, and I can add extra lectures when that comes up.

Some Pratfalls at the Democrat Convention, Third Night

 

First of all, the media report that their rental charges are double what it cost at the Republican convention, with half the space allotted! I tell people - that is Chicago - they skim everything and run up the charges. The Chicago theme  -  "This city is perfect - it is 100% corrupt."

Second - As many disgruntled blog readers should know, it is not wise to irritate the media. At one WELS convention, every laptop had Ichabod on their screens and looked for the updates.

Third - I finally looked up the Project 2025 scare story, which this convention is brandishing as Donald Trump's autobiography. Here is a description -

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Project 2025 is a historic movement, brought together by over 100 respected organizations from across the conservative movement, to take down the Deep State and return the government to the people. Its Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise, published in April 2023, is a product of more than 400 scholars and policy experts from around the country. The book offers a menu of policy suggestions to meet our country’s deepest challenges and put America back on track, including:

• Secure the border, finish building the wall, and deport illegal aliens
• De-weaponize the Federal Government by increasing accountability and oversight of the FBI and DOJ
• Unleash American energy production to reduce energy prices
• Cut the growth of government spending to reduce inflation
• Make federal bureaucrats more accountable to the democratically elected President and Congress
• Improve education by moving control and funding of education from DC bureaucrats directly to parents and state and local governments
• Ban biological males from competing in women's sports

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I listen to as much as I can tolerate, hearing the sounds of despair, clear fallacies, and rotten solutions. If they hired me as a media consultant, I would begin with two concepts.

A. Do not attack the opponent with false accusations. That will always fail.

B. Do not get behind abortion on demand and call it virtue, especially when the open borders are serving as a gigantic money machine for trafficking children and the unborn.

More Protestia Than Protestia - The Latest Belch from ELCA's Dyspepsia

One ECLA to rule them all, and in the darkness BIND THEM! - The World Council of Apostate Churches, the National Council of Gay Churches, and the Confessional Lutherans who deny Justification by Faith.

I enjoy Protestia, because their blog includes many denominations and the apostate ELCA. Of course, ELCA has its own blog machine, just to let the dwindling hoards and The Four Waltherian Cults - LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic) learn from them.

I may be just ahead of Protestia. Lookie here - or as we say in higher education - Nota bene:

Strengthening the communion across regions and generations

(LWI) – Current and past recipients of scholarships from The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) hold a shared conviction. The theology and diakonia study grants are not merely about financial support: they represent experiences that have transformed individuals, shaped the work of churches and local communities.

“The studies opened the world to me in many different ways, including the beauty of the diversity of people around the globe,” said Rev. Eva Guldanova, Secretary for Foreign Relations and Chair of the Ecumenical Committee at the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in the Slovak Republic.rful way to strengthen the communion across regions and generations

Rev. Eva Guldanova, Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in the Slovak Republic

Guldanova was among participants in a LWF webinar, 15 August, to launch an alumni network of scholarship holders. Such a group, she said, “could be a fantastic resource of connections and experiences of people who share our Lutheran faith, and who have been enriched in many ways. It can be a wonderful way to strengthen the communion across regions and generations,” she noted.

At the time of her master’s in divinity studies in Slovakia, Guldonova received an LWF scholarship for a non-degree exchange program, 2004-2005 at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC), USA. The New Testament and ecumenism course included classes at Catholic and Presbyterian schools of theology, a Bible and Qur'an course with Muslim students, visiting a Jewish synagogue, celebrating with Muslims, and connecting with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Back to the LSTC under a different program, 2009-2012, she earned a master’s in theology and returned home, where she was ordained in 2012.

Her time in Chicago, she recalled, also “brought a lot of new insights” from Slovaks who have emigrated there and formed Lutheran congregations. “I met a ton of amazing people, who have been shaping my life and journey until today,” Guldonova added.

Connecting people, providing mentorship

Recent master’s in theology graduates, Mr Hans-Christoph Thapelo Lange (South Africa) and Rev. Adrian Lopez (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malaysia), and PhD holder Kidist Bahru Gemeda (Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus) helped in planning the webinar. All three LWF scholarship holders spoke of the connections and friendships formed around the quarterly “Coming Together” online meetings and other platforms with fellow scholars and LWF staff. A highlight for Lange was hosting a workshop with three other theology scholars at the Thirteenth Assembly in Kraków, Poland. “This is something I could never have dreamed of,” he said.

The latest count of women bishops in ELCA over 50%, and yes, some are lesbians with children.

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Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Trinity 13 - "Now you have often heard that a Christian life consists in acting before my God in faith and with a pure heart, but toward my neighbor in right living and good works; and not wait until my neighbor seeks a kindness of me, and asks me for something, but approach and meet him with kindness and freely offer it to him. Let us now see what the parable in itself teaches. This Samaritan of course is our Lord Jesus Christ himself..."

 

KJV Luke 10:23-37.
Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity.
The Good Samaritan

Therefore it is safer that we go and confess that we all are sinners, than that we have respect to our works and cling to our beautiful, glittering lives.

II. A SERMON ON THE GOSPEL IN A PARABLE.

20. The foregoing is the first part of our Gospel lesson, and it is a sermon on the law. The second part now follows, and it preaches the Gospel, how and whence we are to receive power to fulfill the Law. This the good Samaritan will teach us.

21. How does this lawyer act now after the Lord had thus turned him away? He goes ahead, the Evangelist says, and desires to justify himself and says to the Lord: “And who is my neighbor?”

22. He does not ask: Who is my God? As though he would say: “I owe God nothing, with God I am in good standing. I am also inclined to think that I am under obligations to no man; yet, I would like to know who my neighbor is? The Lord answers and tells him a very beautiful parable, by which he shows that we are all neighbors among one another, both he who does another a kindness, as well as he who is in need of a kindness.

Although the text reads as if Christ said that he is our neighbor who does another a kindness. In this, however, the Scriptures make no difference.

Here they call him neighbor who does a kindness, and at other places him who receives the kindness.

23. By means of this parable the Lord concludes with the words, “Go, and do thou likewise,” so that this lawyer did not only sin against God, but also against his neighbor. He not only failed to love God, but he did not love his neighbor, and never did him a favor. By this the poor man falls into such a sweat that he is only deceived from head to foot. How could he be so mistaken, the highly learned and pious man? His mistake came in this way; he led a Pharisaical, feigned and hypocritical life. He did not look down to his neighbor to help him with his life, but only sought thereby his own vain glory and. honor before the eyes of the people, and with this he stared piously toward heaven.

24. Now you have often heard that a Christian life consists in acting before my God in faith and with a pure heart, but toward my neighbor in right living and good works; and not wait until my neighbor seeks a kindness of me, and asks me for something, but approach and meet him with kindness and freely offer it to him. Let us now see what the parable in itself teaches.

25. This Samaritan of course is our Lord Jesus Christ himself, who has shown his love toward God and his neighbor. Toward God, in that he was obedient to him, came down from heaven and became man, and thus fulfilled the will of his Father; toward his neighbor, in that he immediately after his baptism began to preach, to do wonders, to heal the sick. And in short, he did no work that centered in himself alone, but all his acts centered in his neighbor. And this he did with all his powers, and thus he became our servant, who could have well remained in heaven and been equal to God, Philippians 2:6. But all this he did because he knew that this pleased God and was his Father’s will.


26. When he entered upon that high mission to prove that he loved God with all his heart, he laid down his bodily life with all he had, and said:

Father, here you have all, my bodily life, my glory and honor, which I had among the people; all this I give as it is for thy sake, that the world may know how I love thee. My Father, let my wisdom perish, so that the world may look upon me as most foolish. Let me be the most despised, who was heretofore praised by all the world. Now I am the worst murderer, who before was friendly, useful and serviceable to the whole world. Dear Father, all this I despise, only that I may not be disobedient to thee.

27. This is the Samaritan who came uninvited, and fulfilled the law with his whole heart. For only he fulfilled the law, and no one can deprive him of this honor. He alone merits it, and well maintains it all alone. Now this would be no special comfort for us; but that he has compassion on the poor wounded man, takes him under his care, binds his wounds, takes him into the inn and waits on him, this avails for us.

28. The man who here lies half dead, wounded and stripped of his clothing, is Adam and all mankind. The murderers are the devils who robbed and wounded us, and left us lying prostrate half dead. We still struggle a little for life; but there lies horse and man, we cannot help ourselves to our feet, and if we were left thus lying we would have to die by reason of our great anguish and lack of nourishment; maggots would grow in our wounds, followed by great misery and distress.

29. The parable stands in bold relief, and pictures us perfectly, what we are and can do with our boasted reason and free will. If the poor wounded man had desired to help himself, it would only have been worse for him, he would only have done harm to himself and irritated his wounds, and only prepared more misery and distress for himself.

Had he remained lying quiet, he would have had as much suffering. Thus it is when we are left to ourselves. We are always lost, we may lay hold where we will. Hitherto man has always acted thus, he has thought out many ways and methods how we might reform our lives and get to heaven.

One found this way, another that, therefore so many kinds of orders arose: in like manner the letters of indulgence and crusades originated; but they have only made evil worse. Such is the world, and it is thus finely portrayed in this wounded man, it lies in sins over head and ears and cannot help itself.

Awww.

 

The National Anthem as You Have Never Heard It Before

 

https://x.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1825982990947590297

The Century of Regress

 

Everyone got all excited about the new century, known affectionately as Y2K,  or 2001 for the young'uns. I was hired to do some work with Cisco, a short-term project because they canned their own product, a home router. 

The change introduced me to teaching at Glendale Community College, connecting me with the University of Phoenix and giving me local courses on computers, writing, and the humanities. That led me into online teaching for UOP and then GCU. UOP was eventually merged into the State of Utah system, shrinking faster than wool socks in a dryer. GCU's physical campus grew exponentially and also online. 

Our country has gone into the gutter with dishonesty, deception, fraud, and crime. I listened to the speeches last night, a continuous roar of dishonesty and self-destruction. I wondered, "Do they really want to lead with the destruction of human life, as if that was virtue? Evil is good, and whatever is noble must be covered with their slime.

The best we can do is to rely on and absorb the two great treasures which are easily obtained and yet are scorned and vilified by the Great Ones. 

The King James Version

The treasures are first the King James Bible, which used the martyr William Tyndale and 50 great English scholars to produce a clear and precise masterpiece -

• The Old Testament, ancient and preserved in infallible Hebrew.
• The New Testament, early and precise in Koine Greek.

Martin Luther, Melanchthon, and Chemnitz -

The Reformation

By chance, if there is such a thing, Luther became a Biblical professor, translated the Bible with the help of other genius translators, and battled the Church of Rome. His life was always on the line.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Trinity 13 - "The poor fellow thinks he should sit in the first seat, that he is really pure and beautiful, and by rights should sit among the angels, rather than here among the people. What a wonderful Christ is this! The people regard this lawyer as pious and holy; but Christ says he shall first go and begin to fulfill the law. Be consistent with thyself!"

 

KJV Luke 10:23-37.
Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity.
The Good Samaritan

12. Yet the Lord does not serve this lawyer thus, but puts him to shame.

This Christ is an unfriendly, ungracious man, he tells the people the truth, and well deserves that they should hate him. The pious, holy lawyer still does his utmost, and knows nothing but how to harvest great honors and obtain high renown for his precious life; he thinks he has perfectly fulfilled this commandment, and hopes for a favorable answer, that the Lord will say: Dear Sir, you have done it all. But Christ goes to work and first tells him: “Do this!” That is to say in good German: You are a rogue in the hide, you have not done this during your whole life; yea, you have not kept a single letter of the law; and thus shows him his wickedness. The poor fellow thinks he should sit in the first seat, that he is really pure and beautiful, and by rights should sit among the angels, rather than here among the people. What a wonderful Christ is this! The people regard this lawyer as pious and holy; but Christ says he shall first go and begin to fulfill the law. Be consistent with thyself!

13. Now these are the very fellows who most of all sin against the first commandment, and think no further than the words read: I must love God, and think they have fulfilled the law, while it remains hovering on their tongues and over their hearts, but never enters. This, however, is not enough, it must reach much farther, namely, that I so love God that for his sake I can forsake all creatures, and should he require it, also body and life; yea, that I should love him above all things. For God is a jealous God and cannot suffer us to love anything above himself. But to love anything beneath himself, he of course allows. Just as a husband can easily allow his wife to love the maid servants, the house and house utensils, cattle and other things; but to love with the love she should have for him, he will not suffer her to love anyone besides himself; yea, he desires her to forsake all things for his sake; and so again the wife also requires the same from her husband.

Thus God can also allow us to love his creatures; yea, they are created for this purpose and are good. The sun is an excellent creature; gold and silver and all things that are attractive and beautiful by nature cause us to love them. This God indeed permits us to do. But that I should cling to the creature and love it with the same love with which I love God the Creator, this he can and will not allow; yea, his will is that I should deny and forsake all things, should he desire and require it of me, and be satisfied should I nevermore behold the sun, my money and possessions. The love of the creature should stand far, far below our love to him; and as he is the chief good, his will is also to be loved in the highest degree, above all other good. If he will not allow me to love anything as much as I love him, much less will he allow me to love anything more than himself, though it be a creature of his own creation.

14. Now I think you understand what it is to love God with all the heart, with all the soul and with all the mind. To love God with all the heart is to love him above all creatures; that is, although many creatures are quite lovely, as they please me and I love them, nevertheless, I am to despise and forsake all these for God’s sake, whenever God my Lord desires it.

15. To love God with all the soul is to devote your entire bodily life to him that you can say when the love of any creature, or any persecution threatens to overpower you: All this I will give up, before I will forsake my God; let men cast me away, murder or drown me, let what God’s will is happen to me, I will gladly lose all, before I will forsake thee, O Lord! unto thee will I cling more than to all thy creatures, or to anything that is not thyself. I will risk all things together with what I have and am that I may not forsake thee. The soul in the Scriptures signifies the life of the body, which acts through the five senses, eating, drinking, sleeping, waking, seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and everything that the soul does through the body.

16. To love God with all our strength is to devote all our members and whatever we may be able to do through our bodies to the love of God, and sacrifice all rather than do anything contrary to his will.

17. To love God with all the mind is to take to nothing except that which is pleasing to God. By which is meant the self-conceit which man has that the same be directed to God and that all things be pleasing to him.

18. Thus you see what the commandment requires: “Thou shalt love God.” Thou, thou wholly and fully, not thy hands, not thy lips, not thy knees.

Those who do this, fulfill the commandment in the right sense. But there is not a man On earth who thus fulfils the law; yea, we all do just the opposite. Thus this law here makes us all sinners so that not the least letter of this commandment is fulfilled, even by the most holy persons in the world. For no one clings so firmly to God with all the heart, that he could forsake all things for God’s sake. We have, God be praised, become so competent that we can almost not suffer the least word, yea, we will not let go of a nickel for the sake of God.

How is it possible for us to love God, as long as his will displeases us? For if I love God I love also his will. Now, when God sends us sickness, poverty, shame and disgrace, that is his will. But what do we do under such circumstances? We thunder, scold and growl, and bear it with great impatience. And this is the least part, for what would we do if we had to forsake body and life for God and Christ’s sake? Then we would act quite differently. Yet in the meantime I act like this Pharisee and lawyer does, I lead a fine outward life, honor and serve God, fast, pray, and appear very pious and holy. But God does not want this. He wants us to accept his will with joy and love, and this we are too tardy in doing.

19. Therefore, what the Lord here says to this lawyer, he says to us all, namely, that we have not yet fulfilled the law, and still he requires us to do it. On this account all men are guilty of death, and are the devil’s own property. “All men are liars,” Psalm 116:11, vain and offensive. What they pretend does not avail before God. In our own affairs we are shrewd; how to scrape together money and goods, how to speak well of God before the people, and how to push ourselves ahead in a masterly manner.

But what does God care for this? His will is that we should love him with all our hearts. This no man can do, and the conclusion is that we are all sinners, and especially those who walk in a beautiful outward show. Therefore it is safer that we go and confess that we all are sinners, than that we have respect to our works and cling to our beautiful, glittering lives.

II. A SERMON ON THE GOSPEL IN A PARABLE.

20. The foregoing is the first part of our Gospel lesson, and it is a sermon on the law. The second part now follows, and it preaches the Gospel, how and whence we are to receive power to fulfill the Law. This the good Samaritan will teach us.