Septuagesima Sunday, 2020
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual
The Gospel
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #479 Zion Rise
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #479 Zion Rise
Run the Race!
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 # 199 Jesus Christ Is Risen Today
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 # 199 Jesus Christ Is Risen Today
Prayers and Announcements
- In treatment, Christina Jackson (radiation), Rush Limbaugh, Kermit Way (diagnosis, surgery).
- Glen Kotten is recovering and expects to be home this week.
- Bethany Lutheran Mission in the Philippines has its materials and is building a permanent roof, now that the harvest is finishing. Pastor and Mrs. Palangyos are from that region.
- Pilgrim's Progress, Wednesday 7 PM Central, will begin Part II this week, Christiana's story.
Hans Brorson - "I Walk in Danger." He was a Danish Pietist known for this hymn and often associated with Thomas Kingo and Nicholai Grundtvig. He wrote the ethereal "Behold a Host Arrayed in White" and "Thy Little Ones, Dear Lord, Are We." Over 100 of his hymns are in the Danish hymnal.
1 Corinthians 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
KJV Matthew 20:1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. 2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? 7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. 8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. 9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. 10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. 11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, 12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. 13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? 14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? 16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
Septuagesima Sunday
Lord God, heavenly Father, who through Thy holy word hast called us into Thy vineyard: Send, we beseech Thee, Thy Holy Spirit into our hearts, that we may labor faithfully in Thy vineyard, shun sin and all offense, obediently keep Thy word and do Thy will, and put our whole and only trust in Thy grace, which Thou hast bestowed upon us so plenteously through Thy Son Jesus Christ, that we may obtain eternal salvation through Him, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
Background for the Epistle Lesson - 1 Corinthians 9:24 - 10:5
The ancients Greeks were so enamored of athletic contests that they stopped wars in order to have competitions. The same who fought on the battlefield were competitors in the Olympic, Delphic, and other games. Alexander the Great expanded Greek culture, creating the Hellenistic Empire, which brought drama, literature, trade, engineering, the Greek language, and athletics to every corner - three hundred years before Christ. For that reason, Greece was the standard in all human endeavors, and the growing Roman Empire emulated Greece in its expansion.
The Roman Emperor Nero, about 40 years after Christ, wanted to win every contest and wear the laurel crown. We still use that term - laurels - for honors in athletics and academics. Julius Caesar (40 years before Christ) obtained permission to wear his laurels all the time, because he was balding, the first celebrity to wear a "rug."
Paul's example of athletic competition used universal images of his time, and they fit ours as well. Not long ago, America stopped to watch athletes compete for the trophy awarded at the Superbowl. Professional and amateur athletes are remembered for the laurels they won in years past.
Run the Race!
1 Corinthians 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race [stadium length - εν σταδιω] run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
Instructing the Christians under his care, the Apostle used an image familiar to all. The important races had one winner, just one who received the prize.
This is a fitting analogy for believers, because we move toward the goal as individuals. We cannot make others believe, though we can teach them. We cannot give them our faith, but we can share the Gospel Word. This is a message for each and every one of us.
Just as in running a race, the individual has to be disciplined just to compete and maintain that purpose throughout the race. The marathon race is named for the place - Marathon - where a battle was being fought and a runner sent to report the results.
Whether the race is 100 meters or 26 miles, the training and diet for that contest has to be consistent, self-disciplined, and designed for that effort. Paul says, "Run in order to receive that prize."
Like music, athletics have been used to learn a discipline - practice, being on time, avoiding training pitfalls. One athlete bragged that he could run laps and smoke at the same time, the same with other lapses. Years later he was addicted to those substances that he could overcome with his natural ability.
Those who look at spiritual discipline the same way can easily find that the short-cuts often become second nature and a permanent pattern. Our impulsive culture promotes that as meritorious, so outrageous actions are praised for the moment.
Spiritual discipline is easily described as remaining on the True Vine, Jesus the Savior, and being fruitful through the cleansing of repentance and forgiveness of sin.
Athletes study what diets they should maintain before and on the day of the contest. The human body cannot deliver on a diet of fast food, and our souls cannot thrive and endure without soul food - the Word and Sacraments, the Means of Grace.
25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
Striving is the word we use for agony today, the battle between one force and another. The body of the runner is aching, not just on race day but on every day of training. The athlete's struggle to master the body and emotions is tremendous and often consuming. One man said he could not re-enter his sport because the winning numbers were much higher and he was not geared emotionally to exceed those numbers.
The foot is an engineering marvel, a living cathedral designed for speed, strength and endurance. "The human foot is a strong and complex mechanical structure containing 26 bones, 33 joints (20 of which are actively articulated), and more than a hundred muscles, tendons, and ligaments." A single problem in one foot can be crippling for the runner. Our podiatrist pulled glass out of mine, several times, and that was to remove pain in walking.
Part-time believers are like sporadic athletes. Time off becomes a permanent vacation, and the benefits fail to accrue. That is important because the Christian Faith offers is the One Truth so many have sought over the centuries, the wise men, kings, and priests.
Those with a slight knowledge of Creation will say to me, "How can we leave 20 sacks of leaves on your garden? They will blow all over the block. You will have to rake them back." I tell them, "No, the leaves interlock and quickly become a thick, blanket, softened by rain and frost, slowly absorbed into the soil. That protects plants and provides food for them through the devouring action of slugs, earthworms, springtails, and mites. They become nutrition as they disappear as the former leaf blanket." All things were created by the Son of God, the Logos, and nothing was created apart from Him." John 1:3. Concordia, St. Louis has no clue.
The corruptible crown (στεφανον - crown, Stephan) is that prize of laurel leaves, a symbol of all that work that went before and continued during that race. As great an honor as that is, the more important prize is finishing the race as a believer.
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| Christiana's Story, Part II, Is Found in the Lutheran Librarian's edition of Pilgrim's Progress. Click the link to spread the Word. |
26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
As Lenski notes, Paul uses double-negatives (litotes) to say he runs not uncertainly - but with a purpose. And he fights - not shadow boxes - but to win.
The Apostles lived in a pagan era much like ours, and we are just as bad, even in the worst ways possible. Lewd behavior was normal, and religion was often united with fertility rites, as we see being celebrated today in ELCA and almost universally hailed a freedom to be. In the midst of all temptations, Paul said he made his body subordinate to his faith, his body a temple of God, so that he would not fail as an apostle by being associated with pagan extremes.
Where Christianity fails, pagan worship takes over. Paul's inspired advice is laughed at, and the world looks upon buzzed celebrities with awe, respect, and wonder.
Lenski: Corinthians p. 386
"When we read all that Paul says about the body we should not catch the real point of his entire dis cussion if we failed to see just why he so prominently brings in this reference to his body. In many other connections he deals with the body and with its mem bers plus the lusts that use these organs for their pur pose. Thus in 6:12, etc.; Rom. 12:1. Here he refers to his body as an organism that requires food, drink, clothing, lodging, etc., in a word, support in order to live, support from the churches he served. This body of his would like to have abundant and rich support in order to live in a style that is befitting the body of an apostle, to say nothing about the greatest apostle of all. See the grand style in which prominent clerics live to day! Now Paul says: "I knock this out of my body completely; lead my body around as a slave (this is the first meaning of δουλαγωγω) ; I never let it rob me of my glory, that I make the gospel completely without charge' to all those to-whom I preach." Our versions are too refined also when they translate this degrading verb. It means complete slavery and not mere subjection or bondage, which may be much less."
It is tempting to attach profit to media productions, which is why our little group operates non-profit and often giving away books, recordings, and art. If a book can make $1,000 a year in profits for the author in the Lutheran market, why not drop the Sacraments, Luther, the Creeds, and make many times more? Many have forgotten what Luther said about temptation - "We cannot keep birds from flying over our heads, but we can keep them from building nests in our hair."
10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
St. Paul binds the individual's relationship to the larger view of the People of God, using "all" five times. The four verses build up to the presence of Christ in the Exodus. They were separated as the People of God and set free by God, escaping the Egyptians and slavery. The Rock is Christ, but the Greek term is rock-ledge or bedrock, not a rock. δε πετρα ην ο χριστος
At Caesarea Philippi, Jesus said, "You are Rocky πετρος," his nickname for Simon, and upon this Bedrock πετρα (Jesus Himself) I will build My Church.
Matthew 16:18 - συ ει πετρος και επι ταυτη τη πετρα οικοδομησω μου την εκκλησιαν
Jesus did not appoint Peter to be the first Pope, and he did not promise to build His Church on Peter's confession. After all, Peter rebuked Jesus a few seconds later. Man's confession is not permanent and stable, but Jesus is the foundation, the bedrock of the Christian Church.
Verse 5 concludes by saying that in spite of all that God did for His people to start and continue the Exodus, many fell away. This is a warning for all believers today.
In the same way, Christ died for the sins of all. However, even though many begin in the faith, through the Gospel Word, including Holy Baptism, many take this gift lightly. Others willfully teach another doctrine. Still others rejoice in their freedom but not in the Gospel itself.
The Greek word used for athletic competition is "struggle," and all of life is a struggle in the same way. Fortunately, we have world-wide team to help, encourage, support, and pray for us. I have as many (or as few) Christian friends in this Bible Belt city here as a member does in New York City. But we have a circle of Christian friends around the world.
An old gruff member years ago was never appreciated by his church members, even though he supported that congregation far more than those members did. He spoke his mind at all times instead of playing games. He knew and felt this disapproval from the very people who expected him to bear their burdens. He would talk about those painful experiences and conclude, "Well, Jesus loves me."
His family chased him away from Bethany, but he got this congregation going anyway.
