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| The Danish writer Grundvig wrote this and "God's Word Is Our Great Heritage." |
The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany, 2020
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
Hymn #24 Lord of My Life
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 Romans 13:8-10
The Gospel Matthew 8:23-27
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
Sermon Hymn #467 Built on the Rock
Faith and Fear
Hymn #307 Draw Nigh
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
Hymn #649 Jesus Savior Pilot Me
Prayers and Announcements
- Kermit Way, Maria Ellenberger Way's husband, is undergoing treatement for cancer.
- Christina Jackson has new growths and will receive radiation treatment and a new medicine.
- Glen Kotten is recovering and expects to be home in a week.
- Bethany Lutheran Mission in the Philippines has its materials and is building a permanent roof. Pastor and Mrs. Palangyos are from that region.
- Pilgrim's Progress, Wednesday 7 PM Central, will wrap up Part I this week and then move on to part II, Christiana's story.
KJV Romans 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
KJV Matthew 8:23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. 25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. 26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!
Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
Lord God, heavenly Father, who in Thy divine wisdom and fatherly goodness makest Thy children to bear the cross, and sendest divers afflictions upon us to subdue the flesh, and quicken our hearts unto faith, hope and unceasing prayer: We beseech Thee to have mercy upon us, and graciously deliver us out of our trials and afflictions, so that we may perceive Thy grace and fatherly help, and with all saints forever praise and worship Thee; through Thy dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen. 
Introductory Material
Those who follow the Pilgrim's Progress class or read the book will notice remarkable parallels with this event. In a few verses, through many dramatic episodes, the story illustrates a lesson about faith in God. For example, when Christian tries to carry his great load of sins to Legality, the weight grows so much that he can no longer make progress. Forgiveness through the Law is impossible, and could have killed him. There is only one entry to forgiveness, the straight and narrow, in Pilgrim's Progress, the Wicket Gate. Passing through allows him to be taught at the Interpreter's House (the Holy Spirit's House), where he learns about the Law and Gospel, sin and forgiveness.
There are several ways to teach against faith, and they are used all the time by the great and mighty, to preserve their private delusions while appearing to say the opposite to the faithful. One is to change meanings and announce something strange that is an effort to replace Biblical doctrine with fancy talk. Thus they imagine - Jesus did not die on the cross for our sins, but to show solidarity with the poor. The wannabe Marxists know what that means - Jesus was a revolutionary who died as a symbol of the battle between good and evil, nothing more. Or they use grand titles and phrases designed to mean - "you think so, but I know better." The preachers and theologians will talk about the Easter faith of the disciples - on Easter - meaning Jesus rose from the dead only in the sense of Him becoming the Savior in their hearts. The elite nod their heads - he gets it! Believers wonder what that really means. But when worldly wisemen and highly educated women hear a sermon about faith, they are angry and start a fund to pay for the gallows. Miracles are for little children.
Faith and Fear
KJV Matthew 8:23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.
Jesus tested the faith of the disciples in many ways. It has been said that they are the dark background against which the brilliant Savior shines so much brighter. This enables us to see how the disciples ("learners") grew to become apostles (literally "sent" - like Jesus, sent by God).
Luther:
1. This Gospel, as a narrative, gives us an example of faith and unbelief, in order that we may learn how mighty the power of faith is, and that it of necessity has to do with great and terrible things and that it accomplishes nothing but wonders; and that on the other hand unbelief is so fainthearted, shamefaced and trembling with fear that it can do nothing whatever. An illustration of this we see in this experience of the disciples, which shows the real state of their hearts. First, as they in company with Christ entered the ship, all was calm and they experienced nothing unusual, and had any one asked them then if they believed, they would have answered, Yes. But they were not conscious of how their hearts trusted in the calm sea and the signs for fair weather, and that thus their faith was founded upon what their natural eyes saw. But when the tempest comes and the waves fill the boat, their faith vanishes; because the calm and peace in which they trusted took wings and flew away, therefore they fly with the calm and peace, and nothing is left but unbelief.
Everyone is happy to have things go well and find no opposition or unpleasantness that would dampen their spirits. The calm does not challenge our faith because we tend to give ourselves credit during pleasant and prosperous times. The disciples were familiar with traveling across the Sea of Galilee in boats made for the sudden storms which blew across the waters.
Lenski, p. 345 - "The lake lies between high hills and is thus subject to sudden tempests which develop excessive fury as they roar through the great trough in which the lake lies."24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.
Matthew called it a "great earthquake" (σεισμος μεγας) to express the fury of the storm. I read the latest books on the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. One wave was so great that the enormous ore ship was lifted up and angled downward into the lake, making it more a submarine as it rushed to the bottom and disintegrated.
How could Jesus sleep through such terror? The ship was swamped and the disciples could only think of death and being pulled under by the waves. Yet Jesus was asleep. Of all the miracles in the Bible, this is almost the greatest.
This is the battle between everything carnal, of the flesh, and everything eternal - revealed to us through the Word of God.
Fear and faith are opposites. When fear takes over, we not only dwell on what could happen (based on experience) but also imagine how much worse it could be.
Jesus asleep during this deadly storm is symbolic of His seeming silence and withdrawal from crises, whether caused by man or Creation.
25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.
At this point, the disciples could only feel the icy waves, their soaked clothing, the winds stirring up even more waves in the darkness. They woke up the Lord of Creation, to tell Him their fears - save us, we are dying!
Fear is easily magnified by the people around us, and the media have discovered that fear headlines often work wonders for the numbers of their readers and viewers.
Fear only sees what is bad and takes away our energy to do anything but try to escape the calamity. Fear comes from economic reverses, from medical crises, from various threats - whether minor or major.
Faith conquers all because trust in God displaces carnal fears. Jesus provided the disciples with ways of experiencing fear so they could grow in their trust of Him. Then the episode became the opposite of terror and trauma, it became a lesson learned.
Furthermore, the bonus lesson comes from realizing that the challenge, threat, or calamity was a blessing.
Joel 2:13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. 14 Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God?Bunyan admitted that his 12 years in prison were a blessing, and his readers would have to agree, simply based on his books. But there were other blessings. He converted his guard. He visited members outside the prison. His cell became his office and workshop. He could continue as a tinker and also publish. That would be no paradise for most, but faith turned it into a paradise, as Luther wrote in his great statement about afflictions.
26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
Here is the proof that fear and faith are opposites.
- Fear is not lack of intelligence.
- Fear is not lack of experience.
- Fear is not lack of courage.
The antidote for fear is not intelligence, experience, or courage - but faith. "Little faith" is the primary rebuke of Jesus against His disciples, because the answers to their troubles came from trusting in Him. Paul stated the same when he said that God answered his prayers by revealing to him -
2 Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
It is when God does far beyond our expectations that we realize His strength and our weakness: His grace is sufficient.
Luther:
8. Therefore this Gospel is a comforting example and doctrine, how we should conduct ourselves, so that we may not despair in the agony of sin, in the peril of death, and in the tumult of the world; but be assured that we are not lost, although the waves at once overwhelm our little boat; that we will not perish, although we experience in our evil conscience sin, wrath, and the lack of grace; that we will not die, although the whole world hates and persecutes us, although it opens its jaws as wide as the rosy dawn of the morning. These are all waves that fall over your little bark, cause to despair, and force you to cry out: “Save, Lord; we perish”. Thus you have here the first part of this Gospel, faith, how it should thrive and succeed, and besides, how incapable and fainthearted unbelief is.
27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!
As we can see, they have not grasped the divinity of Jesus, His identity with God. He is God, the Logos of Creation, the Lord of Creation. Not only do we see in this His power over all things in our natural world, but also the power of His Word.
The anti-Biblical, anti-Lutheran leaders might allow for the stilling of the storm, but that powerful Word - does it also consecrate the Word? Of course. Once the consecrating and baptizing Word is merely symbolic, the Creating Word is doubted, finally the divinity of Jesus Himself. That is the trajectory in human reason above the Word and judging the Word.
The disciples marveled because they saw the power of the Savior in using His voice, His Word to silence the raging storm.
Luther:
14. Hence, people have here an example where they are to seek their comfort and help, not in the world; they are not to guard the wisdom and power of men, but Christ himself and him alone; they are to cleave to him and depend on him in every need with all faithfulness and confidence as the disciples, do in our text. For had they not believed that he would help them, they would not have awakened him and called upon him. True their faith was weak and was mingled with much unbelief, so that they did not perfectly and freely surrender themselves to Christ and risk their life with him, nor did they believe he could rescue them in the midst of the sea and save them from death. Thus it is ordained that the Word of God has no master nor judge, no protector or patron can be given it besides God himself. It is his Word. Therefore, as he left it go forth without any merit or counsel of men, so will he himself without any human help and strength administer and defend it. And whoever seeks protection and comfort in these things among men, will both fall and fail, and be forsaken by both God and man.
15. That Jesus slept indicates the condition of their hearts, namely, that they had a weak, sleepy faith, but especially that at the time of persecution Christ withdraws and acts as though he were asleep, and gives neither strength nor power, neither peace nor rest, but lets us worry and labor in our weakness, and permits us to experience that we are nothing at all and that all depends upon his grace and power, as Paul confesses in Corinthians 1:9, that he had to suffer great affliction, so as to learn to trust not in himself but in God, who raised the dead. Such a sleeping on the part of God David often experienced and refers to it in many places, as when he says in Psalm 44:23: “Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? Arise, cast us not off forever.”
When great affliction comes, it is not a matter of "how could this happen to me?" but how will God work this to His glory? I told one member I was really tired of answering writing against Justification by Faith. Now each little burst of ammo makes me say, "This is another weakness of their dogma, easily exposed." Additional study only solidifies the truth.
Another aspect of this is dealing with affliction that is not directly related to the Word.
Luther's advice is priceless and represented well in Paul and in John Bunyan.
We know of many examples where the affliction stays and even grows as a burden. God does not always take that affliction away. But when allowed, God takes our heart away from the affliction. It is still there, but God gives us such peace that we imagine we are in a rose garden. Anger and depression come from dwelling on the trouble, so does lethargy. But taking our heart (our full concentration, our obsession) away from the affliction brings energy, hope, optimism, and many blessings.
Arguing with a computer is a good example affliction. I name them all HAL, after the homicidal computer in the film 2001. I knew the rules in publishing and tried to insist on them being followed. The final result was a threat to erase everything published.
This is where believing friends mean so much. The advice given was, "Ignore this and concentrate on other projects." That helped move along all kinds of new projects. The problem is still there but I can approach it again, smiling as I write.
