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| Jan Verhas - Jesus Raising the Widow's Son |
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| Video of entire Trinity 16 communion service. |
The Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity, 2021
https://video.ibm.com/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto Thee daily.
For Thou, Lord, art good and ready to forgive:
and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Thee.
Psalm. Bow down Thine ear, O Lord, hear me:
for I am poor and needy.
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
Lord, we pray Thee that Thy grace may always go before and follow after us and make us continually to be given to all good works; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.
The Epistle and GradualThe heathen shall fear the name of the Lord:
and all the kings of the earth Thy glory.
V. When the Lord shall build up Zion:
He shall appear in His glory. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
V. Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: He is their Help and their Shield. Hallelujah!
The Gospel
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
God's Declaration of Divine Power
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 #657 Beautiful Savior
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 #657 Beautiful Savior
Prayers and Announcements
- In therapy - Randy Anderson, Mary Howell, John Hicks.
- Recovery from surgery - Anita, Zach Engleman's mother.
- In school, Enzo Meyer at Grand Canyon University (100,000 students, 20,000 in Phoenix); Andrea Anderson.
- The first video has been posted on YouTube. More are on the way. We will consider a second platform, just because.
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| Norma A. Boeckler's artwork |
KJV Ephesians 3:13 Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. 14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
KJV Luke 7:11 And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. 12 Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. 13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. 14 And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. 15 And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. 16 And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people. 17 And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about.
SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
Lord God, heavenly Father, who didst send Thy Son to be made flesh, that by His death He might atone for our sins and deliver us from eternal death: We pray Thee, confirm in our hearts the hope that our Lord Jesus Christ, who with but a word raised the widow's son, in like manner will raise us on the last day, and grant us eternal life: 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.
God's Declaration of Divine Power
Background, Gospel Lesson, Luke 7:11-17
Rationalism is not just an old and forgotten philosophy, but lives on as a current, raging one, always reducing God's Creation to a series of normal changes - so no one is offended. I heard a seminary professor in Canada say, "What is disease? It is dis-ease (an emotional difficulty)." So it is all in our heads? This definition comes in handy for those wolves in sheep's clothing who define miracles in the Gospels as examples of people who were so overjoyed that they no longer had this dis-ease. People find many ways to turn miracles into non-miracles. Jesus saw the distress of the widow and raised her son with His powerful Word. Since every element, plant, animal, human, stars and planets came into being only through this Word, it must be very powerful.
Scholars say the Bible uses mytho-poetic terminology to explain great events or matters beyond our comprehension. I would say, "Yes, but so do the scientists." Astronomers say that in a black hole star, the density is so great that a teaspoon weighs as much as a mountain." No one stops to say, "How many black hole stars have been sampled with a teaspoon?" So there is awe in the description but not awe for the Creator. Many astronomers are believers. Many medical doctors are, too. When I sold a booklet through the mail, about writing for Christian publications. Most responses came from women, but the men who asked for the booklet were MDs. All of them.
KJV Luke 7:11 And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people.
Chemnitz makes the point in the Examination of the Council of Trent, volume 1, that Jesus first established His role with teaching and miracles. That is what the apostles took with them in their journeys, the miracles they experienced and the divine preaching of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The Gospel Word established congregations around the Roman Empire and the apostles wrote down what they were preaching.
The Old Testament served as the earliest example of the Scriptures, which was necessary, even for Gentiles like most of us, because Jesus taught Himself at the end of Luke, how He could be found in:
- The Books of Moses
- The Prophets, and
- The Psalms.
I have to wake up the Old Testament students to the fact that the OT purpose is not ancient history but to lay the groundwork of Jesus' public ministry and to show it happening already before their eyes. "And the Rock that followed them was Christ." 1 Corinthians 10:4
When Jesus traveled, He was met by people who already knew His ministry and what He did (the rumor, or report, Isaiah 53). They crowded Him so badly that He needed to get away from that crush - often. Mark is especially emphatic about that. Mark 1 - Why are you praying, Jesus? We have work to do.
The people came to Jesus for miracles, but this was different. Why devote space to this? One reason is the power of Christ over death. But with that miraculous power is something else - God showing us His mercy and pity and giving us what we cannot even imagine. That is the two-fold story of the widow's son.
12 Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.
They were carrying a young man out of the city because burial was away from the city normally. He was the only son of a widow, so now she was in total despair. Luther speaks of this in a universal way - the woman lost her husband, but she did not need to worry because her son would provide for her. When we have something, we take it for granted and do not even thank God for what He has given us.
We do not appreciate sight until glaucoma and cataracts cause trouble. Then we say, Oh, I would love to have that sight back.
We look at the advantages of others and think, "If only I had those talents!" But we do not thank God for the talents He has given us. It is the nature of special gifts in us that we see them as common. When she had her son, she probably said, "Pick up your room. Help clean the house. Look at what a delicious meal I made for us."
13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. [Lenski - Stop sobbing!]
This is important for all of us. The widow only thought of the burial and her losses. She was weeping copiously. Jesus did not respond to a prayer or to any request, in spite of His fame. What could He do? He felt sorrow for her loss. He acted without being asked, because of this compassion. And that is no different for us. He was walking toward His own sorrow and doom, letting His friend die as the trigger for the crucifixion, when He raised Lazarus from the dead. That is disclosed only in John's Gospel, because the Fourth Gospel completes or explains many episodes of the first three Gospels. It is true that sorrow became joy with Lazarus, but when Jesus saw the tomb carved from stone, He trembled violently, as we do when a crisis hits us hard. He was looking at His own tomb, in a sense, that would soon be given to Him, knowing the torture, betrayal, and pain ahead.
Yet he stopped to give this young man back to his mother.
14 And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.
So great was the power they felt that when Jesus touched makeshift hearse, the men stopped. There is always a divine action to show us how He worked His miracles. They were different in many special ways. The Word of God breathed life back into the young man, with one simple imperative - Young man, I command you, arise.
That is all it takes for God to work His miracles, to give and sustain life, to heal, to keep a disaster from happening. His holy angels assist, especially with children, because there is never enough human help to watch over every child. Why is there a saying that God watches over children? We see so many spared from harm, injury, and death. If someone is born short of our normal menu of abilities, God blesses that child with special abilities.
I have mentioned the son of a classmate from Moline. He is so fragile that people were told not to kiss him, which was so tempting because of his charm and love. He is still living and being quite normal in his own way with his two brothers. That is very special for him, his brothers, his parents, and the wider circle. The mother wrote on FB - My son is rare.
15 And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.
Luke is especially eloquent, often with simple words. The young man sat up and spoke, which proved his change from death to life. He no longer belonged to the grave, so Jesus gave him to his mother. This verse is a tear-jerker, with such simple words inspired by the Holy Spirit.
If she was not sobbing enough, the immediate change would have had her sobbing with joy instead. Anyone can picture that.
16 And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people.
This fear was natural because they suddenly saw death turned into life. They were not blind to the nature of Christ. He exuded that power at times, and this was a dramatic reminder of what His Word could accomplish. I can imagine the slow thinkers saying, "I heard of this man, but I never thought... Could it be?"
The lazy-minded liberal rationalists say, "See, Jesus was only a prophet in the eyes of the people, not the Son of God." He was only a teacher and a prophet, so they made Him out to be the Son of God and the Savior-Messiah-King.
It is difficult to translate those words into such Unitarian-Calvinistic reason. They saw a dead man come to life because of the Word of Christ. He was given many titles in the Bible. The three resurrection miracles recorded for us would explain - by themselves - why He was acclaimed Messiah, Son of David, when He entered Jerusalem. Maybe I am dense, but "God has visited His people" seems like a direct reference to Jesus.
17 And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about.
17 και εξηλθεν ο λογος ουτος [this Word] εν ολη τη ιουδαια περι αυτου [about Him] και εν παση τη περιχωρω
I like the KJV "this rumor" [literally this Word] because a story like this moves quickly through the population. Rumors are not necessarily false; they are stories quickly told and passed around because they are exciting, fearful, or wonderful.
Romans 10:16 - Isaiah 53 - Who has believed the report they heard? Faith comes from hearing and hearing from the Oracle of God.
This is a faith giving and faith supporting miracle. The more we see tragedy, misery, reversals, failures, difficulties, pain and suffering, the more we should turn to this miracle and ask, "What did this woman ask? Nothing. She could not imagine what God could do and then saw it and heard her son's voice. Not only that, hundreds and thousands of people believed because of it.
That is what God can do.
