Septuagesima Sunday, 2023.

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Septuagesima Sunday, 2023

Bethany Lutheran Church

Quinquagesima Sunday

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

The Hymn #413        I Walk in Danger                                 

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit

The sorrows of death compassed me: the sorrows of hell compassed me about.

In my distress I called upon the Lord: and He heard my voice out of His temple.

Psalm. I will love Thee, O Lord, my Strength: the Lord is my Rock and my Fortress.

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

Collect

O Lord, we beseech Thee favorably to hear the prayers of Thy people that we, who are justly punished for our offenses, may be mercifully delivered by Thy goodness, for the glory of Thy name; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Savior, who liveth etc:

The Epistle and Gradual       

Gradual

The Lord will be a Refuge for the oppressed, a Refuge in times of trouble: and they that know Thy name will put their trust in Thee; for Thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek Thee.

V. For the needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish forever. Arise, O Lord; let not man prevail.

Tract. Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, O Lord: Lord, hear my voice.

V. Let Thine ears be attentive: to the voice of my supplications.

V. If Thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities: O Lord, who shall stand?

The Gospel              

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
Hymn # 479        Zion Rise                     

Workers in the Vineyard

The Hymn # 652          I Lay My Sins on Jesus                              

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

Prayers and Announcements

• Kermit Way is home from the hospital, and being treated. Also - Callie. Others are experiencing flu symptoms. 
• Transfiguration Sunday will be included next year, since it is the last Sunday of the Epiphany season.
• Another ten KJV Bibles are being given to Big John for our local jail ministry.

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.

Workers in the Vineyard

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.

Luther wrote about how much this parable is twisted around and distorted, applying each detail to symbols useful for the Church of Rome but completely wrong about the intent of Jesus' message. An institution is bound to get this wrong because human, invented creations are bound to become more and more impressive in honoring people, titles, honors, plaques, and ribbons. 

The key to this parable is God's own way of dealing with us, since God sees and does the opposite of how we see and do things.

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.

We have to allow for inflation. A penny was good payment for a whole day of working.  So those being hired later and later saw an opportunity for more and more earnings. They deserved it.

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.

This is clearly a parable against the institutional or visible church. Those who were there at the beginning expected the accumulated glory. Those called at the beginning had "borne the burden and the heat of the day."

And because they were there at the beginning, they are offended - and bitter - that anyone could be their equal. God seems to be contrary to common sense because He is past, present, and future at the same time. We can never comprehend that.

That is how the least likely have special roles to play. One of my students had to drop from his studies to go to a hospital. He felt very bad about it. I told him about Anton Boisen (Yale School of Forestry, 1905, also a seminary graduate), a figure not even known among people in his field. He wanted to marry a young woman and took her to the park. All the time he wanted to say, "Will you marry me?" He was so blocked that he just took photos. This ate away at him and he was hospitalized, multiple times over the years. Out of that experience he started the whole concept of ministry in hospitals. He wanted to integrate emotional healing with the Christian faith. Very few know the origins of that work, no glory but appreciated by those treated from the Christian perspective.

Luther:

Behold, how Saul fell!

How God permitted David to fall! How Peter had to fall! How some disciples of Paul fell !

12. Therefore it is indeed necessary to preach this Gospel in our times to those who now know the Gospel as myself and those like me, who imagine they can teach and govern the whole world, and therefore imagine they are the nearest to God and have devoured the Holy Spirit, bones and feathers.

For why is it that so many sects have already gone forth, this one making a hobby of one thing in the Gospel and that one of another? No doubt, because none of them considered that the saying, “the first are last,” meant and concerned them; or if applied to them, they were secure and without fear, considering themselves as the first. Therefore according to this saying, it must come to pass that they be the last, and hence rush ahead and spread shameful doctrines and blasphemies against God and his Word.

When Old Testament students discuss Saul, David, and Solomon, they concentrate on the failures of three kings. I try to tell the students, "These men are mirrors of our failings. King David was perhaps the worst in many ways, but he also wrote (through the Holy Spirit) the Psalms about sorrow for sin. Best of all the title for the Messiah, the Son of David, is throughout the New Testament."

Students, "Yes, but David was very bad."

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.

This applies also to those who come late to the Gospel because they experienced an epiphany - knowledge of God's glory - after many years of hearing watered down or even blatantly false teaching. Many (who consider themselves "the first" are eager to say such things as),

1. I was born in ___ synod, or better -
2. I was born in the parsonage of ____ synod. and best of all -
3. "Do you know who my grandfather was?"

Those claims are equal to infallibility, or even better - wisdom beyond and even against the Bible itself.

So people are genuinely sorry they grew up where Biblical doctrine was badly distorted or simply rejected. But that makes us appreciate the text of the Bible that much more and the meaning of the Reformation as well. People died in prison to defend the truth while Bishops and Cardinals paraded in their silken costumes and gold/silver decorations.

Man says, "I am first!"

God says, "The last will be first."