The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
Introit
Be Thou my strong Rock: for an house of defense to save me.
Thou art my Rock and my Fortress: therefore for Thy name’s sake lead me and guide me.
Psalm. In Thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in Thy righteousness.
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
Collect
O Lord, we beseech Thee, mercifully hear our prayers and, having set us free from the bonds of sin, defend us from all evil; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.
The EpistleThe Epistle. 1 Corinthians 13
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Gradual
V. Thou hast with Thine arm redeemed Thy people: the sons of Jacob and Joseph.
Tract. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands: serve the Lord with gladness.
V. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving.
V. Know ye that the Lord, He is God.
V. It is He that hath made us and not we ourselves: we are His people and the sheep of his pasture.
The Gospel
Luke 18:31 Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.
32 For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on:
33 And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.
34 And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.
35 And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging:
36 And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant.
37 And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by.
38 And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.
39 And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.
40 And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him,
41 Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight.
42 And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.
43 And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #142 A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth
The Sermon Hymn #142 A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth
The Eyes of Faith
The Hymn #311 Jesus Christ, Our Blessed Savior - John Huss, above
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 #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
The Hymn #657 Beautiful Savior
The Eyes of Faith
Luke 18:31 Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. 32 For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: 33 And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. 34 And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.
At first it seems that these two passages are put together awkwardly, starting with the lack of understanding of the disciples. Although Jesus taught them carefully, they showed many examples of not really grasping the divinity and future of their Savior. Being very clear about what they heard, the disciples were even more lost - "they understood none of these things."
Nils Dahl quoted a description of this - (from class) - "The disciples were the dark background which made the brightness of Jesus all the more brilliant." That is a concise reflection. Modernists have their own ideas, which means they hear and read the words about Christ, but they treat the Savior as a very good person but not miraculous or divine.
This introduction reminds us of how much we are like the disciples. Our lives of faith can be in the background. We have learned a lot about the Scriptures, but the divine message is not so clear and forceful. Pastors fall into this just as much - if not more - than the typical church member. And we wonder what "typical" means now.
It is good to remember that the disciples are going up toward Jerusalem. That is symbolic and real at the same time.
35 And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging: 36 And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. 37 And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. 38 And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.
This is the great contrast which many overlook. We take these things for granted. The description is important - a certain blind man was on the side begging. He heard the noise of the crowd, which alerted him. But he did not know. They told the beggar what they did not realize. They only said "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by."
That was important but the blind man knew so much more - not simply "Jesus of Nazareth" but "Jesus You (singular) Son of David. The crowd with eyesight could not see what the blindman saw and embraced - "have mercy on me."
Even today, the crowds rush by and create a commotion.
39 And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.
A large group of people came rushing by, but they only wanted to silence the blind man. Everything was upside-down, as it is today. Jesus the Savior is rebuked in every possible way and manner. The exception is being faithful and attentive toward the Good Shepherd, who not only protects them but also provides for them. Faith comes from hearing the Gospel in Isaiah 53 and Romans 10, plus many other sources.
40 And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him, 41 Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. 42 And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee. 43 And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.
Clearly the crowd were not believers but the blind beggar already confessed his faith in Jesus. The ratio continues - "Many are called but few are chosen." All the people praised God but the days in Jerusalem showed that the same people cheering were also eager to jeer and mock Jesus.
There are many levels in this short passage, and they are worth considering.
1. Jesus described what would soon happen and argued - based on the Prophets, whose writings were preserved many centuries in the past. The Prophets had great authority, so they were the foundation of the New Testament .
2. Jesus Himself proclaimed His Messianic Promises, even though most did not believe unless given dramatic examples.
3. The blind man knew about Jesus in advance.
4. Jesus confirmed His David honor, through the blind man's faith and confession.
Prayers and Announcements
Tuesday 10 AM - Reformation Lecture, but not on Thursday this week
Ash Wednesday - 7 PM
In our prayers - Pastor and Chris Shrader - black mold; Sarah Buck, others in our prayers.
