The Fifth Sunday after Trinity. Luke 5:1-11. The Miraculous Catch of Fish

The Fifth Sunday after Trinity, 2015

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Time

The melodies are linked in the hymn name. 

The lyrics are linked in the hymn number.

• The melody site is linked here.
• TLH Lyrics site is linked here.

The Hymn #  375 If Thy Beloved Son
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 Gospel             
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn # 132  O God of God

At Your Word, I Will Let Down the Net

The Communion Hymn #307 Draw Nigh and Take
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 # 50       Lord Dismiss Us  

KJV 1 Peter 3:8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: 9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. 10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: 11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. 13 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? 14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

KJV Luke 5:1 And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. 3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. 4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. 5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. 6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. 7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. 9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: 10 And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. 11 And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

Fifth Sunday After Trinity
O Jesus Christ, Thou Son of the living God, who hast given us Thy holy word, and hast bountifully provided for all our temporal wants, we confess that we are unworthy of all these mercies, and that we have rather deserved punishment: But we beseech Thee, forgive us our sins, and prosper and bless us in our several callings, that by Thy strength we may be sustained and defended, now and forever, and so praise and glorify Thee eternally, Thou who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

At Your Word, I Will Let Down the Net

KJV Luke 5:1 And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, 

This sermon opportunity was special, because the land rises around the lake, so Jesus had a natural place from which to speak, especially on a boat. When surrounded by crowds, at an equal level, it was harder for those on the perimeter to hear and to see. The water was His sounding board and everyone could hear and see. As the church architects say, either slope the audience upward or build a higher chancel area. Jesus had a similar advantage in the Sermon on the Mount, only in reverse.

2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. 

Luther saw the two ships as symbolic of Judaism and the Gentiles. He entered the Jewish ship, but the Gentile ship was needed to haul in the catch. Some will say, as they often do about allegories, "Nowhere in the text. You cannot say that." But look at the entire text, the entire Bible,and this is true. Jesus conducted His entire ministry as a Jew, as a rabbi, and yet He invited the Gentiles, preached to them and converted them, so they helped in drawing in the miraculous catch caught by the Word of God. 

Pixelating the text is the sign of cults and sects. By that I mean they enlarge one verse or one phrase so much that it lacks focus and resolution. They make their favorite selection the entire Bible while ignoring the entire Bible. No wonder they despise the Word of God but fill the world with their endless chatter and foolish opinions. Therefore it is very important to see a verse in the context of the entire Scriptures. Only believers can do that. The works-salesmen and outward saints will not read more than whatever supports their needs.

3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. 4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. 5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy Word I will let down the net.

Sitting was the proper stance for a rabbi at that time. Jesus also sat for the Sermon on the Mount. The order of this miracle is important. Jesus taught first and performed the miracle through Peter second.

Both portions illustrate the miracle of the Word's powers. First of all, the Word converted people to faith in Christ. Peter revealed that by doubting whether any more fishing would help, but agreed to try again - "at your Word." He was saying, "I trust in You and and I trust Your Word." Human reason did not accomplish that. The Spirit worked on Peter through the Word. In fact, human reason and experience argued against catching any fish. They were experts who knew how to find the fish, and evening fishing is supposed to be more effective. Everything was against another attempt, but the Word caused Peter to trust in Jesus rather than everything he thought and experienced.

Next Peter and his helpers were able to see the effect of trusting the Word.

6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. 7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

When they trusted in the Word, they tried what had not worked before. The drew in so many fish that their newly repaired net broke. Here is where the analogy Luther fashioned works so well. What happened in the Apostolic Church? They had vast numbers of converts wherever they went, and Paul helped them include the Gentiles as well. Peter and his helpers captured so many fish that both ships began to sink. They were not canoes or speed boats, but flat stable ships designed for fishing and hauling the heavy harvest back to port. Not event the two ships together were adequate for the task. 

Nor can we count the multitudes who heard the Word, believed, and entered into eternal life in those early days of persecution.

This also illustrates how God takes care of our daily needs. These fisherman did not have that safety net we talk about today. They needed food and yet they had experienced total failure the night before. When good news is awaited, the time passes very slowly. God can let us hope and pray for a long time. Suddenly, beyond anything we could imagine, God provides in abundance.

This miracle shows that God's Word changes the natural order in an instant, not that He neglects Creation at any moment. Trusting means not seeing and yet believing in God's mercy, love, and kindness.

When I planted Silver Queen corn on June 1st, I marked my calendar, allowing two weeks for germination. That is what the package said. When nothing came up and I saw holes in the mulch, at the right intervals, I assumed all the corn was eaten by squirrels or crows. I was done planting sweet corn. It's no good here, I thought. No more corn ever again. Instead, the corn germinated much later. Now it is already forming tassels. One can blame that on planting in cold soil and an minor annoyance.

I had another experience, where the teaching dwindled to almost nothing, step by step. No one communicates any information. I decided not to become gloomy but to wait. Anxiety is such a waste of energy, but I had all kinds of reasons to worry, including the stories about online schools fading away. Those were facts, and I knew my age was not a plus. But step by step, the new offers came in, and I reached the satisfactory number again. I used the extra time and energy to catch up on the justification by faith book, which is nearing completion.

8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. 9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: 10 And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon.

When Peter saw the divine nature of this event, his faith in Christ grew because he experienced firsthand what human reason could not explain. The majesty of Jesus' power made Peter aware of his sinful nature.

Apostates always make fun of this miracle. One was Reimarus, who denied the supernatural basis of Christianity. His Fragments became the foundation of the modern rejection of Biblical doctrine, such as Knapp on the Trinity and Tholuck on universalism. Knapp and Tholuch both taught at Halle University, established to teach Pietism.

In contrast, Creation shows us how God cares for our temporal needs, but the clergy, priests, and popes do not believe this.

Luther:
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God doth so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Be not therefore anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

6. Here you see how God cares for the birds and flowers, and adorns them so beautifully; much move will he give us what we need; and yet we cannot trust him. So successfully has the devil taken us captive by his snares. If one comes now so far that he is not satisfied and does not trust God, then love must at once cease, so that he does no one any good, but he scratches together everything only on his own heap.

7. And in this way the calling of the priests and monks arose; only in order that they might help themselves and feed their stomachs, and not being permitted to work they ran into the cloisters. And the proverb is true:

Despair makes monks; yea, not only monks, but also priests, bishops and popes; for they do not trust God that he is able to feed and clothe them, and only think how they may fortify themselves against all want and poverty. All this is the life of unbelief. Then they go and keep strumpets or commit adultery, which are the fruits that follow unbelief; for they never trusted God, that he was able to sustain them, if they took unto themselves wives and remained out of the monasteries.

10b And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. 11 And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

Jesus illustrated God's temporal care for the disciples and also their spiritual power in teaching the Word of God. 

Sometimes people want to interpret "catching men" as judgement in the negative sense. But we can see from the Parable of the Last Judgment in Matthew 25 that judgment is both positive and negative. Those who took care of the naked and hungry and in prison did so through faith in Christ, and they are blessed. Those who did not also received judgment, another kind.

How To Silence the False Teachers - Quote Them

Someone alerted me to another series of attacks on Facebook. The Pharisees do not like justification by faith, but they are too cowardly to address that directly.

Instead they find excuses to attack me, which I enjoy immensely, but they always fire away from under cover. Jack Kilcrease has done this while blocking me, so officially I cannot see his remarks.

Kilcrease erases his blundering remarks so much that "to kilcrease" is now synonymous with removing previous remarks because they have been refuted.

This time the thread  on Facebook's WELS Discussions was started by Joel Lillo, intemperate supporter of Ski, Glende, and others equally inept. He actually imagined I could not read his comments.

A note for the criminally stupid - Facebook is public. Publishing on Facebook means everything is available. The company sells the data to make money. Nothing is secret. No one can publish on the Net and say "But that was hidden away!" and have any credibility. That is especially true of Facebook, a social gathering place, not a secret society like WELS' GA (HB).

I began posting some of their ridiculous statements, which united the trans-Jennered Samantha Lily Birner with Jay Webber and Joel Lillo. They were all in agreement, with Edith Shallert as a bonus.

The initial crime? I quoted a story verbatim from Out Sports, about a recent homosexual student at Martin Luther College, WELS. Joel Lillo, who has no problems with abusing a lady staff member (if Ski and Glende are at fault) or suing the victims in court (if Ski, Glende, and staff are doing this), but Lillo was outraged by my quoting an article, word for word, and giving the actual link for verification.

To find fault with this, Lillo had to wring out this objection. I actually put the references to WELS in bold print! How dare I! As Shakespeare (Oxford) says, "A little pot is soon hot." I do that for many articles, especially verbose ones, to show why it is relevant to the readers. Lillo should know that much, since he reads the blog daily, after swearing off many times.

Quoting them on this blog silenced the grace-filled wit of these WELS-ELS clowns. Righteous anger turned to fear. Now their eructations are immortal and no longer hidden from view.

John 3:19 KJV And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Nota bene - which is Latin for Listen up! - The esteemed writers on Facebook's WELS Discussions had no problems agreeing with Samantha Lily, but they poured out their wrath on me. Participants threatened to leave the page forever if I participated, but they gladly link arms with Samantha Lily.

A reader sent this graphic.

They have stopped writing on their thread, now that they are public. One reader phoned to laugh at the Lillo-Tranny-Webber group of sniveling ninnies. He said, "Talk about dumb!"

Rustic Fence Has Birds Lining Up for Their Baths in the Community Pools

This is the famous Yale fence, where undergraduate men gathered."The tradition of the Fence began in 1833, when the picket fence fronting the Old Brick Row was replaced by a rail fence on which one could comfortably lean or perch. 
It soon attracted students in great numbers
for the sharing of news and idle chatter."

I was pleased to see the birds take to the rustic fence in the backyard. The cardinal was using it, even balancing on the wobbly upright branch, before we built it across the yard.

The fence consists of the dead tree we cut up and the young tree our helper cut down. The branches from the young tree are still attached, and so are the leaves. It was growing into the house's foundations, so it was better to cut it, tree huggers. Our helper dragged it a block.

More rustic and a lot less weedy than this one.

I learned in Midland that birds will gather on branches near the ground. We had a large pile near the curb, for bulk pickup. The truck did not come for some time, but the birds sat there chattering like the happiest critters on earth, oblivious to car traffic.

We used to gather discarded Christmas trees and toss them in the snow near the compost bin in Midland. Birds like extra protection and warmth. I bought garbage bags of popcorn after a local event and kept it for the birds. Soon we had a choir of birds singing praise whenever I entered the backyard.
We had very heavy snowfall right after I cornered the market on popcorn.

The intensity of color in the sunlight cannot be captured in a photo.

Birds on the Fence
Why do the birds not stay up in the trees? some are asking. The birds like a low perch that gives them a good view of the insect life in the grass. In our yard that also includes a view of various food sources, 12 bird baths and 2 community pools. They overlook sunflowers ripening, mulched beds teeming with life, seeds, nuts, suet, and fruit.

Casual observation shows that the contented chirping of birds will bring more species to the same pile of brush. A little bit of preparation yields a lot of benefits.

Today we had three starlings splashing in the first community pool. They like to push their wings under the water and let the water flow across their bodies. They splash around together and get plenty of bathing time.

I do everything possible to enhance bird food, bathing, and shelter. They reward us with a constant show. The platform feeder, finch feeder, and Jackson EZ Bird Swing create a constant display of birds and squirrels eating, swinging, and trying to establish dominance, just outside our window.

Opening the back door or back gate means seeing 20 birds launch into the air at once. If I stay outside a few minutes, some of them come back to be the first at one of the feeders. I often see a goldfinch, cardinal, or robin from a short distance away.

Mutual Help
Helping one group of animals will also nurture another. Plants for butterflies and hummingbirds will also feed the bees, who really feed everyone.

Logs for birds will shelter toads and generate more critter life for everyone by rotting into the soil.

Leaf litter for the soil is also a blanket for beneficial insects throughout the winter. When the warmth and rain of spring end the leaf litter, the hatching and emergence of immature insects feed the birds.

Compost builds the earthworm population, because building and spreading it means distributing the earthworm egg capsules as one singular bonus.

Compost also builds beneficial soil life by nurturing the bacteria, fungus, and soil creatures that battle and feed while capturing nutrition for the top 12 inches of soil where the plants and trees feed.

Variety in plant life means more creatures can live in the yard. Butterflies favor certain plants, such as the Swallowtail on the parsley, the Monarch on the Milkweed and Butterfly Weed. Various bloom times not only keep the bees fed, but the kinds of blooms attract a variety of wild bees, which are far more varied than just the bumble bee and honey bee.

The often despised weeds are intermediaries in many ways. Tap roots bring calcium up to the surface - usable calcium, unlike crushed egg shells. The entire gardening world wants to crush eggs shells for the soil, but they do help birds and earthworms, just not the soil directly.

Weeds also provide a constant supply of pollen, nectar, and seeds for bees and birds.

Leaf litter and dried grass are building materials for bird nests, as well as building blocks for healthy soil.

Radish seed pods are mild with that typical radish flavor.

Radishes germinate fast and help the gardener with planter's remorse -
"My plants will never emerge. Oh, there are the radishes. I have hope again."

Herman Sasse - Church Dying from Apostasy

Herman Sasse on the church, which was undergoing severe troubles in the 1950s,

"Consider the single fact that the vast expanse of China, with its soon to be 600 millions people, one of the largest and most promising mission fields of the earth, is not closed to Christian missions, insofar as this is not carried out by brave and faithful Chinese confessors and martyrs. It is a catastrophe as large as the decline of the old Nestorian church once was, which endured from the Near East to the Far East for centuries, until the late Middle Ages. It is one of church history's divine mysteries, which we will never understand in this life, why God leads His church through such declines. Perhaps the martyrdom which is running its course behind the Iron Curtain and other curtains is, in His eyes, much greater than everything which missions have done for building the church. And perhaps, even here, the blood of the martyrs will be the seed of the church.

"But what must shock us even more deeply than the fact that the church is led through martyrdom--the Lord did, after all, predict that--is something else. THE CHURCH IS NOT DYING FROM MARTYRDOM, BUT FROM APOSTASY." [Herman Sasse, Letters to Lutheran Pastors Vol 2, CPH, St Louis, 2014, pg 316, emphasis mine]

Luther's Sermon on Peter's Miraculous Catch of Fish. Luke 5:1-11. Fifth Sunday after Trinity

Luther's Sermon for  the FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. Luke 5:1-11


This sermon appeared in pamphlet or tract form in four different editions in 1522 and 1523, also in the two collections of 14 and 27 sermons of and was one of the “Three Beautiful Sermons Preached by Dr. Martin Luther at Wittenberg,”

Two of the pamphlet editions bear the title: “A Sermon on St. Peter and St. Paul concerning Trusting in God, etc.”

Text. Luke 5:1-11. Now it came to pass, while the multitude pressed upon him and heard the word of God, that he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret; and he saw two boats standing by the lake: but the fishermen had gone out of them, and were washing their nets. And he entered into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the multitudes out of the boat. And when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Put out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answered and said, Master, we toiled all night, and took nothing: but at thy word I will let down the nets. And when they had dante this, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes; and their nets were breaking; and they beckoned unto their partners in the other boat, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, Lord. For he was amazed, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken; and so were also James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.

And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they bad brought their boats to land, they left all, and followed hint.

CONTENTS:

PETER’S MIRACULOUS DRAUGHT OF FISHES, WHICH TEACHES US FAITH IN ITS RELATION TO TEMPORAL AND TO ETERNAL BLESSINGS.

Contents of this Gospel. 1.

I. FAITH IN ITS RELATION TO TEMPORAL BLESSINGS,TAUGHT US BY PETER’ S DRAUGHT OF FISHES.

1. Where this faith exists there is no lack of spiritual blessings. 2-7.

Those who believe have enough, but those who do not believe never have enough. The care for the needs of the body. avarice and unbelief. a. What follows from them. 3-4. b. They are a cursed thing. 5-6. c. The spiritual condition of things in the Papacy is the result of unbelief and the cares for the needs of this life.

2. What should move us to this faith. Why many suffer need in temporal things. 8-9.

3. How and why we should in addition to our faith perform the work of our calling. 10-11.

4. An objection raised by this doctrine of faith, and the answer.

5.How and why hope and expectation accompany this faith. 13-14.

II. THE FAITH IN ITS RELATION TO ETERNAL BLESSINGS,TAUGHT US BY PETER’ S DRAUGHT OF FISHES.

1. The connection of this with the preceding faith.

2. How this faith in the example of Peter is painted forth. 16-19. In what way is a weak conscience to be strengthened and established. 16- 17. The difference between the true God and idols. 17.

Our works will avail nothing in the forgiveness of our sins, but we must confess them to God and Christ. 16-19.

3. The glorious fruit of this faith. 20-22. God cares for believers in spiritual and temporal things. 23.

SUMMARY OF THIS GOSPEL,:

1. Christ fishes with the Word, and he makes his disciples such fishermen.

2. There are here two ships. One signifies the Jews, into which Christ the Lord enters, as he was a servant of the circumcision, as St. Paul calls him in Romans 15:8. The other refers to the Gentiles, to whom the wink is given that they should come and help the first in order that both might be filled.

3. In vain we teach the law, human ordinances and our own devices the whole night in the dark, only to the end that the weak conscience may be smitten with anguish and martyred. But without the Word of Christ, which is light, one never catches anything. Therefore Peter says here: Lord, upon thy Word I will let down the net. If you will preach, then you must have the Word of Christ and you must also be sent by Christ.

4. Here you observe, Christ provides also for the needs of the bodies of his followers.

Norma Boeckler

PETER’S MIRACULOUS DRAUGHT OF FISHES.

1. This Gospel is easy for those to understand who believe, and it presents to us two thoughts, namely: Faith in its relation to temporal blessings, and faith in its relation to eternal blessings.

PART I. FAITH IN ITS RELATION TO TEMPORAL BLESSINGS.

2. In the first place Christ shows that those who believe on him will certainly have sufficient also for this present life. And this he does in that he gives Peter and his partners such a great multitude of fishes, more than they had any reason to expect; also, in that Christ also provides for the feeding of our stomachs, if it were not only for our cursed unbelief. For behold Peter and look deep into his heart and you will find, that he had no idea that he should catch so many fishes; then God came and drove the fish into the net, and more than all the disciples had desired.

3. Therefore this is an example that all who believe will have enough for their temporal needs; but those who do not believe can never get enough and have no rest in scheming how to secure riches, by which they fall into all kinds of vice. Then comes to pass what Paul in 1 Timothy 6:6-10 says: “But godliness with contentment is great gain; for we brought nothing into the world, for neither can we carry anything out; but having food and covering we shall be therewith content. But they that are minded to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and many foolish and hurtful lusts, such as drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil: which some reaching after have been led astray from the faith, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

4. Now this passage of St. Paul shows clearly what follows our unbelief, namely, that he who strives after possessions and will become rich, must fall into the temptations and snares of the devil. These we cannot see, for they are spiritual. However if we could see the harm and ruin he does in spiritual things as he does in corporal things, then we would be good preachers. For we see publicly how an unbelieving man scrapes and does violence to everybody in order that he may scratch together something in which he may place his confidence, and say: Yea, now I have enough. Thus we see, what an avaricious, unfriendly thing unbelief is; for it is a benefit to no one, it sells no one anything unless it sees its own advantage in doing so.

5. For it has ever been a curse that we cannot trust God even for the daily food our stomachs crave, and that we continually think we are to die from hunger; and yet, we are to have enough, as Christ in Matthew 6:25f. says: “Therefore I say unto you, Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than the food, and the body than the raiment? Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit unto the measure of his life? And why are ye anxious concerning raiment?

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God doth so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Be not therefore anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

6. Here you see how God cares for the birds and flowers, and adorns them so beautifully; much move will he give us what we need; and yet we cannot trust him. So successfully has the devil taken us captive by his snares. If one comes now so far that he is not satisfied and does not trust God, then love must at once cease, so that he does no one any good, but he scratches together everything only on his own heap.

7. And in this way the calling of the priests and monks arose; only in order that they might help themselves and feed their stomachs, and not being permitted to work they ran into the cloisters. And the proverb is true:

Despair makes monks; yea, not only monks, but also priests, bishops and popes; for they do not trust God that he is able to feed and clothe them, and only think how they may fortify themselves against all want and poverty. All this is the life of unbelief. Then they go and keep strumpets or commit adultery, which are the fruits that follow unbelief; for they never trusted God, that he was able to sustain them, if they took unto themselves wives and remained out of the monasteries.

8. Now, here is an example that excites us to trust in God, and first for the needs of the stomach; since he cares for us also in temporal things. This we see here in the case of Peter, when he thus caught a great multitude of fishes, more than filled their boats. From this it is clearly shown God will forsake no one, each must have what he needs, if he trusts in God alone; as Psalm 37:35 says’ “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” There is no lack of provisions, only a lack of faith; before that should take place the angels would come and minister unto us. Therefore the fact that the people suffer now such need, is caused only by unbelief.

9. And although God is near us and will give us what we need, yet he requires on our part both work and hope, even if he delay for a time; therefore he gives Peter here a draught of fishes, and says: “Put out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.”

10. As if the Lord would say: Let down the nets, and do the work that belongs to a fisherman, and let me care for the rest. The care or solicitude shall not be thine but mine, and the work thine. We however wish to turn this around for Christ: we want the care and let him have the work. Hence it is that everyone strives after usury, and hoards money so that they may never need to work.

11. Therefore if you wish to lead a truly Christian life, let thy God see to it how the fishes come into your net, and go and enter some calling in life that you may labor. But we all wish to fill such positions, where we do not need to labor; that has ever been the trick of the devil. And because of this we became monks and priests, only in order that we might live like noblemen and would not need to work. Moved by this mothers left their children go to school, in order that they might have good days and serve God. In this way it came so far that people did not know what good living was; and yet God commanded and took pleasure in it, that man should eat his bread in sweat; as he said to Adam: “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread,” Genesis 3:19. And the deeper you stick in the law, the better it is. Therefore labor and believe, and let God rule unhindered.

12. If we speak of faith, and are to lean upon God and let him care for us, then they say: Yes, I must believe a long time before a roasted dove flies into my mouth, if I do not labor. Yes, it is true, you must toil, for you are commanded to do so: but let thy God provide for you. Believe and labor, then will not only a dove but a roasted goose fly into your mouth.

13. But to these belong also another part, namely, that we should hope, even if God does delay for a, time. Hence Christ here left them toil all the night without catching anything and it seemed he would permit them to die of hunger. Peter might have well thought since he fished so long and caught nothing: now God will let the stomach languish. But he despairs not, he continues to labor, and stands and hopes, God would give it to him although he might delay. Then God comes and gives him such a great multitude of fishes all at once, and more than he had been able to catch in eight days.

14. Therefore you must learn this part well, that you are to work and hope, even if God should delay a little and let you toil in your sweat, so that you imagine your labor is now lost. Then you must be wise and learn to know your God and to trust in him. Then he arrives and gives you more than you need, as he does here to Peter. Therefore if God has already delayed, only remember in the example of Peter there was also a little delay and yet it richly came. Thus it strikes in the time of his good pleasure; therefore do not despair, but hope and then thy works will be golden and pleasing to him; and then hope waits patiently, when God withdraws from us and does not do at once what we earnestly wish. Therefore he must make an appendix and hang on it a costly stone that thy works may become important. This precious stone is faith; but the works of unbelievers are stubble, for they are not built upon faith. This is the first part of our Gospel, now follows the second.

PART II. FAITH IN ITS RELATION TO ETERNAL BLESSINGS.

15. After the disciples caught the fishes and tasted the fruit of faith, their faith increased and grew. Now, we must first come to the point that we can commit unto God the care of our stomachs. For whoever cannot entrust that to God, can never commit unto him his soul. But this is only the faith of the child, where we learn to go to the public bank and continue to suck our mother’s breast. Yet, by this we must learn to confide our soul to God for his keeping. This to-day’s Gospel aims to do, when it says:

But Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was amazed, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken.

16. Let Peter here be a figure of those who should believe in the eternal possessions, and substitute for him the conscience, that now waits and looks for temporal blessings and possessions. A sinful conscience by reason of its nature is apt to do just as Peter does here, flee from its Savior, and think: O, God, I am not worthy to be saved and sit among the saints and angels! Oh, that treasure is far too high for me’. Here the narrow small conscience cannot grasp these great treasures, but thinks: Yes, if I were as St. Peter and Paul, then I might believe it. This is foolish; for should you wish to establish yourself upon your holiness, then you would build on the sand. No, not so; but do like St. Peter. For in that he considered himself so unworthy, then he became first worthy. And just because you are a sinful person, you must trust. Here you must open wide your conscience and greatly expand your heart, in order that grace may flow freely into them.

17. If you have now learned to know God, then refuse him nothing whatever; that is, if we behold the great treasures, then we should not despair. It is proper that we know ourselves, and the more thoroughly we do this the better; but you must not reject grace because of your sins. For if you find that your conscience struggles and would drive you to despair, then you are most comfortable and fortunate; then you will find the consolation in your conscience, and say like Micah 7:18-19: “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and casts their sins into the sea and drowns them?” All gods that do not take away sin are idols. Therefore Micah well says, that there is no God like our God; for other gods wish to discover righteousness, but our God brings it; God the Lord brings it and does not discover it. Therefore you must not despair, although your conscience struggles and feels its sins; for the more disgraced you are, the quicker God imparts grace.

18. Now the great multitude of people go and dress themselves like the kitten does, and think God will then accept them. No, the Scriptures praise God that he takes away sins and casts them into the ocean. We cannot help our sins by our works nor become righteous by means of any power within ourselves: God, and no one else, will do that, without merit and without works, out of pure grace; as in Isaiah 43:22 he says: “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake: and I will not remember thy sins.” And thus it must be, or you will never obtain a cheerful conscience. Therefore when Peter said, “I am a sinful man,” he did right. It is true he had indeed cause to fear and humble himself; but he was constrained not to reject God, but to accept him.

19. Therefore, if I feel my sins and become like St. Peter, and would run away from God; then I must first turn and approach nearer and nearer to him. For if God had fled and had not desired to take away your sins, he would not have come to you and run after you. Therefore the more you feel that you are a sinful man and the more you wish to flee from God, the more you should press forward to him; mark that well. For as St. Peter does here, so do all consciences, that are terrified before their sins, they wish to flee from God and seek another idol. Then do not desist, but approach God with fresh confidence and hold to him. On the other hand, if we flee from him and seek work righteousness and obtain help from another God, and afterwards come to the true God; then we will find him just like the foolish virgins, to whom, while they went to buy oil, the door was closed. Matthew 25:10.

20. But what did Christ do, when Peter humbled himself and in the face of great fear and terror he asked the Lord to depart from him? Did he let him stick in his despair? No, but he came to him, comforted him and said: “Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.”

21. These are evangelical or Gospel words, that comfort weak hearts. And just in this way God makes our work and temptation golden before our eyes. Therefore observe now, how God provides for our bodies, in that he here gives Peter a great multitude of fishes, when he would have had enough with two, and in like manner satisfies and enriches him spiritually, so that he could from his fullness impart to others, and thus he made him a natural and a spiritual fisherman; a natural fisherman in that he caught a great multitude of fishes which he could sell; a spiritual fisherman in that he should henceforth catch men; for he had now the Gospel, by which he should gather the people and enlarge the kingdom of Christ.

22. Behold, thus it comes to pass: If one believes, God gives him so much that he is able to help all people, outwardly with his property and gifts; and from within he breaks forth, teaches others and makes them inwardly rich also, for such a person cannot keep silent, he must declare to others what he experienced; as Psalm 51:10-13 says: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy Spirit from me.

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.” Also in another Psalm, 116:20, David says: “I believe, for I will speak.” This comes to pass thus: If I believe, I know God and then I see what other people lack, and go and preach to them the Gospel.

23. Thus we see in this Gospel how God cares for his own and how he sustains them temporally and spiritually both in body and soul. But where for the time there is need, it is certainly because of our unbelief or because we lately first began to believe. For when faith is still new and small, its blessings at the time are small and insignificant, to the end that we should learn to know and trust God. But if we are come to the point that we freely trust God, then we will be in want of nothing, for God then fills us with temporal and spiritual blessings, and with such superabundant treasures, so that we are able to help all people. That is called making the poor people rich and feeding the hungry. This is sufficient on to-day’s Gospel.

Fox Valley WELS Pastor Joel Lillo Has More Secret Messages Linking This Blog

As I wrote before, Joel blocks our household so he can keep
his eructations secret.

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I have no idea!

At least they haven't threatened to gang rape me with their friends,
as WELS Pastor Dave Wendt did against a blogger who said something that peeved him.
I looked up the Wendt email, but it was too filthy and disgusting to print -
that is WELS discipline.

Does anyone on that distinguished discussion board have a problem with 
Mark and Avoid Jeske
covering for Wendt? I think not.

This is another cover-up from the Jeske-Patterson Crime Family,
and Mark Schroeder happily participated.

O be careful little mouth what you say

O be careful little mouth what you say

There's a Father up above

And He's looking down in love

So, be careful little mouth what you say

Who told?

Leaf Litter and Good Insects - Plan Ahead for a Healthy Garden in 2016

This graphic is for those who trust in machines and chemicals -
instead of God's Creation. They are paying big money to inflict damage.

Almost Eden Gardens and Nursery collects bags of leaves for their operation, about 1/2 block from us. The owner knows gardening, beneficial insects, and the value of organic (Creation) methods.

Another Facebook friend, Jessica Walliser, wrote:

Soldier beetles, leatherwings FAMILY Cantharidae NORTH AMERICAN SPECIES 470 
As adults, all species of solider (sic) beetles have soft, leathery wings; they fly well and serve to pollinate various flowering plants. Larval soldier beetles live in leaf litter and under rocks, logs, and debris. Larvae feed primarily at night and are fast movers with large, grasping jaws that capture insect eggs and prey insects, including grasshopper eggs, caterpillars, aphids, and mealybugs. Adults consume nectar, with many species also eating aphids and other insects. Both adult and larval soldier beetles can exude foul defensive chemicals to aid in protecting them from other predators. In the eastern United States, the orange and black Pennsylvania leatherwing is a common sight, while the brown leatherwing is more common in the West.

Walliser, Jessica (2014-02-26). Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden: A Natural Approach to Pest Control (Kindle Locations 1046-1051). Timber Press. Kindle Edition. 

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http://www.ecosystemgardening.com/life-in-the-leaf-litter-dont-throw-a-good-thing-away.html

• Leaf litter is also home to ladybugs, salamanders, toads, and other predators of pest insects. It is no wonder that pests like aphids thrive when we continue to destroy the habitat of the predators that would keep them under control.

http://www.midwestgardentips.com/attracting_beneficial_insects.html

Leaf litter is essential for the best bugs, but leaving it alone is also ideal for them to overwinter.

By divine design the insects settle down for the winter underneath the litter, serving as food for winter birds but also awaiting their adult stage in the spring (once again greeted by birds).

The beneficial insect sources insist that leaving areas alone is the best approach - not digging to make them neat, not  rototilling leaves into the soil. As I wrote before, most leaves will be pulled into the soil, especially where the soil is richly populated with soil creatures, especially earthworms.

The piles of dead leaves in the spring are havens for insect life and food for soil creatures. We scooped the excess into the compost bin and over the endzone of the backyard. Some dead leaves remain but most have composted into the soil or in the compost bin.

Dead leaves lying on the mulch of the main rose garden disappeared before our helper could remove them.

We treat chunks of wood and twigs the same way. We maintain a stick pile near the Jackson Bird Spa and move chunks of wood into the two rustic fence areas. Sometimes the larger wood pieces are used to frame bushes, to set them off and provide a toad shelter and bug generator. Bugs and slugs love decaying wood; toads love bugs and slugs. 

One Butterfly Bush has a large mulched area around it, logs setting it off to keep people from walking over the new plant. Around that I have planted dill, Bee Balm, and coreopsis - three beneficial insect plants.

This is my favorite bird identification book.
Sharon Lovejoy, another Facebook friend, has a wonderful, total look at gardening,
from the soil below to the air force above.