The Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity, 2022

The Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity, 2022

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

Link for today's service.

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Daylight Time

The Hymn #376                         Rock of Ages                                                            

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit

Bow down Thine ear, O Lord, hear me: O Thou, my God, save Thy servant that trusteth in Thee.

Be merciful to me, O Lord: for I cry unto Thee daily.

Psalm. Rejoice the soul of Thy servant: for unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

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

Collect

O Lord, we beseech Thee, let Thy continual pity cleanse and defend Thy Church; and because it cannot continue in safety without Thy help, preserve it evermore by Thy help and goodness; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.

Gradual

It is better to trust in the Lord: 

than to put confidence in man.

V. It is better to trust in the Lord: 

than to put confidence in princes. 

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

V. O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. Hallelujah!

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 #396                           O For a Faith                                

The Holy Spirit and the Word

The Communion Hymn #467           Built on the Rock - Grundvig

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 #309                O Jesus Blessed Lord - Kingo

                         

Announcements and Prayers

• The I AM Sermons in the Gospel of John: The Name of God in Exodus 3 is being sent.
• Medical concerns - Anita Engleman, Pastor Jim Shrader, Kermit Way and Maria Way, Randy Anderson, Callie (severe seizures), C. and others.
• One year ago - Norma A. Boeckler received honors from India for her Christian art.

People ask about our Holy Communion.

Roman Catholics put an emphasis on the ordained priest. The presence of the priest validates the communion service. The forgiveness is partial; the elements become only the body and blood of Christ. The priest and his ordination make it effective.

Calvinists reject Baptism and Communion as sacraments. The elements remain bread and wine and do not convey forgiveness. Calvin mocked the Real Presence.

Lutheran Biblical teaching shows what 1 Corinthians 10:16 reveals. The Body of Christ is with the bread through the Consecrating Word; the Blood is with the wine through the consecrating Word. The Word is always effective.

Distance does not attenuate or weaken the power of the Word, which is always divine. When Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish through His Word, the 5,000 families were stretched across the grassy oasis. Nevertheless, these miracles showed Jesus could create this miracle for the entire crowd. If the liturgy, hymns, creed, readings, and sermon are effective, then how could the Words of Consecration be ineffective? Those who agree with the Augsburg Confession are one with us and are welcome to join the distribution - after God's Word has consecrated the elements for those who hear and believe.

KJV Galatians 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.  2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.  4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.  5 For every man shall bear his own burden.  6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.  7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.  8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.  9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.  10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

KJV Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought 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 meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank Thee for all Thy benefits: that Thou hast given us life and graciously sustained us unto this day: We beseech Thee, take not Thy blessing from us; preserve us from covetousness, that we may serve Thee only, love and abide in Thee, and not defile ourselves by idolatrous love of mammon, but hope and trust only in Thy grace, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

The Holy Spirit and the Word

Background

Concentrating on the New Testament at the expense of the Old Testament is like floors on a high rise starting at the 25th floor. The two parts of the Bible are completely woven together, the Old predicts and describes the Son of God. The New anchors everything in the Promises of the Old. For example, Holy Communion comes from the Passover Meal, which became the Lord's Supper.

The Son is the Creating Word (Genesis 1, John 1:3) and the I AM of the Burning Bush (Exodus 3). The Word and the Holy Spirit are always at work together and never apart. This is emphasized in Isaiah 55:8ff. 

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

11 So shall My Word be that goeth forth out of my mouth:

a) it shall not return unto me void,

b) but it shall accomplish that which I please, and 

c) it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

The Word always having an effect is a different way of saying that God's Word is always divine, always active, always accomplishing something (never void). Whatever the Word accomplishes is God's will, not man's. This means that to do God's will, we only need to teach and rely on God's Word. Spirit and wind are the same word in Hebrew and Greek (as in pneumonia - lung), invisible and yet powerful, as we notice in the hurricane season.

KJV Galatians 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

The Apostle Paul is saying, living in the Word also means walking according to that Word.

26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

The Word is not something picked up on occasion but with us wherever we go, whatever we do. The Word governs our thoughts and therefore our actions. Our human nature is not always the best, but the Spirit moves us to walk with Jesus, to please others and to apologize. Husbands and wives have endless opportunities to practice this and to carry this out with children - and parents - as well. 

I have noticed congregations, where people deliberately have provoked others and caused trouble for no reason, have become dental offices and small business locations, the church sign removed, the land sold to the highest bidder. My favorite example is the person denied the honor of serving the coffee at the church dinner and the final results years later.

6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

The 19th century Perryville, Missouri riot is a good example of this being violated. Bishop Stephan was known for his adultery. Instead of treating him in a Scriptural manner, Walther led a riot that stole the bishop's land, money, books, and personal possessions. On a smaller scale, instead of destroying someone, it is far better to be gentle but firm in dealing with the sin. "Meekness" is something Jesus described for Himself. Stephan, for example, should have been removed from his position rather than being removed from his house, savings, books, land, and personal possessions. The riot meant that felons were attacking a felon for being a felon. The damage continues to this day.

2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.  4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.

We all have burdens, and sometimes they are very difficult to endure - disease, loss of life, threats to our income, difficulties of all kinds. Some people can pick up a 100-pound weight, but everyone can share in that lifting if they have enough help. Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd has a flock, and we as sheep follow the Shepherd where He leads us (Psalm 23 and John 10). 

Sometimes individuals swagger and other times they pull back from what they should be doing. We are a small group by the estimation of others, but we share various tasks according to our abilities and time. That by itself is clearly the work of the Holy Spirit bearing the fruits described in Galatians 5. So there is rejoicing for each one who helps. I sent the I AM book to one person who is a very good editor, and that person found about 30 things I overlooked, including one really bad one. The fact is, one can get so used to a project that blatant mistakes sail right by and only emerge in print. And I found a good list of parables and this came up from another - "I have all the parable graphics. Do you want me to send them?" Answer - Yes!

7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.  8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.  9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.  10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

We can fool others and ourselves, but not God. What we sow in a carnal spirit will reap corruption - like the Joy (ELCA Lutheran) Church Growth Church that was all entertainment and collapsed once the pastor saw the light of day. It was a tofu church like the tofu skyscrapers in Red China. 

What we sow in the Spirit, through God's Word, will be harvested in eternal life. That is why we distribute free books, free KJVs, because we cannot judge where the living seed of the Word will land, grow roots, and increase the final harvest. We do know, through Isaiah 55 and many other passages, that God's Word will have its effect, will never return empty, and will always prosper His will.

Paperback of The I AM Sermons in the Gospel of John: The Name of God in Exodus 3 Is Finished, Not Posted Officially Yet

 

Yesterday was fun and tiring, finishing up with the Kindle and paperback. Norma A. Boeckler let me know that the book on the parables was already completed on her side - the graphics!

I decided to post each new part on this blog as I completed it. That gives everyone, especially me, an interesting topic. Charles Dickens wrote his enormous novels that way. Hoenecke's Dogmatics was also issued slowly as pamphlets and stitched into hardbound books at the end.

The Glen Kotten and Esther Estrada Wedding - Three MDivs

Far left - Pastor Jackson, Esther Estrada, Glen Kotten Pastor Jim Shrader, Zach Engleman P.E. and MDiv

Already in Kindle - $1 - The I AM Sermons in the Gospel of John: The Name of God in Exodus

Norma A. Boeckler created the graphics and the cover of the book. Janie Sullivan did the book and Kindle production. Virginia Roberts did a splendid job of editing. 

The I AM Sermons in the Gospel of John: 

The Name of God in Exodus 3, $1 Kindle.

The retail paperback will be $6.88 and the author's price will be just over $4. That makes it very easy to send multiple copies of the full-color paperback around. 

I moved from writing the KJV book to this, so I did not have much time to urge reviews on the 
Amazon site. Keep that in mind. The review can be short, long, hostile, guarded, or laudatory. Book reviews matter and the Word gets around. 

I plan on posting video lectures based on this book and others I have published.

Every review keeps the author from publishing his epic work on making donuts.

Battle of the Tabloids - Christian Snooze versus ALPB Ovaltine Discussion Group

Do you like the larger font? I am using Arial medium because I find smaller fonts a trial for my overworked eyes.

I was looking for some news in Christian News aka Calvinist News aka Christian Snooze. Hale only gets excited when attacking me, and he has pushed the Shun Button and activated the Stink Eye for good. How else to explain "buying" 10 copies of Catholic, Lutheran, Protestant and not paying for them?

His tabloid is so boring that I could not remember if I had read the last one when it came out. Yep, same old sleeping pill approach.

Possibly worse is the Ovaltine Gazette - a daily exercise in torturing people with prosaic posturing about trivia. They call it the American Lutheran Publicity Bureau Discussion Group and Newsletter. Even Rolf Preus behaves! Their newsletter tip-toed through the San Fran Bishop problem - visibly moved when Archbishop Liz Eaton squeezed out some tears about a pastor being fired on a day sacred to Roman Catholics. Imagine!

Charles Austin, the ELCA journalist and pastor, tries to stir up the Ovaltine crowd, but he is too predictable.

The Ovaltines look at everything as sociologists, as if not yet weaned from their Fuller Seminary training. There is a statistical reason for everything, which turns into an excuse for their memberships to be melting down faster than a July frost.

They love their own. Floyd Luther Stolzenburg's co-pastor, Edward Engelbrecht (broken angel), seems to post all day, every day. Someone should write a book about the WELS District President Robert Mueller, the District VP Paul Kuske, and the Circuit Pastors embracing a man tossed out of the LCMS for adultery. How did Stolzenburg become the Michigan District's Church Growth expert - with cheers from WELS/ELS Roger Kovaciny and other cads too numerous to mention?

The Ovaltine crowd is just like the typical Lutheran synod, wherever it rests in their rainbow of love.

When one of their own, an ELCA pastor, was arrested and put in the hoosegow, they said nothing, even though he had 10,000 posts. 

 Steven Tibbetts, ELCA pastor, ALPB Discussion Forum leader with 10,000 posts, member - STS (high church, smells and bells).

This liturgical clown is laughing at everyone.

Finishing a Book - Relaxing! I AM Sermons in the Gospel of John - The Name of God in Exodus 3

 This is the frequently copied statue of Jesus by Bertel Thorvaldsen.

The I AM Sermons in the Gospel of John book is due to be sent to Amazon. Janie Sullivan has the copy, which is the last stop along the way to the printers. Virginia Roberts kindly went over the text and - surprise - found more than a few.

I will send it to the usual suspects list, two copies to each, one for sharing. If you anticipate needing more, I will increase the number. Let me know by email.

The usual suspects are on the Amazon list, so it is not too difficult to send them. Contributions come all the time and they cover the cost of books sent out. 

 I enjoy having Norma A. Boeckler's art to use in books. She created more just for this book.

The I AM Sermons Are in the Last Stage of Publishing

 

Sending a book off is a combination of pain and exhilaration. I am sure I will find something wrong the moment I open up the first copy - and that is inevitable. On the other hand, I am excited to see it in print because I believe the actual Greek of these sermons, from Jesus Himself, conveys more than I am. The two words in Greek match the Voice from the Burning Bush.

That also fits into the historic identification of the Burning Bush as a representation of the Incarnate Son of God - Two Natures in One. The bush burns but remains whole.

A wonderful book is one of my all-time favorites - The Two Natures in Christ by Chemnitz.

For Text Criticism - aka Lower Criticism - A New Source Revealing Its Depravity

Finishing the I AM book led me to a series of quotations showing how corrupt - or maybe lazy - the critics of the Greek New Testament are.

I will get to that later today. I am rigging the chapel computer and sending the book to Janie Sullivan first.

 Janie Sullivan - "Greg, you said Monday. Monday of what year?"

Almost Ready To Send The I AM Sermons in the Gospel of John - The Name of God in Exodus 3 Book

Several people let me know about typos, and I went over the book several times yesterday. I expect to finish today and send it to Janie Sullivan.

The number of typos is secret and will not be revealed until LCMS, WELS, and ELCA refute Objective Justification, kick out their Jesuit trainees, and confess the Chief Article of the Christian Faith.

New Book Almost Done - The I AM Sermons in the Gospel of John - The Name of God in Exodus 3

 

I am going over the edits of Virginia Roberts tonight, to finish The I AM Sermons in the Gospel of John: The Name of God in Exodus 3.

Tomorrow morning, I will do another edit to finish and to send off to Janie Sullivan. The book will be full color only and about 50 pages long, trade paperback size. 

I should mention that Dr. Bruce Church offered an important insight on the general use of common Greek in the days of Jesus. That was the universal language at the time of Jesus. Speaking Aramaic would have limited His audiences. I grew up and grew old under the false claim that the New Testament was first written in Aramaic; also, the argument that no "is" exists in Aramaic, so that voids the Real Presence, so they imagine.

Thanks to the progress of the computer and summer Greek courses (Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm in Koine, to pretend seminarians know Greek) - nobody knows New Testament Greek from reading it in its context instead of using cute little phrases that might impress the congregation.

The question is not whether Jesus meant to equate Himself with God, but why no one seems interested in that fact. Those highly educated Jewish scholars, like St. Paul, certainly knew Greek as well as they knew Hebrew. When Jesus said "I AM" to the soldiers arresting Him, they fell back in terror. When the Jewish leaders taunted Him about His true identity in Mark (which is supposed to be the Unitarian Gospel for learned scholars), Jesus said, "I AM." That was a confession of His divinity. The Jewish leader tore his garment in ritual distress. They knew the truth from His raising of Lazarus, but they needed the confession.

My favorite contemporary professors are Brett Meyer, Zach Engelman, Pastor Jim Shrader, Terry Howell, Ed Buck, Dr. Lito Cruz, Randy Anderson, and Alec Satin. 

My favorite theology professors are the sainted Otto Heick (Waterloo), Nils Dahl (Yale), Paul Holmer (Yale), Abraham Malherbe (Yale), and Roland Bainton (Yale). Still alive, Robert Wilson (Yale) was a new PhD, earned at Yale when I studied Genesis in Hebrew under him. Malherbe, Dahl, and Wilson veered me away from the modernist, Unitarian theories I learned in favor of studying the text itself. As Dahl said with unusual force, "The text! The text! All we really know is the text of the Bible."

Our little Bethany Lutheran Church in Springdale, Arkansas, is full of encouraging members. They always urge me forward to complete new projects, and I enjoy the support and the question, "What is next?" Answer - The Synoptic Parables. 

We have almost 10 million views from the main blog - Ichabod, and 20,000 posts (some copied and cited). I am happy to know that "Nobody reads Ichabod" (ELS pastor) and that I have "No credibility" as he said on the phone. 

Just over a year ago, Christina - my best and most diligent cheerleader - passed into eternal life after 55 years of love, laughter, disasters, and defenestrations. I still feel the overwhelming loss, but now I know that Christina's influence will continue in whatever I can do. 

 Christina's engagement photo. I was especially pleased to have her sister Maria and her husband Kermit Way attend the funeral service.

Predestination - From Lutheran Library Publishing Ministry

The Synod leaders say "No!"

(Luther:) “We should with all diligence guard against arguing predestination; for this, through Satan’s influence, leads men to pay no regard to God and the sacraments, and to look upon Christ rather as a cruel tyrant and hangman, than a Savior.”

“By no means dispute about predestination. Dr. Staupitz advised me and said: If you would argue about predestination, begin at the wounds of Christ and all disputation about predestination will cease at once. For if we give way to it, and argue about it much, Christ, His Word and Sacrament, must give way: I will forget Christ and God. By indulging in these thoughts I will regard God as wicked and cruel… . In predestination we will forget God — the cantate will cease and the blasphemate begin.”

From Columbus Theological Magazine, Vol. 3. “Missouri’s Infatuation By Rev. P. Eirich, Hoboken, N. J. Third And Last Article.”

Holy Communion - Jesus Is the Samaritan - Today at 10 AM

 

By Norma A. Boeckler

The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity, 2022

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

Bethany Lutheran Church, 

10 AM Central Daylight Time

Vimeo Saved Service - Click Here

Hymn #296   Speak O Lord Thy Servant Heareth           

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit

Have respect, O Lord, unto Thy covenant: 

oh, let not the oppressed return ashamed!

Arise, O God, plead Thine own cause: 

and forget not the voice of Thine enemies.

Psalm. O God, why hast Thou cast us off forever? 

Why doth Thine anger smoke against the sheep of Thy pasture?

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

Collect

Almighty and everlasting God, give unto us the increase of faith, hope, and charity; and that we may obtain that which Thou dost promise, make us to love that which Thou dost command; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.

The Epistle and Gradual       

Gradual

Have respect, O Lord, unto Thy covenant: 

oh, let not the oppressed return ashamed!

V. Arise, O God, plead Thine own cause: 

and forget not the voice of Thine enemies. 

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

V. O Lord God of my salvation: 

I have cried day and night before Thee. Hallelujah!

The Gospel              

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed             p. 22

Sermon Hymn # 347   Jesus Priceless Treasure

 Jesus is the Good Samaritan

The Communion Hymn #292   Lord Jesus Christ

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 #660              I'm But a Stranger Here

 

Prayers and Announcements

• The flowers on the altar are in memory of Gary Meyer's, who died September 17, 2014.
• Medical care: Randy Anderson, Pastor Jim Shrader and his wife Chris; Dr. Kermit and Dr. Marie Way. Callie, C., and others who need treatment and tests. Zach's mother, Anita.
• The I AM Sermons book will be sent off this week. 

 Norma A. Boeckler

        

KJV Galatians 3:15 

Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. 16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. 17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. 18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. 19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. 21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. 22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

KJV Luke 10:23 

And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: 24 For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. 25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? 27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. 28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. 29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? 

30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. 36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? 37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

Click here for Luther’s Sermon on the Good Samaritan

Thirteenth Sunday After Trinity

Lord God, heavenly Father, we most heartily thank Thee that Thou hast granted us to live in this accepted time, when we may hear Thy holy gospel, know Thy fatherly will, and behold Thy Son, Jesus Christ! We pray Thee, most merciful Father: Let the light of Thy holy word remain with us, and so govern our hearts by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may never forsake Thy word, but remain steadfast in it, and finally obtain eternal salvation; 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. 

John Adam Houston

 Jesus Is the Good Samaritan

But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? 

 

KJV Luke 10: 30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

Nobody has read Luther in the last century. There are two proofs. One proof is from the Social Gospel (1920s) apostates, who claimed the parable was about keeping the road to Jericho safe. The second proof is - pastors and laity read this parable as a do-gooder tirade so they can make everyone's guilt rise up and go away by painting houses, building compost piles, and recycling garbage. (I especially enjoy people wondering why I use cardboard and newspaper as mulch, which blocks weeds and decomposes into rich soil, a good solution for crabgrass.)

This section of Luke opens with an emphasis on knowing and believing in Jesus. Abraham saw Jesus and rejoiced in the Savior (John 8) The prophets also saw Jesus spiritually and proclaimed the Gospel. Relatively few people believed in Jesus as the Messiah during His ministry, but the disciples had the benefit of three years of intensive training and the experiences of His many miracles and sermons. 

Jesus is speaking to the disciples and to us - "Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: 24 For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them." Knowledge of the Scriptures and faith in Jesus Christ - those are the great blessings which no one can take away. The adoration of buildings, programs, endowments, and earthly honors are all distractions, and they prove that people see without seeing and hear without hearing. The treatment of this great parable is proof of that sorry state.

The lawyer is representative of all those who rely on the Law to justify themselves, whether it is one kind of law or another. He is completely sure of his righteousness (of the Law) and asks the question to make certain his righteous state. 

This is where the parable turns into one about Jesus. Note that the apostates do not see Jesus as the theme of this parable, in the same way that they do not accept the I AM sermons in John (by excluding the Fourth Gospel altogether and moving it centuries later as "Gnostic.")

Jesus is the example of the neighbor and the lawyer is the example of the self-centeredness, self-approval, and wanting the praise of men. "Who is my neighbor" is not answered by God as shunning but by going to those in need, which includes giving people support in the Gospel.

Jesus answered the lawyer's question with a brief but momentous example. A man on the road to Jericho was met by thieves, stripped of his outer clothing, beaten and left almost dead.

31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

There are two initial responses, from the religious leaders. They see the man and walk on the other side of the road. They are not foreigners or from another religion. 

33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,

The sermons with an agenda offer a twist that denies the point of the parable. The Samaritan is not labeled "good." He is called "the neighbor" by the lawyer conceding what Jesus was teaching. A neighbor helps his neighbor, so the actions of the Samaritan prove He is the neighbor. This translates into how we treat others, but it primarily show us the ways in which Christ comes to us.

The "I Found It!" people miss a major point. Jesus Christ comes to us through Word of God. We do not come to Him. Notice the quiet, passive, almost dead traveler does not come to the Samaritan, but the Samaritan comes to him and serves him. 

I can safely say that many of us, growing up in a Christian nation, have had the true Word of God  - teaching the true Son of God to us - come to us in many jarring, nasty, disruptive ways. The Episcopalians, for instance, took 13 years to reach the bottom with ELCA (2009), and Pope Francis SJ is catching up.

Those bad experiences, shocks, and speeches from people endorsing diabolic doctrine - they all contributed to our appreciation of the only genuine English Bible and Luther's Biblical doctrine (not Here I Stand socks, not doggy t-shirts, not shot glass - LCMS' publishing house, 500th anniversary of the Reformation).

34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. 

These actions of the Samaritan parallel how He treats the individual needing His love and compassion. First Aid is teaching the true Gospel in its most basic forms, healing the wounds of being without Christ - or being taught a false Christ by Biblical "scholars" and other frauds. The truth is first an antiseptic (that is not taught in the Scriptures) and then the truth through Justification by Faith brings forth healing and the fruits of the Spirit.

Putting him on His vehicle and taking him to an inn - That is Jesus working through us to take someone to church or bring the Gospel to him. Parents do this when they teach their children at home and take them to faithful worship. The inn is used in The Pilgrim's Progress book, where Christian stops, rests, and has refreshing discussions with fellow believers, who also give him armor (Ephesians 6) on the way to Eternal Life.

The host is the person in charge of Christian worship and teaching. The Samaritan provides the means for that Gospel center and promises that there will be no shortage - He will make it up when He returns. 

The Samaritan (Jesus) has a continuous and helping relationship. A neighbor rushes to help, as I have experienced here in Springdale - in every possible way, including after a dangerous fall and injuries.

36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?

37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

Luther's Sermon

25. This Samaritan of course is our Lord Jesus Christ himself, who has shown his love toward God and his neighbor. Toward God, in that he was obedient to him, came down from heaven and became man, and thus fulfilled the will of his Father; toward his neighbor, in that he immediately after his baptism began to preach, to do wonders, to heal the sick. And in short, he did no work that centered in himself alone, but all his acts centered in his neighbor. And this he did with all his powers, and thus he became our servant, who could have well remained in heaven and been equal to God, Philippians 2:6. But all this he did because he knew that this pleased God and was his Father’s will.


26. When he entered upon that high mission to prove that he loved God with all his heart, he laid down his bodily life with all he had, and said:

Father, here you have all, my bodily life, my glory and honor, which I had among the people; all this I give as it is for thy sake, that the world may know how I love thee. My Father, let my wisdom perish, so that the world may look upon me as most foolish. Let me be the most despised, who was heretofore praised by all the world. Now I am the worst murderer, who before was friendly, useful and serviceable to the whole world. Dear Father, all this I despise, only that I may not be disobedient to thee.

27. This is the Samaritan who came uninvited, and fulfilled the law with his whole heart. For only he fulfilled the law, and no one can deprive him of this honor. He alone merits it, and well maintains it all alone. Now this would be no special comfort for us; but that he has compassion on the poor wounded man, takes him under his care, binds his wounds, takes him into the inn and waits on him, this avails for us.

 Luther - A Christian need not look for his cross, it is always on his back. For he thinks as St. Paul says, 2 Timothy 3:12: “All that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” This is the court-color in this kingdom. Whoever is ashamed of the color, does not belong to this king.