Grace Evangelical-Lutheran: July 2020

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Hebrews 13,1-3. 7. Trinity

Hebrews 13,1-3 4420

7. Sonntag nach Trinitatis 052

Anna, grandmother of Jesus

26. Juli 2020

1. O Father of lights; grant us patience, strength and comfort, so that we can do all things in Christ who strengthen us. Amen. (Starck 194 ¶ 2)

2. »Let brotherly love (φιλαδελφία) continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.«

3. Last week we heard Jesus teach that our righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees. To believe in Jesus is to have this righteousness. Today we hear how Jesus exemplified this righteousness by feeding 4000.

4. The Epistle to the Hebrews exhorts us to let brotherly love continue, and to show hospitality to strangers. In Mark 8 Jesus tells His disciples: »I have compassion on the crowd.« But the resources on hand were unable to satisfy the need, for the disciples only had 7 loaves and a few small fish, and they rightly calculated that 7 loaves and some fish would not come close to feeding 4000 people.

5. In Mark 6, Jesus had miraculously fed a crowd of 5000 Jews. In Mark 8 He miraculously fed a crowd of 4000 Gentiles. In Mark 8, Jesus is in the Decapolis, the 10 Cities, that were east and northeast of Galilee; these cities were a center of Greco-Roman culture in a predominantly Jewish province. The Gentiles receive the abundant blessings in Jesus’ visitation (Voelz 499).

6. Jesus provides, as He always provides. He takes the bread and fish, give thanks and passes out the food. At the end of the feast, the disciples gather up 7 baskets full of bread. Each basket held 50 loaves, so Jesus started with 7 loans and finished up with enough bread equivalent to 350 loaves! When Jesus provides, He abundantly and miraculously provides. This is a great indication of Jesus his generosity, particularly to the Gentiles in the pericope (Voelz 501). Jesus’ grace is sufficient in our lives.

7. That is the way Jesus works: He takes what is at hand, blesses it and gives it out. What is given out is significant, but what is received back is plenteous. That is how it is with Yahweh’s grace; Jesus desires that nothing or no one be lost. Even the Gentiles are blessed by Jesus’ mercy.

8. This feeding is a foretaste of the consummation of the age to come and points to the final feast with Yahweh at His fully implemented reign and rule (Voelz 429). We partake of this feast each time we celebrate and receive the Lord’s Supper. In both feasts Jesus gives thanks (εύχαριστήσας) for the bread, and in the Lord’s Supper the bread is His body given for us for the forgiveness of our sins. This forgiveness is for all the world, both Jew and Gentile, and results in eternal life and salvation through Christ. This is why Mark begins his Gospel by writing: »This is the preaching of the gospel about Jesus Christ the Son of God« (Mark 1:1). Our response to this preaching of the gospel is to receive it and to give thanks.

9. Jesus shows us brotherly love (φιλαδελφία) here in the feeding of the 4000 and through His vicarious sacrifice on the cross, for Jesus Himself likewise partook of our flesh and blood so that through death He might destroy the Devil who has the power of death (Hebrews 2,14). Jesus provides for us both temporally and spiritually. Next week we will hear Jesus proclaim those who do the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter the reign of heaven. Amen.

10. Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, from the rising of the sun to its setting Your Name is praised; pour out Your Providence upon us, so that each day we are fed by Your hand. Amen.

To God alone be the Glory

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

✠

All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 28. Revised Edition © 2012 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.

7. Trinity video

7. Trinity Divine Service III

Wednesday, July 22, 2020

1. Thessalonians 2 video

1. Thessalonians 2 Bible study

Sunday, July 19, 2020

Deuteronomy 7,6-12. 6. Trinity

Deuteronomy 7,6-12 4320

6. Trinitatis 051

Macrina, Virgin, ✠ 379

19. Juli 2020

1. O Christ God, the Ever-present God; remind us of Your promise that where You are, there will Your servant be also, so that we draw comfort and assurance that You have dressed us in the garments of salvation and clothed us with the robe of Your righteousness. Amen. (Starck 304 ¶ 2)

2. »For you are a people holy to Yahweh your God. Yahweh your God chose you to be a people for His treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more numerous than all the nations that Yahweh chose you and selected you, — for you were the fewest from all the nations —, but it is because Yahweh loved you and observed the oath that He swore to your fathers, that Yahweh has lead you out with a mighty hand and a lofty arm and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that Yahweh your God is God, the Faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, to a thousand generations, and repays to their face those who hate Him, by destroying them. He will not be slack with one who hates Him. He will repay him to his face. You shall therefore be careful to do the commandment, the statutes and the rules that I command you today. And because you listen to these rules, keep and do them, Yahweh your God will keep with you the covenant and the steadfast love that He swore to your fathers.«

3. Last week we heard how Jesus called His first disciples: Peter, James and John. Today He teaches that being His disciple means our righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees.

4. The Pharisees took seriously the expectation of Deuteronomy 7,12: »Because you listen to these rules, keep them and do them, Yahweh your God will keep with you the covenant and the steadfast love that He swore to your fathers.« The Pharisees followed the letter of the law, the Mosaic covenant, and the traditions of the elders. They prayed, tithed and worshipped; they did not murder, steal or covet. As to righteousness under the law, the Pharisees were blameless (Philippians 3,6). Jesus exhorts us in today’s Gospel pericope to exceed this righteousness. How can we do that? Didn’t the Pharisees have it all worked out?

5. Jesus and His disciples would not of been good Pharisees, for they did not follow the traditions of the elders that the Pharisees held in high regard (Matthew 15,1-2). Jesus chastised the Pharisees because some of those traditions violated the laws of Moses. The Pharisees were not the paragons of righteousness under the law that they believe themselves to be. They focused on deed and action, that is works, but forgot the inner righteousness, that is thought and desire. »Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, so that the outside also may be clean. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. For you preach, but do not practice. You tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but you themselves are not willing to move them with your finger. You do all your deeds to be seen by others. For you make your phylacteries broad and your fringes long« (Matthew 23,25-28.3b-5).

6. To exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees is to be on a different path from the Pharisees, a path that excels in both outer and inner righteousness. And this righteous path is not one achieved under the law. Paul, himself a Pharisee, shows us the way Christ describes: »And be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, so that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead« (Philippians 3,9-11). Simply put: to exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees is to believe in Jesus.

7. You are called to freedom; for freedom Christ has set you free (Galatians 5,13.1)! Christ is giving us His righteousness. Christ’s righteousness is spread out over the sins of all, His life is stronger than every death, His salvation is more invincible than any hell (Bayer 226; Weimar Ausgabe 7:55.1-23 Latin). In this way the believing soul is free from all sins; its faith in Christ is safe in the face of death and is protected from hell, because the eternal righteousness as well as the eternal life and salvation of Christ are all given to us as a gift (Bayer 226; Weimar Ausgabe 7:55.1-23 Latin). Thus Christ creates for Himself a magnificent person without spot or wrinkle, since He purifies us in the waters of Holy Baptism through the Word of life, that is, through what is worked through faith, which comes through the Word, through life, through righteousness and through salvation. »Just as Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness (Galatians 3,6), so to our faith in Christ credits His righteousness to us. This is the righteousness that exceeds the Pharisees, and this righteousness uses our freedom as an opportunity through love to become slaves to one another (Galatians 5,13). The good fruits that are born from this righteousness are: love (αγαπη), joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control; against such things there is no law (Galatians 5,22-23). »In Christ we are a people righteous to Yahweh our God.« Next week we will hear how Jesus exhibited this righteousness by feeding a crowd of 4000 and finishes with more food than what He began with. Amen.

8. Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, Your Name is worthy to be praised; give us opportunities daily to be righteous to others through acts of charity, so that in us they see You, the God who loves them and has liberated them from sin and wrath. Amen.

To God alone be the Glory

Soli Deo Gloria

✠

6. Trinity worship video

6. Trinity Divine Service

1. Thessalonians video

1. Thessalonians 1 Bible study

Monday, July 13, 2020

Luke 5,1-11. 5. Trinity

Luke 5,1-11 4220

5. Sonntag nach Trinitatis 050

Pius, Bishop of Rome, Martyr 150

12. Juli 2020

1. O Risen Christ, our Deliverer; comfort us in pain and strife, give us greater love for You, renew our faith and hope, so that we take comfort and certainty in Your birth, passion, crucifixion and resurrection. Amen. (Starck 163 ¶ 3)

2. »One one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on Him to hear the word of God, Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, ²and He saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. ³Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, He asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the people from the boat. ⁴And when He had finished speaking, He said to Simon: „Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.“ ⁵And Simon answered: „Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at Your word I will let down the nets.“ ⁶And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. ⁷They signaled to their partners in the other boat to go and help them. And they arrived and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. ⁸But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying: „Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.“ ⁹For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, ¹⁰and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon: „Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.“ ¹¹And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.«

3. Last week we heard Jesus exhort us to be merciful even as His Father is merciful. Today we hear an account of Jesus calling His first disciples.

4. Luke 4 details the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. After He was baptized by John, Jesus was tempted by the Devil for 40 days, and when that is completed He begins His ministry. Jesus began in Galilee, the province north of Jerusalem, and taught in the synagogues. He preached at the synagogue of Nazareth, His hometown. He preached Capernaum, the hometown of Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John. Jesus preached in Simon’s house and healed those who were sick.

5. With this is context, Jesus called His first disciples: Peter, James and John. They were fishermen and business partners. The events in chapter 5 were not the first time they had seen Jesus. They had heard Him preach in their synagogue. Jesus personally knew Simon Peter, for He had stayed at his house and had healed his mother-in-law of a high fever. I think it is reasonable to say in chapter 5 that Jesus and Peter are friends. There is definitely a bond between them, one that naturally forms after Jesus had healed one of Peter’s relatives. It is also reasonable to say that James and John are familiar too with Jesus by the time of the events of chapter 5.

6. So it’s nothing shocking that Jesus got into Simon boat to preach, nor surprising that they heed His exhortation to fish after He has preached. This is no stranger doing and asking these things, but a man they are coming to know and trust. They have heard Him preach several times and have seen Him heal.

7. After teaching the crowd from Peter’s boat, Jesus tells them to row out and start fishing – this is the highlight of this pericope. Peter, James and John had just recently finished fishing overnight with no success. But they abide by Jesus’ command, cast their nets once more and they catch so many fish that their nets are at the breaking point and their boats are about to sink from the weight of all the fish they had caught. The seasoned fishermen were amazed at their catch.

8. Simon calls Jesus master, and in this context it could also be translated as teacher. He acknowledged Jesus as a wise rabbi not only teaches but does great miracles for this catch of fish was unexpected and miraculous. And this is Luke’s point in his pericope: the miracle of the nets that could find no fish now find an over abundance of fish because of the word of Jesus (Just 207). Jesus is showing these men, who in moments become His first disciples and later the first of His apostles, that the gospel will catch many people and convert them to faith in Christ. The Church comes into existence through preaching (Just 206).

9. Martin Luther saw the nets as the office of preaching: „We have taken refuge in the net of the Church. We are the people pressing upon Christ to hear the word of God; we were drawn from the sea of the world and the Lord became „my Light and my Salvation“. This was done first of all in Baptism and is also done in the Holy Communion. We are to leave everything and follow Him. The whole gospel is truly a glad message. The storm may howl around about us; bodily suffering, war, human weakness, rebellious will, all surround the kingdom of God. All human effort seems to accomplish little. Yet Christ lives in His Church. In faith we venture far out into the deep. Christ will fill the net of the Church. It seems that the Church works in vain, but in reality and unknown to the senses a great shoal of fishes is enclosed“ (Just 207 fn. 5).

10. To be a fisher of people, one needs absolution from Jesus and the commission to absolve others (Just 210). To fish for people is to declare to them the reign of God in Jesus and bring them into that reign through catechesis, teaching, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Just 210). In Luke 5 Jesus commissions Peter to go and do what Jesus has just done to him: preach and absolve (Just 210). This is how the Church is created, formed and preserved (Just 210). Where Jesus goes, His disciples follow. Next week we will hear that following Jesus and being His disciples means that our righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees. Amen.

9. Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior; reveal Your righteousness to all the nations, so that by preaching and teaching they hear the gospel and come to faith in You. Amen.

To God alone be the Glory

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

✠

5. Trinity video

5. Trinity Divine Service

Wednesday, July 8, 2020

Monday, July 6, 2020

4. Trinity Monday video

4. Trinity Monday Terce

Romans 12,17-21. 4. Trinity

Romans 12,17-21 4120

4. Trinitatis 049

Haggai, Prophet, 520 bc

5. Juli 2020

1. O Triune God, in our Baptism you promised to be our Father – to provide for us, to help us and to love us. Jesus has washed us with his holy blood and bestowed on us the garment of His perfect righteousness. The Holy Spirit has been poured on us abundantly and is still crying in our hearts: Abba, Father! He gives witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. Amen. (Starck 242 ¶ 3)

2. »Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is good in the sight of all men. Live peaceably with all men. Never avenger yourselves, but give it to the wrath of God, for it is written: »Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord.« [Deuteronomy 32,35] To the contrary: »If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.« [Proverbs 25,21-22; Matthew 5,44] Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.«

3. Last week we heard that Jesus’ ministry is to find those heirs who have become lost and bring them back to His Father’s house. Today we hear Jesus exhort us to be merciful even as His Father is merciful.

4. The Apostle Paul expounds upon this theme of mercy in his Epistle to the Romans: »Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is good in the sight of all men. Live peaceably with all men. Never avenger yourselves, but give it to the wrath of God.« Wise words for the days we live in. Paul listed 16 works of the flesh in his Epistle to the Galatians, particularly: »strife, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions and division« (Galatians 5,20). Such works of the flesh are rampant in the world and our nation. It is shown to us daily on the main stream news outlets. The works of the flesh are the result of human sinfulness. Left unchecked, these fleshly works wreck havoc among our neighbors and society. Disrespect, distrust, jealousy, enmity and violence stem from the works of the flesh. Our relationships with our neighbors are harmed and the social order is threatened. Paul tells us: »The desires of the flesh are against the Spirit« (Galatians 5,17). And so we acknowledge that the works of the flesh reside in each of us, as we are sinners. Thus we confess this at the beginning of Divine Service, and absolution is spoken to us: God is merciful to us; He has forgiven us.

5. Our neighbors and our society need the gospel. We show mercy to them because God has shown mercy to us. We show charity to those in need. We work to further justice, respect and trust where such as lacking. We are not overcome by evil in the works of the flesh because the Holy Spirit works in us through the gospel. We overcome evil with good.

6. Yesterday we celebrated the Fourth of July – the founding of the United States. If you read histories about those days there was contention among the Colonial delegates. But they worked together, listened to each other’s concerns and signed a document that, among other things, set this new nation upon a path of unity and concord.

7. Today we gather together publicly for the first time in over 3 months. This day is a joyous occasion for us, and we are thankful to God for preserving us and protecting us through the pandemic. We have not resumed normal gatherings but we are on our way, praying that in the near future we will be at that point in New Jersey. It is wonderful to see everyone again, and to celebrate holy communion once more, albeit observing social distancing. God has been merciful to us we are merciful to one another.

8. „We must love our neighbor and do good to them wherever possible; but do not let those good works be your bulwark, your consolation, your bread of life or your spiritual food, by means of which you would merit eternal life and be justified before God. For the Lord Christ says here: „I am your life.“ We do not partake of eternal life by virtue of our works but solely by faith. Faith is the true partaking and eating of eternal life. When faith is present, then you already have eternal life; for faith apprehends Christ, not as an empty husk or shell but as the one who Himself is eternal life.... Thus when I believe in Christ, then faith conveys eternal life to me, and I am born anew“ (Luther 111,1.3). Christ has given us the Sacrament of the Lord Supper to give us the blessings of eternal life right now in this temple life. May we receive it with peace and joy, just as we will hear next week when Jesus called His first disciples to follow His and they followed Him joyfully. Amen.

9. Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, who deserves thanks and praise; continue to bless us through Your Word and Sacraments, so that our faith is strengthened and we treat others with mercy. Amen.

To God alone be the Glory

Soli Deo Gloria

✠

Sunday, July 5, 2020

4. Trinity Sunday video

4. Trinity Divine Service

Saturday, July 4, 2020

Galatians 5 video

Galatians 5 Bible study

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Wednesday, July 22, 2020

Sunday, July 19, 2020

Monday, July 13, 2020

Wednesday, July 8, 2020

Monday, July 6, 2020

Sunday, July 5, 2020

Saturday, July 4, 2020