Matthew 9,35-10,1.5-10. 5. Trinity

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The Word of the Lord Endures Forever

Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum

Matthew 9,35-10,1.5-10               4019

5. Sn. n. Trinitatis 050   

Praxedis, Virgin, ✠ 129

21. Juli 2019 

1. O Heavenly Father, The Lord of the harvest; send us out as Your laborers, so that we may bring in the bountiful harvest of those seeking Your mercy.  Amen. (Matthew 9,36-38) 

2. »And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When He saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to his disciples: „The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.“ And He called to Him His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. These Twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them: „Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers and cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food.“«  

  3. John the Baptizer had prepared the way for Christ Jesus (Matthew 3,3). People from Jerusalem, Judea and at the region of Jordan went out to hear him and were baptized by him, confessing their sins (Matthew 3,5-6). John’s ministry soon came to an end, and Jesus reaped the fruits of John’s ministry. Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 9: »The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.« Then Jesus sent out His 12 apostles to bring in the harvest, proclaiming: „The reign of heaven is at hand, and this reign is the work of God in Jesus Christ on behalf of His treasured, faithful people“ (Gibbs).

4. The reign of heaven is manifested in the person of Jesus and is at hand in His midst (Matthew 3,1-3; 4,17). Now this reign is manifested in the ministry of His apostles who speak and act in His Name and by His authority they bring unto the people the gracious, saving reign of heaven into history. In their ministry, the power of sin, death and the Devil are undone, because their ministry is centered upon Jesus who would give His life as a ransom for everyone (Matthew 20,20-28) whereby righteousness and eternal life are giving out (Matthew 25,46). This is the Lord’s Heilsgeschichte (salvation history). 

5. In Matthew 10, Jesus sent the apostles only to the Jews, who He calls the lost sheep that are on the house of Israel. In Matthew 28, Jesus sent the apostles to baptize and teach all the nations (Matthew 28,19-20). Jesus’ ministry began locally, in Galilee and Judea, has become global for all people, Jew and Gentile alike. The Church today carries on Jesus’ great commission. 

6. The reign of heaven thus centers upon Jesus for He is the One sent by His Father to make sinners righteous and merits their eternal life. We gather each Sunday to thank Jesus for His steadfast love and wondrous work shown to us in His passion, death and resurrection. Through this act of vicarious sacrifice and resurrection, Jesus has pardoned those in rebellion against Him, delivered those in distress and brought those in darkness into the light of His truth and grace (Psalm 107,11.13-14). The gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, for in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed from faith (Romans 1,16-17). The righteous shall live by faith in Jesus (Romans 1,17), and so you are righteous on account of your faith in Jesus. Go in peace; your sins are forgiven; live lives dedicated to God’s will as taught in His Ten Commandments; tell others about Jesus, for the harvest is ripe.  Amen.  

7. Let us pray. O Lord, You make known to us our salvation; send us out to Your harvest, so that we may proclaim Your righteousness unto our neighbors.  Amen. 

To God alone be the Glory 

Soli Deo Gloria

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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. 

ELKB. Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. www.bayern-evangelisch.de/www/index.php. Copyright © 2013 Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. 

VELKD. Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. www.velkd.de. Copyright © 2013 Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. 

Gibbs, Jeffrey A. Parables of Atonement and Assurance: Matthew 13:44-46. http://www.mtio.com/articles/bissar54.htm

Löhe, Wilhelm. Seed-Grains of Prayer: A Manual for Evangelical Christians. Wartburg Publishing House, Chicago circa 1912. Concordia Publishing House; Concordia on Demand.