Grace Evangelical-Lutheran: September 2021

Thursday, September 30, 2021

Ephesians 4,1-6 5021

17. Trinitatis 062

Cyprian of Antioch, Turkey. Martyr in Nicomedia (Izmit), Turkey, 304 (Emperor Diocletian)

26. September 2021

1. O Lord God, Heavenly Father, we beseech You so to guide and direct us by Your Holy Spirit, so that we may not exalt ourselves, but humbly fear You, with our whole hearts hear and keep Your word, and hallow the Lord’s day, so that we also may be hallowed by Your word; help us, first, to place our hope and confidence in Your Son, Jesus Christ, who alone is our Righteousness and Redeemer, and, then, so to amend and better our lives in accordance with Your word, so that we may avoid all offenses and finally obtain eternal salvation. Amen. (Veit Dietrich)

2. »I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.«

3. Paul begins his Epistle to the Ephesians by saying: »In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His purpose, which He set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth. In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will« (Ephesians 1,7-11)

4. In today’s lection, Paul emphasizes that unity we have in Christ: Christians have the unity of the Holy Spirit, are one in body, hope, faith, Baptism and God the Father. Luther expounds on this in the 3. article of the Creed in his Small Catechism where he writes: in the same way the Holy Spirit calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth and keeps her with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. Paul, Luther and every great theologian describe κοινωνια (fellowship) by starting with Jesus Christ and working out from Him.

5. Jesus is the solid foundation, but if you get Him wrong then the structure will fall. This is what Paul feared in Galatia. There was the solid foundation of Jesus crucified and risen that he had preached, and then there was the other Jesus some men from Jerusalem were trying to lay down as the foundation, namely: Jesus and circumcision and dietary restrictions of the Mosaic covenant. Paul accuses these Jerusalem men of preaching a different gospel, a gospel that taught you need more than Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. Paul would have none of that: there is only one Jesus and one gospel: the crucified and risen Jesus Christ. That is the Church’s only Gospel and her only foundation.

6. But throughout the Church’s history people have tried to add to this gospel. In Paul’s day it was circumcision; in Luther’s day it was indulgences; in our day it is Jesus but the gospel is replaced with a generic religiosity that is comfortable across all religions: one example being: God is love, but that love is not defined or derived from God’s love showcased in the gospel. These are all Christ plus something more as evidence to show that Christ really works (Nagel 159.).

7. To add to the gospel of Christ is to nullify the grace of God; then Christ died to no purpose (Nagel 159). If that is the Christ being talked about – Christ where His crucifixion is not enough – then they fallen away from grace (Nagel 159), for eventually the gospel will be minimized or lost.

8. There is only one grace, one gospel, for there is only the crucified and risen Christ. We were baptized into Christ, and He has set us free (Nagel 160). There is one baptism – it is in the Name of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. There is one faith – Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins. In all this oneness there is unity and fellowship. What links those who partake of the Lord’s Supper is that which they share together (Elert 4). The Apostolic Church confessed it by praying: „as this broken bread was scattered upon the mountains and being gather together became one, so may Your Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into Your kingdom“ (Didache 9,4). The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper binds its participants together (Elert 27). Chrysostom says: „Communicating (κοινωειν) involves not only partaking but also being made one, for as the body is united with Christ, so are we made one with Him through this bread“ (Elert 27).

9. Cyril of Alexandria summarizes it this way: We are all one body together in Christ (Dial. de Trin.: PG, 74, 560 d.). If Christ is indivisible, then in no circumstances whatsoever will He let Himself be divided (Elert 30). In Christ we are all one (Dial. de Trin.: PG, 75, 697 b). We many are one in Christ and in the Holy Spirit (PG, 57, 697 c.). The Lord’s Supper makes us bodily one; it unites all Christians with Christ and all Christians with one another (Elert 30). From this flows Paul’s admonition to bear with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Holy Spirit in the bond of peace. Unity, love and peace are from Christ, are grounded in Him and thus bears fruit with fellow Christians.

10. The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippines 4,7). Amen.

11. Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, Your steadfast love endures forever; send to us the Holy Spirit to enable mouths to make known Your faithfulness and fellowship to all generation. 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.

17. Trinity Divine Service III

17. Trinity

Thursday, September 23, 2021

Luke 6,43 Bible study

Luke 6,43

Lamentations 3,22-26.31-32. 16. Trinity

Lamentations 3,22-26.31-32 4921

16. Trinitatis 061

Januarius, Bishop of Benevento, Italy. Martyr 305

19. September 2021

1. O Lord God, Heavenly Father, who did send Your Son to be made flesh, that by His death He might atone for our sins and deliver us from eternal death: We pray, confirm in our hearts the hope that our Lord Jesus Christ, who with but a word raised the widow’s son, in like manner will raise us on the last day, and grant us eternal life. Amen. (Veit Dietrich)

2. »The steadfast love of Yahweh never ceases;His mercies never end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. I say: „Yahweh is my portion, therefore I will hope in Him.“ Yahweh is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of Yahweh. For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though He cause grief, He will have compassion according to the abundance of His steadfast love.«

3. The Prophet Jeremiah wrote Lamentations; it is a poetic lament over the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 586 bc. Jeremiah witnessed Yahweh’s judgment upon faithless, idolatrous Judah. He had warned the people and exhorted them to repent, but they sowed the wind and now they reaped the whirlwind (Hosea 8,7).

4. Solomon lamented that there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1,9). How often are people called to repent, seek Yahweh and live, but the gospel falls upon deaf ears and stony hearts. Bo Giertz has a chapter about it in his book The Hammer of God. He writes: „[Our heart] is stony ground through and through.… This is the rock foundation we know as the sinful corruption of our human nature, the sinful depravity that remains even after a man has separated himself from all his conscious sins. It is this stony ground that explains why a man is just as great a sinner before God after he has offered God the best he is able to give of obedience and commitment“ (Giertz 265-66).

5. God’s Word brings us to the realization that we need not only repentance of our sinful conditions but salvation from it (Giertz 267). In the midst of Jeremiah’s lament over sinfulness, he exclaims: »Yahweh will not cast off forever, but, though He caused grief, He will have compassion according to the abundance of His steadfast love.« Our salvation is by grace, and it is a work of God. Outside of Jerusalem there is rocky, stony ground. There the Roman’s would crucify people, and 2000 years ago they crucified Jesus. „So wonderful is God that he let all the curse and penalty of sin fall upon [Jesus] and freely gave Himself in death for us. He was made a curse for our sakes. Thus He redeemed us from the condemnation of the law. He was made sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God. He bore our sins in His own body on the tree, and by His stripes we are healed“ (Giertz 267-68).

6. The stony heart, the rock foundation of our corrupt human nature (Giertz 268) can only be broken by God. We read in Exodus how Yahweh told Moses to strike the rock with his staff so water would flow and the people could quench the thirst (Exodus 17,6). The death of Christ likewise strikes our stony heart, and redeems us from our hard-hearted sinfulness. The cross stands on the rock of atonement and buy His cross Jesus has redeemed us. Paul tells us that Israel drank from the spiritual Rock that follow them – that rock was Christ (1. Corinthians 10,4). Paul then connects this to the Lord’s Supper. »The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread« (1. Corinthians 10,16-17).

7. Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are the means of grace Jesus has given to break our stony hearts, for these Sacraments give us what Christ has purchased for us at the rock of atonement: forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. Holy Baptism indicates that the old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and died with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge and rise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever (Small Catechism Holy Baptism part 4). What is the benefit of this eating and drinking the Lord’s Supper? These words, „Given in shed for you for the forgiveness of sins,“ show that in the Sacrament forgiveness of sins, life and salvation are given us through these words. For where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation (Small Catechism Lord’s Supper question 3).

8. Jeremiah concludes Lamentations by writing: »Restore to us Yourself, O Yahweh, so that we may be restored!« (Lamentations 5,21). Jesus Christ, our Lord, has restored us through His death and resurrection. He blesses us through the gifts of the Sacraments. He is compassionate and steadfast in love toward us. All Christianity is bound to Jesus Christ (Giertz 271). The Commandments, the Lord’s Prayer and the Creed teach us the basics of Christianity, and Holy Baptism, Absolution and the Lord’s Supper exhort us where we find the forgiveness of sins, justification and sanctification that Jesus works in us and through us throughout our Christian lives, for the Psalmist tells us: »O satisfy us early with Thy mercy, O Yahweh: so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days« (Psalm 90,14).

9. The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4,7). Amen.

12. Let us pray. O Lord, the Redeemer of Your people; daily remind us that Your covenant of mercy endures forever, so that we acknowledge the awesomeness of Your Name. Amen.

To God alone be the Glory

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

✠

16. Trinity Divine Service IV

16. Trinity

Wednesday, September 15, 2021

Luke 6,37 Bible study

Luke 6,37

Tuesday, September 14, 2021

Luke 17,5-6. 15. Trinity

Luke 17,5-6 4821

15. Trinitatis 060

Guido of Anderlecht, Brussels. ✠ 1012

12. September 2021

1. O Lord God, Heavenly Father, we thank You for all Your benefits: that Your have given us life and graciously sustained us unto this day: We beseech You, take not Your blessing from us; preserve us from covetousness, so that we may serve You only, love and abide in You, and not defile ourselves by idolatrous love of mammon, but hope and trust only in Your grace. Amen. (Veit Dietrich)

2. »The apostles said to the Lord: „Add to us faith!“ And the Lord said: „If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, then you could say to this mulberry tree: ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.“«

3. Mustard seeds are the small round seeds that are usually about 1 to 2 millimeters (0.039 to 0.079 in) in diameter and may be colored from yellowish white to black. They are an important spice in many regional foods and may come from one of three different plants: black mustard (Brassica nigra), brown Indian mustard (B. juncea), or white/yellow mustard (B. hirta/Sinapis alba). Mustard seeds generally take 8-10 days to germinate if placed under the proper conditions, which include a cold atmosphere and relatively moist soil. Mature mustard plants grow into shrubs.

4. Mulberry trees grow quickly when they are young, but they soon grow much more slowly so that they reach an average height between 33-49 feet tall. These trees look like oversized bushes, for their branches grow from their trunks very close to the ground. They produce red or black berries that are about an inch long.

5. The apostles had asked Jesus to add to them faith. At this point in Jesus’ ministry by chapter 17, no one, not the disciples nor the apostles, truly understands and comprehends Jesus and His ministry. Jesus foretells His death twice in Luke 9 and a third time in Luke 18. His disciples believe and know that He is the Messiah, a prophet and a miracle worker, but they don’t comprehend that this will culminate by His dying and rising again. Faith focused on the cross and the empty tomb was not given and received until after His resurrection.

6. The apostles’ request arises from their recognition that they are unable to do what Jesus has exhorted of them because they lack the necessary faith (Just 645). They are struggling to comprehend that as the Messiah Jesus must suffer and die. This went against everything they were taught by their rabbis and the Pharisees. The moral conduct Jesus exhorts from His disciples is more complex and weightier than what the Pharisees expected from their disciples. The apostles fear they are unable to attain the level of excellence Jesus asked from them. We are in the same situation as the apostles. We see the great expectations that God has for us, and we know how miserably we often disappoint God.

7. Jesus’ words to the apostles offer them encouragement (Just 645). „Even though the apostles do not realize it, they have enough faith to do miraculous things, even something as remarkable as transplanting a mulberry tree, with its deep root system, into the sea“ (Just 645). The apostles will see the risen Jesus and believe. They will be given the faith to preach the gospel, heal the sick and teach the faith (Just 645). Jesus will add to their faith so they can endure hardship, persecution and martyrdom for the glory of Jesus.

8. We also have such faith. We have heard the gospel proclaimed by the apostles and have received their teachings as recorded in the Holy Scriptures and passed down through the Church’s liturgy and tradition. Jesus adds to our faith so we can endure the tribulations of a fallen creation, suffer through 2 years of pandemic hardships and rejoice that Christ sees us through to the end. The words of the Apostle Paul are as inspiring and encouraging now as they were 2000 years ago: »For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord« (Romans 8,18.28-32.35.37-39).

9. In his Small Catechism Luther explains the 3. Article of the Apostles’ Creed, saying: „I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps her with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian Church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the last day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. This is most certainly true.“

10. The Holy Spirit adds to our faith. Though that faith be as small as a minuscule mustard seed, yet it blossoms into a strong and healthy mustard tree – a faith that weathers all the storms of this wicked world. We have this promise through Jesus, who Himself endured the worst the world can deliver, and He came through on the other side victorious. His righteousness is our righteousness, and His victory is our victory. In His death we have died to sin, and in His resurrection we rise to new life.

11. The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippines 4,7). Amen.

12. Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, blessed is the one who takes refuge in You; help us to taste and see that You are good, so that our trust is always in You. Amen.

To God alone be the Glory

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

✠

15. Trinity Divine Service IV

15. Trinity

Sunday, September 12, 2021

Luke 6,20 Bible study

Luke 6,20

Monday, September 6, 2021

1. Thessalonians 5,14-24. 14. Trinity

1. Thessalonians 5,14-24 4721

14. Trinitatis 059

Zacharias and Elizabeth, ✠

Marinus, Deacon, ✠ end of the 4. century

5. September 2021

1. O Lord God, Heavenly Father, who by Your blessed Word and Your Holy Baptism has mercifully cleansed all who believe from the fearful leprosy of sin, and daily does grant us Your gracious help in all our need: We beseech You so to enlighten our hearts by Your Holy Spirit, so that we may never forget these Your blessings, but ever live in Your fear, and, trusting fully in Your grace, with thankful hearts continually praise and glorify You. Amen. (Veit Dietrich)

2. »Do not quench the Holy Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.«

3. We live in a world seeking the truth. People and algorithms fact check social media posts, statements by the president and a host of other information. We also fact check the fact checkers.

4. The Apostle Paul exhorts us: do not quench the Holy Spirit, and do not despise the prophets. Paul is, among other things, emphasizing the prominence of the Scriptures and the preaching on the Scriptures. This task of preaching occurred each Sabbath in the synagogues, and the churches likewise read the Scriptures and preach on them. Martin Luther explains the 3. Commandment likewise saying: we should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but gladly hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it (Small Catechism).

5. Paul also exhorts the Thessalonians Christians to examine and test the Scriptures and the preaching. Luke tells us: »The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the Word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, with quite a few Greek women of high standing as well as men« (Acts 17,10-12). Luther writes: „Do not dream of a Holy Spirit who works without the Word and before the Word, but rather understand that the Holy Spirit comes with and through the Word and He goes only as far as the Word goes“ (SL XI,1073,75).

6. The Holy spirit acting in the gospel testifies that:

A. Holy Scripture is the only source and norm of Christian doctrine;

B. Holy Scripture is identical to the Word of God;

C. Holy Scripture is verbally inspired, thus:

i. Scripture is authoritative;

ii. Scripture does what it says;

iii. Scripture is sufficient; and

iv. Scripture is clear.

7. The gospel of God is that He saves the world. This He does through His Son Jesus Christ. His suffering and death are vicarious, for He voluntarily gives His life as a ransom for all people. Christ’s death is a sacrifice, and by it He has established a new covenant and testament whereby sins are forgiven, His death is eschatological (concerning the last day) and preludes the full realization of His reign at His 2. Advent.

8. „As Christ says, it depends all depends on this: If you are to cling to my Word and continue in it you must learn rightly to perceive who I am and believe that for you I died, was buried, and resurrected again, all of which proves that I purposed no evil toward you. If you acknowledge this and believe it, you will certainly hold firm to my Word and continue in it. Accordingly, love must flow forth from faith. When faith is there we will come safely through. Christ’s words are indeed very plain, “If a man love me, he will keep my words,” my word about my death and resurrection, not Moses’ word or the Ten Commandments.… But the Word of our dear Lord Christ is the highest and best treasure. Whoever has it, Christ affirms, and welds it to himself over all other things lest it be taken from him, can be very certain that my Father also loves him.“ (Luther 179,5 § 3-6; 180, 6 § 1.4-5).

9. Many religious and spiritual people boast much about God, pray often and want to serve Him, but the truth is that they err in all this concerning God if they don’t have and believe Christ’s Word, which is really the Father’s Word and in which He teaches us that through Christ we have forgiveness of sins and eternal life (Luther 182,16). We trust in Christ, and His Word that by His body and blood we are forgiven, that this gospel is proclaimed throughout the pages of the Holy Scriptures.

10. Everything depends on our being attached to Christ (Luther 181,11 § 1). We are to cleave to Christ alone, for He is the Word of God made flesh, and His spoken Words are the very words of Scripture. And then we hear His voice, are edified, are comforted and are blessed. „Behold, Christ keeps His Church at peace in the midst of affliction and temptation. The Word of Christ, Holy Scripture, is a Word of grace, love and peace of God toward us. The Scriptures tell us that God wants to be our dear Father, and promises us peace and all good things through His Son, Christ, whom we have for a friend“ (SL XI, 1078,86).

11. The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4,7). Amen.

12. Let us pray. O Lord, our Compassionate Father; show compassion to those who fear and trust in You, so that we receive Your mercy and grace. Amen.

To God alone be the Glory

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

✠

14. Trinity Divine Service III

14. Trinity

Luke 6,6 Bible study

Luke 6,6

Thursday, September 2, 2021

Genesis 4,1-16. 13. Trinity

Genesis 4,1-16 4621

13. Trinitatis 058

Beheading of John the Baptizer

29. August 2021

1. O Lord God, Heavenly Father, we most heartily thank You that You have granted us to live in this accepted time, when we may hear Your holy gospel, know Your fatherly will, and behold Your Son, Jesus Christ! We pray, Most Merciful Father: Let the light of Your holy Word remain with us, and so govern our hearts by Your Holy Spirit, so that we may never forsake Your Word, but remain steadfast in it, and finally obtain eternal salvation. Amen. (Veit Dietrich)

2. »And God looked upon Abel and his gift, but for Cain and his offering He paid no attention. So Cain was greatly grieved, and his face was downcast. Yahweh God said to Cain: „Why are you deeply sorrowful, and why has your face become downcast? If you brought rightly, rightly but not divided/distributed, you sinned?Be still, for sin desires your submission, and you will rule over it.“«

3. We learn from the Small Catechism: you shall not murder. What does this mean? A: we should fear in love God so that we do not hurt or harm our neighbor in his body, but help and support him in every physical need.

4. In Genesis 4, we hear of Cain and Abel, the first murder and the consequences of this horrible crime. The story is told to us in such a way that we can very well recognize ourselves in Cain (Martens ¶4), as Jesus taught us in that even if we are angry with our neighbor then we have broken the Commandment (Matthew 5,22). Among many things that the story teaches us, 3 in particular stand out:

i. sometimes we cannot understand God,

ii. sometimes we want to correct God and

iii. sometimes we cannot bear God’s questions.

5. The age-old question is: why did God regard Abel’s sacrifice and not Cain’s? The text simply states: but for Cain and his offering Yahweh paid no attention. Yahweh did not look upon and notice Cain’s sacrifice. The language in these verses describing their offerings implies both Abel and Cain prayed to God; and God gave Abel what he had prayed for but He did not give Cain what he had asked for. Cain became greatly grieved at this, so much so that his emotions were visibly seen upon his face; Cain was devastated that Yahweh did not notice his sacrifice or give heed to his prayer. Did Cain do something that offended Yahweh so that He ignored his sacrifice? Verse 7 indicates that Cain seemed to have offered his sacrifice but that there was something Cain did or did not do in regard to his sacrifice that caused Yahweh to ignore it. The Epistle to the Hebrews tells us that by faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain (Hebrews 11,4). As a result, Cain was sorrowful and downfallen that Yahweh had no regard for his sacrifice.

6. Like Cain, we don’t understand many things that God does or allows to happen in this world. Why is there still evil in this world? Why does God allow tragedy and distraction to occur as you did a few days ago in Kabul, Afghanistan? Why did God answer someone else’s prayer but did not answer mine? We often struggle with these and similar questions.

7. How one response to God in regard to things we don’t understand is key. Cain ignores what Yahweh tells him. His eyes go from lifted up in prayer to God in heaven to lowered inside himself, and in doing so Cain severs his communication with God. This breaking off of communication with God has the consequence that Cain now directed his rejection against his brother Abel (Martens ¶10). Cain cannot hurt God so he hurt his brother whom God had favored. Abel bears the brunt of Cain's revenge. How often do people do this even today. Many times revenge shown against someone is displaced vengeance toward God or another person whom they cannot direct it. So a person close by bears the revenge that seeks a release. Sometimes that misplaced vengeance costs people their lives, and Yahweh warned Cain not to walk down that dark path.

8. We easily set out on this dark path. God warns us to stop: don’t listen to your emotions, don’t fed the desire for revenge, but seek God’s will and be comforted by His words. But this is easier said than done. We convince ourselves of what we want even when it goes against what God wants. When we sin, God questions us. Cain, where is your brother? What have you done? Like Adam did, Cain attempted to hide his horrible sin but he cannot for God already knows and is aware of the tragedy. God confronts Cain with his guilt and with the punishment Cain knows he deserves (Martens ¶13). When we ponder the 10 Commandments, our conscience is troubled. We know we have sinned and there is no hiding it from God. We feel alienated from God and that we no longer have a place in His presence.

9. Our sinful deeds mark us as sinners. We know it. Everyone knows it. We know everyone else is a sinner too. The common response is to run away and alienate ourselves, particularly from God. That Old Cain in us is always the wanderer in fugitive from God and His presence.

10. But thanks be to God that is not the end of our story! Our HeavenlyFather has sent us another Shepherd, a Second Abel, who was killed in spilled His blood for us: Jesus Christ our Savior. With this Shepherd, God is unfolding once again the entire story of Cain and Abel (Martens ¶16). When we cannot understand God or endure His probing questions, we should look to Jesus — the crucified One. On the cross we see that God has drawn near to us, found us and reconciles us back to Himself. Jesus reminds us: My body was given for you and My blood was shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. We know that where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation (Small Catechism).

11. This gospel is never a demand. The gospel doesn’t require anything from us. The gospel is pure gift and promise. For us who are conceived and distressed by our sins, Jesus has brought us the gospel. While the law is written up on our hearts, the gospel comes to us from outside ourselves as a pure gift of God who speaks on our behalf in the face of all our sins of commission and our failures with respect to our neighbors, which accuse us (Bayer 11). He speaks through the Holy Spirit in our place; He speaks were words fail us (Bayer 11). He also speaks for us against the accusation which comes through the law; He speaks as an advocate in our favor (Bayer 11). So Christ speaks to us today in whatever sin we find ourselves. The gospel brings forgiveness and a new life. Amen.

12. Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, your name is worthy to be praised; daily bless us with the grace and mercy of your gospel, so that we no longer avoid you as fugitives but receive you as our Friend. Amen.

To God alone be the Glory

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

✠

13. Trinity Divine Service III

13. Trinity

Grace Evangelical-Lutheran

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

Thursday, September 30, 2021

Luke 7,11 Bible study

Ephesians 4,1-6. 17. Trinity

17. Trinity Divine Service III

Thursday, September 23, 2021

Luke 6,43 Bible study

Lamentations 3,22-26.31-32. 16. Trinity

16. Trinity Divine Service IV

Wednesday, September 15, 2021

Luke 6,37 Bible study

Tuesday, September 14, 2021

Luke 17,5-6. 15. Trinity

15. Trinity Divine Service IV

Sunday, September 12, 2021

Luke 6,20 Bible study

Monday, September 6, 2021

1. Thessalonians 5,14-24. 14. Trinity

14. Trinity Divine Service III

Luke 6,6 Bible study

Thursday, September 2, 2021

Genesis 4,1-16. 13. Trinity

13. Trinity Divine Service III