Isaiah 38,9-20 5221
19. Trinitatis 064
Gideon, Judges 6-8. Gereon of Cologne, Germany. Martyr 259. Charles Martel defeats the Moors in 732 in the Battle of Tours
10. Oktober 2021
1. O Mighty and Everlasting God, who by Your Son Jesus Christ did mercifully help the palsied man both in body and soul: We beseech You, for the sake of Your great mercy: Be gracious also unto us; forgive us all our sins, and so govern us by Your Holy Spirit, so that we may not ourselves be the cause of sickness and other afflictions; keep us in Your fear, and strengthen us by Your grace that we may escape temporal and eternal wrath and punishment, through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. (Veit Dietrich)
2. »A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, after he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness: O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these is the life of my spirit. O restore me to health and make me live!«
3. Numerous times in Holy Scripture we read about someone suffering, sick or enduring some sort of tribulation. These are moments where God speaks to the person. Many times Yahweh grants a reprieve, but sometimes He does not.
4. Later in his reign, King Hezekiah fell ill (Isaiah 38,1). The Prophet Isaiah told him he would succumb and die. Hezekiah prayed for deliverance, Yahweh healed him and he ruled another 15 years (Isaiah 38,5). Jesus taught us to pray the petition: deliver us from evil. Luther explains this petition in his Small Catechism, writing: We pray in this petition, in summary, that our Father in heaven would rescue us from every evil of body and soul, possessions and reputation, and finally, when our last hour comes, give us a blessed end, and graciously take us from this valley of sorrow to Himself in heaven.
5. These are wise words from Jesus and Luther, for we often do not know the mind and will of God in regards to many things that happen in this world or befall us in our lives. Job understood this, and when he suffered he prayed: »Yahweh gave, and Yahweh has taken away; blessed be the Name of Yahweh« (Job 1,21).
6. After Yahweh had healed Hezekiah, he became proud of heart, and did not return according to the benefit done to him (2. Chronicles 32,25). Therefore Yahweh’s wrath fell upon Hezekiah, Judah and Jerusalem. But Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of Yahweh did not fall upon them in his days (2. Chronicles 32,26). Like his ancestor David, Hezekiah repented of his sin. Jesus taught us to likewise pray this petition: forgive us our trespasses. Luther also explains this petition in his Small Catechism: we pray in this petition that our Father in heaven would not look at our sins, or deny our prayer because of them. We are neither worthy of things for which we pray, nor have we deserved them, but we ask that He would give them all to us by grace, for we daily sin much and surely deserve nothing but punishment. So we too will sincerely forgive and gladly do good to those who sin against us.
7. At times we may wonder whether prayer really matters to God, as He already knows all things and what will happen. Hezekiah called upon Yahweh for healing and forgiveness. Yahweh both healed and forgave him, for Yahweh is a gracious and merciful God who hears and answers our prayers. Jesus likewise exhorts us to petition God, for He desires to hear and answer our prayers. Luther tells us: we should be certain that these petitions are pleasing to our Father in heaven, and are heard by Him; for He Himself has commanded us to pray in this way and has promised to hear us. (Small Catechism).
8. Ponder these petitions that Hezekiah prayed: »O Lord, restore me to health and make me live! Behold, it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness; but in love You have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back. The living thanks You, as I do this day; the father makes known to the children Your faithfulness. Yahweh will save me, and we will play my music on stringed instruments all the days of our lives, at the house of Yahweh.«
9. God’s faithfulness and salvation are embodied in Jesus. In our Gospel pericope for today, Jesus forgave the sins of a paralytic and then healed him of his paralysis. The crowds who heard this and saw it glorified God who had given such authority to men (Matthew 9,2.6.8). But Jesus informs us that this authority was not given to men in general but to the Son of Man in particular. This title, Son of Man, was Jesus’ favorite title that He used for Himself. He utters it 80 times in the Four Gospels. One the one hand Son of Man indicates that Jesus is fully and truly man, but on the other hand it indicates so much more for it is a Messianic title that combines the ideas of the Suffering Servant who dies for all people (Isaiah 53; Matthew 20,28) who then is exalted and reigns forever and ever (Daniel 7,13-14; Matthew 24,30). Jesus has authority to be healing and forgiving people on earth (Gibbs 456).
10. Christ then gave to the apostles and the Church this same authority. »Jesus said to the apostles again: „Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, even so I am sending you. If you forgive the sins of any, then they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, then it is withheld“« (John 20,21.23). »Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him« (James 5,14). The Church proclaims the forgiveness of sins to all nations. This gospel announces to all people that Christ’s death and resurrection has paid the redemption price for sin and that He will restore our bodily life. King Hezekiah looked ahead to this Son of Man who would fulfill this, and we look back to the Son of Man who did this at His cross and empty tomb. This is most certainly true.
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, Your steadfast love endures forever; do not forsake the work of Your hands, so that we always behold Your grace and mercy.. Amen.
To God alone be the Glory
Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm
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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 © 2019 Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern.
VELKD. Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. www.velkd.de. Copyright © 2020 Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands.
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