Grace Evangelical-Lutheran: 2. Corinthians 4,16-18. Jubilate

2. Corinthians 4,16-18 2924

Jubilate 39

Anselm of Canterbury, Archbishop ✠ 1109

21. April 2024

1. ℣ Rejoice in God, all the earth:

℟ Sing a psalm to His Name; give Him glorious praise (Psalm 65,1b-2 vul lxx).

Give more light to our intellect so that we may know You and the ways in which we must go. Grant our will a greater conformity to Yours. Implant in our hearts a better and more sincere intention to do everything for Your glory. Amen. (Pieper 158; English transl. 92).

2. »So we do not lose heart. Though our outer man is utterly corrupt, our inner man is being made new day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are temporary, but the things that are unseen are eternal.«

3. Lutherans are often fond of paradoxes. One of Martin Luther’s most well-known ones is: Sic homo Christianus simul iustus et peccator, Sanctus prophanus, inimicus et filius Dei est. That a Christian is simultaneously righteous and sinner, holy and profane, an enemy of God and a son of God (WA 40,368.26-27).. Thus a Christian man is righteous and a sinner at the same time, holy and profane, an enemy of God and a child of God (AE 26,232). Every Christian suffers a daily struggle to desire and live holy, sanctified lives pleasing to That a Christian is simultaneously righteous and sinner, holy and profane, an enemy of God and a son of God. Daily we fail in some way, but we resolve with the help of the Holy Spirit to keep our feet on the path of Christian discipleship.

4. The Small Catechism teaches the basics of the new life and discipleship in Christ: how do we live, what do we believe and how do we pray? The 10 Commandments show us our sinfulness, convince us we need Jesus as our Savior and instruct us how to live under God’s will. The Apostle’s Creed teaches that the Triune God creates and preserves us, justifies us and sanctifies us all out of His merciful steadfast love. The Lord’s Prayer teaches us the words to petition our Heavenly Father for His will to be done and for His gifts to be received in the face of all dangers (Small Catechism 231 2017). Christians are baptized in the Name of the Triune God and receive the Lord’s Supper for their forgiveness. Confession of our sins disciplines us to live a Christian life that is one of repentance as we look at our daily responsibilities and wrongdoings, but we do not despair because of the assurance of forgiveness for Jesus sake that God gives to His servants through absolution (Small Catechism 307 2017). These means of grace bring us the gospel and keep our faith grounded and focused upon our Lord Jesus Christ, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. The central pillar of our faith is the suffering, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension and 2^nd advent of Christ Jesus.

5. Christ’s atonement gives us the victory of life over death and light over darkness. In the Sacraments of Holy Baptism and the Eucharist we partake in this mystery of redemption, being united with Christ in His death and resurrection. As we partake of the Lord’s Supper, we taste the sweetness of the gospel. We are joined with the Church on earth and the hosts of heaven in a foretaste of the feast to come. Hold fast to the promise of our resurrection, for in Christ we have the sure hope of eternal life. Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though we face trials and tribulations, though our outer man decays, our inner man is renewed each day by the Holy Spirit through the gospel. In this Easter season, live in the joy of the resurrection, looking to the things that are unseen that is the eternal glory prepared for us in Christ. Let us give thanks to God for the renewal of the inner man, for the forgiveness of sins, and for the hope of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

6. As Christians united in the one faith and believing in the same Lord Jesus, we aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with each other, live in peace and greet one another as brothers and sisters in Christ (2. Corinthians 13,11-12). „Holy Eastertide is a time of joy for Christians, for we rejoice from our hearts in our risen Jesus. We rejoice because our redemption is completed. For, after Jesus who had offered Himself to make satisfaction for us, has been raised from the dead, a complete ransom has been paid for us! God is reconciled and has accepted the death of His Son in place of our death and has granted us life for His sake…. We rejoice because we have received the seal and assurance of the gracious forgiveness of our sins, of our peace with God and know that we can fearlessly approach God and that He, in turn, will approach us“ (Starck 88). In this we hope and believe, yes, we have the certainty of forgiveness and salvation through Christ our Lord. Amen.

7. Ans. Misericordiam vero Dei quae tibi perire videbatur, cum iustitiam Dei et peccatum hominis considerabamus, tam magnam tamque concordem iustitiae invenimus, ut nec maior nec iustior cogitari possit. Nempe quid misericordius intelligi valet, quam cum peccatori tormentis aetemis damnato et unde se redimat non habenti, Deus Pater dicit: accipe Unigenitum meum et da pro te; et ipse Filius: tolle me et redime te? Quasi enim hoc dicunt, quando nos ad christianam fidem vocant et trahunt. Quid etiam iustius, quam ut ille cui datur pretium maius omni debito, si debito datur affectu, dimittat omne debitum. (Anselm of Canterbury Cur Deus Homo Bk II,20).

8. Ans. But the merciful steadfast love of God, which seemed to you to perish, when we considered God’s justice and man’s sin, we found so great and so harmonious with His justice, that neither greater nor more just can be thought of. For what can be understood more mercifully than with a sinner condemned to eternal torments and having no way to redeem himself, God the Father says: receive My Only-begotten who I gave for you; and the Son Himself says: receive Me for tour redemption? For it is as if They say this when They call and draw us to the Christian faith. What is even more just than that He to whom a greater price is given to pay the complete debt, if the debt is forgiven with affection. (Why God is Man Bk 2,20).

Ans. Now we have found the compassion of God which appeared lost to you when we were considering God’s holiness and man’s sin; we have found it, I say, so great and so consistent with his holiness, as to be incomparably above anything that can be conceived. For what compassion can excel these words of the Father, addressed to the sinner doomed to eternal torments and having no way of escape: „Take My Only-begotten Son and make Him an offering for yourself;“ or these words of the Son: „Take Me, and ransom your souls.“ For these are the voices they utter, when inviting and leading us to faith in the Gospel. Or can anything be more just than for Him to remit all debt since he has earned a reward greater than all debt, if given with the love which he deserves (Anselm of Canterbury Cur Deus Homo Book II, Ch. 20; Sydney Norton Deane 1903 transl.).

9. Praise God in every land,

Rejoice, O redeemed throng!

For the Lord is risen and stands,

Who for us died was also strong.

Jesus has by His power

Achieved redemption forever,

What He Himself adorns

Now that He came in human form.

(Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen elkg 456,6 2021 Erdmann Neumeister 1718)

This is most certainly true.

10. Et pax Dei, quæ exuperat omnem sensum, custodiat corda vestra, et intelligentias vestras in Christo Jesu. The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4,7). Amen.

11. Let us pray. O God of hope, fill Thy children with all joy and peace in believing, that we and they may abound in hope in the power of the Holy Ghost; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. (Jubilate, Vespers Collect 2. The Daily Office.)

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 Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, Septuaginta, Vol. I and II 2. Revised Edition © 2006 Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 28. Revised Edition © 2012 Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.

Grace Evangelical-Lutheran

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

Monday, April 22, 2024

2. Corinthians 4,16-18. Jubilate

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