Grace Evangelical-Lutheran: 1. Peter 4,7-11. Trinity XVIII. Feast of St. Michael and all angels

1. Peter 4,7-11 5224

18. Trinitatis. Trinity xviii 65

Nicetas the Goth, Martyr 372

15. September 2024

1. ℣ Give a reward to those who support You:

℟ So that Your prophets may be found faithful day long (Ecclesiasticus 36,18a vul lxx mas).

Da mercedem sustinentibus te, ut prophetae tui fideles inveniantur. lxx mas

O God, rich in grace, You have granted us time to celebrate Your praises this Sunday. You give us Your Holy Word and Sacraments, that we should use them as the means of grace for our salvation. Grant that we may daily increase in stature, wisdom and piety, in the fear of God, in the knowledge of Your will and in favor with You and with all people. Amen. (Stark 39.42; English 13.14 paraphrased).

2. »The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.«

3. God the Father gives talents to every person. His intention is that we use these talents to be a blessing to, and for, our neighbor. How then do we, and will we, use the talents God gives us? Fallen men and women are prone to missuse their talents, seeking to benefit themselves at the expense of the neighbor. This turning in on ourselves corrupt us more and more over time. As the story of Cain and Abel teaches: sin crouches at the door of our heart, but we must rule over the desire of sin (Genesis 4,7). Cain let sinful desire so corrupt him that he did the unthinkable: he murdered his own brother. God exhorts us to be diligent in keeping sin from corrupting us.

4. But this is no easy task for even the most pious people in the Bible succumb to the corruption of sin which reaches its zenith when we convince ourselves that God is a harsh Diety and our enemy, rather than the gracious Giver of talents that He truly is. If we sink to this level of dispair, then the Devil dances with glee for he has turned our hearts away from the one Power in the universe that has always our best interest in His mind. Once a person perceives God the Father as a harsh enemy, then there is nothing that person won’t do to spite God.

5. Into this corrupted world where the self reigns supreme as the most important person to be benefited, the Father has sent His Only Son. This Son of God at first glance seems to be just your every day hard-working Jewish carpenter. But people quickly realized He had the wisdom of the Eternal God and the Divine authority to perform miracles. Jesus lovingly used His talents to help his neighbors.

6. The greatest gift God has given us is His very own Son who redeemed us back to His Heavenly Father by dying and rising again. On account of Jesus we receive the good gifts of this earthly life, and on account of Jesus we will receive the greater gifts of the eternal life yet to arrive. All that we do in this life: how we use the gifts God has given us and how we help our neighbor is ultimately done »in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, for to Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever!«

7. Christ Jesus is God the Father’s costly gift that He has given to us, and Jesus has redeemed us unto everlasting life. In turn, we now are Christ’s gifts to our neighbors so that they may see and know that God loves them, forgives them and is merciful to them. In all our stewardship of the gifts the Holy Spirit has given us, we glorify Christ who is the True Gift.

8. Another gift God the Father gives us is the Archangel Michael and all the angels. The Epistle to the Hebrews tells us: »Are the angels not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?« (Hebrews 1,14). The apostle asks the question and expects us to reply: yes, the angels are our ministering spirits. God’s angels love Him and delight in using their talents to serve us. They are exemplars to us of how to love God with all one’s being who minister to all His creation.

9. „The angels excel in strength. They have powers beyond our reach. They can do things we cannot even imagine. They do God’s bidding“ (Nagel 294). Have you ever had a sense of peace after praying? Or a surge of confidence and resolve during the day or night? A flash of insight or wisdom over some conundrum you’d been wrapping your brain around? God sent an angel to strengthen you, uplift you or guide you. Many times you probably didn’t utter a thought or prayer, but God sent an angel to minister to you because He knew you had a need.

10. Michael has a unique talent; he is tasked to defend God’s people. The Devil delights in tempting and thwarting Christians and Christ’s bride, the Church. When the Devil himself gets involved, Michael is also there to contend against him. The Prophet Daniel was told by an angel: »At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever« (Daniel 12,1-3).

11. Christian tradition lists 7 named archangels; some Orthodox have 8. Lutherans traditionally affirm to the first 4. Michael : Who is like God? A protector. Is found in both Testaments. Gabriel : God is my strength or Hero of God. A messenger. Is found in the Gospels. Raphael : God has healed. A healer. Tobit 12,15; 1. Enoch 20,3. He delivers prayers to God (Tobit 12,12). Is found in the apocryphal Book of Tobit. Uriel : God is my light. Is found in the apocryphal Book of 2. Esdras 4,1; 5,20

12. As Michael and the angels love and serve the Triune God, so do we love and serve the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul tells us: »Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. So now, faith, hope and love abide, but the greatest of these is love« (1. Corinthians 13,7.13). Love is the greatest, for love covers a multitude of sins (1. Peter 4,8). Jesus lived and died by this truth, for greater love has no one than this, but he lay down his life for his friends( John 15,13). (αγαπη/ν is the word used for love in these verses.)

9. Such unconditional love for our neighbor flows forth from our faith in Christ Jesus. May God send us His angels to help us protect our neighbors, proclaim the gospel to our neighbors, be of help to our neighbors and be the light of Christ to the world.

10. Now, Jesus, come and stay with me.

The work my hands have done

I entrust, dearest Savior, to Thee;

Help me finish what’s begun

For Thy Name be glorified,

And let me when it’s eventide

Receive the reward I desire.

(In Gottes Namen fang ich an elkg 769,7 2021 Salomo Liskow 1674).

This is most certainly true.

13. 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.

14. Let us pray. We beseech Thee, most tender Father, that Thy most living fire may purify us, that Thy most clear light may illumine us, and that Thy most pure love may so avail us that without let or hindrance of mortal things we may return to Thee in happiness and security. Amen. (Trinity XVIII, 2^nd Vespers Collect. 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

Sunday, September 29, 2024

1. Peter 4,7-11. Trinity XVIII. Feast of St. Michael and all angels

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