Proper 17 (NTA)

Ephesians 1:3-14

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, ⁴ even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love ⁵ he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, ⁸ which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight ⁹ making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ ¹⁰ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

¹¹ 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, ¹² so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. ¹³ In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

This text helps me get through some very difficult times.  Most people turn to Ephesians 2:8-9 for the reminder that God has worked out their salvation.  But here I find the Holy Trinity planning out my salvation before the foundation of the world.

God's plan for redemption by blood for the forgiveness of sins is just this simple.  But why does St Paul recall it for us?  St Paul is reminding us by repeatedly talking about God's plan, purpose, and will, that it is not our plan.  Those who follow their own passions and desires will find their endulgences leading down a wide road to a place prepared for the Devil.

But by the grace of God there is another way.  There is an eternal plan of salvation for all who are caused to believe in the Beloved Son of God.  This Beloved Son is killed and raised a new so that new sons may be made.  These sons are sealed by the Holy Spirit for salvation.  They are sealed so that death nor the Devil can remove them from the loving Arms of our Father in Heaven.

This plan does not require your actions, but is the desire of the one true and holy God.

Proper 17 (GA)

Matthew 7:12-20

¹² “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

¹³ “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. ¹⁴ For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

¹⁵ “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶ You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

There are three separate issues laid forth here by Jesus.  They are all connected with the separation of truth from lie and right from wrong.  There are many people who have come to believe that truths are based on our point of view.  While for humans what we believe to be true and right may come from a certain point of view.  Humans are limited by time and perspective, but God is limited by neither.

There are many wolves who can act like sheep because of these limitations.  There are many ways that may deceive people who are limited in such a fashion.  But God will not be tricked nor deceived.  The light of the world will point to the true path.  This light will also show what is right and wrong.

Trees will reveal whether they are good or bad when it comes time to harvest their fruit.  But there is one who can look into the hearts of men and see whether they are good or evil.  This is the same one who looked into the hearts of all men and saw only evil.  This man went to the cross for the purpose of making these hearts good.

By the sacrifice of one man, God has provided the only path to life.  This one man is Jesus Christ the only Son of God.  This is gate or door God offers in the gift of faith, as he speaks the truth (not just another perspective).

Proper 17 (OTA)

Isaiah 65:17-25

¹⁷ “For behold, I create new heavens

and a new earth,

and the former things shall not be remembered

or come into mind.

¹⁸ But be glad and rejoice forever

in that which I create;

for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy,

and her people to be a gladness.

¹⁹ I will rejoice in Jerusalem

and be glad in my people;

no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping

and the cry of distress.

²⁰ No more shall there be in it

an infant who lives but a few days,

or an old man who does not fill out his days,

for the young man shall die a hundred years old,

and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.

²¹ They shall build houses and inhabit them;

they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

²² They shall not build and another inhabit;

they shall not plant and another eat;

for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,

and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

²³ They shall not labor in vain

or bear children for calamity,

for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the Lord,

and their descendants with them.

²⁴ Before they call I will answer;

while they are yet speaking I will hear.

²⁵ The wolf and the lamb shall graze together;

the lion shall eat straw like the ox,

and dust shall be the serpent’s food.

They shall not hurt or destroy

in all my holy mountain,”

says the Lord.

Remember in your heart the words of verse 20.  We live in a world that claims to have the best medical technology and treatments in the history of creation.  But there are still children dying on a weekly basis in our countries.  It is the simple corruption of sin.  Everyday someone new dies.

Whether the person you know was old or young, nevertheless they died.  Some say we can never defeat death, it will always catch up with us.  The truth is death is already upon you.  St Paul tells us we are dead in our trespasses.  Death may put us in a grave someday, but he seizes you in weakness and disease.

Even though death may have such a hold on you, death has been defeated.  This passage reminds us of the new creation.  Christ has given us new life.  This is why I do my best to avoid the previous statement of "you know was old or young.". The truth is they are still growing old.  I try to remember even when I talk with family to say they might have been that way, or he is a good father.

God has given us life through his Son Jesus Christ and all who believe in him have life eternal.  Christ makes us a new creation, and we live in a fallen creation.  But God will once again allow us to plant and build once more.  This is the truth of Christ's own resurrection.

Proper 17 (OT)

Genesis 30:25-43

²⁵ As soon as Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own home and country. ²⁶ Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, that I may go, for you know the service that I have given you.” ²⁷ But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your sight, I have learned by divination that the Lord has blessed me because of you. ²⁸ Name your wages, and I will give it.” ²⁹ Jacob said to him, “You yourself know how I have served you, and how your livestock has fared with me. ³⁰ For you had little before I came, and it has increased abundantly, and the Lord has blessed you wherever I turned. But now when shall I provide for my own household also?” ³¹ He said, “What shall I give you?” Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything. If you will do this for me, I will again pasture your flock and keep it: ³² let me pass through all your flock today, removing from it every speckled and spotted sheep and every black lamb, and the spotted and speckled among the goats, and they shall be my wages. ³³ So my honesty will answer for me later, when you come to look into my wages with you. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats and black among the lambs, if found with me, shall be counted stolen.” ³⁴ Laban said, “Good! Let it be as you have said.” ³⁵ But that day Laban removed the male goats that were striped and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white on it, and every lamb that was black, and put them in the charge of his sons. ³⁶ And he set a distance of three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob pastured the rest of Laban’s flock.

³⁷ Then Jacob took fresh sticks of poplar and almond and plane trees, and peeled white streaks in them, exposing the white of the sticks. ³⁸ He set the sticks that he had peeled in front of the flocks in the troughs, that is, the watering places, where the flocks came to drink. And since they bred when they came to drink, ³⁹ the flocks bred in front of the sticks and so the flocks brought forth striped, speckled, and spotted. ⁴⁰ And Jacob separated the lambs and set the faces of the flocks toward the striped and all the black in the flock of Laban. He put his own droves apart and did not put them with Laban’s flock. ⁴¹ Whenever the stronger of the flock were breeding, Jacob would lay the sticks in the troughs before the eyes of the flock, that they might breed among the sticks, ⁴² but for the feebler of the flock he would not lay them there. So the feebler would be Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s. ⁴³ Thus the man increased greatly and had large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys.

Jacob worked for Laban seven years for his first wife, Leah.  Then Jacob worked another seven years for his Love Reachel.  Throughout these years God blessed the work of Jacob and as a result God blessed Laban.  Now Jacob desired to leave his service to Laban, and they set up this plan.

I have to be honest I have never really looked into how breeding infront sticks can make spotted and speckled sheep.  But it does remind us that nothing really changes.  People still breed the strong with the strong.  They do not desire the week sheep to pass on their weaknesses to the next generation.  But some times I guess you still have to breed what ever you got in order to feed your family.

But the Lord blessed Jacob with a crafty mind.  He learned how to be a good farmer, and increased greatly in possession.  But is this the only lesson we learn from this text?  I think there is one more quick lesson.  After fourteen years of blessing with Jacob working for him, what does Laban have in the end.

Laban has given Jacob his two daughters.  Laban gave Jacob the strong of his flock, because of his greed.  Laban tried to use Jacob to further bless himself, but Laban even in the end will lose his family gods.  His lack of faith and trust in God is revealed.  This is a lesson not in farming but in trust in God's provision for his sheep.

God might not bless us with wealth, but he blesses us in life.

Proper 17 (G)

Matthew 25:31-46

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. ³⁴ Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ ³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? ³⁸ And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? ³⁹ And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ ⁴⁰ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ ⁴⁴ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ ⁴⁵ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ ⁴⁶ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

I read through this text just now thinking of all the things I would usually talk about but verse 34 struck me.  "inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." when God laid the foundations of the cosmos, he had this in mind.  God looked at his creation and it was very Good.  But God still knew he would need to sacrifice his only Son upon the cross for the rebellion of His creation.  He also had you and me in mind, when he laid those foundations.

Verse 34 reminds us, he prepared this Kingdom for each of us.  He had his son prepare each room for us, by means of his body.  He had the Holy Spirit prepare us throughb the Holy Word of God for service in this Kingdom.  But not all seem to make it, and yet all do make it.

Jesus Christ reminds us there are sheep and Goats.  Goats end up in a place prepared for the devil and his angels.  Sheep end up in a place prepared for them.  Jesus Christ died for all their sins but there is still this tragedy that not all sons and daughters of Adam will be saved.  But all the sheep will receive eternal life.

This life is prepared for us it is not our deeds nor our boasting that will inherit this Kingdom.  But it are those who have no thought nor remembrance of their deeds, because they just did their service.  Serve our Lord but not out of compulsion, but out of Faith.  It is by grace you will be prepared for the Kingdom prepared for you.

Proper 17 (CL)

Galatians 6:11-18

¹¹ See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. ¹² It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. ¹³ For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. ¹⁴ But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. ¹⁵ For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. ¹⁶ And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

¹⁷ From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

¹⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.

What are the marks of Jesus?  This text has a few little things that could lead some one in various directions.  The conclusion St Paul is reminding the Galatians of where there salvation lies.  Does your hope come from a happy life?  Does your salvation come from the instruction of the Law?  Does your redemption come from Christ's suffering?

St Paul tells us we may be persecuted on account of the cross of Christ.  Christ was delivered to a cross and crucified for the sins of the world.  Christ told his disciples to take up their cross and follow him.  Those people who trust in Christ for their Salvation and say that he is the only way of Salvation, will not find peace in this world.  But they have received peace by the new creation.

St Paul even adds that he has been crucified to the world.  All who believe and have been baptized have been crucified with Christ Jesus.  We have died and received new life.  Christ is the first fruits of the new creation, but we with Christ are also a part of that new creation through this one true faith.

Our redemption comes from the cross of Christ.  Our salvation from our savior Jesus.  Our happy life and hope are in the resurrection of the body and the new creation.

Proper 16 (Ps)

Psalm 81:1-16

¹ Sing aloud to God our strength;

shout for joy to the God of Jacob!

² Raise a song; sound the tambourine,

the sweet lyre with the harp.

³ Blow the trumpet at the new moon,

at the full moon, on our feast day.

⁴ For it is a statute for Israel,

a rule of the God of Jacob.

⁵ He made it a decree in Joseph

when he went out over the land of Egypt.

I hear a language I had not known:

⁶ “I relieved your shoulder of the burden;

your hands were freed from the basket.

⁷ In distress you called, and I delivered you;

I answered you in the secret place of thunder;

I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah

⁸ Hear, O my people, while I admonish you!

O Israel, if you would but listen to me!

⁹ There shall be no strange god among you;

you shall not bow down to a foreign god.

¹⁰ I am the Lord your God,

who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.

Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

¹¹ “But my people did not listen to my voice;

Israel would not submit to me.

¹² So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,

to follow their own counsels.

¹³ Oh, that my people would listen to me,

that Israel would walk in my ways!

¹⁴ I would soon subdue their enemies

and turn my hand against their foes.

¹⁵ Those who hate the Lord would cringe toward him,

and their fate would last forever.

¹⁶ But he would feed you with the finest of the wheat,

and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

Let the world take its seat and listen to all its errors listed out for each person.  Sit down and listen to the voice of the Lord.  The God who brought his people up out of the land of Egypt, instructs them on the way to live heir lives.  But the people turn their backs on this Redeemer.  They follow after their own desires.

Sit and listen as God will admonish you for all your sins.  Your sins should be revealed by the light.  The deeds of darkness are all revealed by the light of the Word of God.  But most of us do not have the patience to sit down and watch all our evils placed before us.  We don't want our secret sins revealed to the world, nor listen to them in any setting.

But God knows all that you have done and left undone.  He knows all your secret sins.  As I said recently elsewhere we are never alone, God is always with us.  You can not hide anything from God.

Rise and sing because God may recount all our sins, but he also separates those sins from you.  He takes that long list of admonishments and nails them into his Son's hands.  There upon the cross they are all eliminated.  Your sins are removed to be recalled no more.

Proper 16 (NTA)

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

5 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. ² For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. ³ While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. ⁴ But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. ⁵ For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. ⁶ So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. ⁸ But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. ⁹ For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰ who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. ¹¹ Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

Mary Poppins once sang "stay awake don't rest your head, don't lie down upon your bed, while the moon drifts in the skies, stay awake don't close your eyes.  Though the world is fast asleep, though your pillow is soft and sweet, your not as sleepy as you seem, stay awake don't nod and dream, stay awake don't nod and dream."

St Paul tells us to stay awake and  it seems like more and more the church seems to be falling asleep on the job.  He tells us to stay awake and not at like the world around us, but the church has become more like the culture rather than counter culture.  This does not mean the church should oppose everyone the culture world around us tells us to do, but it needs to speak the truth of God in all this.

Put on the full armor of God and be prepared to stand up and give a defense of what God has taught us.  The Light of the World shines even in the darkest places.  Christ shines his light into the hidden areas of our lives and reveals how sleepy we really are.  So stay awake! Stay alert!  St Peter will tell us that Satan prowls around like roaring Lion.  We need to be alert and stand watch not only for ourselves but for one another.

St Paul tells us to encourage one another and build each other up in the truth of the Gospel.  Jesus Christ died for the forgiveness of sins.  He died so that you maybe his own.  He rose to give you new life.  The time is coming when Christ will return to judge the living and the dead.  Stay awake and alert for the day is coming soon.  In that day Jesus will give all believers eternal life, and those who do not believe will be condemned to Hell.

Proper 16 (OTA)

Ecclesiastes 9:1-18

9 But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God. Whether it is love or hate, man does not know; both are before him. ² It is the same for all, since the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil, to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As the good one is, so is the sinner, and he who swears is as he who shuns an oath. ³ This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead. ⁴ But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. ⁵ For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. ⁶ Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun.

⁷ Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.

⁸ Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head.

⁹ Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. ¹⁰ Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.

¹¹ Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all. ¹² For man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them.

¹³ I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me. ¹⁴ There was a little city with few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it. ¹⁵ But there was found in it a poor, wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. ¹⁶ But I say that wisdom is better than might, though the poor man’s wisdom is despised and his words are not heard.

¹⁷ The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. ¹⁸ Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

Some people ask why do bad things happen to Good people?  The easy answer for me has always been no one is good.  But why do good things happen to Bad people?  Because God is gracious and merciful to love and save the lost.  But why do good things happen to ungodly people?  I know a few people that I play cards with always comment about their cleaning living providing them with good cards.

But we all know that when you examine the life of the wise or the foolish you will find sin and corruption.  When you lay down all the deeds of a person before you, there is not one who is pure and holy.  St Paul says all have fallen short of the glory of God.  But we need to remind us of the wise poor man.  His name will not be written in any books and his life will not be praised, but the wisdom of a poor man can be more powerful than all the weapons of war.

Good things happen to every man upon the earth.  But what are the things you remember?  We always seem to remember the rough or tough times.  We do not remember the poor man who gave up his life to redeem the nations.  Jesus Christ did redeem you.  He was a poor wise man, who gave up all he had for your salvation.  He is the only reason anything good happens to anyone.  Thanks be to God.

Proper 16 (G)

Matthew 24:36-51

³⁶ “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. ³⁷ For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸ For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, ³⁹ and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰ Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. ⁴² Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. ⁴³ But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

⁴⁵ “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? ⁴⁶ Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. ⁴⁷ Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. ⁴⁸ But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ ⁴⁹ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, ⁵⁰ the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know ⁵¹ and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

I am a proponent of changing the translation to read, "One will be swept away and one will remain."  The context tells us that Jesus is comparing the women at the mill and the men in the field with Noah and the Flood.  At the time of Noah there were men in the field and women at the mill, both were swept away.  But Jesus tells us at the Coming of the Son of Man only one will be swept away and the other will remain.

The faithful will not be swept away but they will remain with alive in the flesh.  Jesus Christ is instructing his disciples about eternal life.  Jesus Christ will give people life not sweep them away in a flood.  But there are many people who will be caught unaware.  These people have turned their backs upon the Lord, and discarded his word.

But for those who are faithfully waiting for the Day of the Lord, we need to speak the truth to all people.  We need to make sure that people are not uninformed even if they may be caught unaware or off guard.  Remember the two women and the two men.  It does not say they are grinding or walking next to each other, but one can assume such a situation.  What were they talking about?

Look across the table, kitchen, office, street, or field and tell the people you see what is coming.  It could come any minute or any hour and it is coming to sweep away the ungodly.  Look to Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, for your salvation.  He has died for your sins.  He is the one who can save you from getting swept away into eternal damnation.  "One will be swept away and one will remain."  Remain in Christ Jesus who has saved you from your sins.

Proper 16 (OT)

Isaiah 2:1-5

2 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

² It shall come to pass in the latter days

that the mountain of the house of the Lord

shall be established as the highest of the mountains,

and shall be lifted up above the hills;

and all the nations shall flow to it,

³ and many peoples shall come, and say:

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,

to the house of the God of Jacob,

that he may teach us his ways

and that we may walk in his paths.”

For out of Zion shall go the law,

and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

⁴ He shall judge between the nations,

and shall decide disputes for many peoples;

and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,

and their spears into pruning hooks;

nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

neither shall they learn war anymore.

⁵ O house of Jacob,

come, let us walk

in the light of the Lord.

Walk in the Light of the Lord!  Walk in the truth of the Heavenly Father!  Live your life in the truth of him who died for your transgressions!  Isaiah is given a true word of hope.  Isaiah provides us with a certain hope that one day there will be no more wars.  There will be no need to train for war.

Why will there be no more war?  Because there is one true Judge over us all.  He will judge our deeds in truth and justice.  He will settle all the disputes of peoples and nations.  This Judge will condemn and restore.  This Judge will not do away with the Law but he will judge all based on it.

My favorite part of this text is the people flowing to the Mountain of God to be instructed in his ways.  They will be instructed in the truth of God's word.  They will then flow out with the Law upon their lips into all the nations.  These people will judge between what is right and wrong.  They will judge the nations not based on society or cultural influence but on the Word of the Lord.

Ultimately it will be Jesus Christ who will make the final Judgement.  He takes the judgement of the World upon himself on the cross at Calvary.  He takes our sins upon himself, so that we will not be condemned but restored to new life.

Proper 16 (GA)

Matthew 18:15-20

¹⁵ “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. ¹⁶ But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. ¹⁷ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. ¹⁸ Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. ¹⁹ Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

If your brother is trapped by Sin, deliver him from his sins.  If your brother is trapped in corrupt thought and teaching, save him from this evil.  How do we do this?  First, step is often the most overlooked step.  "Go and tell him his fault."  Jesus says in Matthew Chapter 7 do not Judge.  Jesus says in Matthew Chapter 18 point out the speck in your brothers eye.

We feel like we should not judge people because we are no better than they are.  But even though I am a sinner and you are a sinner, we both need these things pointed out to us.  If you are being lead down the Highway to Hell, would like me to point that out?  If you are traveling down the road to Sheol, would you like me to point that out?  If you are going to fall into the pit, would you like me to point it out?  No, because that would be judging.

Jesus tells us to point out the snares in front of our brothers.  Jesus tells us to point out the sins of our fellow believers.  Jesus tells us to watch out for false prophets and wolves in sheep's clothing.  We do this not to condemn our brothers, but in order to save them from the pit of Hell and eternal damnation.

Jesus Christ is our pure hope and salvation.  Jesus Christ is the one who provides us with forgiveness of our sins.  He is the one who delivers us from evil and leads us into true hope.  Jesus Christ is our Light and our Life, in him we have truth which we can speak to one another in order to save us all.

Proper 16 (CL)

Galatians 6:1-10

6 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. ² Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. ³ For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. ⁴ But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. ⁵ For each will have to bear his own load.

⁶ Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. ⁷ Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. ⁸ For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. ⁹ And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. ¹⁰ So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

How do we do good and love one another as Christ has loved us?  Does this mean we treat everyone with respect and accept whatever path of life they choose for themselves?  Does this mean we protect them from any form of harm or danger and never let their feet be struck upon a stone?  Or does this mean providing them with all kinds of trials and tell them to live a Life Holy and Perfect?

St Paul tells the Galatians that if they are caught in a sin or transgression, they need to restore each other.  St Paul tells them to keep watch over themselves.  Take care of each other even during troubled times.  Each person has a load to care or a cross to bear.  But we need to teach each other the truth in purity.  They need to be instructed in what is right and what is wrong.  Because what a person sows that is what he will reap.

How do we love one another like Christ loved us?  Tell them the truth of their transgressions.  Help carry their burdens and lead them away from sowing corruption.  Point them to the cross of Christ where the sins of the world have been paid.  Remind them of Christ's blessed resurrection which gives us all hope of our eternal life in Jesus.  Jesus tells us this is the Love of God, that he gave his only begotten Son for their sins.

Let us not mock God and deceive ourselves into thinking we do not sin, but remind ourselves of the Love of God to save us from our sins.  We are sinful human beings and in need of a Savior.  That Savior is Jesus Christ our Lord, who has redeemed us from our transgressions.  He does not protect us from troubled times, but walks with us through troubled times.

Proper 15 (Ps) August 20th

Psalm 42:1-11

¹ As a deer pants for flowing streams,

so pants my soul for you, O God.

² My soul thirsts for God,

for the living God.

When shall I come and appear before God?

³ My tears have been my food

day and night,

while they say to me all the day long,

“Where is your God?”

⁴ These things I remember,

as I pour out my soul:

how I would go with the throng

and lead them in procession to the house of God

with glad shouts and songs of praise,

a multitude keeping festival.

⁵ Why are you cast down, O my soul,

and why are you in turmoil within me?

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,

my salvation ⁶ and my God.

My soul is cast down within me;

therefore I remember you

from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,

from Mount Mizar.

⁷ Deep calls to deep

at the roar of your waterfalls;

all your breakers and your waves

have gone over me.

⁸ By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,

and at night his song is with me,

a prayer to the God of my life.

⁹ I say to God, my rock:

“Why have you forgotten me?

Why do I go mourning

because of the oppression of the enemy?”

¹⁰ As with a deadly wound in my bones,

my adversaries taunt me,

while they say to me all the day long,

“Where is your God?”

¹¹ Why are you cast down, O my soul,

and why are you in turmoil within me?

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,

my salvation and my God.

Most people today are suffering from a very common disease.  This disease is general diagnosed as stress or anxiety.  Jesus tells us not to be anxious about anything because God will take care of you.  But the real disease we suffer from is the torment and turmoil of questioning where our hope and Salvation come from.

Many of us do not trust in the words of Jesus because we are hungering and thirsting for righteousness.  We do not see our salvation in front of our eyes.  All we see is deadlines and due dates.  Our lives are full of lists of things that need to get done.  These lists pile up and create what most people call stress.  The stress builds into anxiety.  The anxiety creates a cage trapping us and making us feel pressure on all sides.  This drives us further to question where is our God?

But the hope in God is not found in lists of things to do.  The list God has given us is all done for us upon the cross.  He does not expect us to complete this list on our own but provides the one who does it on our behalf.  Jesus Christ provides us with Salvation from our lists and stress.  He delivers us from anxiety, because their is a certain hope of everlasting life.  In Christ's resurrection he promises to pull you up out of te piles and cage that continues to trap us in sins.

This is the true disease that infects us all, the disease of sin.  Jesus heals us from this disease and promises everlasting life.  So let us continue to come to his stream of living water.

Proper 15 (GA)

Matthew 12:43-50

⁴³ “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. ⁴⁴ Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. ⁴⁵ Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.”

⁴⁶ While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. ⁴⁸ But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” ⁴⁹ And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! ⁵⁰ For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

I don't know how often this happens to you, but I clean off the corner of my table and living room and the next day it is messy again.  You dust your house and the next week it needs dusting again.  You clean and disinfect your bathroom (even the extra bathroom you don't use), and the next week you have to clean it once again.

Jesus talks about a house swept clean.  It has all its evil spirits removed.  The house is repaired of the damage those evil spirits inflicted.  The house is purified of its unholiness.  The problem is very simple.  The demons leave but eventually they return to the house.  The will continue to damage house so that it is worse than when it started.

The list of sins St Paul gives in Galatians are all evil spirits that destroy our houses.  Those actions corrupt even people who have been baptized and cleansed from all unrighteousness.  You have your house put back in order through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  He has restored you to perfection, it the evil spirits of this world continue to corrupt us all.  But when we indulge these evil spirits they take over and lead us away from the spirit which made us clean.  Continue to be cleansed be the Holy Spirit of God by remembering your baptism and avoiding the fleshly passions.

Proper 15 (OT)

Leviticus 18:6-23

⁶ “None of you shall approach any one of his close relatives to uncover nakedness. I am the Lord. ⁷ You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, which is the nakedness of your mother; she is your mother, you shall not uncover her nakedness. ⁸ You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife; it is your father’s nakedness. ⁹ You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether brought up in the family or in another home. ¹⁰ You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son’s daughter or of your daughter’s daughter, for their nakedness is your own nakedness. ¹¹ You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, brought up in your father’s family, since she is your sister. ¹² You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister; she is your father’s relative. ¹³ You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, for she is your mother’s relative. ¹⁴ You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother, that is, you shall not approach his wife; she is your aunt. ¹⁵ You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law; she is your son’s wife, you shall not uncover her nakedness. ¹⁶ You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s nakedness. ¹⁷ You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and of her daughter, and you shall not take her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter to uncover her nakedness; they are relatives; it is depravity. ¹⁸ And you shall not take a woman as a rival wife to her sister, uncovering her nakedness while her sister is still alive.

¹⁹ “You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness while she is in her menstrual uncleanness. ²⁰ And you shall not lie sexually with your neighbor’s wife and so make yourself unclean with her. ²¹ You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord. ²² You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. ²³ And you shall not lie with any animal and so make yourself unclean with it, neither shall any woman give herself to an animal to lie with it: it is perversion.

This text always seems to catch me off guard.  No it is not that Homosexuality is an abomination, I understand.  You go through this long list of incestuous relationships, then basic adultery.  But then verse 22 is what catches me off guard.  This entire text seems to be talking about sexual immorality, but then we get children being offered to Molech.

Maybe I need to do some more studying, but I am pretty sure offering children to Molech was sacrificing these children.  Moses equates this level of sexual immorality to idolatry, unbelief, or human sacrifice (of your own children).  If this is true, Homosexuality (lying with a male as with a female) is idolatry.

When St Paul lists sins against God or ungodly ways of life, sexual immorality always seems to be at the top of the list.  Moses takes us from incest, adultery, homosexuality, and beastuality, with the inclusion of  idolatry.  So the question should be to which abomination do fall prey?  Which of these forms of sexual immorality consumes your thoughts?

Honestly, I do not really care.  Because all of them are equally horrible.  All of these things have the death penalty from God.  But all things are possible with God.  God sacrificed his only Son not to Molech, but for the forgiveness of your sins.  Jesus died for the purification of abominable people.  He died to to turn abominable people into new perfect people.

Proper 15 (G)

Matthew 19:16-30

¹⁶ And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” ¹⁷ And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” ¹⁸ He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, ¹⁹ Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ²⁰ The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” ²¹ Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” ²² When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

²³ And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴ Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” ²⁵ When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” ²⁶ But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” ²⁷ Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” ²⁸ Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹ And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. ³⁰ But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

"With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."  This is such a simple statement but easily over looked.  The rich man can not become perfect because he does not desire to lose his wealth.  The rich man has deceived himself into thinking that he has kept these various laws.  But in Lutheran Confirmation classes people are taught that all these commandments require obedience to the first commandment.

Love the Lord your God with your entire heart, soul, and mind.  The rich young man places his possessions before God.  He has thus not kept these commandments.  But here is the actual truth.  The rich man comes to Jesus to find out how he can make himself perfect.  "with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.". Remember St Paul was a persecutor of the Church, and God made him an Apostle and an Evangelist.

God can take rich people and make them perfect.  God can make a homosexual perfect.  God can make a drunk perfect.  God can actually make his spouse perfect.  Humans can not do these things on heir own, but they often try or just give up.  Spouses often times desire to change each other, but they can not so rather than working together they split up.  Drunks either will search out help or desire pity from friends and family.  Homosexuals often desire people to accept them rather than face natural Law.  God points put the various sins in each of our lives.  God is constantly working to change us.

"With man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible." God is making us perfect through His Son Christ Jesus.  Christ has saved you from your sins follow him, out your deprave life.

Proper 15 (CL)

Galatians 5:16-26

¹⁶ But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. ¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, ²¹ envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ²⁴ And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

St Paul tells the Galatians to walk in the Spirit.  But there are two kinds of spirits in the world.  There is the one true and pure Spirit of God, then there is what St Paul refers to as the flesh.  The flesh here is the many unclean spirits in the world.  These unclean spirits lead us into all sorts of debauchery.

The Holy Spirit does not lead us under the Law but through the grace of the Gospel.  The Holy Spirit offers us gifts to help us to walk in the ways of the Lord.  He gives us strength to walk past temptation.  But there are many unclean spirits in the world desiring to lead us into the various forms of debauchery listed here by St Paul (notice the first on the list is sexual immorality).

These unclean spirits provide us with temptations which we will easily fall back into.  St Paul reminds us that these are things of our former life.  In Christ Jesus, we have been given true strength because he has provided the sacrifice for our sins.  We all have abominations in our past but these have been purified through Christ Jesus.  It is the Holy Spirit who gives us the strength to turn from our former lives of debauchery to a new life in Christ Jesus.

Our debauchery is cleansed through Christ Jesus.  He provides us with new birth and new life in him (Christ Jesus).

Proper 15 (NTA)

Galatians 3:10-29

¹⁰ For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” ¹¹ Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” ¹² But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” ¹³ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— ¹⁴ so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

¹⁵ To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. ¹⁶ Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. ¹⁷ This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. ¹⁸ For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.

¹⁹ Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. ²⁰ Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one.

²¹ Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. ²² But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

²³ Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. ²⁴ So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵ But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, ²⁶ for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. ²⁷ For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. ²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

There are many different kinds of works of the flesh. These works of the flesh trap us into all kinds of temptations. But even St Paul points us back to the Law to remind us the requirements of the Law are their to instruct us on how to live. But no one is saved by the Law, but Christ saves us from under the Law.

If someone would stand in front of you as Moses did, and recount all the things you are supposed to do. If you do not follow these Laws completely you are cursed. This makes us feel guilty and tortured. This was the life of a Jew or a Greek under the Law of Moses. You have rules that you are supposed to follow and if you do not follow them completely you must be put to death.

But we are not saved by the works of the Law, but by the grace of God. It is God who works faith in our hearts and minds. It is God who saves us by that faith focus upon His work of salvation through Jesus Christ. Therefore, you are rescued from life condemned under the Law for eternity. You are given Life with God.

Therefore, let us put off the works of the flesh, and put on the entire armor of God. It is God who saves us through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus who saves us from the curses of the Law.