The Fourth Sunday after Epiphany (Ps) February 3rd

Psalm 51:1-19
¹  Have mercy on me, O God, 

according to your steadfast love; 

according to your abundant mercy 

blot out my transgressions. 

²  Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, 

and cleanse me from my sin! 

³  For I know my transgressions, 

and my sin is ever before me. 

⁴  Against you, you only, have I sinned 

and done what is evil in your sight, 

so that you may be justified in your words 

and blameless in your judgment. 

⁵  Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, 

and in sin did my mother conceive me. 

⁶  Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, 

and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. 

⁷  Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; 

wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 

⁸  Let me hear joy and gladness; 

let the bones that you have broken rejoice. 

⁹  Hide your face from my sins, 

and blot out all my iniquities. 

¹⁰  Create in me a clean heart, O God, 

and renew a right spirit within me. 

¹¹  Cast me not away from your presence, 

and take not your Holy Spirit from me. 

¹²  Restore to me the joy of your salvation, 

and uphold me with a willing spirit. 

¹³  Then I will teach transgressors your ways, 

and sinners will return to you. 

¹⁴  Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, 

O God of my salvation, 

and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. 

¹⁵  O Lord, open my lips, 

and my mouth will declare your praise. 

¹⁶  For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; 

you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. 

¹⁷  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; 

a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. 

¹⁸  Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; 

build up the walls of Jerusalem; 

¹⁹  then will you delight in right sacrifices, 

in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; 

then bulls will be offered on your altar. 

This Psalm was picked for this Sunday for one reason: Verse 10.  God is the one who continues to make us clean.  God is the one who washed us with water cleansing our spirits and offering us his very own.

Now there is so much more going on in this Psalm than just verse 10.  This psalm does not just speak to us being clean.  It also talks about the sacrifice God has made for us.  It talks about calling sinners to repentance and gathering them around the Word of God, Jesus.  It even talks about God transforming our lives into something he desires.

God does not desire our attempts at atonement.  God desires his perfect sacrifice for our atonement.  God desires us to lead holy and perfect lives.  God knows how you have failed to do these things.  God is there to continue to call you back from that sinful ledge we are all ready to jump off of, from time to time.

The Fourth Sunday after Epiphany (OTA)

Leviticus 13:1-17

The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, ² “When a person has on the skin of his body a swelling or an eruption or a spot, and it turns into a case of leprous disease on the skin of his body, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests, ³ and the priest shall examine the diseased area on the skin of his body. And if the hair in the diseased area has turned white and the disease appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is a case of leprous disease. When the priest has examined him, he shall pronounce him unclean. ⁴ But if the spot is white in the skin of his body and appears no deeper than the skin, and the hair in it has not turned white, the priest shall shut up the diseased person for seven days. ⁵ And the priest shall examine him on the seventh day, and if in his eyes the disease is checked and the disease has not spread in the skin, then the priest shall shut him up for another seven days. ⁶ And the priest shall examine him again on the seventh day, and if the diseased area has faded and the disease has not spread in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is only an eruption. And he shall wash his clothes and be clean. ⁷ But if the eruption spreads in the skin, after he has shown himself to the priest for his cleansing, he shall appear again before the priest. ⁸ And the priest shall look, and if the eruption has spread in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a leprous disease. 

⁹ “When a man is afflicted with a leprous disease, he shall be brought to the priest, ¹⁰ and the priest shall look. And if there is a white swelling in the skin that has turned the hair white, and there is raw flesh in the swelling, ¹¹ it is a chronic leprous disease in the skin of his body, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean. He shall not shut him up, for he is unclean. ¹² And if the leprous disease breaks out in the skin, so that the leprous disease covers all the skin of the diseased person from head to foot, so far as the priest can see, ¹³ then the priest shall look, and if the leprous disease has covered all his body, he shall pronounce him clean of the disease; it has all turned white, and he is clean. ¹⁴ But when raw flesh appears on him, he shall be unclean. ¹⁵ And the priest shall examine the raw flesh and pronounce him unclean. Raw flesh is unclean, for it is a leprous disease. ¹⁶ But if the raw flesh recovers and turns white again, then he shall come to the priest, ¹⁷ and the priest shall examine him, and if the disease has turned white, then the priest shall pronounce the diseased person clean; he is clean. 

So here is the mode.  If the leprosy is just a surface infection, you shut them up for a couple days and check again.  He will pronounce him clean when the disease is gone.  If the leprosy has turned the hair white it indicates it is deep in the tissue.  This means he will be unclean until his entire body turns white.

In the first situation: the leper is healed completely of his leprosy before he is pronounced clean.  In the second situation: the leper has no more raw skin on his body (I think that has something to do with infectiousness) then he is clean.  The second leper is not cured of the disease but is pronounced clean.

Are you clean of your sin?  Or has your sin just become so profuse that you are pronounced clean?  Naaman did not have all his skin turn white, but "his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child."  Naaman probably had the chronic leprous disease and it may have spread to all his flesh, but after he was cleansed he was healed.  Likewise, Mark even makes sure to add the information "and immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean."

God does not just make our sin so profuse and call us clean?  God recognizes that are sin is already spread to everything we do.  There is nothing that we do that is not contaminated by our sinfulness.  Thus, God had to take all those sins upon himself and bury them.  He had to remove all your sins from you.  He does not just pronounce you clean, but heals you of the wretched sinful disease.

The Fourth Sunday after Epiphany (NTA)

Hebrews 10:19-31

¹⁹ Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, ²¹ and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²² let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³ Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵ not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. 

²⁶ For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. ²⁸ Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. ²⁹ How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” ³¹ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 

Every Sunday morning I make a long walk up to the chancel area of our little church.  I bow before going any further.  (Sometimes it is just ritual, other times it is an act of humility.)  Then as we begin service, I make the sign of the cross over my flesh, remembering that God once poured water upon my head.  In that baptism he cleansed me from all unrighteousness.

I do not know how often people would think about verse 22 when they enter a Church.  But many people do come to church on Sunday mornings to draw near with a true heart.  Their heart is true because it has been cleaned of evil.  Their flesh is clean because it has been washed with holy water. These people come before the Lord God because they have been Baptized into his Name and claimed as a member of his family.

Jesus is the curtain we get to pass through and enter into the presence of God.  It is through the blood of his sacrifice, we have been cleansed.  This is the knowledge of the truth, that you have been redeemed by the sacrifice of Christ and made clean.  This is why we continue to come to Church.  This is why we come to that curtain.  God has even sent forth his vengeance against you, by placing it upon this bloody sacrifice.

The Fourth Sunday after Epiphany (GA)

John 19:1-11

Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. ² And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. ³ They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. ⁴ Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” ⁵ So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” ⁶ When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.” ⁷ The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.” ⁸ When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. ⁹ He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. ¹⁰ So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” ¹¹ Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.” 

Remember that all authorities have been put into place in order to carry out the wrath of God.  Listen to Jesus' reply when Pilate talks about his own authority.  Jesus knows from where that authority comes.  Jesus even acknowledges the power given to Pilate to carry out the death sentence.  Jesus knows that this is the will of the Father for the wrath of God to be poured out upon his flesh.

For most people this is just another part of the Passion account.  For others this is the proof text for the Death Penalty.  This text should be a reminder for all of us that Jesus Christ suffered not at the hands of Romans, or Jews, but by the wrath of God.

Jesus Christ the one hailed King of the Jews, is the true King and authority.  But even this Master of the Universe submits to the Authority of the Jews and the Governor Pilate.  Just as Jesus previously submitted to his parents.

God works through Pilate and the People to execute his Son for their sins.  He places his complete wrath upon Jesus Christ, so he can save his people from their sins.

The Fourth Sunday after Epiphany (NT)

Romans 13:1-7

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. ² Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. ³ For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, ⁴ for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. ⁵ Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. ⁶ For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. ⁷ Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. 

I have wondered, How does one become subject to another?  I remember being taught in school the pledge of allegiance, was that when I swore my service to the United States.  If I go to a foreign country, do I become subject to the local authorities or remain subject to my citizenship.

Either way it does not matter.  God has instituted all governing authorities.  Many have used this text to teach various different lessons.  But at the heart of the text, it teaches that God is wielding a mighty sword through all governing authorities.  God establishes these authorities to carry out his wrath.  God carries out his wrath against those who do what is not good.

Have you done good?  Therefore, you should be afraid of those in authority over you.  But remember that it is God who truly knows whether you have been good or bad.  God is our ultimate authority.  God is the one who sits enthroned over all the earth and its various kingdoms.  Therefore, if you have not lived up to his commands, you should fear God above all others.

God has instituted these authorities for their purpose.  God has likewise sent his son in the flesh for another purpose.  God loved you so much that he brought down the full power of his wrath upon his own beloved Son.  He does this so you may have life eternal.  Give him honor and respect and any owed money.  Give to your Government all that they have requested of you.  The rest should still be used to serve Christ.

The Fourth Sunday after Epiphany (OT)

2 Kings 5:1-14

Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. ² Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman’s wife. ³ She said to her mistress, “Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” ⁴ So Naaman went in and told his lord, “Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel.” ⁵ And the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” 

So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. ⁶ And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” ⁷ And when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me.” 

⁸ But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel.” ⁹ So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house. ¹⁰ And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.” ¹¹ But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. ¹² Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. ¹³ But his servants came near and said to him, “My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” ¹⁴ So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. 

It is simple: wash and be clean.  Now it is easy for me to just jump to Jesus being Baptized in Jordan River.  And even one could use this text to suggest that the proper way to do baptism is by dunking seven times in the Jordan River.  (Anyone up for a pilgrimage!)  But this text tells us who actually makes us clean.

Naaman gets credit for being a pretty smart man.  He knows that the Abana and Pharpar rivers are much cleaner than the Jordan River.  Look at all the sentiment that flows down the Jordan River into the Dead Sea.  (Maybe that is why it is called the dead sea: Because of all the sins and leprosy over the years.)

But the Water is not what we should focus upon.  It is not the washing that makes him clean.  It is the connection to the promise (pronounced by the Man of God).  Elisha tells him to do this simple task and he will be clean.  Naaman's servant even says, "Has he actually said to you, 'Wash, and be clean'?"  What is the harm in trying such a simple thing?  Are you so far above putting some water on your head?

With such a great promise to be clean, why not try a simple task?  Jesus tells his disciples to baptize other people and they will become disciples.  How could such a simple task, perform such a great thing?  Answer: God promised it would and it does.  God has promised that baptism not in the Jordan River nor by dunking, but connected with his Word (name) will cleanse you of all unrighteousness.

The Fourth Sunday after Epiphany (CL)

Mark 1:40-45

⁴⁰ And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” ⁴¹ Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” ⁴² And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. ⁴³ And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, ⁴⁴ and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” ⁴⁵ But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter. 

I was just reading about this text in a Greek Grammar of all places.  The idea of performative word acts.  Jesus says, "I will; be clean."  Jesus does not just speak these words but he also performs the act of making the Leper clean.  It is God who continues to work through performative word acts.

At a Wedding someone stands up and pronounces the couple Man and Wife.  In this pronouncement , the act actual takes place.  When someone confesses their sins, it is through their words the actual act of confession takes place.  Likewise, the confession of your faith is an act that takes place in your speaking.  But these acts are not quite the same as pronouncing a couple Man and Wife or cleansing a leper.

When the Pastor pronounces the forgiveness of sins, It is in the speaking of the priest that your sins are actually removed from you and nailed to the cross.  It is in the speaking of the Word of God that the Word of God actually does its work.  Likewise, in Baptism the Baptizer says, "I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost."  These spoken words perform the act of Baptism.

Here we remember that it is the Word of God, which makes the Sacraments valid.  It is Christ's own words, which pronounce you cleansed of all unrighteousness.

The Third Sunday after Epiphany (Ps) January 27th

Psalm 61:1-8

¹  Hear my cry, O God,

listen to my prayer;

²    from the end of the earth I call to you

when my heart is faint.

       Lead me to the rock

that is higher than I,

³    for you have been my refuge,

a strong tower against the enemy.

⁴    Let me dwell in your tent forever!

Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah

⁵    For you, O God, have heard my vows;

you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

⁶    Prolong the life of the king;

may his years endure to all generations!

⁷    May he be enthroned forever before God;

appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him!

⁸    So will I ever sing praises to your name,

as I perform my vows day after day.

What is your plea before the Lord God?  Do you cry out for him to rescue your team from defeat?  Do you cry out for a raise?  Do you cry out to win the Lottery?  What is your plea before the LORD God?

The Psalmist writes, “Listen to my prayer.”  God is the one who watches over all his beloved children.  God even shelters us in the shadow of his wings. The LORD God has provided his people with Love and compassion.  But is this what you prayed for?

Most of the time when we sit down to pray, it is someone or something that has finally brought us to our knees.  Call upon the Lord in every time of trouble.  But also give him thanks and praise when you are not in trouble.

The Psalmist is not encouraging us to pray, but giving us a glimpse as to what he is praying for.  He prays that the Lord would not turn his prayer away on account of his sins.  He prays that the Lord would continue to shelter him from danger and trouble.  He prays for God’s Kingdom to remain forever, and maybe even expand.  He finally prays for God to help him keep the promises (vows) he has made.

Lord Help all of us in our times of need.  Help us also to remain faithful in your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.  Give us the strength to stand tall, and do what is good in your sight. Amen.

The Third Sunday after Epiphany (OTA)

Daniel 9:24-27

²⁴ “Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. ²⁵ Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. ²⁶ And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. ²⁷ And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”

The Anointed one of God (Jesus Christ) came to the Land of Galilee and he proclaimed the Gospel to the people.  He called the people to repent of their sins.  He called the people to believe in the promises of God to remove their sins.

Who is this Anointed One?  Who is cut off and made nothing?  Who are his followers who brought to ruin the great City?  What is the strong Covenant?

I am not going to claim to have all the answers, but it looks like Jesus to me.  I have been accused of finding Jesus too much in the Bible, but isn’t the Christ the Anointed One of God?  Jesus Christ was cut off from the land of the living and made to be like nothing.  He rose from the Dead also.  His followers caused great consternation in the City of Jerusalem.  Many people heard the message of the Apostles (or Good News of Jesus Christ).  They believed.

Jesus Christ made a new Covenant in his Body and Blood with His people.  This covenant was cut in His own Sacrifice upon the Cross.  It is this covenant that we are joined to in Baptism.  It is this covenant we receive in the Lord’s Supper.  This is the New Covenant made between Christ and His people, of which nothing is stronger.

The Third Sunday after Epiphany (NTA)

Hebrews 6:1-12

Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, ² and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. ³ And this we will do if God permits. ⁴ For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, ⁵ and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, ⁶ and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. ⁷ For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. ⁸ But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.

⁹ Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. ¹⁰ For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. ¹¹ And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, ¹² so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

What kind of land are you?  What kind of soil does the Word of God fall upon?  Wait a minute that is a different text.  Here it should be: How can you restore someone who has rejected faith?  When the believer falls away from grace, what do you do with them?

I know that there are a lot of people out there that grew up in the Church and have not entered a Church building (of any kind) in several Years.  These people have allowed briers and thorns to grow up around them and lead them away from the Word of God (and its gifts).

These people may (even to push the illustration) become rocky soil, which can start back to worship (or faith) but it will not last.  Hebrews chapter 6 states that it is impossible to know the Love of God, then fall away, and be restored to repentance.  So what do we do?

I say we just give up on them because it is so much easier!?  Well maybe not, shouldn’t we still proclaim, “Repent and Believe” the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.  The Kingdom is ready and waiting for them to return.  The Kingdom welcomes all repentant sinners, “Repent and Believe” in Jesus Christ who has died for the forgiveness of your sins.