Proper 4 (Ps) June 2nd

Psalm 119:33-48

³³ Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes;

and I will keep it to the end.

³⁴ Give me understanding, that I may keep your law

and observe it with my whole heart.

³⁵ Lead me in the path of your commandments,

for I delight in it.

³⁶ Incline my heart to your testimonies,

and not to selfish gain!

³⁷ Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things;

and give me life in your ways.

³⁸ Confirm to your servant your promise,

that you may be feared.

³⁹ Turn away the reproach that I dread,

for your rules are good.

⁴⁰ Behold, I long for your precepts;

in your righteousness give me life!

⁴¹ Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord,

your salvation according to your promise;

⁴² then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me,

for I trust in your word.

⁴³ And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,

for my hope is in your rules.

⁴⁴ I will keep your law continually,

forever and ever,

⁴⁵ and I shall walk in a wide place,

for I have sought your precepts.

⁴⁶ I will also speak of your testimonies before kings

and shall not be put to shame,

⁴⁷ for I find my delight in your commandments,

which I love.

⁴⁸ I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love,

and I will meditate on your statutes.

When the Lutheran Princes presented their confession of faith at Augsburg, they found strength in verse 46, "I will also speak of your testimonies before kings and shall not be put to shame." They stood up before an Emperor and Papist officials. They confessed their faith in Christ boldly. There are many different ways this text can be helpful and supportive for those people who live under the threat of persecution.

I have to admit I have not paid enough attention at times to Psalm 119, but one thing I always enjoy about it is the idea of asking the Lord to teach us. The LORD is there to instruct us in his ways. Many of us desire to instruct other people in their thoughts or their ways or their morals. But here the Psalmist urges us to "incline my heart to your testimonies and not to selfish gain!" The Sinful flesh desires our morals and our opinions to be established.

But God has established his own rule. We need to be taught by God what is moral and correct. Jesus Christ taught his disciples, and they have passed that word on to us. This Law is no different for St Paul, St Peter, Moses, Isaiah, or Elijah. We should keep his commands ever before our eyes.

We should also keep before our eyes his judgment. God has spoken his judgment against all the world in his Son Jesus Christ. Jesus was hung from a tree and cursed in the place of all sinful flesh. He died so that you would have life (eternal). He died to give you the full testimony of God, namely the Good news of your salvation. Now that is something to stand before a King and proclaim.

Proper 4 (GA)

Mark 6:7-13

⁷ And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. ⁸ He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— ⁹ but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. ¹⁰ And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. ¹¹ And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” ¹² So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. ¹³ And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.

Jesus sends out his disciples two by two (everything should be confirmed by two or more witnesses).  These are his chosen elite squad, and yet he tells them that some will not listen to you. They will enter villages and find welcome homes, but not every home will be welcoming. There will be those who reject the message. These will have dust testify against them.

The Twelve are sent out to do many things. They are to proclaim Christ first and for most, but the full message of Christ has not yet been accomplished. Jesus sends them out as appointed representatives of himself, so that when they cast out a demon then Christ cast out that demon. When one of the twelve heals a sick person, it is as if Christ himself healed that person.

This is done to point their actions to Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus will use these actions to proclaim himself as the Son of God. But Jesus did a great miracle. He died for the sins of the world. He was raised on the third day from the dead. This is the message that we get to proclaim. It is greater than casting out demons or healing the sick, it is the proclamation of eternal life for you.

It is our responsibility therefore to go out two by two. We stand in the stead and by the command of Christ Jesus for our neighbor to proclaim to them how God has designed us to live. But more importantly to proclaim to them the power, authority, and mission of Jesus Christ. He died for the forgiveness of your sins. He died to give you life. He casts out the devil from within you. He heals you of the sickness of sin.

Proper 4 (OTA)

Isaiah 8:1-10

Then the Lord said to me, “Take a large tablet and write on it in common characters, ‘Belonging to Maher-shalal-hash-baz.’ ² And I will get reliable witnesses, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah, to attest for me.”

³ And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the Lord said to me, “Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz; ⁴ for before the boy knows how to cry ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria.”

⁵ The Lord spoke to me again: ⁶ “Because this people has refused the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and rejoice over Rezin and the son of Remaliah, ⁷ therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the River, mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory. And it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks, ⁸ and it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass on, reaching even to the neck, and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.”

⁹ Be broken, you peoples, and be shattered;

give ear, all you far countries;

strap on your armor and be shattered;

strap on your armor and be shattered.

¹⁰ Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing;

speak a word, but it will not stand,

for God is with us.

Maybe it is necessary to review a little context. Assyria is bearing down on Judah. Judah could easily be destroyed by their powerful army. Ahaz has been to ask for a sign. The sign was given in Chapter 7, the sign is named Immanuel. Isaiah has had a Child named Maher-shalal-hash-baz meaning the spoil speeds, the prey hastens.

God has promised to always be with his people. He will be with them in times of plenty and times of Judgment. Judah is facing a time of Judgment. They could easily be shattered. The nations are more than willing to rise against them. But the LORD says, "all you far countries; strap on your armor and be shattered." They Lord is going to bring his enemies to their knees.

If God is with us who could stand against us. If God is for us we can do anything. With God all things are possible. These simple phrases remind us that we desire God to be on our side. But maybe we should think about being on God's side.

Israel was judged because they had turned their back on God. Judah would eventually go into exile because they rejected God. They did this not just in words but in deeds, or actions. We are corrupt and sinful creatures. We have turned our back on God, but still desire him to be on our side.

Jesus Christ, the Immanuel, came to die for your forgiveness. He died to claims you for God's possession. God places you on his side. Like said above, with God all things are possible. 

Proper 4 (G)

Mark 1:21-28

²¹ And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. ²² And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. ²³ And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, ²⁴ “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” ²⁵ But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” ²⁶ And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. ²⁷ And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” ²⁸ And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.

Have you ever wondered how many people sitting in Church are filled with demons? Have you ever looked around at a sporting event and thought of all the unclean spirits? I have! I have sat in church services and listened to unclean spirits crying out. I have sat in church services and felt the spirit within crying out, but clenched my mouth.

All of us are filled with unclean spirits. These spirits cry out within us to do evil things. They tell us these things are pleasurable or beneficial. These unclean spirits cry out within us. They seem like comforting voices and friends. They have learned very well how to trick and trap us.

These spirits are still unclean. All of us need to be washed daily. (I read somewhere that taking a shower every day can cause skin irritations over the lose of skin cells.) We need to be cleansed daily from our unclean spirits. Our spirits need to be washed in the blood of Christ. It is Jesus Christ who cleanses unclean spirits.

Proper 4 (OT)

Deuteronomy 18:15-22

¹⁵ “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen— ¹⁶ just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ ¹⁷ And the Lord said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. ¹⁸ I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. ¹⁹ And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. ²⁰ But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ ²¹ And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’— ²² when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.

I have often wondered how long you are to wait for the word to come true? What about Jonah, didn’t he say the city of Nineveh would be destroyed? Does a Prophet always speak the Word of the LORD or can he wager on a horse race and lose? Many have set forth the requirement of a true prophet, to always be correct.

I would never claim to be a prophet, because I know that I am a sinner. I have erred in the past, and I am certain that I will err in the future. All Christians still are called to proclaim the Word of God. They are to proclaim Christ Crucified for the forgiveness of sins. They are to lead holy lives.

If the requirements of a prophet are to always speak the truth, then who can be a prophet? If the requirements of a Christian are to be holy, then who is able to become a Christian? All have fallen short of the glory of God.

Jesus Christ is Holy and also a true prophet. He is the one who takes our place in punishment. Jesus gives us his place, as he has redeemed you. We do not become Christians, but Christ makes us Christians.