The Fourth Sunday after Epiphany (Ps) February 2nd

Psalm 19:1-14

¹  The heavens declare the glory of God,

and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

²    Day to day pours out speech,

and night to night reveals knowledge.

³    There is no speech, nor are there words,

whose voice is not heard.

⁴    Their voice goes out through all the earth,

and their words to the end of the world.

       In them he has set a tent for the sun,

⁵        which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,

and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.

⁶    Its rising is from the end of the heavens,

and its circuit to the end of them,

and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

⁷    The law of the Lord is perfect,

reviving the soul;

       the testimony of the Lord is sure,

making wise the simple;

⁸    the precepts of the Lord are right,

rejoicing the heart;

       the commandment of the Lord is pure,

enlightening the eyes;

⁹    the fear of the Lord is clean,

enduring forever;

       the rules of the Lord are true,

and righteous altogether.

¹⁰    More to be desired are they than gold,

even much fine gold;

       sweeter also than honey

and drippings of the honeycomb.

¹¹    Moreover, by them is your servant warned;

in keeping them there is great reward.

¹²    Who can discern his errors?

Declare me innocent from hidden faults.

¹³    Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;

let them not have dominion over me!

       Then I shall be blameless,

and innocent of great transgression.

¹⁴    Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

be acceptable in your sight,

O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

What gifts or benefits does baptism grant? Answer:

It brings about forgiveness of sins, redeems from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe it, as the words and promise of God declare.

What are these words and promise of God? Answer:

Where our Lord Christ says in Mark 16[:16*], “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be damned.”

Lord Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, cleanse us by the power of Your redeeming blood that in purity and peace we may worship and adore Your holy name; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (B84)

The Fourth Sunday after Epiphany (NTA)

2 Corinthians 9:6-15

⁶ The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. ⁷ Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. ⁹ As it is written,

       “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor;

his righteousness endures forever.”

¹⁰ He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. ¹¹ You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. ¹² For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. ¹³ By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, ¹⁴ while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. ¹⁵ Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

The inexpressible gift revealed to you in Jesus Christ, as he commanded the paralytic to get up and walk. God gives you the gift of his love. He gives you the full payment for your debts. He pays the price of your redemption.

St. Paul reminds us we need to be joyful givers. We do not need to wait for the year of Jubilee, to give to our neighbor. It is not about giving to the needed, but helping our brothers to live. It is not just about giving money to our neighbors, it is also about giving each other encouragement. We need to strengthen one another in the true Faith feeding them with the forgiveness of sins. We need to sow the seeds of faith.

We also need to sow the seeds of help. We still need to feed the hungry with bread. Those who are thirst should be given something to drink. This is your job to feed them. At the feeding of the five thousand Jesus tells the disciples to feed the people. He does not perform the miracle until they present all they have.

God gives in abundance. Give everything you have, and keep giving until you have nothing left. God gave all he had, even his only begotten Son for you. All Praise be to God!

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.

How often does your priest check you for leporous disease? I am very glad that parishioners do not show me there raw flesh. Some priests mat desire to check certain people for ticks, but I will leave that to a doctor. This levitical text instructs the proper way to determine whether someone is clean or unclean.

There are some people that look unclean on the outside. There are other people that are unclean beyond just their skin. This Law reveals the path to determine one from another. But I think the real expression of this text for us today can be found in a couple simple phrases.

First, the infected person would come back every Seven days to find out what God would have planned for them next. We come back after seven days to find out whether our disease has changed. But each week we know we are poor miserable sinners.

Second, is the connection between the cleansing of Christ and the checking of the disease. For most of us we can figure out what is wrong, but we do not always have the solution to our problems. We really need to turn to Christ, who actually heals the leper. More important than just healing the leper is the proclamation of the forgiveness of sins. God may command that lepers are cast out of the camp, but God will welcome you into the new Jerusalem.

The Fourth Sunday after Epiphany (OT)

Deuteronomy 15:1-11

“At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release. ² And this is the manner of the release: every creditor shall release what he has lent to his neighbor. He shall not exact it of his neighbor, his brother, because the Lord’s release has been proclaimed. ³ Of a foreigner you may exact it, but whatever of yours is with your brother your hand shall release. ⁴ But there will be no poor among you; for the Lord will bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess— ⁵ if only you will strictly obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all this commandment that I command you today. ⁶ For the Lord your God will bless you, as he promised you, and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow, and you shall rule over many nations, but they shall not rule over you.

⁷ “If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, ⁸ but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be. ⁹ Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, ‘The seventh year, the year of release is near,’ and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the Lord against you, and you be guilty of sin. ¹⁰ You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. ¹¹ For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’

Every seven years all your debts shall disappear. Every 49 years should be a celebration of rest and forgiveness.  These are extensions of the Weekly Sabbath rest. God created all things in six days and rested on the Sabbath day and blessed the seventh day for all yo be able to rest. Therefore, every seven years people should forgive their neighbors debts.

Here in Deuteronomy we learn a great lesson of forgiveness. We also learn about the need to lend and take care of our neighbor. Everyone of us will find ourselves in need from time to time. There will come a time when you could use some help. I don't want you to be afraid to ask. But I also don't want you to refuse to give.

Help your friends and family, when they are in need. Help your enemies when they are in need. Those who owe you money, forgive them. Those who sin against you, forgive them. Those who are in need and have their hand out should be filled. Thus, when you are in need put your hand out, don't be afraid to ask.

Ask and you will receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be open to you. God has forgiven your debt. He has cleansed you from all unrighteousness.