The Second Sunday of Easter (Ps) April 27th

Psalm 3:1-8

¹  O Lord, how many are my foes!

Many are rising against me;

²    many are saying of my soul,

there is no salvation for him in God. Selah

³    But you, O Lord, are a shield about me,

my glory, and the lifter of my head.

⁴    I cried aloud to the Lord,

and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah

⁵    I lay down and slept;

I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.

⁶    I will not be afraid of many thousands of people

who have set themselves against me all around.

⁷    Arise, O Lord!

Save me, O my God!

       For you strike all my enemies on the cheek;

you break the teeth of the wicked.

⁸    Salvation belongs to the Lord;

your blessing be on your people! Selah

What is the Office of the Keys?[1]

 The Office of the Keys is that special authority which Christ has given to His church on earth to forgive the sins of repentant sinners, but to withhold forgiveness from the unrepentant as long as they do not repent.

Where is this written?²

 This is what St. John the Evangelist writes in chapter twenty: The Lord Jesus breathed on His disciples and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven' (John 20:22-23).

What do you believe according to these words?²

 I believe that when the called ministers of Christ deal with us by His divine command, in particular when they exclude openly unrepentant sinners from the Christian congregation and absolve those who repent of their sins and want to do better, this is just as valid and certain, even in heaven, as if Christ our dear Lord dealt with us Himself.

Almighty God, grant that we who have celebrated the Lord’s resurrection may by Your grace confess in our life and conversation that Jesus is Lord and God; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

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[1] These questions may not have been composed by Luther himself but reflect his teachings and were included in editions of the Small Catechism during his lifetime.

The Second Sunday of Easter (GA)

Luke 12:35-48

³⁵ “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, ³⁶ and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. ³⁷ Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. ³⁸ If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! ³⁹ But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. ⁴⁰ You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

⁴¹ Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” ⁴² And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? ⁴³ Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. ⁴⁴ Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. ⁴⁵ But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, ⁴⁶ the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. ⁴⁷ And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. ⁴⁸ But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

I remember in the Movie "Hook" with Robin Williams, Peter Pan left Rufio in charge when he left. At the end of the Movie Peter Banning (Pan) has to leave someone else in charge. But why do you have to leave someone in charge. Isn't that partly the point. The Master is the one in control. It does not matter who does what, but all are supposed to keep watch, and prepare for his arrival.

It seems a little silly to say the servant the Master finds awake when he comes, whether the second, third or fourth watch. We have these different watches, so that we can divide up the duty. So if the Master comes during the second watch and I am sleeping so I will be awake during the fourth watch, well that just sucks.

Keep yourself ready for action. Always be ready to give a defense for your faith. It does not matter whether you are asleep or awake. It matters whether you are found in Christ Jesus. For each of us would be found guilty and cut to pieces, if it was not for the forgiveness of Christ Jesus. Stay ready, you know the Master's will. He desires you to be saved and even sent his Son to die for your forgiveness.

Christ has died. Christ is Risen. Christ will come Soon!

The Second Sunday of Easter (OTA)

Ezekiel 37:1-14

The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. ² And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. ³ And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” ⁴ Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. ⁵ Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. ⁶ And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

⁷ So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. ⁸ And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. ⁹ Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” ¹⁰ So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.

¹¹ Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’ ¹² Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. ¹³ And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. ¹⁴ And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.”

When you hear a rattling you better start running. Maybe that has something to do with snakes? But the threat here is not a snake, but the rising of an Army. God will raise his people from death and place them on their feet as a great and mighty Army. This sounds like the Resurrection, but I think we might have something mixed up.

I have often loved this text as a image of the resurrection. The Word of God returns from heaven above. He comes to raise the dead to life. He raises us with imperishable bodies. He makes us to raise so that we may be his holy people. It is in these people the Holy Spirit has perfect temples, rather than are current imperfect flesh.

But the End does not sound right. "They lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army." What need does God have for an army on the last day? He will not have any more enemies to defeat! Now, I do understand most of you are going to say that it is pictured like an exceedingly great army. But that is not what verse 10 says.

You are in the Lord's Army. God has buried and raised you in the waters of Baptism. He has joined you with his Son. He has already made you a temple of the Holy Spirit. He has given you breath, and made you a part of the Church Militant. Don't lose sight of this point in the text, along with: "Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people." It still does talk of your Resurrection. Fight the Good Fight!

The Second Sunday of Easter (NT)

1 Peter 1:13-25

¹³ Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ¹⁴ As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, ¹⁵ but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, ¹⁶ since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” ¹⁷ And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, ¹⁸ knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. ²⁰ He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you ²¹ who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

²² Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, ²³ since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; ²⁴ for

       “All flesh is like grass

and all its glory like the flower of grass.

       The grass withers,

and the flower falls,

²⁵    but the word of the Lord remains forever.”

And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

Be Holy in all your conduct. Be Holy as The Lord your God is Holy. Conduct yourself with fear and trembling. Do not act out of Your passions, nor out of your ignorance. Therefore, prepare your minds for this conduct. Be ready to stand against your own ignorance, and sinful nature.

We do not remain forever. The flower does fall, as we fall in failure of upholding the commands of God. The grass withers, as our strength and faith wanes in times of trial. We struggle in our life and deeds. We do not always do as we ought.

But it is on account of our ignorance, shame , and vice that we fade, wither, and die. But the Word of the Lord remains forever. You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ. Christ has died for your sins. He is risen as the first fruits of your resurrection. He is the living Word, and continually present where people gather in his name. There he is forgiving sins, and preparing minds.

The Third Sunday of Easter (Ps) May 4th

Psalm 113:1-9

Praise the Lord!

       Praise, O servants of the Lord,

praise the name of the Lord!

²    Blessed be the name of the Lord

from this time forth and forevermore!

³    From the rising of the sun to its setting,

the name of the Lord is to be praised!

⁴    The Lord is high above all nations,

and his glory above the heavens!

⁵    Who is like the Lord our God,

who is seated on high,

⁶    who looks far down

on the heavens and the earth?

⁷    He raises the poor from the dust

and lifts the needy from the ash heap,

⁸    to make them sit with princes,

with the princes of his people.

⁹    He gives the barren woman a home,

making her the joyous mother of children.

       Praise the Lord!

The Introduction

Our Father who art in heaven.

What does this mean?

With these words God tenderly invites us to believe that He is our true Father and that we are His true children, so that with all boldness and confidence we may ask Him as dear children ask their dear father.

The First Petition

Hallowed be Thy name.

What does this mean?

God's name is certainly holy in itself, but we pray in this petition that it may be kept holy among us also.

How is God's name kept holy?

God's name is kept holy when the Word of God is taught in its truth and purity, and we, as the children of God, also lead holy lives according to it. Help us to do this, dear Father in heaven! But anyone who teaches or lives contrary to God's Word profanes the name of God among us. Protect us from this, heavenly Father!

O God, the giver of all that is good, by Your holy inspiration grant that we may think those things that are right and by Your merciful guiding accomplish them; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.