Week of 15 Pentecost - C - Sept. 5 - 11, 2010

Week of 15 Pentecost - C

This is a Three-Year Lectionary based on the Lutheran Book of Worship 3-year Lectionary (for public worship), "Prayers of the Day..." (Propers), p. 13-41, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1978. It is based, with only minor variations, on the Revised Common Lectionary, used by many denominations, including the Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches:

http://www.commontexts.org/

and:

http://www.commontexts.org/rcl/usage.html

The daily readings are the Propers (Lections) for the following Sunday, so that the daily devotions can prepare us for worship. Additional Lections are from Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church, "Scripture lessons for Matins and Vespers," United Lutheran Church of America, General Rubrics VIII. Scripture lessons for Matins and Vespers, p. 299 - 304, Philadelphia, 1918.

The previous 2- year Bible Study based on the Lutheran Book of Worship, Daily Lectionary for personal devotions p.179-192, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1978, is available at:

http://shepboy.snow.prohosting.com (Please bookmark this link).

Journalspace.com, my former 'blog host is being reorganized under new ownership. I no longer publish there. I have also lost mypodcast.com, my podcast host. This 'blog is mirrored at:

http://shepboy.multiply.com/

.mp3 Podcasts via Linux Festival text-to-speech and Panopreter Basic text-to-speech are available at:

http://shepboy.snow.prohosting.com/dw_bible2/C%20Year/wklx_c.html

Please Note: I will post weekly by Saturday, noon, (God willing), Pacific time (UTC-8:00) for the week of the Church Season which begins on Sunday. Please scroll down for the desired day, or save the week to your desktop/hard drive.

Podcast Download: Week of 15 Pentecost - C
Sunday -15 Pentecost - C
First posted September 5, 2010;
Podcast: Sunday -15 Pentecost - C

Proverbs 25:6-7 – Humility;
Psalm 112 – Reward of Righteousness;
Hebrews 13:1-8 – Christian Lifestyle;
Luke 14:1, 7-14 – On Humility;

Proverbs Paraphrase:

One should not exalt oneself in the presence of the king, or stand in the place of those who are great. It is better to be invited to come up to a position of higher honor than to be put lower in the presence of the prince.

Psalm Paraphrase:

Let us praise the Lord! The person who fears (has appropriate awe and respect for the power and authority of) the Lord, and delights in the Lord's commandments, will be blessed! His descendants will be great in the land. The upright will be blessed in their generation. They will have wealth and riches, and their righteousness will be everlasting. “Light rises in the darkness for the upright; the Lord is gracious, merciful and righteous” (Psalm 112:4). Things will go well for a person who is generous and lends, and is just in all his dealings. The righteous will not be shaken, but will be remembered forever. He whose heart is firm, trusting in the Lord, will not fear evil tidings. He will be unafraid, with a steady heart, until his desires are fulfilled upon his adversaries. Those who share freely and give to the poor will be exalted and their righteousness will endure forever. The wicked hate to see the deeds of the righteous. They gnash their teeth, but they pass away and their desires amount to nothing.

Hebrews Paraphrase:

Let us continue to love one another with brotherly affection. Let us not fail to show hospitality to strangers, for some have unknowingly had angels as their guests. Let us remember prisoners as though in prison ourselves. Let us not forget those who are ill-treated, since we are also vulnerable to ill-treatment. Let marriage be upheld and undefiled by all, for the immoral and adulterous will be liable to God's judgment. Let us avoid the love of money, and be content with what we possess, because the Lord has promised never to fail or forsake us (Joshua 1:5c).

We need not fear, since the Lord is our helper; what then can people do to us (that the Lord cannot handle; Psalm 118:6)? Let us remember our spiritual leaders who taught us the Word of God, and follow the example of their lives and faith. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

Luke Paraphrase:

Jesus was invited to dinner at the home of a Jewish leader who was a Pharisee (a member of a strict legalistic sect of Judaism). When Jesus noticed how the invited guests chose their places of honor, he told a parable: When invited to a wedding feast, one should choose the place of least honor, instead of the highest place. Otherwise a more eminent guest may come, and both host and oneself be embarrassed to have to give place to the more eminent guest. Instead, by choosing the lowest place, both host and oneself will be honored in front of all by being invited to move up to a higher position. So everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Commentary:

The Lord's ways are different than worldly ways. In the world everyone seems to try to build himself up and make himself important. But even worldly people realize that it isn't wise to exalt oneself above a great and powerful ruler who has the ability to humiliate them and make them suffer.

In our human nature, we want to be our own “lord.” We want to be the one to make the rules. Many people deny the existence, power and authority of God for that very reason. To acknowledge God's Lordship means that we must surrender our own will in order to do God's will.

The trouble with being our own “lord” is that we aren't all-wise, all-knowing, and all-powerful. There will always be someone bigger, stronger, and smarter than we are. Sooner or later we will come to the end of our own resources.

God has created this world with enough resources for everyone. The problem with worldly ways is that we build ourselves up at the expense of others. We accumulate possessions at the expense of others' needs.

We really don't know what we need or want. What we think we want turns out not to be what we need, and does not satisfy. How many people are pursuing worldly status and possessions which will all pass away, and missing the true meaning and purpose of life in this world?

What is the real meaning and purpose of life? I believe that it is the opportunity to seek, find and have fellowship with God our Creator (Acts 17:26-27). I believe that it is the opportunity to be spiritually “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) to true, eternal life. These are only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ.

This lifetime is our opportunity to learn to trust and obey God, by trial-and-error. This world has been designed by God to allow us the freedom to choose whether to trust and obey God or not, but Creation, and we ourselves, are limited by time, because God is not willing to tolerate rebellion and disobedience forever, or at all in his eternal kingdom.

God knew that by giving us the freedom to choose for ourselves whether to trust and obey God, we would all choose our own will rather than obedience to him. Disobedience of God's will is the definition of sin.

We have all sinned and fall short of God's standard of righteousness (doing what is right, good and true according to God's Word; Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8-10). The penalty for sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23). Jesus is God's one and only provision for our forgiveness and salvation from eternal condemnation, designed into Creation from the very beginning (John 1:1-5, 14; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, right, home).

We are all born physically into this Creation, but we are spiritually unborn. What is physical will pass away. Only what is spiritual is eternal. Only through faith in Jesus can we be spiritually reborn to spiritual, eternal life, because only Jesus gives (“baptizes with”) the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The baptism of the indwelling Holy Spirit is a personally discernible, ongoing, daily experience (Acts 19:2). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Monday -15 Pentecost - C
First posted September 6, 2010;
Podcast: Monday -15 Pentecost - C

Psalm 10:12-15, 17-19 – Deliverance from the Wicked;

Paraphrase:

O Lord, arise and lift your hand; don't forget those who are afflicted. The wicked reject God and think to themselves that God will not hold them accountable.

You see and make note of trouble and aggravation, so as to deal with it. The unfortunate should commit themselves to hope in the Lord, because he is the helper of the fatherless.

Break the hold of the wicked and evildoer. Root out his evil until there is none left.

The Lord listens to the requests of the meek. He gives them encouragement. He will hear and give justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that worldly people may no longer cause terror.

Commentary:

The wicked and evildoers seem to thrive and succeed for a time, and they continue their evil and wickedness because they think they will not be held accountable. But there is a Day of Judgment coming for everyone who has ever lived. The Lord knows each one of us and everything we do. We cannot conceal and deny what we have done in this lifetime.

The way of the world is for the rich and powerful to dominate the poor and powerless. God's way is to not fight back but to submit, humbly trusting in the Lord for help and ultimate justice.

Jesus is the perfect example of God's way. He was God in human form; he is the King of the Universe. He did nothing evil or wicked, ever, and yet worldly people afflicted and killed him. But he trusted in God's Word and humbled himself, even unto physical death. And God gave him help and ultimate justice: God raised him from physical death and made him the eternal King above all kings.

Jesus and the Word of God promise that Jesus is going to return to judge the earth at the end of the age. The judge and the standard of judgment will be Jesus Christ. Those who have accepted Jesus as their Savior and Lord (“boss”) and have trusted and obeyed Jesus will have been spiritually reborn (John 3:3, 5-8) during this lifetime, and will enter God's eternal kingdom in heaven. Those who have rejected Jesus and have refused or failed to trust and obey him will be condemned to eternal destruction in hell with all evil (Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).

No one knows when Christ will return but it could be at any moment. Whether or not we are still living when Christ returns, we will all be accountable to him for what we have done in this lifetime. No one knows whether we will be alive tomorrow. Today is the day of salvation; our only sure chance to turn to Jesus and be saved from eternal condemnation.

We have been given God's Word in the Bible and in Jesus Christ, the “living Word,” fulfilled, embodied and exemplified in human flesh (John 1:1-5, 14). We have been given the freedom to choose whether to believe God's Word or not.

God's Word contains both great promises and terrible warnings. We will either receive the promises by obedient trust in Jesus Christ, or we will receive the penalties the warnings were intended to help us avoid.

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Tuesday -15 Pentecost - C
First posted September 7, 2010
Podcast: Tuesday -15 Pentecost - C

Proverbs 9:8-12 – Scoffers and Wise Men;

Paraphrase:

A scoffer will hate you for correcting him, but a wise man will appreciate correction. Teach a wise man and he will be even wiser. Teach a righteous man and he will learn even more. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight” (Proverbs 9:10). By the Lord your days and the years of your life will be lengthened. A wise person receives the benefit of his wisdom; but the scoffer receives the penalty of his unbelief.

Commentary:

Mark Twain is reputed to have said that ignorance is not so much not knowing, as knowing so much that isn't so. An ignorant person remains ignorant by refusing to be taught. A wise person becomes wise by being willing to learn from others.

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Proverbs 9:10. No matter how much a person knows, he doesn't know anything worthwhile if he doesn't fear (have appropriate awe and respect for the power and authority of) God. No matter how much one knows “about” God; it doesn't matter unless he knows God personally (Job 42:5-6).

I believe that the meaning and purpose of life is to seek, find and have fellowship with God, our Creator (Acts 17:26-27). This is only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (John 14:6), only by the “baptism” of the Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17).

One is spiritually “reborn” (John 3:3, 5-8) to eternal life by the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a personally discernible, ongoing, daily, experience (Acts 19:2). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

The indwelling Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of God within us (Romans 8:9; John 14:21, 23). It is only by the indwelling Holy Spirit that we can have a personal daily fellowship with Jesus and God the Father (and note the doctrine of the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit; Matthew 28:19).

God's Word promises that the way to lengthen the days and years of your life is by faith in Jesus. By faith in Jesus, our lives will not end at physical death but will continue in paradise in God's eternal kingdom for eternity. We can begin to know this with certainty for ourselves now, by the baptism of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The only people who don't know for sure where they will be after physical death are the “lost” who are eternally perishing, because they have not been spiritually “born-again” by faith in Jesus Christ.

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Wednesday -15 Pentecost - C
First posted September 8, 2010;
Podcast: Wednesday -15 Pentecost - C

Philemon 1 (2-9) 10-21 – Paul's Plea on behalf of Onesimus;

Background:

Earlier, Paul had converted Philemon on a missionary journey to Asia Minor (present-day Turkey). Later while under house arrest in Rome, Paul had been helped by Onesimus (meaning “useful”), a slave of Philemon, and Onesimus had been converted to Christianity. Philemon had legal rights over the run-away slave, but Paul was appealing to Philemon's charity for a fellow Christian. In the first century, the Church met in private homes.

Text Paraphrase:

Paul wrote to Philemon and Apphia (assumed by some to be Philemon's wife), and Archippus, a “fellow soldier” of Paul (perhaps a minister in the house church). Grace and peace were conventional Greek and Hebrew greetings, respectively, but are only truly possible through Jesus Christ.

Paul always gave thanks to God in prayer for Philemon, and for his love of all the believers, and he prayed that Philemon's testimony would increase the knowledge of the blessings that are ours in Christ. Paul felt blessed and comforted by Philemon's love because Philemon had encouraged other believers.

As an Apostle (a messenger of the Gospel; commissioned by Christ) Paul had the authority to command Philemon, but Paul chose to appeal to him (in Christian charity) on behalf of Onesimus (the name means “useful”), who is Paul's spiritual child, as a Christian convert, who had become truly useful to Paul and to Philemon, now that he was a convert.

Paul was sending Onesimus (the run-away slave), whom Paul loved, back to his owner. Paul would have been glad to have kept Onesimus with him to serve him on Philemon's behalf, during Paul's imprisonment, but Paul preferred to leave it to Philemon's free choice.

Paul suggested that perhaps it was for the best that Onesimus had run away, so that ultimately he might return to Philemon, no longer a slave but a brother (by faith in Christ) of both Paul and Philemon. So Paul asked Philemon to welcome Onesimus as he would welcome Paul. If Philemon thought Onesimus owed Philemon anything, Paul promised to repay, reminding Philemon that Philemon owed Paul his own soul. Paul asked Philemon, as his brother, to refresh Paul's heart in the Lord.

Commentary:

Slavery was legal in the first century A.D.. Philemon had a legal right to own and punish Onesimus as Philemon chose. But because both were now Christians, they were brothers, and also brothers of Paul.

This is the fulfillment of the Word of God that in Christ there is no distinction between slave (bond) and free (1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 6:8; Colossians 3:11).

Paul was an apostle, and had the authority to command Philemon, but Paul chose to appeal to Philemon's Christian love for Christian brethren. Onesimus was no longer a run-away slave but a Christian brother. Now he was really useful both to Paul and to Philemon in the house church in Colossae (the Church of the Colossians).

This is an example of how Christians are to no longer live according to worldly standards, but according to God's Word. I personally testify that I have experienced a brotherhood with other believers out in the world. In the nominal Church it is sometimes less likely to experience that brotherhood, because church members choose to live according to worldly standards rather than Christian standards.

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Thursday -15 Pentecost - C
First posted September 9, 2010;
Podcast: Thursday -15 Pentecost - C

Luke 14:25-33 – Cost of Discipleship;

Paraphrase:

Large crowds were following Jesus, and he told them that anyone who didn't “hate” father, mother, brothers, sisters, wife, children, and even his own life, couldn't be Jesus' disciple. Jesus said that his disciples must be willing to pick up and carry their own crosses in order to follow Jesus. Jesus told several parables (stories of common earthly experiences to illustrate spiritual truth): A person who wants to build a tower must first calculate the cost to see whether he can afford to finish it; otherwise he will be ridiculed for having started something he could not finish. Similarly, an earthly king considering war with another king should first determine whether he can win against more numerous forces of the enemy. If not, then the king should send an emissary seeking peace while the enemy is still far away. So a person cannot be Jesus' disciple unless he renounces all that he has.

Commentary:

Jesus was attracting large crowds, but many were coming to Jesus for what he could do for them physically: for physical healing and feeding. Jesus' miracles of healing and feeding were intended to show that he can also, and more importantly, heal and feed spiritually. Physical healing only lasts until the next illness; physical feeding only lasts until the next mealtime. Spiritual healing and feeding are eternally valuable.

A Christian is by definition a disciple, a “follower” of Jesus (Acts 11:26c), who learns and does what Jesus teaches. A disciple who does so will be spiritually “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8; 14:15-17).

But there is a cost of discipleship. One must be willing to give up one's own will in order to do the Lord's will. Doing the Lord's will is going to sometimes be uncomfortable. The world doesn't treat Jesus' disciples any better than they treated Jesus. Many who followed Jesus at first, fell away when the going got rough (John 6:66-69).

There are lots of “fair-weather” (nominal) Christians who go to Church when it suits them, when the Church offers programs they're interested in. Theirs is a form of “religion,” an attempt to manipulate God to do their will, rather than a discipling relationship with Jesus as their Master, learning to know and do the Lord's will.

Some people are offended when the Church talks about sin, eternal death and hell. They only want to hear messages that make them feel good. Paul warned Timothy that the time was coming when people would not tolerate sound teaching, but would choose teachers who taught what the people wanted to hear (2 Timothy 4:3-4). That time has long since come. There are many false teachers and “peddlers” of God's Word (“corrupters;” 2 Corinthians 2:17) in the world and in the nominal Church today (see false teachings, sidebar, top right, home).

Unless we realize that we are all sinners who fall short of God's standard of righteousness in his Word (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10), we can't repent and receive the forgiveness we need, to avoid eternal damnation, which is the penalty for sin (Romans 6:23). And faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ is God's only provision for our forgiveness and salvation (see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).

Jesus didn't mean that we must actually hate other members of our families or ourselves; only that we must love Jesus so much more in comparison. Some actually will have to die physically for Christ and the Gospel, but not many of us have had to shed our own blood (Hebrews 12:4).

This lifetime is spiritual warfare. If we are going to be disciples of Jesus Christ we face a spiritual battle with supernaturally powerful forces of evil. We cannot accomplish anything in our own physical strength (Zechariah 4:6). We must be equipped with the spiritual armor of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God (2 Corinthians 6:7; Ephesians 6:11-17).

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Friday -15 Pentecost - C
First posted September 10, 2010;
Podcast: Friday -15 Pentecost - C

Galatians 5:25-6:10 – Life in the Spirit;

Paraphrase:

Since “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) Christians have (eternal) life in the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16), we should live according to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Let us not be conceited; let us not envy or provoke one another.

If anyone is overcome by temptation, his spiritual brethren should help to restore him with gentleness. Let us be careful that we are not also tempted. Let us help one another in our trials, for that is the fulfillment of the commandment of Christ to love one another. Let us not deceive ourselves by thinking of ourselves more highly than we should. Instead let each of us honestly evaluate our own deeds, instead of boasting of ourselves based on comparisons with others, because each of us will be accountable for our own acts.

Everyone who is taught the Word should share good things with his teacher.

Don't be deceived: One will be repaid according to what one has done. God is not going to be mocked. Those who live according to their fleshly desires will receive physical decay, but those who live according to the Spirit will receive eternal life by the Spirit. Let's not get tired of doing what is right, because we will ultimately receive a reward, if we don't give up. So then, every time we have a chance, let us do what is good to all people, but most especially to our brethren in faith.

Commentary:

One cannot become spiritually “born-again” except by a personal commitment to trust and obey Jesus' teachings (John 14:15-17). We are given the indwelling Holy Spirit so that we can fulfill God's Word by living according to the guidance and empowerment of the Holy Spirit, out of love for what God has done for us in Jesus Christ, rather than out of fear of punishment (Romans 8:1-11). So then, we should no longer live according to our human nature and worldly ways.

If someone is overcome by temptation, instead of criticizing, judging and condemning him (or her), we should gently help him be restored by leading him to repent (turn away from sin) confess, and receive forgiveness through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus. If we truly love others we will care about their spiritual condition and their eternal destiny.

We should remember that we are all sinners (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10), and if not for the grace (undeserved favor) of God (Ephesians 2:8-9), we would all be condemned. We should also remember that we are all also subject to temptation, and that we all fall short of God's standard of righteousness, in God's Word and in Jesus Christ, the “living Word, fulfilled, embodied and exemplified (John 1:1-5, 14).

Instead of comparing ourselves to others, particularly those who we regard as “worse” sinners, we should honestly evaluate our own actions in comparison to Jesus Christ and God's Word. Let us remember that each of us will be accountable to the Lord for what we have done individually in this lifetime.

I have received the Gospel freely, without being charged, and it is my great pleasure to make it freely available to others.

We have all been born physically alive into this Creation, but spiritually unborn. This Creation and we ourselves are limited by time. This lifetime is our only opportunity to be spiritually “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) to eternal life in God's heavenly kingdom. We can choose to live in our physical bodies in this physical world and ultimately die, physically and eternally, or we can choose to trust and obey Jesus and be spiritually reborn, so that we we can live eternally in a New Creation with him.

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Saturday -15 Pentecost - C
First posted September 11, 2010;
Podcast: Saturday -15 Pentecost - C

Matthew 6:24-34 – God or Mammon?

Paraphrase:

Jesus said that no one can serve both God and Mammon (Aramaic; the language of Jesus; meaning “wealth”). One will either love and serve one or the other but not both. So, then, don't worry about your physical life and needs. After all, this lifetime is about more than that. Notice that birds don't labor for their necessities; God provides for them, and you are more precious than birds. Who can add a single moment to his lifetime by worrying? Why worry about clothing; doesn't God provide for the lilies of the field without their effort to provide clothes for themselves. Even Solomon, the King of Israel whom God gave wisdom, wealth, honor, and long life (1 Kings 3:9-14), was not more well-clothed. So if God can provide for the most ephemeral plants, can't he also provide for us? Don't doubt it! So don't worry about what you will have to eat, drink or wear. Unbelievers seek these things, and God your Father knows that you need all of them, but first seek his kingdom and righteousness, and then you will also have these other things as well. So don't worry about tomorrow; tomorrow can worry itself. Just let today's troubles be enough to worry about.

Commentary:

This text is a portion of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-7:29) which is a collection of the teachings of Jesus.

Physical life is short, no matter what we do to prolong it. What is more important is spiritual life. We are all born physically into this time-limited Creation, but are spiritually unborn. Spiritual life is not limited by time; it's eternal. This lifetime is our only opportunity to be spiritually reborn to eternal life.

Only Jesus is able to give us spiritual rebirth (John 3:3, 5-8) by the “baptism” of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The baptism of the indwelling Holy Spirit is a personally discernible, ongoing, daily, experience (Acts 19:2). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

Worldly wisdom teaches us to secure physical food, clothing and shelter before anything else. But if we try to do so, we will never get around to anything else, because we will never have physical security; it will always require “just a little more” than we have. Instead, if we seek spiritual food, clothing, and shelter first, God will also supply all that we need physically in abundance as well.

I personally testify that I have experienced his providence. At a time in my life when everything worldly within me screamed that I needed a job, and physical food, clothing and shelter, the Lord showed me that he is able to supply my physical needs in abundance, as I sought spiritual needs first. For over thirty years he has provided for my my physical needs beyond expectation, as I applied his Word in my daily life.

I had to learn to live one day at a time in faith in the Lord. Worldly wisdom tells us to plan ahead. It is hard to surrender our future to the Lord and just live one day at a time, but we will discover that we have no actual control of the future. Nothing is more secure than giving our future to the Lord.

The only way to secure our eternal destiny is to accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord and trust and obey him. There is no certainty that we can postpone our decision until later; today is the only day we can be sure of; today is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Week of 14 Pentecost - C - 8/29 - 9/4/2010

Week of 14 Pentecost - C

This is a Three-Year Lectionary based on the Lutheran Book of Worship 3-year Lectionary (for public worship), "Prayers of the Day..." (Propers), p. 13-41, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1978. It is based, with only minor variations, on the Revised Common Lectionary, used by many denominations, including the Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches:

http://www.commontexts.org/

and:

http://www.commontexts.org/rcl/usage.html

The daily readings are the Propers (Lections) for the following Sunday, so that the daily devotions can prepare us for worship. Additional Lections are from Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church, "Scripture lessons for Matins and Vespers," United Lutheran Church of America, General Rubrics VIII. Scripture lessons for Matins and Vespers, p. 299 - 304, Philadelphia, 1918.

The previous 2- year Bible Study based on the Lutheran Book of Worship, Daily Lectionary for personal devotions p.179-192, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1978, is available at:

http://shepherdboy.byethost12.com/ (Please bookmark this link).

This 'blog is mirrored at:

http://shepherdboy-mydailywalk.blogspot.com/

Shepherdboysmydailywalk’s Blog

.mp3 Podcasts via Linux Festival text-to-speech and Panopreter Basic text-to-speech are available at:

http://shepherdboy.byethost12.com/dw_bible2/a_year/Wklx_a.html

http://shepherdboy.byethost12.com/dw_bible2/b_year/wklx_b.html

http://shepherdboy.byethost12.com/dw_bible2/c_year/wklx_c.html
Please Note:

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To get the most from these studies, it is suggested that you first read the scripture texts for the entry, and then the paraphrase and commentary. It is also recommended that you look up the scripture references, unless you recognize and recall them from memory.

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Podcast Download: Week of 14 Pentecost C
Sunday - 14 Pentecost - C
First posted August 29, 2010;
Podcast: Sunday - 14 Pentecost C

Isaiah 66:18-23 – Zion's Hope;
Psalm 117 – Praise the Lord;
Hebrews 12:18-24 – Mt. Zion and Mt. Sinai Contrasted;
Luke 13:22-30 – The End of the Age;

Isaiah Paraphrase:

The Lord knows everyone's thoughts and deeds, and is coming to gather all nations and peoples of all languages. They will come and see his glory. He will reveal a sign (a miracle revealing his power and glory) in their midst. He will send the survivors (those who survive God's judgment) to Tarshish (perhaps Carthage, a Phoenician port on the coast of Spain), Put (Libya), and Lud (western Egypt), “who draw the bow” (warfaring nations; Isaiah 66:19b) to Tubal (east of the Black Sea, and Javan (Greece) and distant coastlands that have not heard of God's fame or seen his glory; and the survivors will make God's glory known to them. They will bring our brethren (fellow believers) to the Lord from all the most distant lands by various forms of transportation, like the Israelites brought cereal offerings in clean vessels to the temple. The Lord will take some of them to be his priests and Levites.

The new heaven and earth which the Lord will create will remain before him (forever), and so will the name and descendants of Israel. Month by month and sabbath by sabbath all people shall come to worship in the Lord's presence.

Psalm Paraphrase:

Let all nations praise the Lord! Let all people extol him! The Lord's love for us is great and steadfast, and his faithfulness will endure forever. Lord, we praise you!

Hebrews Paraphrase:

We have come not to Mt Sinai, where people were not allowed to touch the mountain, where there was blazing fire, darkness, gloom and storm, and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose message made the people beg that no further messages be spoken directly to them. They could not bear to hear the command that no one, or even their animals, could touch the mountain, on penalty of being stoned to death. Even Moses trembled with fear (Deuteronomy 9:19).

Instead we have come to Mt Zion and the City of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to innumerable angels gathered for a festival, “and to the assembly of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, and to a judge who is God of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks more graciously than the blood of Abel” (Hebrews 12:23-24).

Luke Paraphrase:

Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem and teaching in the towns and villages on the way. Someone asked if only a few would be saved, and Jesus replied that we should try to enter by the narrow door, because many will try to enter and will be unable. Once the householder has arisen and shut the door, the many will stand outside and knock and beg to be admitted, but the householder will deny knowing them. They will say that they ate and drank in his presence and he taught in their streets. But the householder will continue to deny knowing them and will call them workers of evil. They will mourn and grind their teeth when they see the patriarchs and prophets of Israel in the kingdom of God and themselves rejected. People from the most distant parts of earth will come and sit at table in the kingdom of God, but some who are last will be first, and some first will be last.

Commentary:

There is a Day of Judgment coming when Christ will return to judge the living (“quickened”) and dead in both physical and spiritual senses. He is sending out his disciples, the “saved,” once they have been “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8), to the most distant parts of the earth to preach the Gospel and make born-again disciples of Jesus Christ.

One type of cereal offering was the offering of the firstfruits of the grain harvest, so these Gentile (non-Jew) converts will be brought into the House of the Lord as firstfruit of the spiritual harvest, and some will become priests and Levites. We have seen this happening since the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the first-century Church (Acts 2:1-13).

In the new heaven and earth that the Lord will create at the end of this age, we will all worship in God's presence in the House of the Lord on the heavenly Mt Zion. All the saved will personally experience the Lord's great and steadfast love and faithfulness, by the indwelling Holy Spirit we have been given. Through the indwelling Holy Spirit he speaks to us in a non-scary way.

The first-born are those who have died and gone to heaven before the Second Coming of Jesus at the Day of Judgment. We are the just (found righteous in God's judgment) people made perfect (complete; by the blood of Jesus).

Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant (Testament) which he initiated on the night of his betrayal and arrest (Matthew 26:26-28). Under the Old Covenant, blood was sprinkled on things and people to cleanse them and make them fit to serve the Lord. The blood Jesus shed on the cross “sprinkles” us to cleanse us and make us righteous in God's judgment so that we can serve and worship him. Abel was the righteous son of Adam murdered by his brother. Abel's blood calls to God for vengeance, but Jesus' blood calls to God for our forgiveness.

Jesus warns us that we should make every effort to enter the narrow door that leads to eternal life, now while we have the opportunity. Jesus is going to return unexpectedly, and the door will be closed. People, even church members, who haven't been spiritually reborn before Jesus comes, will be eternally shut out of his kingdom. They will call to him to gain admittance, claiming to have prophesied, cast out demons, and done many great works in his name, but Jesus will declare that he never knew them, and tell them to depart, because they are workers of evil (Matthew 7:21-23).

Jesus is the narrow door (John 10:9). He is the only way (John 14:6).

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Monday - 14 Pentecost - C
First posted August 30, 2010;
Podcast: Monday - 14 Pentecost C

Psalm 112 – Rewards of the Righteous;

Paraphrase:

Let the Lord be praised. The person who fears the Lord and delights in the Lord's commandments will be blessed.

Mighty in the land will be the descendants of the righteous; blessed will be the generation of the upright. They will possess wealth and riches, and their righteousness will endure forever.

The upright will have light in darkness; righteous, gracious and merciful is the Lord. A person who is generous and lends, and is just in the conduct of his affairs will do well.

The righteous will never be shaken, and will be remembered for ever. They will not fear evil tidings; trusting in the Lord, their hearts will not be troubled. They will not be afraid; their hearts will be steady and they will see their desire upon their enemies.

They give freely to the poor; their righteousness will endure forever; their status is exalted. The wicked are angry to see the success of the righteous; the wicked grind their teeth and disappear; their desires accomplish nothing.

Commentary:

The righteous are those who fear (have appropriate awe and respect for the power and authority of) the Lord, and do what is right, good and true, according to God's Word in the Bible, and in Jesus Christ, the “living Word,” fulfilled, embodied and exemplified (John 1:1-5, 14).

The Lord is faithful and able to prosper the righteous, not necessarily with material wealth and possessions. He is able to provide the necessities abundantly to his people and to make them go farther, while what the wicked have gained slips from their grasp.

The wicked may seem to prosper for a while, but will ultimately fail and come to nothing. The wicked hate the deeds and success of the righteous.

In America lately we have seen the wicked prosper for a time. We've seen tax breaks for the rich, denial of welfare for the poor and denial of healthcare for needy children. We've seen a few of the wicked manipulate government and loot our assets.

Ultimately the righteous will spend eternity in paradise with the Lord, but the wicked will spend eternity in torment in Hell. The righteous will have no fear of loss or even death, because they will know with certainty that the Lord is able to protect and preserve them. The wicked will worry constantly about losing their possessions and lives.

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Tuesday - 14 Pentecost - C
First posted August 31, 2010;
Podcast: Tuesday - 14 Pentecost C


Proverbs 25:6-7 – Pride or Humility?

“Do not put yourself forward in the king's presence or stand in the place of the great; for it is better to be told, 'Come up here,' than to be put lower in the presence of the prince” (Proverbs 25:6-7).

Commentary:

God is king above all kings. How many people understand that it isn't smart (even in worldly wisdom) to exalt themselves before worldly kings, but they exalt themselves before God?

Recently a U.S. Federal Congressman found himself in trouble for calling President Obama a liar during his speech on healthcare. I like Obama, but he is so much less significant than God. Yet how many are calling God a liar by rejecting his Word?

Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 19:16). Jesus is God in human flesh (Colossians 2:8-9; John 20:28). How many of us exalt ourselves over Jesus by denying his lordship and kingly authority?

Do we understand what it means to be our Lord? Our Lord is our boss; when he says “jump,” we should be asking, “how high?”

People exalt themselves before God the Father and Jesus Christ because of unbelief. And they get away with it because of the Lord's grace (unmerited favor) and forbearance, which is intended to allow them time to come to faith (obedient trust). Because we aren't immediately struck by lightning, we shouldn't assume that there is no God.

There is a Day of Judgment coming at the end of the Age of grace (unmerited favor; a free gift). That Day is coming unexpectedly, and then it will be too late to change our eternal destinies. This is the only time we have to seek and find God and be “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) by the “baptism” of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17).

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a personal, daily, ongoing, discernible event (Acts 19:2). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Wednesday - 14 Pentecost - C
First posted September 1, 2010;
Podcast: Wednesday - 14 Pentecost C

Hebrews 13:1-8 – Christian Living;

Paraphrase:

We are urged to continue in brotherly love. We are to show hospitality to traveling Christians (because inns of the time were occupied by bandits and prostitutes), and some have thus entertained angels (Abraham: see Genesis 18:1-8; and Lot: 19:1-3).

We are to remember prisoners as though in prison with them; we are to remember the ill-treated, since we are in physical bodies that can also suffer ill-treatment.

Let marriage be respected and undefiled by all people. God's judgment is coming upon the immoral and adulterous

We are to avoid the love of money, and be content with what we have, because the Lord has promised never to fail or forsake us.

The author of the Letter to the Hebrews quotes Psalm 118:6 to the effect that since the Lord is our helper we need not be afraid; for what can mankind do to us (that the Lord can't handle)?

Let us remember our leaders and those who told us the Word of God; consider how their lives turned out, and let our faith match theirs. “Jesus is the same yesterday and today and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8).

Commentary:

All the Law in the Old Testament can be reduced to two commandments: To love God with every aspect of our being, and to love our neighbor just as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:37-39). Jesus specifically commanded his disciples to love one another so that all people would know that they were Jesus' disciples (John 13:34-35).

Christians are by definition [“born-again;” John 3:3, 5-8] disciples of Jesus Christ (Acts 11:26c). We should find it easy and pleasing to love with brotherly affection our Christian brethren.

When the Spirit of the risen Jesus knocks on the “door” to our hearts we must open it and welcome him in and he will have the kind of fellowship with us as if “dining with us daily (Revelation 3:20). When we invite him into our hearts to be our Savior and Lord (“boss”), we will be spiritually “reborn” by the baptism of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We will be entertaining “angels”* on a daily basis.

Only Jesus baptizes with the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17, 21, 23). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

Jesus warns that we cannot serve God and mammon (Matthew 6:24; “mammon” is Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke, meaning “Wealth”). We've seen some examples in the last year where the love of money ruined a lot of people's lives.

Let us remember and pray for those in prison, and those who are ill-treated, particularly those around the world who are suffering for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and also for those who are falsely imprisoned, abused, denied adequate food, clothing, shelter and adequate medical care. There are numerous opportunities to volunteer in some area of “Social Ministry” (ministry to the social needs of the poor and those in need), through our local congregations.

Let there be no immorality or adultery, especially in the Church. In the first-century church at Corinth, Paul chastised the congregation for tolerating immorality and for their factionalism. He also chastised them for seeking secular lawsuits against fellow-members (1 Corinthians 5:1-13; 6:1-11), and for the false belief of some that they were saved without the requirement of obedience (1 Corinthians 6:12-20; see false teachings, sidebar right, home: “Cheap Grace”). These sorts of things are still going in the nominal Church today. God's judgment is coming on those who do such things.

When we seek to know and do God's will for us on an individual basis, he will reveal it to us, and he will provide the resources and ability we need to accomplish it. When we step out in faith (trust and obedience), we will learn from personal experience that the Lord is able and faithful to provide for us, and that he will never fail or forsake us. We need not fear any circumstance; the Lord is able to bring us through it.

Who was instrumental in sharing the Gospel and the example of faith with you? Who led you in dicipleship? Paul (Saul of Tarsus) is deliberately intended by God to be the prototype and example of a modern, post-resurrection, born-again disciple (student) and apostle (messenger; of the Gospel) of Jesus Christ. He was convicted by the Spirit of the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus. He accepted Jesus' rebuke (Acts 9:4), acknowledged Jesus as his Lord (9:5), repented (Acts 9:9), became obedient to Jesus' command (Acts 9:6, 8), was discipled by a born-again disciple, Ananias, until Paul was “reborn” (Acts 9:17-18), and then immediately began proclaiming the Gospel, making born-again disciples (2 Timothy 1:6) and teaching them to repeat the process (2 Timothy 2:2). Paul was fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) which Jesus had given to his disciples, but only after Paul had been born-again (Luke 24:49; Acts I:4-5, 8).

Jesus is unchanging; the same things apply to us today that applied to Paul in his day.

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

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* “Angel” can be understood as “spirit;” consider Acts 12:15 and Revelation 1:1; 22:6, 16.

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Thursday - 14 Pentecost - C
First posted September 2, 2010;
Podcast: Thursday - 14 Pentecost C


Luke 14:1, 7-14 – On Humility;

Paraphrase:

One sabbath Jesus dined at the home of a Pharisee (a strict legalistic sect of Judaism) who was a religious leader. When he saw how they chose the places of honor, Jesus told a parable about people who are invited to a marriage feast. Instead of choosing the seat of honor, one should choose the humblest seat. Then instead of embarrassing both host and guest by having to defer to a more honored guest, the guest will be honored in the presence of others by being invited to take a more honored seat. Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Jesus told his host not to invite his friends, his relatives or rich neighbors when he gives a banquet, lest they invite him in return and he be repaid. Instead the host should invite the poor and handicapped, and he will be blessed, because they cannot repay him. Instead he will be repaid at the resurrection of the just (the righteous in God's judgment).

Commentary:

Jesus did not fit the worldly concept of a king. He came not to be served but to serve and he taught his disciples to do likewise (Luke 22:25-27). When he entered Jerusalem the week before his crucifixion, he entered not like a worldly king in a chariot, but humbly, riding on a young donkey (Matthew 21:1-11).

Jesus' word is the Word of God, with the creative force of God's Word (Mark 4:39-41; Compare Genesis 1: 9). Jesus could have commanded and we would have to acknowledge him as king. Jesus deliberately referred to himself as the Son of man, which is true, because he had a human mother, but which also allows us to decide for ourselves whether he is the Son of God, with a hint from Daniel 7:13 (compare Revelation 1:13; 14:14).

There is a Day coming when Christ will return in great glory and power, unlike his earlier entry into Jerusalem. In that Day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that he is Lord (and King; 1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14).

In the days of Jesus' physical ministry, the Jewish leaders had forgotten that they were servants of the Lord on behalf of God's people. They were using their office to exalt themselves (Matthew 23:5-7).

Unfortunately, in too many instances, the same situation exists in the nominal Church today. Ministry is seen as a career choice, and an opportunity to have influence over other people. Church leadership is seen as an opportunity to be exalted.

Too often we're only interested in doing favors for those who are in a position to do favors for us, or have something to offer that we want.

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Friday - 14 Pentecost - C
First posted September 3, 2010;
Podcast: Friday - 14 Pentecost C


Galatians 5:16-24 – Walk by the Spirit;

Paraphrase:

Paul was “discipling” the Galatian Christians. He told them to live according to the Holy Spirit, and not to gratify their carnal desires. Carnal desires are opposed to the ways of the Spirit, and indeed the Spirit is given to overcome carnal desires, to prevent us from doing whatever we please. But those who are obedient to the Spirit are not under the law (with its condemnation). Immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, dissension, factionalism, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and so on are all works of the flesh (carnal desire). Those who do such things will not inherit eternal life in God's heavenly kingdom. But the fruit of obedience to the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control; no law is necessary to restrict such behavior. “And those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24).

Commentary:

Christians must “die” daily to the desires of the flesh in order to live in the Spirit. The flesh wants what it wants, but we must resist, in order to live according to the Spirit.

If we live in the flesh, we will die eternally in the flesh. Imagine being eternally trapped in a physical body that gets sick and decays, separated forever from health and life and every good thing that God provides: that is Hell!

If we live according to the Spirit we will never die eternally. When we die physically, we'll go on living forever in paradise restored in God's heavenly kingdom.

We're all born into this world physically alive but spiritually unborn. This lifetime is our only opportunity to be spiritually “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) to eternal life, and this is only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ, the only one who “baptizes” with the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The baptism of the indwelling Holy Spirit is a personally discernible, ongoing, daily event (Acts 19:2). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

It is only by the presence of the Holy Spirit within us that we can overcome our carnal nature; our fleshly desires. It is only by the indwelling Holy Spirit that we can know and experience true love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. It is only by the indwelling Holy Spirit that we can know and experience daily personal fellowship with God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Saturday - 14 Pentecost - C
First posted September 4, 2010;
Podcast: Saturday - 14 Pentecost C

Luke 17:11-19 – Ten Lepers Cleansed;

Paraphrase:

Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem and was passing between Galilee and Samaria. As he entered a village he encountered a group of ten lepers who called to him from a distance to have mercy on them. When Jesus saw them he told them to go and show themselves to the priests, and they were cleansed as they went to do so. One, a Samaritan, when he saw that he had been cleansed, turned back praising God and fell down at Jesus' feet, giving thanks to him. Jesus said, "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the other nine" (Luke 17:17)? Then Jesus told the man to rise and go his way; the man's faith had made him well.

Commentary:

At the time of Jesus' earthly ministry, Israel was divided into three Roman provinces: Galilee was a Roman province in the northern portion of Israel, and Samaria was a Roman province in central Israel. Judah was the southern Roman province.

The Samaritans were of mixed race and religion, resulting from the conquest of the Northern Kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians in 721 B.C. Most of the Israelites of the Northern Kingdom had been deported and aliens from other conquered lands had been brought in to pacify the land. Although the Samaritans retained the Jewish traditions, they worshiped at a temple on Mt. Gerizim in Samaria, rather than at Jerusalem. The Jews of the Southern Kingdom of Judah did not regard them as true Jews.

Leprosy is contagious, so lepers were required to stay away from healthy people. In order to be restored to the community fellowship, including public worship, they were required to be certified as disease-free by priests. It required faith (obedient trust) in Jesus for people who were obviously leprous to present themselves to priests; and they were healed on the way; as they trusted and obeyed Jesus' command. The irony is that the nine who apparently considered themselves “real” Jews, didn't return to praise God and give thanks to Jesus for their healing, but the one they considered “impure” did.

Old Testament prophecies said that the revealing of the Messiah (Christ; God's “anointed”) would be accompanied by miracles of physical healing (Isaiah 29:18-19; 35:5-6; Matthew 11:2-5. Jesus' miracles of physical healing, feeding, and resurrection were intended to reveal who he is, and that he can also heal, feed and resurrect spiritually. The nine leprous Jews were healed physically, but they didn't recognize and acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah, so they didn't receive the spiritual healing that only Jesus can provide, while the leprous Samaritan did.

We're all born spiritually leprous. We're all sinners who fall short of God's standard of righteousness (doing what is right, good and true according to God's Word; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10). The penalty for sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23), separated eternally from God and God's people. Jesus is the only one who can heal us and restore us to fellowship with God and God's people which was broken by sin (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, right, home).

We're all born physically into this world, but we're unborn, spiritually. This lifetime is our only opportunity to be spiritually “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) to true, eternal life. This is only possible through faith in Jesus Christ, who is the only one who “baptizes” with the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The baptism of the indwelling Holy Spirit is a personally discernible ongoing daily experience (Acts 19:2). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Week of 13 Pentecost - C - August 18 - 24, 2013

Week of 13 Pentecost - C

This is a Three-Year Lectionary based on the Lutheran Book of Worship 3-year Lectionary (for public worship), "Prayers of the Day..." (Propers), p. 13-41, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1978. It is based, with only minor variations, on the Revised Common Lectionary, used by many denominations, including the Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches:

http://www.commontexts.org/

and:

http://www.commontexts.org/rcl/usage.html

The daily readings are the Propers (Lections) for the following Sunday, so that the daily devotions can prepare us for worship. Additional Lections are from Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church, "Scripture lessons for Matins and Vespers," United Lutheran Church of America, General Rubrics VIII. Scripture lessons for Matins and Vespers, p. 299 - 304, Philadelphia, 1918.

The previous 2- year Bible Study based on the Lutheran Book of Worship, Daily Lectionary for personal devotions p.179-192, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1978, is available at:

http://shepboy.snow.prohosting.com (Please bookmark this link).

Journalspace.com, my former 'blog host is being reorganized under new ownership. I no longer publish there. I have also lost mypodcast.com, my podcast host. This 'blog is mirrored at:

http://shepboy.multiply.com/

.mp3 Podcasts via Linux Festival text-to-speech and Panopreter Basic text-to-speech are available at:

http://shepboy.snow.prohosting.com/dw_bible2/C%20Year/wklx_c.html

Please Note: I will post weekly by Saturday, noon, (God willing), Pacific time (UTC-8:00) for the week of the Church Season which begins on Sunday. Please scroll down for the desired day, or save the week to your desktop/hard drive.

This entry published one day earlier than usual, because of a prior commitment. Entries for 12 Pentecost Friday, and Saturday are in the latest archive links, right sidebar.

Podcast Download: Week of 13 Pentecost - C

Sunday - 13 Pentecost - C

First posted August 22, 2010;
Podcast: Sunday - 13 Pentecost - C

Jeremiah 23:23-29 – God's Omnipresence;
Psalm 82 -- God's Judgment on Idolatry;
Hebrews 12:1-13 – Spiritual Discipline;
Luke 12:49-53 – The Coming Judgment;

Jeremiah Paraphrase:

God is both near to us individually, and also present everywhere throughout the universe at all times; there is no place one can hide so that God cannot see him. God has heard the lies of false prophets who lie in his name, saying that they have had a dream. How long will false prophets continue to lie, who lie from their own deceitful hearts and try to make God's people forget God's name by their lies, as their fathers forgot God's name in exchange for Ba'al? Let the false prophets tell their dreams, but let him who has God's Word speak it faithfully. Can straw compare to wheat? God's Word is like fire, and like a hammer which shatters rock.

Psalm Background:

In the ancient Near East, it was believed that the world was ruled by a council of gods. The Psalmist visualized God standing in the midst of that council and pronouncing judgment upon all the others.

Psalm Paraphrase:

In the divine council God has taken his place and holds judgment in the midst of the other gods. He condemns them for judging unjustly and showing partiality to the wicked.

He commands them to give justice to the weak and fatherless, and to uphold the right of the destitute and afflicted. They are to rescue the needy and powerless from the power of the wicked. The gods of the council lack knowledge and understanding. They go about in darkness; and as a result the foundations of earth have been shaken. Because they govern unjustly, they will all perish like any mortal and any human ruler, even though they are sons of God.

Arise, O God, judge the earth; for to thee belong all the nations” (Psalm 82:8)!

Hebrews Paraphrase:

We are surrounded a great cloud of witnesses, those who have succeeded at discipleship and have gone on to God's eternal kingdom, (as exemplified in Hebrews 11). So we need to put away anything that would interfere with our participation, and persevere in the race set before us, recalling the example of Jesus who is the pioneer (“trail-blazer”) and perfecter of (demonstrator of perfect) faith (spiritual maturity). He hated the shame of the cross, but he endured it because he focused on the joy that was promised him through it. And so he is enthroned at the right hand of God.

Let us reflect on the hostility he had to endure from sinners; then we will not grow fainthearted and weary. After all we have not had to resist to the point of shedding our own blood. And let us not forget that, as his children, God exhorts us not ignore the discipline of the Lord, nor become discouraged when punished by him. Everyone he loves, he disciplines, and he chastises all whom he receives (quote from Proverbs 3:11-12).

We must endure for the sake of discipline. He is treating us as his children. After all, good earthly fathers discipline their children. Those who are not disciplined are illegitimate, not true children. All the children of God have participated in discipline. Our earthly fathers disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not more readily submit to our spiritual Father and gain eternal life? Our earthly fathers disciplined us to suit themselves, but our heavenly Father disciplines us for our good, so that we can share in his holiness. All discipline seems unpleasant at the moment, but later on, it produces a harvest of righteousness to those who have allowed themselves to be trained by it.

Luke Paraphrase:

Jesus declared that he had come into the world to cast the fire of judgment upon it, and he wished that the blaze had already been kindled. Jesus knew that he had a “baptism,” a commission from God, to fulfill, and he felt restricted by that obligation until it was accomplished. Jesus had come not to bring peace on earth, but division. There would be division between members within households, and division between the closest personal relationships; for example, Father versus son, mother versus daughter, and mother-in-law versus daughter-in-law.

Commentary:

The meaning and purpose of life in this world is to seek and find God and have fellowship with him (Acts 17:26-27). God has always intended to establish an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly choose to trust and obey him.

God has designed Creation to allow for the possibility of sin (disobedience of God's Word), so that we will have the freedom to choose whether to trust and obey God. But God is not willing to tolerate disobedience and rebellion forever, or at all in his eternal kingdom, so God has placed a time-limit on Creation and on we ourselves.

We are all born physically alive but spiritually unborn. This lifetime is our one and only opportunity to be spiritually “born-again” to eternal life. That is only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ by the baptism of the Holy Spirit which which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17).The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

God's Word contains both great promises and ominous warnings. Those warnings are intended to help us avoid the consequences of disobedience of God's Word. God's discipline is intended to help us grow to spiritual maturity at the Day of Judgment, so that we can live in fellowship with him in his eternal kingdom.

There is a Day of Judgment coming when Christ returns to judge the living (“quickened”) and the dead in both the physical and spiritual senses (1 Peter 4:5; John 5:28-28). Everyone who has ever lived on earth will be accountable for what each has individually done in this lifetime.

Jesus is God's one and only provision for our forgiveness and salvation from eternal condemnation. Those who have accepted Jesus as Lord and have trusted and obeyed Jesus will enter eternal life in Heaven. Those who have rejected Jesus and have refused or failed to trust and obey Jesus will be condemned eternal destruction in Hell with all evil (Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).

We can't do evil in secret. God knows everything we do. When Christ returns, people will be fainting with fear (Luke 21:26), and will try to hide from judgment, but there will be nowhere to go to escape (Luke 23:30).

On the Day of Judgment it will be too late to change our eternal destinies. No one can be certain to live tomorrow. Today is the Day of Salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Monday - 13 Pentecost - C

First posted August 23, 2010;
Podcast: Monday - 13 Pentecost - C

Psalm 117 – Praise the Lord;

“Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol him, all peoples” (Psalm 117:1)! The Lord has great and steadfast love for us, and his faithfulness is for ever. Let us praise the Lord!

Commentary:

The Lord's steadfast love and faithfulness are revealed for all to see at the cross of Jesus Christ. God has designed a Savior, the Messiah (Christ), into Creation from the very beginning (John 1:1-5, 14).

We all need the Savior, because we have all sinned (disobeyed God's Word; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10), and the penalty for sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23). Jesus is God's only provision for our forgiveness and salvation (Romans 5:8; John 3:16-17; Acts 4:12; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, right, home).

Throughout the Old Testament, God has been giving us a preview of the Savior: For example, God deliberately intends for Moses to prefigure Christ. Moses mediated the Old Covenant (Testament) of Law; Jesus mediates the New Covenant of Grace, which is to be received by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9). Jesus is the New Moses who leads us out of slavery to sin and death in the “Egypt” of this present world order, through the “Sea” of baptism into Jesus, through the “Wilderness” of this lifetime, led by the “Pillar of Fire” (Exodus 13:21-22), the Holy Spirit, through the “River” of physical death, and into the eternal “Promised Land” in Heaven. David, the great human shepherd-king of Israel prefigures Jesus, who is David's descendant, the “Good Shepherd” and eternal King. There are other examples.

Jesus is God's “anointed” eternal prophet, priest and king. Messiah and Christ each mean [God's] “anointed” in Hebrew and Greek, respectively. God had been teaching his people that God's prophets (1 Kings 19:16; 1 Chronicles 16:22), priests (Exodus 29:29; Leviticus 4:3) and kings (1 Sam. 16:13; 2 Sam. 2:4) are to be “anointed” with oil at God's direction.

The Holy Spirit is the “oil of gladness” with whom “born-again” Christians are “anointed” (“baptized”). Only Jesus baptizes with the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

By the baptism of the indwelling Holy Spirit, born-again Christians experience the great steadfast love and faithfulness of the Lord. As we walk in obedience to the Holy Spirit we come to know, by personal experience, his faithfulness.

Unfortunately, many, including his own people, who knew the Old Testament Scriptures, did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah, and did not recognize the love and faithfulness of God in him.

God's Word is eternal and eternally true. What God says, happens! The test of God's Word is its fulfillment (Deuteronomy 18:21-22). Because it is eternal, God's Word is fulfilled over and over as the conditions for its fulfillment are met.

God's Word contains both precious promises and ominous warnings. We will either know, believe and claim the promises, or we will receive the consequences that the warnings were intended to help us avoid.

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Tuesday - 13 Pentecost - C

First posted August 24, 2010;
Podcast: Tuesday - 13 Pentecost - C

Isaiah 66:18-23 – Zion's Future Hope;

Paraphrase:

God knows the thoughts and deeds of every person. He is coming to gather all peoples together, and they will behold his glory. He will reveal a sign (a display of his glory and power) in their midst. The Lord will send those who survive [God's Judgment] to Tarshish (perhaps Carthage, a Phoenician port on the coast of Spain), Put (Libya), and Lud (western Egypt), “who draw the bow” (warfaring nations; Isaiah 66:19b) to Tubal (east of the Black Sea, and Javan (Greece) and distant coastlands that have not heard of God's fame or seen his glory. The survivors will declare God's glory to them. They will bring our brethren (believers) from all the nations, by every form of transportation, to the temple mount in Jerusalem, as an offering to the Lord, just as Israelites brought cereal offerings in clean vessels to the house of the Lord. The Lord will take some of the Gentile believers as priests and Levites (temple servants). In the new heaven and earth that God will create, they will remain before him as will the name and descendants of Israel. Month by month and sabbath by sabbath they will come and worship before the Lord.

Commentary:

God knows the thoughts and deeds of every person, and every person will be accountable to God. There is a Day of Judgment when Christ will return to judge the living and the dead in both physical and spiritual senses (1 Peter 4:5; John 5:28-29). Every person will see Christ's return (Matthew 24:30; Revelation 1:7).

God will send those people who have believed in (trusted and obeyed) Jesus to testify to all people, even in the most distant lands, and to bring them to the worship of God. Gentiles will be accepted as priests and Levites.

This prophecy began to be fulfilled first by Paul (Saul of Tarsus), the prototype and example of a modern, post-resurrection, born-again (John 3:3, 5-8) disciple (student) and apostle (messenger; of the Gospel) of Jesus Christ, as we all can and should be. Paul was the first Christian missionary to preach the Gospel in Europe (Acts 16:11-40). Paul's ministry was to the Gentiles (2 Timothy 1:11), because the Jews rejected his message. I am a fulfillment of that prophecy. The Christian Church is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Gentile priests and Levites.

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Wednesday - 13 Pentecost - C

First posted August 25, 2010;
Podcast: Wednesday - 13 Pentecost - C

Hebrews 12:18-24 – Mt. Sinai and Mt. Zion Contrasted;

Background:

Mt. Sinai was where Moses met face-to-face with God, and received the Old Covenant (Testament) of Law (the Ten Commandments). Mt. Zion is the temple mount in Jerusalem which prefigures the heavenly temple in the City of God in Heaven.

Text Paraphrase:

Touching Mt. Sinai was forbidden to the people of Israel, at the penalty of death. The Lord descended in fire with the sound of a loud trumpet. God spoke with a voice like thunder. There was thick cloud, thunder and lightening, like a great tempest. God's voice was so terrifying that the people asked that God not speak to them directly (Exodus 19:12-22; 20:18-21; Deuteronomy 4:11-12; 5:22-27). Moses was so terrified that he trembled with fear (Deuteronomy 9:19).

Instead, believers have come to Mount Zion, and to the City of God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to many angels in festal gathering, “and to the assembly of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, and to the judge who is God of all, and to the spirits of just (righteous in God's judgment) people made perfect (complete; by the blood of Jesus), and to Jesus, the mediator of a New Covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks more graciously than the blood of Abel" (Hebrews 12:23-24).

Commentary:

Under the Old Covenant of Law God's people were motivated by fear of punishment. No one could keep all the Law all the time (James 2:10), and the penalty for sin (disobedience of God's Word is eternal death (Romans 6:23). Blood sacrifices had to be made continually for the forgiveness of sin.

Aaron was allowed to go up Mt. Sinai with Moses part of the way (Exodus 19:24; 24:9-11) but only Moses had a face-to-face relationship with God. God's voice and his descent upon Mt. Sinai were so frightening that the people asked that God speak to Moses, who would then relay God's Word to the people.

The Church is the New Jerusalem on earth, a foretaste of the heavenly Mt. Zion, the City of God, the heavenly Jerusalem.

Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant of Grace (unmerited favor; a free gift) to be received by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus, which he instituted on the night of his betrayal and arrest at the Last Supper. He shed his blood on the cross, once for all time and people who are willing to receive it by faith, for the forgiveness of all our sins. Abel's blood called out to God for vengeance, but Jesus' blood pleads for our forgiveness.

When we receive the forgiveness Jesus offers, we will want to keep his commandments out of love and gratitude for what he has done for us. Jesus' blood makes it possible for us to have a personal fellowship with Jesus and God the Father through the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus (the Spirit of God; note the doctrine of the Trinity; Romans 8:9). We see the character of Jesus in the New Testament. He isn't scary like the manifestation of God at Mt. Sinai. “Born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) Christians have been filled with the indwelling Holy Spirit. He speaks to us by the still quiet voice of his Holy Spirit in a non-frightening way, and we experience his love and goodness through his Holy Spirit. He will ask us to do things we'd rather not do, but as we respond in faith (obedient trust) we will learn from experience that his will is good, possible for us to do, and in our very best interest (Romans 12:2, RSV).

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Thursday - 13 Pentecost - C

First posted August 26, 2010;
Podcast: Thursday - 13 Pentecost - C

Luke 13:22-30 – The End of the Age;

Paraphrase:

Jesus was teaching as he passed through towns and villages on his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him if only a few would be saved. Jesus replied that we should try to enter the narrow door, because many will try and will not be able. When the householder shuts the door, many will stand outside and knock, and he will deny knowing them. They will say that they ate and drank in his presence and he taught in their streets, but he will deny knowing them, will call them doers of iniquity, and will tell them to depart. Then they will weep and grind their teeth when they see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and themselves cast out. People will come from the four corners of earth and sit at the table in God's kingdom. Watch and see: some who are last will be first, and some who are first will be last.

Commentary:

The door is narrow that leads to eternal life. The worldly try to suggest that there are many ways to spiritual enlightenment, but that is not true. Jesus is the only way, the only truth, the only means to true, eternal life (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, right, home).

There are many nominal Christians in Churches today who think they are ministering the Gospel in Jesus' name, who Jesus will deny knowing and will call evildoers (Matthew 7:21-23). Genuine Christians are by definition disciples of Jesus Christ (Acts 11:26c) who have been “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) by the “baptism” of the Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a personally discernible, ongoing, daily event (Acts 19:2). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

Sadly some mainline denominations are failing to make disciples of Jesus Christ, and are actually discouraging their members from seeking the baptism of the Holy Spirit, by teaching that spiritual rebirth is automatically conferred by water baptism (see False Teachings, sidebar, right, home).

The Jews were the first to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but most rejected it and him. God hasn't given up on the Jews. There are Jews being saved today, and there will be many Jews saved during the Great Tribulation (a seven-year period preceding Christ's return on the Day of Judgment; Mark 13:14-27; Matthew 24:21-30; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12; Revelation 3:10; 7:14). There is divided opinion as to whether the “Rapture” (“catching up;” 1 Thessalonians 4:17; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3; Matthew 13:30; 24:31) of the Church will occur before, in the middle, or after the Great Tribulation. I believe the Rapture will be pre- or mid- trib. So some Jews, who were first will be last, and some Gentiles, who were last, will be first.

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Friday - 13 Pentecost - C

First posted August 27, 2010;
Podcast: Friday - 13 Pentecost - C

Galatians 3:15-22 – The Purpose of Law;

Paraphrase:

The Law was given to Moses to help us recognize our sin, until the coming of the offspring (the Messiah; the descendant of David) to those to whom the promise (2 Samuel 7:5-13; Psalm 89:20-29) had been given (the Jews; God's people; the Church). Jewish tradition taught that the Law was delivered by angels (Deuteronomy 33:2; Acts 7:38, 53 through an intermediary (Moses). The Law was a covenant between God and mankind, through Moses as mediator, but the promise of the Savior (Messiah; Christ) was given directly by God's Word.

Then, is the Law contrary to the promises of God? Definitely not! Righteousness cannot be achieved by fulfilling the Law. God's Word condemned all things to sin, so that what was promised through faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

Commentary:

The Law was like a “custodian,” a “nanny” (“governess;” 1 Corinthians 4:15), to restrain us until the coming of Christ. The Law teaches us the standard of righetousness that God requires, and demonstrates that we cannot achieve it by our own abilities.

Angel means Spirit (Acts 12:15). God is Spirit (John 4:24).

Moses was the mediator, between God and mankind, of the Old Covenant of Law. Jesus is the “New Moses,” the mediator of the New Covenant of Grace (unmerited favor; free gift) through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus. Moses led the people of God out of sin and death in Egypt, through the wilderness, to the Promised Land. Jesus is the “New Moses” who leads us out of sin and death in the “Egypt” of this world, through the spiritual wilderness of this lifetime, to the “Promised Land” of eternal life in God's heavenly kingdom. Jesus is the “New Joshua” (“Jesus” is the Greek form of “Jeshua,” the post-exilic form of “Joshua”) who leads us through the “River” of physical death and into the eternal Promised Land of God's eternal kingdom restored to paradise in Heaven.

Jesus is the instituter (Matthew 26:26-28) and mediator of the New Covenant (Matthew 26:26-28), the “New Passover.” Passover is the sacrificial feast that Israel celebrated when the final plague, the deaths of the first-born of Egypt, happened to accomplish their release. A perfect, unblemished lamb was sacrificed to provide the main course of the feast, and its blood marked the Israelites to be “passed over” by the destroying angel.

Jesus is the perfect “Lamb of God,” (John 1:36) sacrificed on the cross, whose body provides the feast of the “Lord's Supper (Holy Communion; Eucharist), and whose blood marks us to be passed over by condemnation to eternal death.

The promise of a Savior has been fulfilled, without any requirement on our part to accept him. Those who choose to accept him as their personal Savior and Lord receive eternal life. Those who reject him receive eternal condemnation and destruction in Hell; (Matthew 25:31-46, 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Saturday - 13 Pentecost - C

First posted August 28, 2010;
Podcast: Saturday - 13 Pentecost - C

Luke 10:23-37 – The Good Samaritan;

Jesus told his disciples privately that they were greatly blessed to be seeing and hearing what others, including kings and prophets, longed to see and hear, but weren't able.

A lawyer stood up to test Jesus asking what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus asked him what the law (the Old Testament scriptures) said. The lawyer answered, saying that one shall love the Lord God with all one's heart, soul, mind, and strength, and one's neighbor as oneself. Jesus commended the lawyer for answering correctly, and said that if he did so he would live [eternally].

But the lawyer wanted to justify himself, so he asked who his neighbor was. Jesus replied that a man was going from Jerusalem to Jericho and he was attacked by robbers who stripped and beat him and left him half dead. A priest crossed to the other side of the road to avoid coming into contact with the victim, and a Levite (Temple Assistant) did the same. But a Samaritan* had compassion for the victim and went to him, poured oil and wine (ancient medicines) on his wounds and bandaged them. Then he put the victim on the Samaritan's beast and took him to an inn where he attended to him. The next day he paid the innkeeper two day's wages to take care of the victim and promised to return and repay any other costs incurred. Then Jesus asked the lawyer which of the three proved to be the neighbor of the victim. The lawyer supposed that the Samaritan had been the neighbor of the victim, because he had demonstrated mercy for him. Jesus told the lawyer to do likewise.

Commentary:

God had promised to send a Savior, the Messiah (Christ), from the very beginning of God's Word, in Genesis 3:15, immediately after the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden. Jesus has been designed into Creation from the very beginning (John 1:1-5, 14). God knew that by giving us the freedom to choose whether to trust and obey God's Word or not we would all choose to do our own will, rather than his (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10). Disobedience of God's Word is sin, and the penalty for sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, right, home).

For thousands of years the Israelites were looking forward to the coming Messiah, but many died physically without having seen the fulfillment of the promise (Hebrews 11:1-40).

Christians are by definition disciples of Jesus Christ (Acts 11:26c) who have been “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) by the “baptism” of the Holy Spirit which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

In Old Testament times, only a few select individuals had a close personal relationship with the Lord. Now, by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus' disciples (Acts 2:1-13), we can all experience that relationship on a daily basis. We are able to see and hear what prophets and kings longed to experience and weren't able. Do we realize how blessed we are?

The lawyer in this passage was an expert in the law (God's Word). He knew the law, but mere knowledge is not sufficient; one must apply that knowledge in daily actions.

That's the problem in too many nominal Churches today. They are lead by people who know a lot about God, but don't know God personally (Job 42:5-6). It takes born-again disciples to make born-again disciples. If unregenerate (un-born-again) leaders knew how to be born-again they wouldn't be unregenerate! If the Church fails to make born-again disciples, there won't be any born-again candidates for leadership!

The spiritual leaders of the Jewish religion were trying to remain ritually “clean” by avoiding contamination by dead bodies. The lawyer who tested Jesus was also trying to maintain ritual cleanness by his own efforts. In contrast, the Samaritan, who Jews regarded as genetically and spiritually contaminated,* was the one who obeyed God's will.

Everyone is our neighbor; the issue is who we regard as our neighbor.

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

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*Samaritans were the result of cross-breeding and spiritual assimilation with the remnant of Israel which had avoided deportation by Assyria because of poverty, weakness or ill health, and had intermarried with aliens brought in by the Assyrians to pacify conquered territories.

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