Week of 6 Pentecost - C
This is a Three-Year Lectionary based on the Lutheran Book of Worship 3-year
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America, General Rubrics VIII. Scripture lessons for Matins and Vespers, p. 299
- 304, Philadelphia,
1918.
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Podcast Downloads: Week of 6 Pentecost C
6 Pentecost - Sunday - C
First posted July 4, 2010
Podcast: 6 Pentecost Sunday C
1 Kings 19:14-21 – Elisha's Call;
Psalm 16 – Refuge in the Lord;
Galatians 5:1, 13-25 – Christian Freedom;
Luke 9:51-62 – Costs of Discipleship;
Theme: The Call to Discipleship;
1 Kings Background:
Elijah
had fled to Mt. Horeb (Mt. Sinai), because Jezebel, the pagan queen of
the Northern Kingdom of Israel sought to kill him (1 Kings 19:1-3). God
asked Elijah what he was doing there (1 Kings 19:13b).
Text Paraphrase:
Elijah
said that he was very [zealous] for the Lord; and the people of Israel
had broken down the altars to the Lord and killed the prophets of the
Lord. Elijah thought he was the only one left still faithful to the
Lord, and they were trying to kill him. The Lord told Elijah to return
to the Syrian desert (“wilderness of Damascus;” in the far north of
Israel, and there he was to anoint Hazael to be king of Syria, and Jehu
to be king of Israel. Elijah was to anoint Elisha to be Elijah's
replacement as prophet of the Lord. Those apostates (unfaithful) who
escape death by Hazael will be killed by Jehu, and Elisha shall slay the
rest. But seven thousand people in the Northern Kingdom who have not
turned from faith in the Lord will remain.
So Elijah
left Mt. Horeb and found Elisha plowing a field with a yoke of twelve
oxen, and as Elijah passed by he placed his mantle on Elisha. Elisha
left the plowing and ran after Elijah, and asked for time to say goodbye
to his parents and then he would follow Elijah. Elijah told him to go
and then come back, because he had done something very significant to
Elisha.
Elisha went and killed the oxen and used the
wooden yokes to cook their flesh for a feast of the people. Then he got
up and returned and served Elijah.
Psalm Paraphrase:
The
psalmist (attribution to David, the great human shepherd-king of
Israel) says that he takes refuge in the Lord and asks God to preserve
him. The psalmist realizes that there is no good apart from the Lord and
has accepted him as his personal Lord. He delights in the saints (those
consecrated to the Lord's service) in the land; they are noble. Those
who choose another “god” are just multiplying their griefs. The psalmist
refuses to offer blood sacrifices to them or even speak their names.
The
psalmist acknowledges that he has chosen to trust in the Lord and that
his destiny is in the hand of the Lord. He testifies that, as a result,
he has experienced good and that he is confident that he will continue
to experience good in the future.
The psalmist is
grateful that the Lord has given him guidance. He has been taught during
his sleep. The Lord is always his first priority, so he won't come to
disaster.
Therefore he can rejoice and feel secure. The
Lord won't abandon him to Sheol (death and the grave), “nor let thy
godly one see the pit” (death; grave; Psalm 16:10b).
The
Lord reveals the path to true, eternal, life. The psalmist has
experienced the joy of the Lord's presence, and is sure that in his
right hand (Jesus) are eternal pleasures.
Galatians Paraphrase:
Christ
has set us free from slavery to sin and death, so that we can be free
to serve the Lord. So we should firmly resist any attempt to re-enslave
us.
We have been invited to receive freedom, but not to
use that freedom for physical indulgence. Instead we are to use it to
serve one another in love. The entire law (of Moses; the Old Testament)
can be summed up in the command to love our neighbor just the same as we
love ourselves (Matthew 22:36-40). Beware that if we “bite and devour”
one another we will also be “consumed” by them.
Our
obligation is to live according to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and
not yield to the temptations of our physical nature. The Holy Spirit is
given to resist the temptations of our flesh, to prevent us from
indulging ourselves physically.
Those who are led by
the Spirit are not accountable to the law. The deeds motivated by flesh
are: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity,
strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, factionalism, envy,
drunkenness, carousing, and so forth. Be aware that those who persist in
doing such things are not going to inherit eternal life in God's
kingdom.
But the fruit of the Holy Spirit yields love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and
self-control. No law is necessary to restrain such conduct.
Those
who have committed to Jesus Christ, have crucified their physical
nature of passion and desire. If we have been born to eternal life by
the “baptism” of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we must live according to
the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Let us not have self-conceit, and no
taunting or envy of one another.
Luke Paraphrase:
Jesus
knew that he was going to go to Jerusalem where he would be crucified
and then would be raised from the dead to eternal life on the third day,
and he told this to his disciples at least three times (Matthew 16:21;
17:22-23; 20:17-19).
When the time had come, Jesus
headed for Jerusalem with his disciples, and he sent messengers ahead to
prepare food and lodgings in a village of Samaria, but the Samaritans
refused to receive him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. When James
and John, two of Jesus' closest disciples heard this, they asked Jesus
if they should call down fire from heaven to destroy the village (as
Sodom and Gomorrah had been: Genesis 19:24). But Jesus told them that
they had been called to save, not destroy, the (spiritually, eternally
“Lost.” And they went on to another village.
On their
way to Jerusalem a man declared that he was willing to follow Jesus, but
Jesus told the man that the “Son of man” (Jesus; the Son of God) had no
place on earth to call home. Jesus invited another person to follow
him, but that person wanted to return and bury his father first. Jesus
told him to let the (spiritually) “dead” to bury their dead; instead
this person should go and proclaim the kingdom of God.
Another
declared that he would follow Jesus, but wanted to return home and say
goodbye to his family first. Jesus replied that anyone who sets his hand
to the plow and then looks back is unworthy of the kingdom of God.
Commentary:
Elijah
thought he was the only faithful servant of the Lord left in the land,
but the Lord knew who were his faithful servants, and there were more
than Elijah thought. In times like the present, it can sometimes seem
that there are no other faithful Christian disciples left and we are all
alone. But God knows who his faithful servants are.
Elijah
was understandably fearful for his life, but when God said to return to
the territory ruled by Jezebel, the wicked Queen, he trusted and obeyed
God's Word. He fulfilled the third injunction to “anoint” Elisha to
succeed him as prophet of God. It was Elisha who fulfilled the first
two.
From the beginning of God's dealing with Israel,
he was teaching them that God's prophets, priests and kings were to be
designated by “anointing” (with olive oil). When his servants anointed
God's designated, in obedience to God's Word, with olive oil God
anointed the chosen to be anointed with the Holy Spirit. David is a
prime example (1 Samuel 16:13).
In this instance,
Elijah's mantle (cloak) is the symbol of his office. With his cloak,
Elijah parted the waters of the Jordan River. When the mantle passed to
Elisha, Elisha was able to part the Jordan also (2 Kings 2:8).
God
also taught the Israelites that no cleansing can occur without blood
sacrifice, and that the sacrifice took place in the context of a feast.
Elisha sacrificed twelve yoke of oxen and prepared a feast for the
people.
Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice, once for all
time and all people willing to receive it by faith (obedient trust), and
the Lord's Supper (Holy Communion; Eucharist), the New Passover, which
Jesus established on the night of his betrayal and arrest, is the feast.
The Lord's Supper is a spiritual feast. Jesus is the perfect
unblemished Lamb of Passover, sacrificed for the forgiveness of our sin
on the cross. His blood, received by faith, marks us as God's people to
be “passed over” by the destroying angel (Spirit; Exodus 12:1-13). His
flesh provides the feast; he is the “bread of [eternal] life” (John
6:35, 48). The wine of Communion is the blood of Jesus, which marks us
as God's children). The anointing of the Holy Spirit is the “living”
water of eternal life (John 7:37-39).
As long as we
think we can take care of ourselves the Lord will let us try; but
ultimately we will fail, perhaps when it is too late to be saved.
Blessed are those who realize their need for a Savior and Lord. When we
commit ourselves to trust and obey the Lord we become his “Saints.”
Those who chose other “gods,” like money, power, career, success,
family, or pleasure will discover, perhaps too late that they have
multiplied grief.
Pagans offer blood sacrifices to
idols, but idols are not gods; they are the creation of mankind's
imagination. They can do nothing. They are counterfeits; the true God is
the only sovereign God. He alone hears and and answers prayer, only for
his trusting and obedient people (see Conditions for Answered Prayer).
When
we commit to trust and obey the Lord we will experience his faithful
love and his power to answer prayer. Because we have experienced his
faithfulness and power in the past we can be confident that we will
continue to experience it in the future. This is the example of
discipleship. The Lord wants us to trust and obey his Word so that we
can experience his faithfulness and power to fulfill his Word.
Studying discipleship isn't hard work. We can learn by the Holy Spirit even while we are sleeping!
Jesus
is the Holy one of God whom God did not abandon to the grave after his
crucifixion. God raised Jesus from physical death to eternal life.
Jesus' resurrection is the demonstration of existence after physical
death, and is attested to by over five hundred eye-witnesses, and every
truly “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) Christian disciple since Paul (Saul
of Tarsus). God didn't abandon Jesus to the grave, and he won't abandon
us either, if we trust and obey him.
God has revealed
the path to eternal life in Jesus Christ. When we trust and obey Jesus
we will experience the joy of the Lord's presence, now in this lifetime,
and can be certain that we will experience it eternally in God's
heavenly kingdom after physical death.
We are all
sinners (disobedient of God's Word) and have fallen short of God's Word,
recorded in the Bible and exemplified in Jesus Christ. Those who sin
are enslaved by sin (John 8:34). Jesus sets us free from sin and eternal
death, so that we can be free to serve the Lord.
We
must not use that freedom to indulge ourselves, but use it to love and
serve others in Jesus' name for the sake of the Gospel of forgiveness
and salvation from eternal destruction. We are freed from the
restrictions of the Law of Moses, provided that we live according to the
guidance and empowerment of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 8:1-13).
The
Lord tests us to see if we are committed to trusting and obeying Jesus
before baptizing us with the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 14:15-17). The
Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ within us
(Romans 8:9) Premature spiritual rebirth would be a spiritual disaster
for us (Hebrews 6:4-6).
Jesus was heading to Jerusalem
to celebrate the Passover, where he knew he would be crucified. The
Samaritans were unwilling to receive him because they believed that Mt.
Gerizim was the proper place to worship God (John 4:20-21). Sanballat
had built a temple for the Samaritans on Mt. Gerizim and had established
a priesthood rivaling Jerusalem.
Samaritans were of
mixed race and religion. A remnant of the Northern Kingdom, Israel, of
the Divided Monarchy, were not deported by the Assyrians when the
Assyrians destroyed the Northern Kingdom in 721 B.C., at the fall of
Samaria. The Assyrian policy of subduing conquered lands by deporting
the people to other conquered lands resulted in mixed marriage among the
remnant and aliens.
But some Samaritans were more
receptive to Jesus than the Jews. Where Samaritans were willing to
receive him, their faith was rewarded with salvation (John 4:39-42).
Jesus came not to destroy but to seek and save the spiritually “Lost”
(compare John 3:16-17).
Jesus taught his disciples to
shake off the dust of their feet as testimony against those who would
not receive them and to go on to the next village (Matthew 10:14-15).
The disciples won't have to call down fire to destroy them like Sodom
and Gomorrah. God will do that in the day of judgment, but will
meanwhile give them plenty of time to repent and come to salvation.
Jesus'
disciples can expect the Gospel message to be rejected by some. We're
not to waste our time trying to convince the unreceptive, but to go on
to people who are receptive.
We're all born physically
alive but spiritually dead (unreborn). This lifetime is our opportunity
to be “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) to eternal life and this is only
possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus 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). There are plenty
of spiritually dead people to bury the dead. Spiritually alive
disciples of Jesus should spend their time proclaiming the Gospel so
that some of the spiritual dead can be “reborn.”
In
order to be disciples of Jesus Christ we must be willing to leave our
former lives, homes, and families in order to follow Jesus. We must not
let longing for the old way of living draw us away from following
Jesus. The “Old Days” really weren't that good. We may have had the
fleeting pleasures of sin, but the rewards of sin is eternal death; the
loss of eternal life in paradise with the Lord.
Elisha
hadn't set his hand to the plow of the ministry of God's Word yet. His
sacrifice of the twelve yoke of oxen was an act of worship and
consecration to God. He essentially gave away his material possessions,
the yoke of oxen, to feed the poor, and cut off his old life. There
would be no oxen to return to. Then, he followed Elijah with persistence
until the very moment Elijah ascended in the whirlwind (2 Kings 2:1-2,
4, 6. 11-12).
Jesus' disciples are called to leave
their old lives behind and follow Jesus persistently until the day of
his return at the Second Coming.
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you
Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying
Jesus (John 14:21)? 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)?
6 Pentecost - Monday - C
Psalm 66:1-11, 14-18 – Hymn of Praise;
Paraphrase:
Sing aloud with joy to God, everyone. Glorify his name in song; make his praise glorious. Tell the Lord that his deeds are awesome! His enemies cringe before his great power. All the earth shall worship the Lord and sing praises to his name.
Look and see what the Lord has done. He has done awesome deeds among us. He made a way to pass through the sea on dry ground; through the river without getting wet feet. We rejoiced there in him who rules for ever by his great might and keeps watch on the nations- may the rebellious not exalt themselves!
May all people bless our God, may his praise be heard, for he has sustained our lives and has not let us stumble. The Lord has tested us as silver is refined. He allowed us to be snared in a net; he allowed us to experience affliction.
I will fulfill what I promised when I was in trouble. I will offer the sacrifices of finest rams, bulls and goats.
Come and listen to what the Lord has done for me, all who fear (have proper awe and respect for the power and authority of) God. I cried aloud and extolled him with my voice. If I had loved sin in my innermost self the Lord would not have listened.
Commentary:
God wants to reveal himself to us so that we can know his great goodness, power, faithfulness and love. God first reveals himself to us in the goodness of Creation. The evil that exists in the world was not created by God; it is caused by human sinfulness.
God began to reveal himself personally to us in the call of Abraham (Abram) and the history of his dealing with Israel recorded in the Bible. The great central act of salvation in the Exodus from Egypt, wilderness wandering, and entry into the Promised Land, is deliberately intended to be a parable, a metaphor for life in this world. We're all in bondage to sin and death in the “Egypt” of this present world order.
The Exodus was initiated with the institution of Passover (Exodus 12:1-13). The Passover points to the New Passover, the Lord's Supper, instituted by Jesus on the night of his betrayal and arrest (Matthew 26:26; Psalm 66:1-11, 14-18-28), and to the ultimate feast in the Kingdom of God in Heaven (Matthew 26:29). Jesus is the perfect Lamb of the New Passover, and his blood, shed on the cross, marks his people to be “passed over” by the destroying angel. His body and blood are received by faith (obedient trust).
God delivered Israel from the pursuing Egyptians by parting the Red Sea and allowing them to pass through on dry ground. The parting of the Sea corresponds to water baptism into Jesus Christ.
After wandering in the wilderness for forty years, they were led through the Jordan River on dry ground and into the Promised Land. Jesus is the “Moses” and the “Joshua” (Jesus is the Greek equivalent of “Jeshua,” the post-exilic form of “Joshua”) who leads us out of “Egypt,” through the wilderness of this present lifetime, through the “River” of physical death (on dry ground; i.e, without being tainted by death) and into the eternal “Promised Land” of God's eternal kingdom.
We first experience God's great deeds through the Biblical record, but as we trust and obey Jesus, we will come to experience God's great deeds personally in our lives (see Personal Testimonies, sidebar, right).
God taught the Israelites that sacrifice was necessary for the forgiveness of sin, preparing them to receive the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, once for all time and all people willing to receive it by faith (obedient trust). The sacrifice that God desires from us is the sacrifice of our own self-interest in order to do his will.
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? 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)?
6 Pentecost - Tuesday - C
| First posted July 6, 2010; | ||||
| Podcast: 6 Pentecost Tuesday C Isaiah 66:10-14 – Rejoice with Jerusalem; Paraphrase: Let all who love Jerusalem rejoice and be glad with her; let all who mourn for her rejoice and be glad. You will be suckled and satisfied with the abundance of her glory. The Lord declares that he will extend a river of prosperity to her; the wealth of nations will overflow to her. She will suckle you, carry you on her hip, and dandle (fondle) you on her knee. The Lord will comfort you in Jerusalem as a mother comforts her child. Your heart will see and rejoice; your bones will flourish like grass. All will know that the hand of the Lord is with his servants, and against his enemies. Commentary: The Church is the New Jerusalem, the City of God on earth, which points to the eternal city in heaven. But the nominal Church on earth is imperfect. Parts of the nominal Church are not nurturing or providing good parenting. We need to mourn for those parts of the nominal Church, but we can be assured that God will cleanse and restore her, removing what is imperfect. As believers we need to be discerning. We need to read and know the Bible so that we can use the Bible as the standard against which to compare Church doctrine, in order to avoid false teaching and false teachers within the nominal Church. There are several false teachings in the nominal Church today that were present in the first-century Church and are refuted in the New Testament. One very disturbing false teaching, present in mainline denominations today, is that the “baptism” of the indwelling Holy Spirit is automatically conferred by some Church rite such as water baptism. This has the effect of discouraging and preventing believers from seeking and being spiritually “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; see False Teachings, sidebar, right). The Church is supposed to suckle and nurture new believers until they have been “born-again.” That is the process of discipleship and spiritual growth, which Jesus commissioned his disciples to carry out (Matthew 28:19-20), and which Paul (Saul of Tarsus), the prototype and example of a modern, post-resurrection, born-again disciple (student) and apostle (messenger; of the Gospel) practiced and demonstrated (Acts 9:1-22; 2 Timothy 1:6-7; 2:2). The indwelling Holy Spirit is the river of spiritual prosperity enriching us, and through us, the world. We will inherit the wealth of the nations. We will thrive and flourish like lush grass. We will demonstrate that the hand of the Lord is with us, for all who care to see. Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? 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)? |
6 Pentecost - Wednesday - C
| First posted July 7, 2010; Podcast: 6 Pentecost Wednesday C |
Galatians 6:1-10, 14-16 – Exhortations; Paraphrase: If anyone is overtaken in sin (disobedience of God's Word) those who are “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) should gently restore him. Be careful, that you are not also tempted. In fulfillment of Ch1rist's command we should share one another's burdens. We should not deceive ourselves by thinking we are something when we are not. We should examine ourselves honestly, instead of comparing ourselves to others; then our evaluation will be on our own merit and not dependent on others, because we will each be accountable for our own behavior. Let those who are taught be generous to their teachers. Let us not deceive ourselves: what we sow is what we will reap. Those who sow to their flesh will from their flesh reap corruption; but those who sow to the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not grow tired of doing what is good, for in due time we will reap a reward, if we do not become discouraged. So let us to good to all people, especially to our fellow believers. Let us not take glory in anything but the cross of Jesus Christ, by which we have died to the world, and the world to us. It is not a matter of circumcision or uncircumcised, but of new birth. Let peace and mercy be upon all who live by this rule; they are the [New] Israel of God. Commentary: Instead of condemning sinners we are called to restore them. We must remember that we are also vulnerable to sin. If we truly love one another we will care about their problems and try to alleviate them. If we think we are better than they are, we are only deceiving ourselves. We will be accountable for our own actions, not in comparison to others. We must recognize that we are in need of spiritual teaching – of being led in discipleship by mature disciples. It is impossible for the unregenerate (un-born-again) to make born-again disciples. If they knew how, they wouldn't be unregenerate. Unfortunately, there are many unregenerate teachers in the nominal Church today. 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. Paul was convicted by the Spirit of the risen and ascended Jesus (Acts 9:5b) on the road to Damascus where he intended to persecute Christians. He repented (Acts 9:9) and accepted Jesus as his Lord (Acts 9:5a). He was “discipled” by a born-again disciple (Acts 9:10), Ananias, until he was “born-again” (Acts 9:17-18), and then Paul began to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) which Jesus gave to his born-again disciples (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8; Acts 9:20-22; 2 Timothy 1:6-7) and teaching them to repeat the process (2 Timothy 2:2). It is not a matter of keeping the Law of Moses (the Old Testament Law), but of spiritual rebirth (Romans 8:1-13) 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). Christians are the New Israel, the new people of God, and the true Church is the New Jerusalem on earth. Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? 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)? |
| 6 Pentecost - Thursday - C |
| First posted July 8, 2010; Podcast: 6 Pentecost Thursday C |
Luke 10:1-12 (17-20) – Mission of the Seventy; Jesus was heading for Jerusalem with his disciples, where he knew he would be crucified (Matthew 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:17-19). He sent out seventy of his followers in pairs to every place where Jesus was about to come. Jesus declared that the [spiritual] harvest was plentiful but there were few laborers, so his disciples should pray to the Lord of the harvest to provide laborers. Jesus sent the seventy as lambs among wolves. They were to take no purse, extra clothing or sandals, and they were not to stop and visit with travelers along the way. They were instructed to bid peace upon any house they entered. Their peace would rest on the household if they were peaceable people; but if not their peace would return to the messengers. They were instructed to remain in one house, not going from door-to-door. When they entered a town that welcomed them they were to eat whatever was provided. They were to heal the sick and to declare that the kingdom of God had come near to them. But if a town would not welcome them they were to declare from the street that they were shaking off the dust of that place from their feet as testimony against that place; nevertheless they were to declare that the Kingdom of God had come near. On that day it will be more tolerable in Sodom than in that town. When the seventy returned they rejoiced that even demons had been subject to them in Jesus' name. Jesus told them that he had witnessed the fall of Satan from heaven to earth like a lightening bolt. Jesus declared that he had given them power over serpents, scorpions, and all the powers of evil; nothing would harm them. But instead of rejoicing over their power over demons, they should rejoice that their names are recorded in heaven. Commentary: There is a great spiritual hunger in the world today, but people are looking for satisfaction of that hunger in all the wrong places! People are interested in spiritual and supernatural things, but reading the Bible is the farthest thing from their minds. Jesus is about to come again, on the Day of Judgment, when everyone who has ever lived will be accountable to him for what they have done in this lifetime in this world. Jesus has sent his disciples ahead, to announce his imminent coming. They are offering spiritual healing in his name, and the peace that is only possible in Jesus' name. We need not fear that we will give his peace to the wrong people. His peace does not remain upon people who do not welcome Jesus. We need not go door-to-door. In any community, any household which welcomes us is sufficient. From there we can declare the Gospel message of forgiveness of sin, and restoration to fellowship with God and eternal life in God's Kingdom. We offer spiritual healing in Jesus' name. We testify that we have personally experienced spiritual healing. God's eternal kingdom restored to perfect paradise in heaven is all around us now, but we cannot see it now, or enter it ultimately in eternity, unless we welcome Jesus into our lives now in this lifetime. God does not call down fire from heaven immediately on those who refuse to welcome Jesus. He gives us a lifetime to learn and to repent. But ultimately, if we have failed to accept God's grace (free gift; unmerited favor) in Jesus Christ we will suffer the same fate as Sodom (and Gomorrah) which were destroyed by fire from heaven because of their wickedness and unrepentance (Genesis 19:24). 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), 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 gives us power over evil, and gives us the assurance that our names are recorded in the Book of Life in heaven. Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? 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)? |
6 Pentecost - Friday - C |
| First posted July 9, 2010; Podcast: 6 Pentecost Friday C |
Romans 6:3-11 – Dying and Rising with Christ; When we are baptized into Christ, we are baptized into his death. We have been buried with him in death, so that we can share in his resurrection to new life by the glory of God the Father. If we have been united with him in death, we will also be united with him in his resurrection. Our old nature, our sinful flesh, has been crucified, so that we might no longer be slaves Romans 6:3-11of sin. Those who have died are freed from sin. If we believe that we have died with Christ we believe that we will also live eternally with him. Christ, having been raised from physical death, will never die again; death no longer has power over him. He died once for all to sin, so that he can now live to serve and glorify God. So we must also consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to serve and please God, through Jesus Christ. Commentary: Water baptism by immersion is an apt symbol, a visual metaphor, of physical death and resurrection. But water baptism is a covenant between God and the candidate. Because it is a spiritual rite, the amount of water is not conditional, as the Eucharistic Feast (the Feast of Holy Communion; the New Passover; the Lord's Supper) is not conditional upon the amount of the elements of bread and wine. Because it is a covenant, it can be entered into by the candidate himself, or a representative, such as his parents in the case of infant baptism. In the case of infant baptism, the candidate must affirm the covenant when he becomes of age. God is faithful! When we keep our part of the covenant, he will keep his part! I personally testify that I was baptized as an infant, and affirmed the covenant at middle-age. I have no need to be “re-baptized,” or immersed. The “baptism” of the Holy Spirit attests to the covenant between God and myself. We must endeavor to die daily to the flesh so that we can live to serve and please God. We can resist temptation to sin (disobey God's Word) by the indwelling Holy Spirit. When we yield to temptation, we become further enslaved; when we resist, we become further freed. “Born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) Christians personally experience the risen Jesus. Because we know with certainty that Jesus lives eternally, we can believe that we will also live eternally with him! The indwelling Holy Spirit gives us the power to resist temptation, so that we can be free to serve and please the Lord. We must not use that freedom to indulge our own human desires. Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? 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)? |
| 6 Pentecost - Saturday - C |
| First posted July 10, 2010; Podcast:6 Pentecost Saturday C |
Matthew 5:20-26 – True Understanding of the Law; Jesus declared that our righteousness must exceed that of the scribes (teachers of the Law) and Pharisees (strict legalistic sect of Judaism), or we will not be able to enter the kingdom of heaven. In [Old Testament] times, people were forbidden to kill, and those who killed were accountable to judgment [eternal condemnation], but Jesus taught that those who are angry with their brother are liable to condemnation. Those who insult their brother are liable to the council (the Jewish religious court) and those who call their brother are liable to hell's fire. Jesus taught that when making an offering at the altar, we should first be reconciled to our brother if there is any ill will between us, and then we can make our offering to the Lord. We should seek reconciliation with our accuser early, while going to the court, before being delivered to judge, guard and prison. Once that happens one cannot be released until the last requirement of the law has been satisfied. Commentary: The scribes and Pharisees emphasized the letter but not the spirit of the Law. Jesus' point is that it is not enough to avoid actual murder of our brothers. When we allow ourselves to remain angry with them, to insult them and call them fools we have violated the spirit of the Law. Those things are not harmless; they lead to actual murder. When we want to present an offering to the Lord we should first make sure that we are not at enmity with our brothers. The offering that the Lord desires is our obedience to his Word. It is much better to take the initiative to resolve disagreements with our brethren before they become lawsuits. Once we get to court we will be fully accountable to the least detail of the law. So also, it is well for us to initiate reconciliation with our brethren now, according to God's Word, rather than hold grudges maintain enmity and strife until the Day of Judgment, when we will be accountable to the Lord for everything we have done in this lifetime. Anger against our brethren does not accomplish the work of God or glorify him (James 1:20). Our mission is to proclaim the Gospel of forgiveness, reconciliation with God, and salvation from eternal condemnation. How can we accomplish that without being willing to forgive, be reconciled and offer salvation to our brethren? Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? 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)? |
