Month: July 2010

Text: Luke 11:1-13
Date: Pentecost IX (Proper 12)
St. James the Elder, Apostle + 7/25/10
Lutheran Church of the Incarnate Word, Rochester Hills, MI

At the end of the tenth chapter of Luke’s Gospel last week we understood the concluding story at the house of Martha and Mary to be an illustration or commentary on proper worship. That is, right worship begins with the passive action of “the good portion” of a Mary quietly receiving the words of Jesus and only after that responding like a Martha in service to the praise of God and also to the service of neighbor. In our former hymn book the first two sentences of the preface said it in the shortest, most memorable and best way, “Our Lord speaks and we listen. His Word bestows what it says.” Then it continues, saying, “Faith that is born from what is heard acknowledges the gifts received with eager thankfulness and praise…. Saying back to him what he has said to us, we repeat what is most true and sure…. The rhythm of our worship is from him to us, and then from us back to him” (LW p. 6). If, then, we were right in understanding the story of Mary and Martha in this way, it makes sense that the next chapter of Luke should address the subject of how to pray. Continue reading “Daily Bread”

Text: Luke 10:38-42
Date: Pentecost VIII (Proper 11) + 7/18/10
Lutheran Church of the Incarnation, Rochester Hills, MI

The ninth and tenth chapters of St. Luke’s Gospel have, among other things, addressed what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. It is a matter of repentance, a complete turning away from sin and the world, of God-given, justifying faith, and that faith active in love. The Evangelist ends the tenth chapter with the little incident at the house of Mary and Martha. It is an illustration of the priorities and roles of faith and hospitality. As you will see, it has a valuable lesson concerning the worship of the Church. Continue reading “Divine Service”

Text: Luke 10:25-37 (Lev. 19:9-18)
Date: Pentecost 7 (Proper 10) + 7/11/10
Lutheran Church of the Incarnate Word, Rochester Hills, MI

I met a pastor friend of mine for lunch Friday at the airport, on his way to the LC-MS convention in Houston. He told me of one of his parishioners who said, “Pastor, we like your sermons, but could your preach some more ‘practical’ sermons? You know, sermons about how to live.” This has happened before, and pastors then look at each other with a knowing smile as we did—knowing that such a question reveals that they prefer the Law of God and possibly don’t fully know or appreciate the Gospel. In a similar vain, as I sat down to finish today’s sermon yesterday an email alert came from the Issues, Etc. radio program asking, “What did St. Paul mean when he said, ‘We preach Christ and Him crucified?’” And then it went on to say, “Today we hear Christ the therapist, life-coach, helper or lover preached in many pulpits. How do these fall far short of Christ the Savior presented in the Bible?” Then it noted a five-part series beginning tomorrow called “Christ Alone.” Today’s Gospel shows us how even well-meaning believers can get confused or fall short of hearing, knowing and believing the Gospel, the good news of salvation that is totally and completely a gift and not the result in any way of our own preparations or works. Jesus tells a story to address this and asks, “Who Is Your Neighbor?” Continue reading “Who Is Your Neighbor?”

Text: Luke 10:1-20
Date: Pentecost VI (Proper 9) + 7/4/10
Lutheran Church of the Incarnate Word, Rochester Hills, MI

Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” He was, of course, speaking of people, sinners He came to redeem and save. In chapter 9 of Luke’s Gospel Jesus sent out the twelve “to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal,” and “they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere” (9:2, 6). But “the harvest is plentiful” and the twelve were not enough. So now He sends out seventy-two others. But apparently even that was not enough because He tells them, even as they are being sent, to “pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out [even more] laborers into his harvest.” And we are bidden to continue that prayer today. Be careful, however, when you pray thus, because the very next word is, “Go.” And with that word He sends you to labor in His harvest. He may call and send you to cut your ties with the world and go full time as He did the twelve and the seventy-two and countless others in the ministry of the Church to this day. Or He may call and send you to confess Him before people while in your earthly vocation. On the eve of the next, the 64^th regular convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod next week and with today’s Gospel of the sending out of the seventy-two, we consider the church’s continuing task of mission and evangelism, of bringing the Good News of the Gospel to bear in peoples’ lives and calling young and old to the grace, peace, life and salvation that are by faith in Jesus Christ. Continue reading “The Kingdom of God Has Come Near”