I Will Pour Out My Spirit
Pentecost Sunday—CWS Series A

God’s Word for Today

I will pour out my Spirit. God’s Old Testament people celebrated the gathering of the harvest at the Festival of Weeks. On the fiftieth day, God sent the promised Counselor on the day we call “Pentecost” (Greek for “fifty”). This day marked the birthday of the New Testament Church and celebrates the harvest of souls won by the Son and gathered by his servants empowered by his Spirit. Pentecost is the third great festival of the Church and has been commemorated since at least 217 A.D. The Church dresses in red to remind us of the tongues of fire that marked the Spirit’s gift and the blood of the martyrs which was the seed of the Church. This day culminates the Season of Easter when our risen Lord now empowers his people to be witnesses of the resurrection for the world.

First Lesson (Joel 2:28-29)

1.	What day was the prophet Joel looking forward to?

2.	Who would receive the blessings and power of the Holy Spirit?

Second Lesson (Acts 2:1-21)

3.	What did the Holy Spirit enable the apostles to do?

4.	How did the people react?

5.	What was Peter’s answer for this miracle?

Gospel (John 16:5-11)

6.	What promise did Jesus make his disciples in verse 7?

7.	What would the Holy Spirit do when he came?

Answers:

1.	In particular, Joel’s prophecy looked forward to the Day of Pentecost that we hear about in the second lesson.

2.	All Christians, both men and women, young and old, would receive the power of the Holy Spirit. With the Spirit comes gifts of many kinds as St. Paul points out in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11.

3.	He gave the apostles the ability to speak in recognizable languages that they had not previously learned or spoken.

4.	Most of the people were amazed that they heard these men “declaring the wonders of God” in their own language. Others assumed that they were drunk.

5.	Peter pointed out that this miracle was the beginning of the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy.

6.	He promised that after he ascended into heaven he would send his disciples the Holy Spirit as their counselor.

7.	He would convict the world of sin through the law of God, and bring comfort to burdened souls through the gospel of salvation.

Our Entire Being Depends
On the Holy Trinity
The First Sunday after Pentecost: Holy Trinity—CWS Series A

God’s Word for Today

We like to think that we can take care of ourselves. God has given us many talents and gifts so that we can provide for ourselves and our families. And yet we shouldn’t forget that God is the one who ultimately provides all things. Apart from him we can do nothing. If it weren’t for our Triune God—our Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier—we would be absolutely helpless and hopeless in our lives. Yes, apart from him we wouldn’t even exist. Our entire being depends on the Holy Trinity.

First Lesson (Genesis 1:1–2:3)

1.	How did God create most everything in this universe?

2.	What clue do we get in Genesis 1:26 about God’s unique makeup?

3.	Why is God’s creation of human beings so unique?

Second Lesson (2 Co 13:11-14)

4.	Why are the key words of the apostolic blessing in verse 14 so important to our lives as Christians?

Gospel (Matthew 28:16-20)

5.	According to Jesus’ words, what has been given to him?

6.	How are we to make disciples of Jesus?

7.	What promise does Jesus give his disciples?

Answers:

1.	Almost everything in creation was brought into being simply by God speaking his powerful Word.

2.	He says: “Let us…,” indicating his unique being of being one God yet multiple persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

3.	God created Adam from the earth and breathed the breath of life into Adam. This account shows us how special human beings are in the eyes of God.

4.	The word “grace” reminds us that God loves us because of the type of person he is and not the type of people we are. His “love” is undeserved and unearned; it’s free. And through his love and the working of his Spirit in our hearts and lives, we are brought into “fellowship” with him. Our relationship with God is entirely his doing.

5.	Jesus declares that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. The exalted Jesus, now even according to his human nature, has control over all things.

6.	Jesus says that we should baptize in the name of the Triune God and teach everything that he has commanded. That’s how disciples (pupils) are made.

7.	He tells us that he will be with us always, even to the end of the age (until he returns again). He gives us a big task—to preach the gospel in all the world—but he also gives us big promises!

Standing on the Rock Solid Truth of God’s Word
The Second Sunday after Pentecost—CWS Series A

God’s Word for Today

The Holy Ministry stands on the rock-solid truth of God’s Word. Not all who call themselves ministers do that, so watch out for false teachers! Many will come with wise sounding words and pious promises, but they are not what they seem. The Church’s only defense is to stand firmly on the rock-solid truth of God’s Word. The Season of Pentecost explicates the teachings of Christ and the application of faith in the life of the Christian. How fitting that this initial Sunday lays the foundation for that teaching and life: the inspired Word of God.

First Lesson (1 Kings 22:10-28)

1.	What lesson do you learn from the story of King Ahab about true prophets and false?

Second Lesson (2 Peter 1:20-2:3)

2.	What important doctrine do you see explained in this reading?

Gospel (Matthew 7:15-29)

3.	How will be able to recognize false prophets?

4.	True or false: Everyone who says, “Lord, Lord,” on the Day of Judgment will enter into heaven?

5.	Why were the people amazed at Jesus’ teaching?

Answers:

1.	Never before was there a man like Ahab who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD. As he and Jehoshaphat listened, prophet after prophet promised victory in the coming battle. Those prophets looked the part with their props and talked the talk by speaking in the name of the LORD. But as Jesus said, not everyone who prophesies in the name of the Lord is a true prophet. Judge them by their fruit—the message they speak. This lesson starkly reveals false prophets as the liars they are. But Micaiah stood on the rock-solid truth of God’s Word that will not be shaken by royal power, personal violence, or professional disdain. Ahab could not hide from the arrow of God’s judgment, as Micaiah prophesied. As the dogs licked Ahab’s blood from the chariot and Naboth’s murder was finally avenged, the false teachers were exposed as frauds, but God’s ministers who faithfully proclaimed his Word stood on a foundation that could withstand any storm.

2.	False teachers like Zedekiah (Supplemental First Lesson) give their own interpretation, suited for themselves or their audience. Not so true prophesy! The Greek of verse 21b is emphatic that the Holy Spirit is the important actor here. “By the Holy Spirit carried, men spoke from God.” Even the Greek word for “spoke” implies that man did not contribute the message, but the mouth. Peter encourages us to be ready for false teachers: we know they’re coming, and we know their ending. The Holy Ministry watches out for false teachers and stands instead on the rock-solid truth of the inspired Word of God.

3.	Jesus says that we can recognize them by their fruits.

4.	False. Jesus is interested in more than mere words. He is looking for the natural fruits of faith that the Holy Spirit works in our lives through the gospel.

5.	Because he taught with authority. In other words, he didn’t base his teachings on what someone else had said (like the teachers of the law). Instead, Jesus would say things like: “Truly, truly I say to you…” Jesus can do this because he is God.

Ministers Called by God’s Mercy
The Third Sunday after Pentecost—CWS Series A

God’s Word for Today

The Holy Ministry is filled with people who God called out of his boundless mercy. Nothing else could explain the choices for ministers that God made! He calls such sinful and weak men to fill this office. Only mercy can explain the men he chose in this Sunday’s lessons: a despised tax collector, an exiled killer, a persecutor of Christians. How poignant these lessons are, when we remember that each lesson was penned by the unworthy minister called into service by God’s boundless mercy!

First Lesson (Exodus 3:1-15)

1.	Was Moses a good choice to be called as leader of God’s people? What can we learn about our callings from the call of Moses?

Second Lesson (1 Timothy 1:12-17)

2.	Was Paul a good choice to be called as the Apostle to the Gentiles? What can we learn about our callings from the experience of Saul/Paul?

Gospel (Matthew 9:9-13)

3.	Why were Jesus’ actions so repulsive to the Pharisees?

4.	What did Jesus want the Pharisees to learn?

Answers:

1.	The pre-incarnate Christ calls Moses into service by his mercy. What else could explain the choice? Moses had already proven himself a failure at delivering God’s people from bondage. He was an exiled killer, living in the wilds of Midian after fleeing the court of Pharaoh. No wonder Moses asked, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh?” Everyone called into God’s service asks this question of themselves again and again. It comes from knowing that only mercy can explain God choosing us to serve him. But when the minister stops marveling at God’s mercy and instead starts questioning God’s choice, then God’s answer rings out loud and true: I. Not you. I. Thirteen times in the NIV God uses the first person pronoun. Can the point be clearer? Your call is by my mercy, and the ability to perform the service I give you comes only from me, the great I AM. What comfort for both preacher and parishioner!

2.	Paul tells the end result of a bright light on the Damascus road—Christ had come to call Saul to service by his mercy. But what an astounding choice! Such a man, to such an office! Only mercy could explain why Christ picked Paul, the worst of sinners. Could there have been a more unlikely man to call as Apostle to the Gentiles? The reason had nothing to do with Paul. It had to do with us: Jesus wanted us to know that the call to ministry is not based on merit, but on mercy. Here is the example par excellance of ministry based on Christ’s mercy and not human merit: Saul, the persecutor, is called into ministry as Paul, the Apostle. When he reflects on God calling him to ministry, Paul cannot help but sing the praises of the King of mercy.

3.	They couldn’t believe that Jesus would eat with tax collectors and sinners. Neither could they believe that Jesus would call a tax collector to be his disciple.

4.	He wanted them to learn what the Lord meant through the prophet Hosea when he said: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” Jesus’ meaning is this: God has been merciful and forgiving to us, and he wants us to be merciful and forgiving toward one another. Jesus was showing mercy to these “sinners,” something the Pharisees didn’t want to do.

The Holy Ministry is Given by God out of Compassion for his People.
The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost—CWS Series A

God’s Word for Today

The Holy Ministry is given by God out of compassion for his people. Over the next three Sundays we hear Jesus’ Missionary Discourse (Matthew 10:5-42). Last Sunday we saw the unworthiness of the servants God calls by mercy. Today the emphasis is still on the Ministry of the Word, but the focus shifts from the servants to the people they serve. We see the compassion and love of God for this world, love so great that he called ministers of the Word to share his grace and mercy and foretell of the coming kingdom of heaven. The Prayer of the Day is Gregorian and fits the Sunday beautifully as it emphasizes how God protects us, empowers us, and sanctifies us through the ministry of the Word that shows us mercy and forgiveness and leads us to the glory of heaven

First Lesson (Numbers 27:15-23)

1.	How does Moses show compassion on Israel?

Second Lesson (2 Thessalonians 2:16-3:5)

2.	What is the Church’s responsibility toward her ministers?

Gospel (Matthew 9:35–10:8)

3.	Why did Jesus show compassion toward the crowds?

4.	What is an apostle?

Answers:

1.	The context of this lesson is of utmost importance. After forty years of faithfully leading God’s people through their wanderings, after much pleading with God in prayer, Moses’ hopes of leading the people into the Promised Land were dashed. Moses would see the land from afar, but then like his brother before him, he would die because of his actions at Meribah Kadesh. But look at Moses’ response! There is no complaint or murmur or cry. See how this minister of the Word emulates the compassion of God and his Son: Moses’ first thought is of the people of God. He saw them as Christ would 1400 years later, as sheep without a shepherd. Leave them not leaderless, O Lord! And God answers with a man full of the Spirit to be the new leader of God’s people. Lord, give your Church more ministers who model your compassion!

2.	Paul’s words to the Thessalonians center on the ministry of the Word born of God’s compassion. The God who loved us also gave us the encouragement of his Word and Sacraments that strengthen us in word and deed. Therefore, Paul beseeches the prayers of the Church for its ministers. Pray that their message be spread and the ministers be spared, for there are those who will work against this ministry and its message. Yet see the compassion of Christ modeled in his ministers: Paul’s words are ones of concern and comfort for people of God. Note the juxtaposition of “faith” and “faithful.” (3:4-5) The solution to the wicked faithlessness of the Church’s enemies is the faithfulness of the Lord.

3.	Because they were like sheep without a shepherd.

4.	An apostle is one who is “sent out” to proclaim the gospel. The twelve apostles had a special call from Jesus to proclaim the gospel without boundaries. In a very real sense, though, we are also “apostles” whenever we proclaim the gospel.

The Holy Ministry Preaches Christ in Spite of Persecution
The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost—CWS Series A

God’s Word for Today

Christ promises courage for his witnesses to testify even in the face of pain or persecution. The Prayer of the Day is one of the most ancient in the Church’s use. It seems to have been suggested by the disasters of the dying Western Empire. As Rome crumbled, the Church prayed for God’s governance that she might worship in peace and joy. Today Christ reminds us that even when that peace and joy are absent, he will give us the courage to continue to testify in his name. The Prayer of the Day for this Sunday: 

O Lord, our God, govern the nations on earth and direct the affairs of this world so that your Church may worship you in peace and joy; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

First Lesson (Jeremiah 19:14-20:6)

Note the courage of Jeremiah, first in speaking the Word of the Lord that landed him in the stocks, and then speaking the subsequent Word of the Lord as soon as he is released from the stocks. To the man who had beaten him, Jeremiah proclaimed a message of doom and death by God’s hand. Pashhur could merely kill the body. So Jeremiah did not fear him, but placed his life in the hands of the God who numbered every hair on his head. In those hands, Jeremiah found the courage to testify in the face of persecution, and even in the midst of it.

Second Lesson (Acts 23:1-11)

What made Paul such an expert on the subject of persecution? 

St. Paul knew persecution well: he knew how to give it, and he knew how to take it. The man who once had been the Church’s worst nightmare had become by God’s amazing grace the Church’s great Apostle to the Gentiles. But the self-proclaimed chief of sinners, who once persecuted the Church, then endured a ministry filled with persecutions. The list of dangers and violence that Paul faced is lengthy. By the time we find Paul in this lesson he had faced persecutions many times. Yet, his Savior never forgot him, and his Savior never forgot to remind him of the courage he could have in Christ. He was going to Rome, and he would testify. Not even a martyr’s death would be able to stop the testimony Paul would make for Christ. What the Lord whispered in the dark, Paul shouted from the rooftop. And when he met his martyr’s death, it was only the door to eternity where his Savior acknowledged him before God the Father. Grant us that courage to testify, O Lord!

Gospel (Matthew 10:24-33)

Jesus’ axiomatic statements are so obvious that they require no proof. Yet how surprised we are when we face persecution because of the Word! Perhaps we face physical persecution, or perhaps it is merely the way modern Christians are called intolerant, credulous, and backward. But why should Christians be surprised or disappointed or angered about the persecutions they face? Look at the axiom! We slaves are not above our master who was persecuted first. So this should not lead to surprise and cannot lead to the cessation of our work as Gospel heralds. We know our master and the reality of who he actually is, not just the falsities his enemies promulgate. And, therefore, do not be afraid of them! Instead, shout and proclaim! Our enemies can only succeed in killing the body. Such a small thing compared to the fate that awaits them! The enemies of Christ have always been fearsome, whether in the days of the crumbling of the Roman Empire or during these latter days of American hegemony. That’s why Christ says it three times, do not be afraid. In place of fear, find the courage of Christ to witness in the face of any persecution.

The Christian Loves God Above All Things
The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost—CWS Series A

God’s Word for Today

The Christian loves God above all things. The beautiful Prayer of the Day sets the tone for the Sunday. The Church prays for the love of God that we might always love him above all things. The Verse of the Day describes this total commitment to Christ as denying ourselves and carrying our crosses. The lessons warn of the earthly ramifications of such love, but also point to the promised heavenly rewards.

First Lesson (Exodus 32:15-29)

Aaron had seen God standing on the sapphire pavement. The seventy elders had partaken of a divine banquet on the mountain (Exodus 24). And only forty days later, they lost it all. Unwilling to face conflict for God, they gave in to the people who wanted to love pleasure, flesh, and idols rather than the God who brought them up out of Egypt. Aaron’s feeble excuses remind us of our own shallow rationalizations for failing to love God above all things. The Levites, however, rallied to Moses’ call and showed that they loved the LORD even more than they loved their brothers. Total commitment to God did not bring peace, but a sword. Yet their devotion was rewarded by God who gave them the high privilege of being his special servants.

Second Lesson (1 John 2:15-17)

Do not love the world or anything in the world. How easy that is to say; how difficult to do! St. John repeats Christ’s call for total commitment. Love for the world and the love of the Father are mutually exclusive. Loving God above all things means recognizing that our cravings, our lust, and our pride come from this world which will not last. So why do we put our love in things that are so transitory? Empires fall, desire wanes, relationships fail, accomplishments crumble. Sic transit gloria mundi! God calls the Christian to love him above all these things and receive a life that will last forever.

Gospel (Matthew 10:34-42)

How does Jesus make us reassess our faith and our relationship with him?

Persecution reprioritizes life and sharpens faith. However, the further Christians get from the lions’ roar or the martyr’s stake, the easier it is for us to make our faith in Christ merely moderately important in our lives. Family, friends, work, health—these all vie for our time and attention, and our faith gets pushed further and further down the list. When life is not so bad, who needs the promises of a better life to come? How true Luther’s words of warning: nulla persecutio est tota persecutio! (The absence of persecution is total persecution). How false our thoughts that faith can be only moderately important! C.S. Lewis said, “Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” In the Gospel, Christ asserts the all-important nature of faith, and the all-consuming nature of discipleship. Jesus calls us to love him above all—more than family or friends, more than personal safety or even life itself. Such total commitment to Christ will not bring peace to your life, but constant conflict with the sinful world around you. Since he did not come to bring peace, but a sword, he points the Christian to rewards in heaven, kept safe by the One who sent him.

The Christian Finds Rest in Jesus
The Seventh Sunday after Pentecost—CWS Series A

God’s Word for Today

From the beginning of time, God provided rest for his creation. He blessed the seventh day and set it apart, that man might learn to find his rest in God alone. In Jesus, the Christian finds rest from his burdens, rest from his battles, and rest forever in heaven.

First Lesson (Joshua 23:1-11)

God kept the promise he made in the First Lesson: he had gone with his people to the Promised Land. Many years after finishing the conquest of Canaan, Joshua looked back and reminded the people that God had fought for them and had given them rest from all their enemies. Since God had done this, Joshua called on the people to give the Lord their allegiance, their obedience, and their love. Let the preacher make that same call to God’s people today. We can look back and see that God fought for us and gave us rest from our three great enemies. Now, with sin atoned, the devil defeated, and death vanquished, let all God’s people thank him for this rest by giving him allegiance, obedience, and love.

Second Lesson (Hebrews 4:1-11)

The rest that God gave his people in Canaan foreshadowed the true rest of God in heaven. The rest in the Promised Land was received by some through faith and rejected by others through unbelief. The writer to the Hebrews urges every Christian to heed the warning of the generation that died in the desert. Instead, by faith in Christ, we find the true Sabbath rest of God in heaven.

Gospel (Matthew 11:25-30)

Though they had seen many signs of Christ’s deity, Korazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum failed to repent. Jesus warned them of the coming wrath. Then he turned to his followers and praised God that the Lord of heaven and earth had revealed the truth of Jesus’ identity to the little children who believe in him. He has no words of judgment for his followers. He has only words of invitation, of comfort, of rest. Yes, the rest comes with a yoke—but look at whose yoke it is! Our Savior’s humble and gentle heart leads him to give us an easy yoke, a light burden, and rest for our souls. Christianity is not a religion of rules meant to impinge on our freedom; it does not call us to endlessly labor for God’s favor; it does not leave us to work things out on our own. No, it frees us from the burden of carrying our sin and puts Christ in its place. It connects us to Jesus that we might learn from him. It gives us the rest our weary souls so desperately need.

The Christian is Planted by the Word and Produces Fruit
The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost—CWS Series A

God’s Word for Today

The Sunday is summarized in the Prayer of the Day which thanks God for the implanting of the Word and asks for the Spirit’s help in producing fruits of faith.

First Lesson (Isaiah 55:10-13)

True or false: Whenever we proclaim God’s Word, we can be certain that our listeners will be brought to faith.

False. The gospel does not automatically produce faith. When we use the gospel, we hope and pray that this will be the outcome, but sadly there are many who reject the forgiveness that God offers in his Word and harden their hearts to its truths, as Isaiah experienced in his own ministry (cf. Is 6:9,10).

What does God mean that his Word “never returns to him empty”?

He means that there is never a “neutral” hearing of his Word. God’s Word either produces and strengthens faith in the hearts of his hearers, or it serves to harden those hearts. Even Jesus’ disciples—although still believers—were sometimes hardened to the truth of God’s Word when they refused to believe certain things (cf. Mk 6:52; Mk 8:17).

Second Lesson (Acts 18:1-11)

The field of Corinth was filled with birds and stones and thorns. Though Paul reasoned and preached, one seed after another fell on soil that did not produce a crop. Yet God’s Word would accomplish his good purpose. Paul did not have to go far to find a fertile field. He walked out of the synagogue and went right next door. In the home of Titius Justus he found good soil that produced a crop one hundred times that which was sown.

Preach you the Word and plant it home 
To those who like or like it not, 
The Word that shall endure and stand 
When flow’rs and mortals are forgot.

Though some be snatched and some be scorched 
And some be choked and matted flat, 
The sower sows; his heart cries out,
 “Oh what of that, and what of that?”

Preach you the Word and plant it home 
And never faint; the Harvest-Lord 
Who gave the sower seed to sow 
Will watch and tend his planted Word.

Martin Franzmann (CW 544)

Gospel (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23)

What a description of Jesus’ ministry! What a description of ours! The Sower scatters the seed of the Gospel to all with no regard for where it might land. Yet most of his seed bears no fruit. This parable brings warning and such comfort. Christ warns us that the seed of the Word faces great opposition from sin, Satan, and the world. Newborn faith can be choked or scorched. The Gospel promise can be snatched from apathetic or misunderstanding soil. Though we sow the seed faithfully and generously, Jesus warns us that most of it will never bear fruit that lasts. Yet for every faithful Gospel preacher, Christ comforts us by showing that the preacher’s job is to sow the seed and leave the growing up to God. He comforts us by pointing to what his Word does in the good soil: it plants great faith that does great things. In the man who hears and understands it, the simple sowing of the Word will produce a crop—a hundred, sixty, or thirty-fold. 

The Christian Lives as Wheat Among Weeds as He Waits for the Harvest
The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost—CWS Series A

God’s Word for Today

The Christian lives as wheat among weeds as he waits for the harvest. In the Prayer of the Day we ask for the spirit to live like wheat—to think and to do what is right—even while we live in this sinful world. Living with an eye on the coming harvest gives us encouragement, comfort, and hope.

First Lesson (Joel 3:12-16)

The book of Joel foretells the coming of the Day of the Lord. Here in chapter 3, Joel pictures the judgment of the nations as a day of harvest. The day is coming when the sickle will swing and the harvest will begin. Can you imagine the terror that will strike the unbelieving heart when the sun is darkened and the moon and stars fail to shine? Can you imagine the fear when he hears the roaring and thundering of the LORD? Yes, we live as wheat among weeds, but the harvest is coming. When it does, there will be no need for God’s people to fear. He is their refuge and stronghold.

Second Lesson (1 Peter 4:1-8)

Living as wheat among weeds means leaving our lives of sin behind and living for the will of God with an eye on the coming harvest. Although righteousness and wickedness must coexist until the judgment, Peter reminded his readers that they had spent enough of their lives living in sin. The time had come for a clean break with the world. Just because we have to live in the world, doesn’t mean we have to be of it. Yes, this break with the world will lead to our persecution. When it happens, fix your eyes on the coming harvest. As you bear up under suffering, take heart and know that all mankind will be judged. The end of all things is near, so live like wheat among the weeds of this world by loving each other deeply with that forgiving love found only in Christ.

Gospel (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43)

God intended to have a weed-free field of wheat. From the beginning, however, the enemy thwarted his intentions with temptation and sin. How many Christians have seen the evil all around them and pondered the servants’ question, “Didn’t you sow good seed?” How many churchmen have tried to separate the wheat and weeds in the kingdom with rules or monasteries, with inquisitions or Pharisaical laws? Anyone who tries only succeeds in ruining wheat along with the weeds. They uproot the faith of the weak who fall into sin; they trample the faith of the strong by feeding their pride. The Lord most certainly has a plan to separate the wheat and weeds—just not yet. He has servants standing by to do the work—they’re just not us. Instead, God urges his people to live with their eye on the coming harvest. God does not want us to try and separate wheat from weeds before then. Christ tells us to live as wheat among the weeds of this world and wait expectantly for the harvest when the angels will sort it all out: weeds to fire, and wheat to shine as the righteous sons of God in the kingdom of their Father.

The Christian Seeks Spiritual Wealth
The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost—CWS Series A 

God’s Word for Today

The Christian seeks spiritual wealth. This Sunday’s readings are centered on the very ancient Prayer of the Day. For nearly 1600 years God’s people on this day have prayed that God might give them true spiritual wealth. “Teach us always to ask according to your will that we may never fail to obtain the blessings you have promised.” What a magnificent prayer for the materialist world in which we live! Our lessons today show people who have come into great wealth, but yet this earthly wealth only serves to illustrate where true treasure lies. Today we see that true, spiritual wealth can only be found in God and his eternal blessings for us in Christ.

First Lesson (1 Kings 3:5-12)

What would you have asked for? If anything in the world could be yours, what would be your request? God only gave one man the choice between unlimited riches and spiritual wealth. Can you imagine facing his dilemma? What should I pick, temporal blessings or eternal ones? What should I value, the things of this world or the things of God? How well Solomon expressed the words of our Prayer for today, to ask according to God’s will. We marvel at his faith in choosing great wisdom over great riches—especially since we so often fail in the pitifully small choices we make! It’s not for all the riches in the world that we turn down spiritual wealth, but for paltry over-time hours, or a little extra in the check book that we shaved off our offering. For such small things we are willing to trade away opportunities for true spiritual wealth. Look at Solomon and see an example of what God means by spiritual wealth. He doesn’t mean we need to live as mendicant monks; he doesn’t ask us to forgo all earthly treasure. He just doesn’t want us to value them more than the pearl of great price. After choosing spiritual treasure, God blessed Solomon in unbelievable ways. (Do the math on the twenty-five tons worth of gold that was part of Solomon’s annual income.) Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given you as well.

Second Lesson (1 Timothy 6:17-21)

Could Paul’s words be more timely or appropriate for this generation? He instructs preachers everywhere to warn the rich about the two pet sins of the wealthy: arrogance and false hope. Mankind so easily falls in the error of thinking that earthly treasures can provide security or a sense of worth. In our affluent society both of those sins run rampant in many a Christian heart. God commands us not to trust in earthly treasure because he wants us to have a firm foundation on which to stand, a certainty on which to place our hope. That can only be found in spiritual wealth. God richly provides for us, and then we give thanks by being rich in good deeds. Spiritual wealth is certain and secure, for it is treasure laid up in heaven. How can we possibly carry out this command? Teach us to ask according to your will that we may never fail to obtain the blessings you have promised.

Gospel (Matthew 13:44-52)

Jesus’ parables teach us to seek spiritual wealth. Both of the men in the parables found great treasure. For one it was a complete surprise, as unexpected as it was valuable. For the other it came from an expert search by a discerning man. Before they found these new treasures, both men no doubt valued what they previously owned. But once they saw this new treasure, see how little they valued all else they had! The spiritual wealth of Christ and his Gospel puts everything else into perspective; in fact it marginalizes all else. The importance of this truth comes to light in the parable of the net. All people, rich and poor, will be caught up. Only those who found true spiritual wealth are spared the furnace. Jesus concludes with an encouragement for the preacher of the Gospel: you have found true wealth in Christ; you have been given a storeroom full of treasures new and old. Bring them out to God’s people with joy and delight.

The Christian trusts God to Provide
The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost—CWS Series A

God’s Word for Today

The Christian trusts God to provide. The Prayer of the Day summarizes the Sunday: God reveals his mighty power chiefly in showing mercy and kindness. God feeds hungry mouths and hungry souls with his gifts of grace. When we bring our problems to Jesus, he will richly supply all we need.

First Lesson (Genesis 41:41-49)

A Christian trusts that God will provide—even when the plan makes no sense to us. Sold as a slave by his brothers, Joseph could have despaired of God’s care and love. In faith, however, Joseph trusted in God to provide for his needs and his future. Year after year, God did just that and raised Joseph from the depths of prison to dizzying heights of power. By the age of 30 he controlled one of the greatest empires the world has known. And it was all so God could provide for his people. He used Joseph as his tool to fill the granaries during the seven fat years that he might give bread to the people during the seven lean. So great was God’s blessing that they stopped counting the grain! The grace in God’s provision can be seen not only in the thousands of Egyptians saved from starvation, but most especially in the grain he provided to Jacob and his sons during the famine. Though he was sold as a slave, God made Joseph vizier that he might be God’s hand providing food to preserve the bloodline of the Savior. How often we look at our lives and see only problems and none of the possibilities that God would work in us and through us! Look at Joseph and learn again to trust God to provide.

Second Lesson (1 Timothy 4:4-5)

The Gnostic heretics that plagued the early church believed the physical world was evil. They demanded an ascetic life that was at odds with God’s intentions for our existence. Paul asserts that God not only cares about our physical existence, but everything we need for it is, in fact, a creation of God and essentially good—not evil. Rather than a life of denial, the Christian life is one of gratefully receiving all that we need as gracious gifts from God.

Gospel (Matthew 14:13-21)

Though saddened by the Baptist’s death and seeking solitude, Jesus had compassion on the crowds that followed him and healed their sick. Then he turned to the training of his disciples. “Give them something to eat,” he told them (Mark 6:37). The disciples, however, saw all of the problems and none of the possibilities. They could estimate how many months’ wages it would cost; they could tally the measly resources on hand. Their math didn’t fail them, but their faith did. They did not begin to understand what kind of Lord they had in Jesus. Jesus taught them that a Christian trusts in God to provide when he said, “Bring them here to me!” They should have done immediately; it should be our first response to want or crisis. Bring it to Jesus. And look how he answered! So much food that thousands were fed and there were bushels left over. Here, the Son of God showed that he even cares for the physical needs of his people. Trust in God to provide!

God’s Promises Create
and Strengthen Faith
The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost—CWS Series A

God’s Word for Today

Doubt is the unfortunate companion of faith. Wherever faith clings to the promises of God, doubt is always right there lingering in the back of our mind, constantly asking the serpent’s Garden question, “Did God really say?” How striking to think that we must have faith in God before we can doubt him! Today’s lessons show us believers who had faith in God and his abilities to save them, but yet doubted when his plans or purpose failed to match theirs. In each case, it is adversity that fights against faith and allows its unfortunate companion to rear its ugly head. And in each case, the true answer to doubt is not found in the great miracle that removes adversity, but in the still small voice of our Savior God whispering in his Word. Today we hear our Savior God ask us, “Why did you doubt?”, and we see that the Christian answers doubt with faith.

First Lesson (Exodus 14:10-31)

The children of Israel during their great exodus aptly displayed that doubt is the unfortunate companion of faith. As they made their way from Egypt to Canaan, they scurried back and forth between the poles of faith and doubt with alarming regularity. Faith had led them to follow Moses and the Pillar into the desert. Now, however, with the sea in front of them and a great army behind them, faith fled and doubt reigned. Adversity made them forget the God of the Passover. Moses came with words so fitting for doubting hearts in the face of adversity, “You need only be still.” As the psalmist said, “Be still and know that I am God.” God’s plan will prevail. The very water they thought was preventing their escape would in fact be the cause of their deliverance. The very army they thought would destroy them would in fact be destroyed. The troubles that seem to afflict us or hem us in, are, in fact, part of the plan for the glory of God and the salvation of man. It is only after the parted sea finds its former home that we recognize the grace of God’s hand in our lives. And we hear the gentle whisper of our Savior God, “Why did you doubt?”

Second Lesson (James 1:2-8, 12)

The trials we face in this sinful world can make us terrified like the disciples, or frustrated like Elijah, or despondent like the children of Israel before the sea. James calls us out as living like double-minded men when we doubt our God. He preaches a law to hearts that need to hear it: “Do not doubt!” But God promises that in the midst of the storms of life, we can listen and also hear his gentle whisper. “It is I. Don’t be afraid!” When we hear his voice, the waves of doubt recede and faith finds its place again, making us surer of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Gospel (Matthew 14:22-33)

Doubt and faith rose and fell like the waves of the sea that dark night. The evangelist paints a picture of frantic effort against a storm with little progress. Then Jesus came—and note the way he came! He did not simply appear among them, as he could have. He did not fly or float. He walked on the water. The very thing they had been fighting, the water that threatened to take their life, Jesus walked on it like it was dry ground. What a Savior we have that walks on the waters of all our greatest fears! See the faith in the disciples grow! See Peter show it in his own miraculous walk. But, all too often, doubt is the unfortunate companion of faith. Though Jesus was standing on the water, Peter feared it. What pulls our eyes of faith away from Jesus? What are the waves and wind in our lives that make us doubt him? To Peter, Jesus asked, “Why did you doubt?” He gave no answer. What could he say? With Jesus there is never any need to doubt. How sad that we so often do! Rather, let us focus on the Savior and watch our faith swell as the disciples’ did when their doubts vanished, and they gave the greatest evidence of faith: they worshipped that man from Nazareth for what he truly was, the Son of God.

The Church is Meant for All People
The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost—CWS Series A

God’s Word for Today

The Church is meant for all people. The Prayer of the Day reminds us that it is only by God’s gift of grace that we come into his presence to offer true and faithful service. Today’s lessons teach that the gift of grace given to Israel, God also intended to give through Israel to the world. The Church is meant for all people: a display of God’s mercy and a result of the living and active Word of God.

First Lesson (Joshua 2:8-21)

It is reasonable that spies would hide themselves in a house of prostitution. It is reasonable, too, that this prostitute Rahab tried to cut a deal to preserve her life in the face of the Israelite onslaught that the whole city knew was coming. But what reason is there that she did it out of faith in the LORD? What reason did she find to have faith in the God of free and faithful love? There is no reason for that but the unreasonable gift of God worked in her heart by the living and active Word of God. Clearly, God meant his Church to be for all people. But he didn’t stop there! What reason could there be that this foreign woman, this prostitute from a godless country, that hers would be the womb through which line of the Blessed Seed would descend? There is no reason for that at all. That can only be grace. Grace meant for all people.

Second Lesson (Romans 11:13-15, 28-32)

How was Israel’s rejection of the Gospel a blessing for the world?

The rejection by the people of Israel finally caused the apostles to direct their preaching instead to the Gentiles. While we do not rejoice in the loss of souls among the Jews, this new focus did bring unprecedented numbers of Gentiles into the family of God.

What hope still exists for the Jewish people?

It is still God’s desire that all should be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. The amazing condition is that their very life of disobedience is an opportunity for God to extend his mercy. The same call God gave them in the Old Testament he gives them today—God’s promises are irrevocable.

Gospel (Matthew 15:21-28)

Note the context of chapter 15. The children of Israel—and especially their religious leaders—found nothing but fault in Jesus of Nazareth. The chosen people of God to whom belonged the patriarchs, the promises, the covenant and the temple, could see nothing in Christ but a breaker of man-made traditions. Jesus’ words to them could not be harsher. They were the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophesy: their outward rites and rituals belied an inward spiritual emptiness. The very people who should have been closest to Christ were most distant. So Jesus distances himself from them and goes to the Gentile land of ancient paganism, Tyre and Sidon. There he finds a most inexplicable thing: the Greek text notes it as both surprising and extraordinary: ἰδοὺ γυνὴ Χαναναία (Look! A woman, a Canaanite woman). After leaving the land of God’s chosen people, Jesus finds a woman—a Canaanite woman—who received the Word of God and trusted in God’s promises in a way that shamed every one of the religious teachers. The male leaders of God’s people failed to recognize him, but behold! Look carefully! A woman, a Canaanite woman, cries out, “Kyrie eleison!”(Lord, have mercy!) And to whom does she cry? She called him “Lord, Son of David,” with all of its messianic implications. How amazing is the grace of God that chooses the weak and lowly things of the world to shame the wise and proud. Only twice are we told that Jesus called someone’s faith great. Both were Gentiles, and both exhibited a God-given trust in the Word and promises of God made man.

The Church will Stand Forever
The Fourteenth Sunday after
Pentecost—CWS Series A

God’s Word for Today

The Church will stand forever. Nothing can keep our Redeemer from upholding his promised salvation. Neither false expectations nor the gates of hell, neither an Egyptian army nor a flowing river, not even the great tribulation of the end times will keep our God from preserving his Church.

First Lesson (Joshua 4:1-9)

Twelve rocks told the story God’s grace and preservation to generations of his people. Through the Word, they still speak to us today. As he once used his might to halt a river in its place to preserve his people, so today God still preserves and protects the new Israel, his Holy Church. Today, rocks still speak. Not stones in a river, but people like Peter, little rocks who proclaim the Rock on which we stand forever.

Second Lesson (Revelation 7:1-8)

God doesn’t just hold back rivers, but he even holds back the winds of destruction until every one of his elect is safely sealed. Ezekiel 9 gives an interesting prophesy of such a seal. The believers are marked with the Hebrew letter Taw. It’s intriguing to think of the image that would have formed in the mind of the people of Israel. The Hebrew script at the time would have marked each forehead with † or + or X. Thus sealed with the seal of the living God, the whole Church is preserved forever (12 2 x 10 3 = 144,000. The number of the Church is 12; the number of completeness is 10; multiplication intensifies the symbolism).

Gospel (Matthew 16:13-20)

Who do people say the Son of Man is? That question is as applicable today as it was in Matthew’s Gospel. The question remains, “Who is Jesus?” As the disciples rattled off the popular misconceptions, one is struck by how illustrious that list actually was. There were no slouches in that group. But they didn’t even begin to compare with the truth. Many people today give similar answers: they call Jesus a teacher, a philosopher, the founder of a religion, an agent of change. Their answers miss the mark as widely as the answers of the people in the Gospel. Only disciples of Jesus, through the work of the Spirit of God, can confess him as he truly is. Could Peter’s answer be any better? You are the Anointed One, the one set apart by God and prophesied by Scripture, the Promised Seed who would save us from sin. But even more than that, Peter showed that the disciples confessed him to be the Son of the living God. You, Jesus of Nazareth, are the Son of the God who is life and who gives life. This living God is the hope of every sinful man ever since Adam in the face of death named his wife “Life,” because through her womb would come the Seed who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Now here, in the flesh, stood the Son of the living God whose mission was to restore life to this world of death. This truth is the rock on which the Church stands. Because it stands on the rock and not on the pebbles of men who serve it, the Church will stand forever: its message is changeless; the ramifications of its work are eternal.

The Church is Militant: First the Cross,
Then the Crown
The Fifteenth Sunday of Pentecost—CWS Series A

God’s Word For Today

The Church is militant: first the cross, then the crown. The Prayer and Verse of the Day center the lessons. Today Christ tells us that for him and for us, going God’s way means death must come before life. He calls on us to deny ourselves and follow him on the way of the cross. Those words offend our sinful flesh and make our Old Adam cry with Peter, “Never!” They make us accuse God with Jeremiah. So today the Church prays for the never-failing mercy of Christ that we might avoid such wicked and harmful thoughts and instead be guided on the cross-laden path to salvation. Then, and only then, do these words of Christ cease offending our flesh and become a joy and delight for our heart (Verse of the Day).

First Lesson (Judges 16:22-31)

What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?

Jesus’ words of warning form a perfect picture of Samson. He had the world: strength, fame, power, leadership, love. Yet he was losing his soul. But the God of grace humbled him. Samson repented and took up his cross and followed. He lost his life, but died in faith. His words comprise the most fervent plea that a sinner can make at the end of life. Like the thief, he cried, “Remember me!” Once again a man of faith, he had in mind the things of God rather than men and died in service to his Savior God.

Second Lesson (Galatians 6:12-16)

Christians will be tempted to give in to license or legalism in order to escape persecution. But Christ told us to expect persecution and burdens that come from carrying his cross. For the Christian, bearing the cross is a point of pride and the basis for our boasting. How can this be? We are the Church militant, and so death comes before life, the cross before the crown. By the cross the world dies to us, and we die by that same cross to the world. But after that death comes life—new life—an entirely new creation.

Gospel (Matthew 16:21-26)

Peter’s great confession from last Sunday’s Gospel showed the disciples understood who Jesus was. But though they understood his person, they still failed to understand his work. He had come to fulfill the redemptive mission for which he was anointed; he had not come to fulfill Israel’s earthbound views of Messiah. He couldn’t be the Messiah they wanted, and still be the Savior they needed. “He must go…” Cross and death were necessary first. When Jesus spoke most clearly about his cross, Peter spoke Satan’s words of compromise. Thanks be to God that our Savior saw the necessity of the cross before the crown! Now for Christian followers, cross comes before the crown as well. We die to self, but gain Christ, the Life.

The Church Fulfills her Role as her
Brother’s Keeper
The Sixteenth Sunday of Pentecost—CWS Series A

God’s Word for Today

The Church fulfills her role as her brother’s keeper. The privilege, responsibility and importance of this task all rest in the words from our Gospel lesson that follow Jesus’ divine directive, “I tell you the truth…” The keys of the kingdom have been placed in our hands. It is our privilege and responsibility to bind and to loose—to be our brother’s keeper—because Christ has appointed the Church to carry out that task on his behalf. Note carefully today’s emphasis as opposed to next Sunday’s to keep from duplicating themes. Next Sunday deals with forgiving our neighbor as God forgave us. While forgiveness is inherent in Christian discipline, today we note the work of the Christian and the Church to reach out with Law and Gospel for the sake of the fallen brother.

First Lesson (Ezekiel 33:7-11)

Who is held responsible when a wicked man dies in unbelief?

The reading speaks of dual accountability: a.) the unrepentant sinner is clearly responsible for his unbelief and will pay the penalty for his guilt; and b.) the watchman who fails to speak up to “dissuade” the unrepentant sinner also bears responsibility. God is admonishing us against neglect and indifference.

What is God’s immutable will for all mankind? (v.11)

How much more emphatic can God be? “Turn! Turn from your evil ways!” and “live”! His gracious will is the salvation of all.

Since the time of Cain, man has hated being his brother’s keeper. Are we any different today? Who but little Pharisees enjoy pointing out others’ sins? But God tells us the task is not optional. No one wants to wake up their next door neighbor at 6:00am on a Saturday. But if his house were burning, and you let him sleep, you are not just loveless and careless. You are a killer. In the same way God drops on us the heavy message of being a watchman for our brother. God’s judgment on fallen man is as clear as it is severe. If we fail to do the job God has assigned us, God promises to hold us accountable. With the Law driven deeply into our hearts, God then reminds us why he has given us this job: because of his grace and his desire for the salvation of all mankind. The responsibility of waking our neighbor asleep in a burning house becomes a joyful privilege when he emerges safely from the smoke. May our task of being our brother’s keeper always be one done with such responsibility and joy.

Second Lesson (Galatians 2:11-21)

Being your brother’s keeper will lead at times to uncomfortable situations or even confrontations. Here Paul tells how he had to oppose Peter to his face. Paul did not do this out of jealously of this reputed pillar; this was no power play pitting the Apostle to the Jews against the Apostle the Gentiles. This had to do with the eternal salvation of everyone involved. Trusting in anything other than Christ is like sleeping in a burning house. Paul took his job of being a watchman seriously: if righteousness could be gained through the Judaizers’ demands, then Christ died for nothing! So Paul woke his sleeping neighbor with the harsh reality of Peter’s hypocrisy. But the Word did its work; Paul didn’t merely keep his brother, he won his brother over.

Gospel (Matthew 18:15-20)

“Matthew 18” has become shorthand for Christian discipline. This Sunday provides an excellent opportunity to ensure that shorthand has not become short shrift. The importance of Christian discipline lies in the fact that the keys have been placed into the hands of the Church and in no other. The Christian and the Church are a fallen sinner’s only life line. Satan tries to make Christian discipline seem like the height of hypocrisy or meddling. But his is a self-interested motive: he wants the fallen brother’s sins bound like his for an eternity in hell. Only love could lead the Christian and the Church to go to a fallen brother. Only love led our Savior to command it. Even the manner Jesus prescribes shows great love for the fallen. First, privately, so that offense and embarrassment might be contained, and pardon and forgiveness might all the more readily flow. Then with two or three, that the matter might be underscored without making tongues wag throughout the congregation. Finally, also in love, the Church calls and, if necessary, shuns. Such a great privilege and power has Christ bestowed on us! It leads us to even greater reliance on prayer for guidance and the presence of our Savior among us.

The Church Forgives as God Forgives
Seventeenth Sunday of Pentecost—CWS Series A

God’s Word for Today

The Church forgives as God forgives. Anytime we try to imitate God, we quickly realize our inadequacy. Yet today God tells us to model our forgiveness on his: a boundless, free, and loving forgiveness based on the sacrifice of Christ. How could our sinful hearts ever forgive like that? The Prayer of the Day asks that the mercy and grace of God precede us and follow after us, that we might love God with undivided hearts—hearts always ready to forgive as God does: sins are forgiven, forgotten, forever. 

First Lesson (Genesis 50:15-21)

How hard it is to forgive like God! We may forgive someone who hurts us, but we never forget. We harbor that hurt deep inside of us for years—never understanding that we are locking ourselves in the prison of the past. Joseph’s brothers feared that they would finally have to pay for what they did to Joseph. His father was gone; he was still in charge in Egypt; and the brothers thought that they were going to face Joseph’s vengeance. As repentant sinners, we often act like the brothers and wait for God to get even with us for our past sins. Shame on us! We are making God as shallow as we are! In God’s eyes our sins are forgiven, forgotten, forever. Joseph wept at their words as he remembered the sordid history and all the emotions that came with it. He wept, but he was free from the prison of the past; he had forgiven his brothers their terrible deeds. Through his tears, Joseph never wavered, but he calmed his brothers’ fears, forgave them like God forgives, and set them free from their prison of the past.

Second Lesson (Ephesians 4:29-5:2)

Paul commands us not to act like the unmerciful servant, but rather: “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.” The Church is comprised of people who have been sealed for redemption, so let’s act like it! Not only kindness and compassion, but forgiveness is the primary mark of the Christian. We forgive because God forgave us in Christ. That makes us μιμηταὶ τοῦ θεοῦ, imitators of God. Every Old Testament sacrificial victim pointed ahead to the death of Christ, the fragrant offering and the atoning sacrifice that won our forgiveness and inspires our forgiveness for others.

Gospel (Matthew 18:21-35)

"The human animal is not…good at forgiveness. Forgiveness is not some innate, natural human emotion. It is natural for the human animal to defend itself, to snarl and crouch into a defensive position when attacked, to howl when wronged, to bite back when bitten. Forgiveness is not natural." (Willimon) Forgiveness must be learned, and Peter thought he had figured it out. From the elders of the Jews Peter had heard: “If a man transgresses one time, forgive him. If a man transgresses two times, forgive him. If a man transgresses three times, forgive him. If a man transgresses four times, do not forgive him.” Three times, the elders said, was the limit of forgiveness for a good Jew. Peter, however, was willing to go much further; not three times, but seven times, Peter thought with a smile. Until Jesus said, “Not seven times, Peter, seventy times seven—what the elders say doesn’t matter. I say to you that your forgiveness should have no limit, but be like God’s.” Jesus’ parable contrasts the forgiveness of God and our own unforgiving nature. The servant’s debt—by any measure of calculation—was impossibly high (perhaps 150,000 years’ wages). Who could have accrued debt such as this? Who could ever hope to repay? What an arresting picture of our debt of sin before God! The greatness of the debt magnifies the compassion of the king who wipes the debt away. Who can comprehend the forgiveness of God? Certainly not unmerciful servants like us, who refuse to forgive the small debts owed to us, and instead, inflict on our fellow servants the punishments that God should rightly have given us. Have mercy on us, Lord, and teach us to forgive like you!

What is God Like? Is God Fair?
The Eighteenth Sunday of Pentecost—CWS Series A

God’s Word for Today

What is our God like? Over the next four Sundays, the Church hears Jesus tell four parables which reveal characteristics of our God. Today’s lessons cause the worshiper to ask: Is God fair? No, he’s not. He doesn’t give us what we deserve, and that’s called mercy. In fact, he gives us what we don’t deserve, and that’s called grace. Our God is inconceivably gracious.

First Lesson (Jonah 4:5-11)

Jonah wanted Nineveh destroyed; in his mind it would only be fair. Nineveh was wicked, bloodthirsty, and feared. Jonah had not wanted to prophesy to them because he was afraid that they might listen and repent. Jonah knew what that would mean: God would have compassion on them and forgive them (Jonah 4:4). But God is far more gracious than Jonah could have even imagined. The LORD taught his prophet with a vine and made a striking point. Jonah, though you had no part in the creation, growth, or life of this vine, yet you were so emotionally attached to it. But think of me, Jonah! Those people, those children—even those cows!—I made them; I sustain them; I want them to be mine forever. So great is my grace!

Second Lesson (Romans 9:6b-16)

Is God fair? Is God just? Neither—he is inconceivably gracious, as our eternal election proves. Paul answers the question by pointing us back to God’s speech to Moses in Exodus 33. The Israelites had worshiped the golden calf, and Moses made intercession for them. Moses asked the LORD to show him his ways (v 13) and his glory (v14). God’s responded by declaring his inconceivable grace: he would show mercy and grace to those he chose, regardless of any merit or worth. Though these people had abandoned him, he would be merciful and gracious to them. So also with us, the children of the faith of Abraham: God’s eternal election of us to salvation had nothing to do with merit or worth or works, but only stems from his inconceivable grace and mercy. Preachers, take the opportunity to read the exceptional treatise on election found in the Formula of Concord’s eleventh article on predestination (FC SD XI).

Gospel (Matthew 20:1-16)

What is our God like? Jesus teaches us with a story, but we struggle with the lesson. The parable offends our finely honed sense of what’s fair and what’s not. Note the context: the disciples had just asked what they would receive in the kingdom, and Jesus promised them twelve thrones. Then he immediately quashes any prideful thoughts by saying that in the kingdom of heaven, God makes no distinction by merit or work (For the kingdom of heaven is like…). In reality, God is not fair; rather, he is inconceivably gracious. One-hour-workers receive the same as those who bore the heat of the day. This parable carries both warning and promise for us—a warning that all comparisons based on merit or work do not belong in God’s kingdom; a promise that our relationship with God is based solely on grace which he lavishes in abundance. The story only offends our sense of fairness when we compare ourselves to other workers. Even though they were promised twelve thrones, Jesus wouldn’t allow his disciples to make comparisons. How much less would he let us whose labor is so late and light? When we keep our eyes where they belong—fixed on God—then have a correct view of our worth and labor. Then, when God places a denarius in our hands, we can marvel that the Lord isn’t fair—thanks be to God! He doesn’t give us what we deserve; no, he gives us what we don’t.

Note: For a striking illustration of this parable, consider “The Vineyard of the Lord,” a painting by Lucas Cranach the Younger that hangs in Luther’s parish church, St. Mary’s in Wittenberg. For the history and explanations of imagery in the painting, see Albrecht Steinwachs’ book, “The Vineyard of the Lord.”

Our God Wants Real Repentance that Leads to True Obedience
Nineteenth Sunday of Pentecost—CWS Series A

God’s Word for Today

Our God wants real repentance that leads to true obedience. The Verse of the Day reminds us that one day, every one will bow before Jesus of Nazareth and confess him as Lord. Some will do so in grief and others in joy. God wants real repentance from every sinner so they might bend the knee to Christ in true obedience and confess with gladness that Jesus is Lord. The Church prays that God would rule our hearts through Word and Sacrament that our repentance might be real and our obedience truly pleasing (Prayer of the Day).

First Lesson (Ezekiel 18: 1-4, 25-32)

On this Sunday when the Church is called to continual repentance, Ezekiel brings a strong warning for Christians who grow lax in their faith or dismissive of their sin. God wants real repentance that leads to true obedience. Israel had not given either. Instead of seeing their suffering as a result of their sin and as a call to repentance, they saw only injustice. With their favorite proverb, “The fathers eat sour grapes and the children’s teeth are set on edge,” they were saying that God should certainly punish sin, but they felt he was punishing the wrong people. They felt they were being punished for the sins of their parents, and they implied that God was not just in treating them this way. God denies it all: the soul that sins is the one that will die. This is not injustice—no, the injustice is that Man who was made for perfection sinned again and again against his God. God shows just how just he is: he will judge each man according to his way. Repent, God says, turn from your wickedness and live. God promises not to judge us by our past, but by our present, and so he calls us to live anew. Repent and receive a new heart and new spirit that leads to true obedience. Why will you die, O Israel? God wants exactly the opposite—repent and live!

Second Lesson (2 Corinthians 13:5-8)

The Corinthian congregation had heard much from Paul on the topics of repentance and obedience. As they readied to receive Paul on his third visit, he encouraged them to prepare by testing themselves. Which son were they acting like, the son who worked in the vineyard or the one who just talked about it? Five times in this lesson, Paul uses a form of the word δοκιμάζω, telling them to examine themselves to see whether they were in the faith. True obedience gives evidence of real repentance. It is not the cause of repentance, but a visible fruit that shows our faith is genuine. That brings us the great joy of knowing that Christ Jesus is in us, and we are walking on the way of righteousness.

Gospel (Matthew 21:28-32)

They seemed so righteous as they stood in the temple courts. The great men of Israel had gathered against Jesus. These men knew all the words to say and ways to act, but the only “righteousness” they had was a self-righteousness that offended God. They claimed to be doing God’s work and fulfilling his will, but there was no repentance and no true obedience. The parable Jesus spoke against them convicts every self-righteous person. The father commands two sons to work in his vineyard and receives two surprising answers. The first son flatly refuses; he fails to even offer an excuse, but simply says, “I will not.” The second son says all the right things and tacks on an appropriately respectful title. He seems almost breathless in his readiness to do the father’s will. True obedience, however, is not merely saying what God wants to hear, but doing what God wants done. The first son repented of his wickedness and gave his father true obedience; the second merely mouthed the words and contented himself with doing his own thing. Which did what the father wanted? Jesus’ question had only one answer, and the religious leaders gave it and indicted themselves. Yes, even the vilest sinner that repents gives an obedience far more true that the upright man wallowing in his self-righteousness. What a powerful preachment against the Pharisee inside each of us that wants to be content with saying the right words when it comes to faith! What a stinging rebuke of our lukewarm Christianity that confesses Christ with our mouth but denies him with our deeds! Repent, Christ says, and believe—true obedience will surely follow.

Our Patient and Gracious God Wants Fruits of Faith
Twentieth Sunday of Pentecost—CWS Series A

God’s Word for Today

What is God like? He is gracious, like a landowner who did everything for his vineyard. He is patient, sending prophet after prophet, waiting year after year for people to return to him in repentance and faith. But he also is a God who wants fruits of faith. The time of grace for Israel and for every man is limited. Do not receive God’s grace in vain; rather, repent, trust, and produce the fruits of faith. This Sunday the Church prays that God would make us ready, with cheerful hearts, to do whatever pleases him.

First Lesson (2 Kings 21:1-15)

Find all the ways that Manasseh sinned against God. Which acts do you think are the most heinous? Why?

The bible’s picture of Manasseh is one of extremes. He reigned 55 years, but the description of his reign is sin after sin after sin. He rebuilt high places destroyed by Hezekiah. He erected altars to foreign gods, and did so in the temple. He practiced sorcery. He even killed his own son as a sacrifice. 

What great event in biblical history does the author of 2 Kings lay at Manasseh’s feet?

The destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of Israel. 

Manasseh shows how bad the kings of God’s people had become. But he is also an extremely important example of how patient, gracious, and forgiving our God is. When we consider the second account of Manasseh’s life given in 2 Chronicles 33, we see the rest of the story. Manasseh lived as a pagan, right until the time when he was captured and his enemies put a hook through his nose and took him captive to Babylon. Suddenly, he saw the error of his ways. He repented of his sins, turned back to God—and our Savior God forgave him. Then Manasseh produced fruits in keeping with his repentance.

Second Lesson (2 Corinthians 6:1-13)

Paul writes words of encouragement and exhortation: produce fruits for our gracious and patient God. As a tenant in the vineyard, Paul points to the grace of God as the motivation for us to produce fruits such as carrying our cross and suffering for the sake of God and his Word.

How did Paul’s fruits commend him to the people of Corinth?

The false teachers in Corinth were self-serving. Paul’s fruits of faith showed his genuine concern for the Corinthians and his faithful commitment to the ministry of Jesus Christ. He was willing bear any cross for the sake of Jesus and those whom he would call.

Gospel (Matthew 21: 33-43)

How do you see the graciousness and patience of God in this parable?

God kept sending his servants, the prophets, to the people of Israel—even when they were ignored or abused.

What was the tenants’ ultimate display of wickedness? Of which important event in history does this remind you?

Not only did the tenants fail to respect the landlord’s son. In their devilish hatred, they killed him. This, of course, played itself out on Good Friday when the chief priests and elders, scribes and Pharisees, hardened their hearts against Jesus, put Him to death, and brought damnation down upon their own heads.
 
Verse 41 indicates that the vineyard was rented to “other tenants.” Who were they?

The vineyard with its fruit, that is, the Kingdom of God with all its riches of mercy and love, was taken from the Jews and given to the Gentiles, who have since enjoyed its blessings and produced abundant fruit.

Invited to the Heavenly Wedding Banquet
Twenty-first Sunday of Pentecost—CWS Series A

God’s Word for Today

Are you worried about what the future holds? Are you sure of your heavenly inheritance? Are you dressed for reception into the heavenly wedding banquet? Thanks to Jesus and his perfect life and substitutionary death, we confidently answer all three questions in the affirmative. What a grand and glorious day it will be when we find ourselves seated at God’s heavenly banquet table!

First Lesson (2 Chronicles 30:1-5, 10-22)

Read the context of this lesson, 2 Chronicles 29. What radical changes was King Hezekiah making in Jerusalem?

He abandoned the idolatry of his father and was seeking to restore the worship of the true God. 

What reasons did Hezekiah have to invite all the people to the Passover celebration?

First, this was commanded by God. Second, it was a chance for people to return to God in repentance. Everyone was invited. 

What kind of response did the invitation receive?

Some came, some did not. Some came properly prepared, other came either ignorant of God’s will or ignoring it. But Hezekiah’s prayer is a great model for us as we do outreach, “May God pardon everyone.”

Second Lesson (Romans 11:1-10)

What does Paul maintain about his fellow Israelites and their relationship to God?

God did not reject them. His call to faith in Christ goes out to all. Many of the people of Israel, and many in the world today, reject that gracious invitation.

How was Paul an excellent example of the remnant chosen by grace?

He was an Israelite who was not called because of his obedience. No, he was a persecutor of the Church, but yet God in grace sent out the invitation to all, the good and the bad. Paul’s invitation was hand-delivered on the road to Damascus. That sinner-turned-saint is a wonderful reminder that the few who are chosen are chosen solely by grace.

Gospel (Matthew 22: 1-14)

God has invited everyone to His heavenly wedding feast, but so few attend. Why?

Many people simply are indifferent and apathetic to God’s urgent call. Others are distracted by their own private, earthly affairs. As in the parable, some even go to the extent of being hostile toward the messengers of God’s invitation.

Is it possible to sneak into God’s heavenly wedding banquet without proper attire?

Impossible. God has provided a wedding garment of spotless righteousness and purity for every sinner that He has invited to the feast, courtesy of His Son, Jesus Christ. The garment is required to cover the filth and nakedness of their sin. All intruding wannabe’s will be detected, sentenced, and thrust into the outer darkness of hell.

Earthly Governments in God’s Master Plan
Twenty-second Sunday of Pentecost—CWS Series A

God’s Word for Today

The Lord of History has established governments to carry out his will. He has demonstrated that there is no conflict between our debt to government and our debt to him. Christians, of course, recognize that they owe much more than taxes to God. They owe him thankful and believing hearts and an eternity of praise.

First Lesson (Daniel 1:3-21)

How do these young men serve as models for living as citizens of God’s kingdom and an earthly kingdom?

These young men found themselves working for a godless government that would challenge their faith. They resolved not to defile themselves by abandoning the command of God for his Old Testament people. Rather than being punished, God made sure that they were vindicated. 

It is a reminder that while we live as citizens of an earthly kingdom, when the laws of that kingdom conflict with God’s Word, we must obey God rather than men.

Second Lesson (Romans 13:1-7)

What does Paul claim for the government?

Divine institution and establishment. 

What different things do we owe the government, as God’s representatives?

God wants us to pay our taxes, but he wants more than that. He calls on us to respect the government and honor it, too. These are words every American should read heading into an election cycle. While the people serving in office may be less than divine, understand that the government is God’s gift to you to keep you safe and let you live in peace. Thank God for it by submitting yourself to the governing authorities in a godly way.

Gospel (Matthew 22:15-21)

Explain the two sides of the Pharisee’s trick question in verse 17. If a “No” response? If a “Yes” response?
 
Jesus enemies expected, most likely, that he would speak against the paying of the tax, in which case they would have reason to denounce him before the Roman governor as a rebel. If, on the other hand, he favored the paying of this most unpopular tax, Jesus would likely have created a stir among the Jewish people and turned them against him.

Many in today’s society say, “We owe obedience to no one but self.” How does the Christian respond? 

Above all else, we owe God honor and obedience and treat his Word with reverence and respect. In the temporal earthly realm, which concerns things like money, possessions, body, and life, we respectfully obey the government of the country in which we live, for it has been ordained and instituted by God. Put another way, God wants the heart; the body and goods are under the government, which rules in his stead. Finally, the Fourth Commandment commands honor, obedience, and respect for all those whom God has placed in positions of authority.

Love: The Fulfillment of the Law
Twenty-Third Sunday of Pentecost—CWS Series A

God’s Word for Today

What does God demand of all people in his Law? Only one thing: Love. God commands us to love him above all things and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Looking into the mirror of that Law we see what we really are: ugly and selfish sinners. Yet in his love, God suffered the punishment of our selfishness. Out of thanks, we now seek to show that same love to others.

First Lesson (Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18)

The word “holy” appears more often in Leviticus than in any other book of the Bible. What does it mean to be “holy”?

The word “holy” literally means “to be set apart”. In this context it means to be set apart for God. Only that which is completely separated from sin can truly be dedicated to God. To be “holy”, therefore, means to be perfectly pure without sin.

Looking honestly at what God demands of us in verses 15-18, what must we confess?

Do we always treat others fairly? Do we always speak well of others? Do we always forgive one another? When we look honestly at what God commands, we must humbly say with the tax collector of Jesus’ parable: “God, have mercy on me a sinner” (Luke 18:13).

Second Lesson (2 John 1-6)

Why does John call “love” the command that we have had from the beginning?

Often called the “Apostle of Love” John lived to a very old age. Tradition tells how when the aged apostle was carried among the people gathered for worship, he simply said, “Love one another.” Here we see John make that same call to love. It is the command that mankind has had from the beginning, because love for God and love for our neighbor is a summary of everything that God wants. From the days in the Garden until today, God wants us to love him and love each other. Only one thing can empower us to walk in love, the love of God the Father shown us in Jesus Christ his Son.

Gospel (Matthew 22:34-46)

How did Jesus summarize God’s Law? 

God’s Law can be summarized with one word: “Love.” Jesus rightly points out that first and foremost we are to love God above all things. Such love for God also shows itself in humble and selfless love toward our fellow man.

What was the point of the questions that Jesus posed in verses 42 and 43? 

The Pharisees asked Jesus many questions trying to trap him in what he said. Jesus answered every one of their questions correctly and eloquently. Jesus himself now poses a few questions of his own to reveal the Pharisees’ unbelief. They believed that the promised Messiah would be an earthly king, a descendant of Israel’s most famous king, David. With these questions, Jesus reveals that the promised Savior is greater than David. He is the very Son of God. His purpose was not to rule on an earthly throne, but rather to win a place for all mankind in his heavenly kingdom.