Brothers and sisters in Christ, peace to you in the name of our Savior, Jesus.
Sunday September 24 we will be following the liturgy of Divine Service Setting One beginning on page 151 in the LSB hymnal. Hymns chosen for the day are #538 Praise Be to Christ; #737 Rejoice My Heart, Be Glad and Sing; #620 Jesus Comes Today With Healing; and#921 On What Has Now Been Sown.
Scripture lessons are Psalm 27:1-9, 14; Isaiah 55:6-9; Philippians 1:12-30; and Matthew 20:1-16.
Psalm 27 is a psalm of ancient King David. David takes great comfort in the assurance that God is with him. Anytime he faces suffering or enemies, God encourages him not to fear but rather to seek His face. David uses several metaphors to describe God’s protection—shelter, rock, a tent who covers his people. With God at his side, David can be confident. David gives encouragement for you too, that though enemies may attack, and family and friends may disappoint you, God will not forsake you. Like David, we pray that God would teach us His ways, and reveal His care to us.
In the Old Testament reading, Isaiah 55, God speaks through the prophet, reminding people that His thoughts and ways are far above our earthly thoughts and ways. He is continually working for the salvation of people. There is a day of judgment coming. It will be a dreadful thing to be separated from God. So, He urges sinners to repent of their sin and turn to Him that they might receive His forgiveness and be delivered from the wrath of His judgment. He promises to show compassion and give pardon to those who turn to Him. The world insists that people get what they deserve. So, God’s grace is beyond our concept of justice—we sinners don’t necessarily get the punishment we deserve. That is, punishment of sin certainly takes place; God honors the requirements of His Law. But surprisingly His Son Jesus hangs in our place to pay the punishment you and I deserve. Sin is punished. The debt of disobedience is paid. We are set free from the obligation?! And this salvation is free to us?! What kind of God is this who pays the price He requires from us? A loving, rescuing, welcoming God. Give heed to His words; seek Him while He may be found so that you may be saved.
St. Paul writes his letter to the Philippians (also letters to the Colossians and Philemon) while being in prison. But Paul offers no woe-is-me response. Instead he marvels at how the spreading of the gospel message of Jesus seems to actually benefit from his suffering. Paul’s response is a model for all of us in our lives. Even in suffering we have reason to rejoice in Jesus. Set aside time to read Paul’s perspective on suffering.
In Matthew 19, St. Peter asks Jesus whether the apostles might expect a great reward Jesus. Afterall, they had given up a lot to follow Him. In Matthew 20 Jesus responds, telling a parable that you in many ways echoes the Old Testament reading, Isaiah 55:6-9. Through the parable, Jesus describes the mystery of God’s justice and fairness in His kingdom. In the world we are trained to expect that we get what we deserve. Study hard to get better grades. Work overtime or learn new skills to get a bigger paycheck. Many people carry such worldly thinking into the church. That is, if I want more from God, I should expect to work harder. Similarly, those who have been members of the church a long time might expect greater reward than those who have been members for a short time. Jesus explains that God’s generosity extends equally to all His people. It is by His grace and the sacrifice of Jesus that we have entry into His kingdom—not by our efforts. In God’s kingdom any work should be a labor of love and thanksgiving, not to earn a reward or to be in a better position than someone else. It is tempting for long-time church members to arrogantly exaggerate their importance or think they deserve special favor. Let us humbly and simply give thanks that God has redeemed us and considers us worthy to be His messengers. Such work is a privilege.
COLLECT: Lord God, Heavenly Father, since we cannot stand before You relying on anything we have done, help us at all times to trust in Your abiding grace and live according to Your Word; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Please let me know if you have any prayer requests, or questions about Sunday’s lessons. God bless you. Pastor Boster
