Brothers and sisters, greetings in the name of Jesus. Though today was windy and overcast, we still managed to have a pretty good turn out for the Shrimp Boil Fundraiser. The food was good. We were able to meet a lot of people. Thanks to the cooks, the bakers, the sellers, the toters, and the hawkers. And thanks to God for keeping us safe. I think everyone enjoyed the day.
Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent on February 14. Please note the time— midweek services will begin at 6:30 pm.
There is a shortage of donated blood in our area. Pattison Methodist Church will host a blood drive on Sunday February 18th between 9am-3pm. More information about scheduling can be found on the Facebook page for Pattison United Methodist Church, or go online to giveblood.org.
For the service Sunday the 28th, the fourth Sunday after the Epiphany, we will be following the liturgy of Divine Service 3 beginning on page 184 in the LSB hymnal. Hymns chosen for the day are #810 O God of God, O Light of Light; #690 Hope of the World; #619 Thy Body Given For Me; and #754 Entrust Your Days and Burdens.
Scriptures for the day are Psalm 111:1-10; Deuteronomy 18:15-20; 1 Corinthians 8:1-13; Mark 1:21-28.
Psalm 111 is a psalm of praise. In the original Hebrew, the psalm is an ‘acrostic’, each line beginning with a sequential letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The psalmist praises God for His mighty works, which each person should contemplate. Among the works mentioned are providing food for His people and overcoming their enemies. Most especially we should remember that God is righteous and merciful to us; He remembers His covenant promises and sent redemption to His people. In the past that redemption would have included shedding the blood of a lamb as part of freeing them from slavery in Egypt, and bringing them safely to the promised land. There He graciously gave them homes they had not built, vineyards they had not planted, and prosperity and protection they did not deserve. In our day we should remember that Jesus is our redemption. God sent Him into the world, taking the form of a man that He could give Himself in exchange for you. He is the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world. His precious blood was given in exchange for us lost and condemned sinners; He has bought us with His blood that we would be His, free from the threats of the devil and eternal death.
The Old Testament reading is from Deuteronomy. The name of the book could be translated as the Law the second time. As the tribes of Israel are about to enter into Canaan, the land God promised them, He has Moses repeat His laws, covenants, and promises another time to them. They had shown themselves to be a fickle, stubborn, and rebellious people. God used Moses as a spokesman to warn them not to forsake His Word, and to remind them of God’s history of continued care and protection. Following God is the way to life; rejecting Him is the way to death. In Chapter 8, God promises to send another prophet from among the tribes of Israel. Of course, over the next fifteen hundred years God actually sent a number of prophets. Some of them we know of. Their prophecies are recorded in Scripture. God also warns that there will be false prophets, people who claim to speak for God but actually lie or distort His word. We should pray for discernment and wisdom that God would help us distinguish between His truth and man’s lies. But ultimately, the prophet Moses is referring to is Jesus. He was a prophet because He spoke God’s word. He spoke God’s Word because He is God. God has spoken in many and various ways through the prophets, but now in these last days He has spoken to us through His Son, Jesus. It is beneficial to our souls and lives to study the Scriptures to see what Jesus is saying to us.
The epistle lesson is from St. Paul’s first letter to the congregation in Corinth, southern Greece. In the verses chosen, 8:1-13; Paul addresses questions about food offered to idols. Many members of the congregation were recent converts to Christianity and were concerned about old habits of eating at the temple of idols. In Paul’s day, meat markets were often located near pagan temples. Some of the food sacrificed at the temple would have been resold at the market. Could this food be eaten without harming faith and spirit? Paul reminds the people that idols are really nothing; they don’t really exist. Meat offered to idols is still meat. And in Christ we are free from dietary laws. Mature Christians recognize that eating the meat or other things some consider unclean neither harms us, nor helps us spiritually. However, we need to be careful. A recent convert observing us might misunderstand our actions. They might mistakenly think we are combining worship of God with the worship of idols, and conclude it must be okay to participate in idol worship. In that case, it would better serve our ‘weak’ Christian brother or sister by avoiding the meat so as to not confuse or mislead them. Paul writes that confusing them or misleading them would be sinning against them, causing them to stumble spiritually, wounding their conscience. This consideration applies to many of our actions today. What we drink, how we behave in public, what we talk about, who we hang out with, what we do for entertainment, each could lead people on the wrong path. So, we should be careful. And if there is a chance of misleading someone by our behavior, we should avoid the behavior.
The gospel reading is from Mark 1:21-28. Jesus went into Capernaum, a city on the northwest coast of the Sea of Galilee. As He entered into the synagogue, He was confronted by “a man with an unclean spirit”. In other words, he was possessed and controlled by a demon. You may notice in the book of Mark, that the disciples are often confused by Jesus, frequently unsure or unclear about His divine identity. But the demons, they recognize Jesus, and they know why He has come. They identify Jesus as the Holy One of God. Jesus demonstrates His divine power, drawing the demon out of the man. Observers were amazed at Jesus’s authority. In our day, what do you think of Jesus’ authority? Who do you say He is? How is that confession evident in your life. What do you make of His words?
COLLECT: Almighty and gracious God, You know that we live in the midst of so many dangers that in our frailty we cannot stand upright. Grant strength and protection to support us in all dangers, and carry is through all temptations; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord and Savior, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
