Brothers and sisters, greetings in the name of our savior Jesus.
As a reminder, the Houston Lutheran Chorale will be performing this Sunday the 17th at Immanuel Lutheran Church (306 E 15th Street in the Heights) beginning at 4 pm. You are invited. Note: the parking lot of Immanuel is entered from Arlington Street.
Wednesday March 20th will be our last midweek service of the season. We intend to hold Good Friday services on the 29th at 12 noon, and 6:30 pm.
Sunday, March 17th is the fifth Sunday in Lent. We will continue to follow a modified version of the liturgy of Divine Service One beginning on page 151 in the LSB hymnal.
Hymns chosen for the day are #435 Come to Calvary’s Holy Mountain; #422 On My Heart Imprint Your Image; #857 Lord Help Us Walk Your Servant Way; #620 Jesus Comes Today With Healing; #529 Since Our Great High Priest, Christ Jesus.
Scripture readings assigned to the day are Psalm 119:9-16; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 5:1-10; and Mark 10:35-45.
Psalm 119 is an acrostic psalm, the verses in each section beginning with a subsequent letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Verses 9 to 16 begin with ‘beth’, similar to our letter ‘b’. ‘Beth’ is also the Hebrew word for house. Psalm 119 is also a teaching psalm, in various ways praising the benefit of God’s ‘torah’. Often translated as ‘law’, the word includes instruction regarding God’s commands as well as His promises. Students in the ancient past would have memorized Psalm 119 as instruction regarding moral behavior and godly thought. In verses 9 to 16, the psalmist states his intent to study and keep God’s statutes and precepts. God’s instruction is a good thing. As sinners we are inclined to be disobedient and resent God’s instruction. We don’t like being told what to we can or cannot do. But as redeemed children of God, we find relief and comfort in God’s word which sets a hedge around us, keeping us from temptation. God’s Word is always good and wise. We pray that the Holy Spirit would enlighten us as we study and apply His word.
The Old Testament lesson is from Jeremiah 31. Jeremiah was a prophet with the unpopular task of telling the people of Judah to repent because God was bringing judgment against them. False teachers and false prophets were constantly undermining his message, and making his life miserable with ridicule and accusation. In the verses read Sunday, God speaks through the prophet promising two events. The first is a new covenant. It will not be like the old covenant of law, demands of obedience, and sacrifice as payment for sin. The ‘new’ covenant is actually a fulfillment of the first, as Jesus, perfectly obedient, fulfilling the demands and punishments of the law, becomes our substitute and is the final sacrifice that covers all our sin. It is not a covenant demanding works, but faith in Jesus. This “new” covenant is fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Jesus. Verse 34 prophesies an end to instruction in the Law. This will take place on the Last Day when Jesus appears again. We won’t have to teach the word that points to Jesus, for every eye will behold Him. And our sin will be remembered no more.
The epistle lesson is from Hebrews 5. God is the author of all Scripture but there is debate as to who humanly wrote the Book of Hebrews. The author would have been familiar with Jewish history and traditions as connections between God and His people. The author uses this history and those traditions to show how Jesus is far superior to them, actually fulfilling them. Jesus is the one who gives us sinners full access to God. In the reading from Chapter 5, Jesus is shown to be superior to the High Priest. High Priests were descendants of Levi and were responsible for offering sacrifices of animals to atone for sin, including their own. Jesus is superior to all the High Priests of history, for he is sinless. Jesus is in the order of Melchizedek, a mysterious man who lived n the days of Abraham (see Genesis 14). Melchizedek (whose name translated means righteous king or king of righteousness) has an unknown beginning and an unknown end. He was not a descendant of Aaron or Levi, yet he was both a priest and a king of Salem (Jerusalem). Melchizedek blessed Abraham and received tithes from Abraham. Jesus as appointed by God to make the ultimate sacrifice, offering Himself on the altar of the cross, atoning for your sin and the sin of the world. Jesus was given once, and for all. God has forgiven your sin. Believe His promise. Obey Him by receiving the gifts He gives. There is no longer a necessity for sacrifice.
In the gospel reading from St. Mark’s account, Chapter 10, two disciples, James and John, ask Jesus to grant that they would sit next to Him in His glory. It is unclear what they meant by their request. They obviously loved Jesus and wanted to remain near to Him. But there is also a sense of greed and arrogance in their request. They seemed to be asking for better seats, to be first, or have greater recognition. Maybe they wanted to be in charge of the others, and have authority over them. That is at least how their fellow disciples interpreted the request. They were indignant that James and John should ask such a thing. Jesus turns the situation into a teaching moment. He reminds them all that being close to Him is not always going to be pleasant. It is likely to involve hardship and even death. Whoever wants to be considered great must have the heart of a servant, putting others before self. Jesus our Savior is the perfect example of such servanthood. He left heaven, endured the temptations and troubles of the world so that He could serve us by dying on our place, even if it included the humiliation of being executed as a criminal. Jesus gave His life as a ransom, paying with His blood, that you would be released from the control of the devil and the curse of death. With praise and thanksgiving we serve the Lord by serving our neighbor.
COLLECT: Almighty, Gracious God, by Your great goodness mercifully look upon Your people that we may be governed and preserved evermore in body and soul; 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.
Lenten Response: Return to the Lord, your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and abounding in steadfast love.
Please let me know if you have any prayer requests or questions about the readings. God bless you. Pastor Boster
