Greetings in the name of Jesus. I encourage you to add Bible class and worship to your weekly schedule. The divine service is God’s service to you. Nothing has the same long-term benefit of studying God’s Word and receiving the gifts of forgiveness and eternal life earned by Jesus and delivered in the divine service.
On Sunday August 25 we will follow the liturgy of Divine Service setting 3 beginning on page 184 in the LSB service book. We will also include a recitation of commandments 4 to 6, along with Martin Luther’s explanation. These can be found on page 321 of the LSB.
Hymns chosen for the day are #545 Word of God, Come Down on Earth; #579 The Law of God is Good and Wise; #611 Chief of Sinners Though I Be; and #574 Before the Throne of God Above.
Scripture texts for the day are Psalm 14:1-7; Isaiah 29:11-19; Ephesians 5:22-33; and Mark 7:1-13. The texts in various ways warn us of the dangers of sin, and the rescue from sin that God graciously offers.
Sin can be described as the rebellious, disobedient, and self-centered condition we are born with as descendants of Adam and Eve. Sin distorts our understanding of God so that we cannot properly know Him or accomplish His will. Sin is demonstrated in our thoughts, speech, and behavior. God in His grace has revealed His plan of sending His Son to rescue us from our sinful condition. Believing Him is the way to receive His benefits. In our society, there are an increasing number of people who describe themselves as atheists, people who don’t believe there is a God. Another group labeled the ‘nones’ describe themselves as having no particular religious affiliation. Both groups along with all pagans ignore or reject the unique claims of Jesus, Son of God, and Savior of the world. Psalm 14, a psalm of King David, addresses such people as fools. They are corrupt and evil; they do no good. Such attitudes and behavior ultimately lead to suffering for eternity separated from God. The psalmist prays that salvation would come. Jesus is your salvation. You are being urged to not ignore Him.
Throughout Isaiah 29, God speaks through the prophet to warn of the judgment and destruction He will pour out on sinners. Israel was of going through the motions, making sacrifices and acting religious, saying the right words, but in their hearts they reject God. They imagine their thoughts, words, and actions are hidden from God. But God makes clear He know everything about us. This can be a frightening realization. But rather than merely being afraid, or pretending to be good, or hiding from God, He invites us to confess our sin to Him, turn to Him for rescue, and trust in Jesus because He has cleansed us and set us free from the consequences of sin. Even as God threatens destructive punishment against sinners, He also promises restoration and new joy to those who trust in Him.
In Chapter 5 of his letter to the congregation in Ephesus (located along the west coast of modern-day Turkey) St. Paul is giving instruction of how Christians should live as children of God, redeemed and adopted by Jesus. There is instruction to be virtuous and to avoid vice. The lesson for Sunday from verses 22 to 33 emphasize imitating Jesus, especially being submissive. Submission in our society is often considered weakness, or giving into oppressive control. To submit sounds like we are inferior. But Paul urges Christians to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. For Jesus was equal to God according to His divinity. Even so, Jesus submitted to His Father, out of good order, and so that the Father’s will would be done. Jesus submitted even to the point of dying on a cross for you, giving up His life for you so you wouldn’t be separated from holy God. Paul points to marriage urging wives to submit to their husband, not because they are inferior but because that is how God has ordered things. Husbands in return are to love their wives in a sacrificial way as Christ lived and died for His Church.
In the gospel reading from Mark 7:1-13, Jesus criticizes the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy. Hypocrisy implies deceit, acting, pretending and not being sincere. The religious leaders had muddied the word of God by adding their own expectations to God’s word and applying it in a literalistic fashion, that is, they appeared to be obedient to the words, but in their hearts they despised people and served themselves rather than God or His people. These false teachers were promoting their words and traditions rather than God’s word. As Isaiah’s prophecy puts it in the Old Testament lesson, they were honoring God with their lips, but their heart was far away. They were giving the impression of obedience, not out of love or gratitude to God, but to receive recognition from people. We are each in danger of similar hypocrisy, promoting ourselves as the standard and arbiter of what is right, pretending and going through religious motions but ignoring God and mistreating people. Instead, we should each read and apply God’s word sincerely and treat others humbly and gently. In that way we would imitate Jesus who has saved us.
COLLECT: Almighty and merciful God, Your word is truth. Defend Your Church from all false teachers and error so that Your faithful people may confess You to be the only true God, and rejoice in Your gifts of life and salvation; 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 the lessons for Sunday. Also contact me if you are interested in participating in Bible study. God bless you. Pastor Boster
