Brothers and sisters, Jesus Christ suffered and died to redeem you from your sins and to reconcile you to God. What a wonderful act of grace this is! Jesus grants comfort now, and assurance of your future. I encourage you to be in worship Sunday to receive His forgiveness as it is distributed through God’s word and the Lord’s Supper. Where there is forgiveness there is also life and salvation.
Let me begin by reminding you of some upcoming events.
Midweek Lenten services will continue this coming Wednesday, beginning at 6:30 pm.
Saturday May 3rd has been set as the date of this year’s German Sausage Dinner.
Sunday March 23rd is the third Sunday in Lent. During the service we will follow the liturgy of Divine Service Setting Four beginning on page 203 of the LSB hymnal. Hymns chosen for the day are #613 To Thee, Omniscient Lord of All; #422 On My Heart Imprint Your Image; #716 I Walk in Danger All the Way; #619 Thy Body Given For Me, O Savior; and #761 Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me.
Scriptures assigned to the day are Psalm 85:1-9; Ezekiel 33:7-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-13; and Luke 13:1-9. These passages share a theme of considering God’s actions in the past to be assured of what He is doing now and will fulfill in the future.
Psalm 85 is a psalm of the sons of Korah, descendants of the tribe of Levi responsible for leading worship. The psalmist is suffering effects of sin in his life and the community around him and considers it as God’s chastisement. He prays that God would withdraw His anger, grant him peace, and restore his nation as He has done throughout history. God hates sin. He punishes sin. But in His mercy God also restores sinners. Examples of this restoration include freeing the tribes of Israel from slavery in Egypt, and releasing exiles in Babylon to return to Jerusalem. The psalmist draws comfort from God’s saving actions throughout history. God demonstrates that He is faithful and righteous. God’s salvation is near to those who fear Him. Through Jesus, God speaks peace to our troubled souls. He will give what is good to those who turn to Him. So, we should repent of our sin every day. The psalmists’ words encourage us to turn to the salvation and peace God offers through Jesus.
The Old Testament lesson narrates God’s call to Ezekiel to be His spokesman. Ezekiel is to proclaim God’s Law so that people would recognize their sin and turn from it. After warning the neighboring nations, God wants Ezekiel to concentrate attention on Israel, warning them against their wickedness. Because of their sin they will be judged and put to death. Guilt can lead to despair and spiritual rot. So, Ezekiel is also to proclaim the mercy and righteousness of God. He doesn’t want anyone to die. Those who turn to God will be saved from judgment. Faithful pastors, missionaries, and teachers of the Church continue to proclaim both God’s Law and His Gospel that people would turn from wickedness and turn to God. Pray that we would all have open ears and hearts to hear God’s call to repentance and faith in Jesus.
In the epistle lesson, a portion of the letter to the Corinthians (southern Greece), St. Paul recounts the history of God dealing with the tribes of Israel in Egypt. God graciously provided protection, food, and water to them during their wandering in the wilderness. They were al recipients of God’s blessings. It would appear the people are all the same. But the truth is, many were unfaithful and lived ungodly lives. God was not pleased with them, and they would come under His judgment. Paul tells this story as instruction and an example of God’s rejection of people who take His grace for granted or desire evil as many of the Israelites did. We should beware. Even the most devout Christian can fall for temptation. God has provided Jesus as the way of escape from condemnation. So, Paul urges Christians to continue to turn to Jesus. Baptized into Jesus, you can withstand temptation. He will help you. He has made a new person. The Holy Spirit lives in you, Sin is no longer your only option. You don’t have to sin. But though the spirit may be willing, our flesh is weak. When we do fall to temptation, Jesus is our escape and the way to restoration. We should not treat sin lightly. We should not imagine we are immune to sin or that we can overcome temptation on our own. We should not take Jesus’ forgiveness for granted.
In the gospel lesson, Luke the evangelist reports that Jesus had been warning crowds to recognize that events of that time were signs of God’s approaching judgment. In response, some of the folks listening to Him mentioned reports that the governor Pilate had ordered the killing of Galileans offering their sacrifices. Consider for a moment some of the unspoken questions that might underlie their report. Why did God allow this? Worship might be assumed to be one of the safest places or activities to be involved in. Is worship safe? Was there something wrong with those worshippers that they deserved such punishment? You might have other questions. Jesus responds to them by warning them to be concerned about their own sin. He warns that they all have reason to repent. Some might conclude that the murder at worship indicates God is cruel and impatient. Jesus tells a parable about an owner of a vineyard, and his vinedresser or groundskeeper. The parable hints at Jesus’ role as an intercessor who nurtures us that we would turn from sin and produce fruit of faith. Now is the day of salvation. Turn from your sin and turn to Jesus before He comes again to bring God’s judgment on earth.
COLLECT: O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy, be gracious to all who have gone astray from Your ways, and bring them with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of Your Word,; 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.
Please let me know if you have any prayer requests or questions about schedules or this week’s scripture lessons. God bless you. Pastor Boster
