Brothers and sisters, the grace and peace of Jesus Christ be with you. August has arrived. I know families who are trying to fit in one last vacation trip before school begins. Whatever schedule you are considering, I urge you to include worship with a Lutheran congregation as a key component of your plans. Take time to be refreshed by God’s forgiveness administered throughout the service from the opening absolution to the Sacrament of the Altar there is a repeated echo of God’s mercy given through His Son Jesus.
Sunday August 4 is the eleventh Sunday after Pentecost. We will follow the liturgy of Divine Service Setting 3 beginning on page 184 in the Lutheran Service Book. In our catechism review we will consider the Sacrament of the Altar (and Luther’s explanation) located on page 326 of the service book. Hymns chosen for the day are #812 Come, Let Us Join Our Cheerful Songs; #652 Father We Thank Thee; #631 Here , O My Lord, I See Thee Face to Face; and #693 O Holy Spirit, Grant Us Grace.
Scripture texts assigned to the day are Psalm 111:1-10; Exodus 16:2-15; Ephesians 4:1-16; and John 6:22-35.
Psalm 111 praises God for His works of grace and mercy—He cares for us body and soul, providing food to nourish us for today, and redeems us from sin today and into eternity. Wisdom begins with fearing and honoring God, recognizing our lives depend on Him. Praise Him forever!
Exodus 16 is a narrative of one example of God’s merciful and gracious care, and a foretaste of what Jesus came to do. After God used Moses to bring about the release of the Israelite tribes, setting them free from slavery in Egypt, they began to complain that they were hungry. Many of the people expressed a desire to return to slavery rather than having to rely on God. Rather than punishing the people for their complaining and lack of faith, God graciously and miraculously each day provided them manna, which could be used as flour, and quail to eat. The God who provides for daily bodily needs, has also taken care of your eternal spiritual needs. He goes beyond using manna or quail to refresh and nourish bodies. By His redeeming death, Jesus has set us free from slavery to sin. He uses His Word and the waters of baptism to revive the spiritually dead, and nourishes their souls with the body and blood of Jesus His Son.
In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul describes in the first three chapters the mystery of the gospel. Jesus came to rescue us from the darkness of sin, and to bring us into the light of God’s kingdom. This work is entirely accomplished by Jesus. His benefits before God are given to us by grace, that is, as a gift. We do nothing to merit or to achieve salvation or God’s forgiveness. Jesus gets all the credit. Chapter 4 begins the second half of the letter, and Paul’s emphasis shifts to instructing how we Christians should respond to Jesus’ gift of salvation. The verses to be read Sunday point out that workers in the Church are gifts from God, provided to instruct you, encourage you, and build you up into the Church. Jesus wants you firmly anchored in the truth of His Word, not chasing every new fad or interpretation. Paul uses the image of body to describe how Jesus our head leads us and holds us together.
The gospel account of John is written with a bit different structure or outline than the other three gospels. Rather than recounting events of Jesus’ ministry sequentially or chronologically, John often recounts things according to themes. For example, earlier in chapter 3, Jesus speaks of birth to describe Christian conversion. In Chapter 4, Jesus makes several references to the refreshing capabilities of water to describe His ministry and the work of the Holy Spirit. In Sunday’s reading, Jesus speaks of himself as being the bread of life who will end their hunger. He had recently miraculously fed over 5000 people. Many of them were trying to take Him by force to become their bread dispenser to feed their bellies, just as God had done for their forefathers in the Sinai wilderness during the exodus. But Jesus has come for a far greater purpose. He would feed them in such a way that they would live forever. The people are confused by what He means. Jesus makes a reference to giving His body to eat and His blood to drink, although He does not establish the Lord’s Supper until later in His ministry, just before His crucifixion. The Lord’s Supper is life-giving food.
COLLECT: Most merciful Father, You gave Your Son Jesus as the heavenly bread of life. Grant us faith to feast on Him in Your Word and in His Holy Supper that we may be nourished unto everlasting life; through the same Jesus Christ, 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 Sunday’s lessons. God bless you. Pastor Boster
