The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity
L In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
COLLECT OF THE DAY
L Let us pray.
Almighty and everlasting God, give us an increase of faith, hope, and charity; and that we may obtain what You have promised, make us love what You have commanded; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
606 I LAY MY SINS ON JESUS
1 I lay my sins on Jesus,
The spotless Lamb of God;
He bears them all and frees us
From the accursèd load.
I bring my guilt to Jesus
To wash my crimson stains
Clean in His blood most precious
Till not a spot remains.
2 I lay my wants on Jesus;
All fullness dwells in Him;
He heals all my diseases;
My soul He does redeem.
I lay my griefs on Jesus,
My burdens and my cares;
He from them all releases;
He all my sorrows shares.
3 I rest my soul on Jesus,
This weary soul of mine;
His right hand me embraces;
I on His breast recline.
I love the name of Jesus,
Immanuel, Christ, the Lord;
Like fragrance on the breezes
His name abroad is poured.
Psalm 32
1Blessèd is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2Blessèd is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.
5I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.
6Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. 7You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance.
8I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. 9Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you.
10Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD. 11Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
Gospel READING Luke 10:23–37
23Turning to the disciples [Jesus] said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! 24For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”
25And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
29But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
APOSTLES’ CREED
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
SERMON
In Luke 10:36 Jesus asks “Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?”
With this question, Jesus would have us consider who is our neighbor and how do we treat them.
We, faithful people of God regularly confess our sins of thought, word and deed. Sins against God. Sins against our neighbor. What we have done. And what we have left undone.
Done and undone. The sins that we have done, the sins of commission, that is the sins we commit, these are often the sins that come to mind first. But then there are these things that we have left undone, the sins of omission, what we omit to do. These things are more likely to turn into life-long regret. We all have some regret-filled thoughts that start out like, “I shoulda. . . .“
The parable of the Good Samaritan is a well-known illustration of the sins of omission. The Priest and the Levite didn’t do any harm to the poor man who was beaten half to death along the side of the road. They didn’t actively hit him, steal from him, speak evil to him or about him. They committed no sins of commission as far as we can see from the Biblical account. But they both are guilty of a grand example of a sin of omission. They “shoulda” helped the poor guy out in his moment of need. They “shoulda” done something, “shoulda” cared more, “shoulda” loved more.
Moments come and go and when you’ve missed the opportunity, all that you are left with is regret and guilt. People will say, “I wished I would have told her how I felt about her before she left.” or “I feel so cowardly - I shoulda spoken up.” or “Things could have been so different now, if only I’d have stepped up.” These are just a few examples, but I’m sure you, listener, have your own.
Bill Gates was interviewed on National Public Radio ten or so years ago. He has created what is said to be the world’s largest charitable foundation. Not so long ago he changed our computers for the better. Now by contributing to health-care and relief in poorer parts of the world, he wants to change lives for the better. The radio interview was about his foundation’s work to provide vaccines for infants, especially in Africa. Toward the end of the program the interviewer asked him, “You describe learning from your mistakes and failures. What have you learned from the most?” Gates admitted that the task of providing vaccines to those who need them turned out to be much more difficult than he first realized. He said it this way, “Now we’re trying to catch up . . . But every year that goes by that you don’t get these vaccines out, you can measure it in terms of hundreds of thousands of children who die.” [Talk of the Nation, with Neil Conan, January 25, 2010]
We all have regrets. No matter how much we do, there’s still going to be lots that we haven’t gotten to yet. If we help one, we miss another. Even billionaires cannot do everything they should. How many of us have said something like, “Well if I had a billion dollars, I could do a lot of good. I would help out lots of people. I would do great things for God and my fellow human beings.” From Gates example, and his talk of the lives of hundreds of thousands of children, it would seem that the bigger your intentions, the greater the regret.
We daily fail to do enough. We often omit to do things and sooner or later we regret not doing what we “shoulda”.
As you meditate on the story of the Good Samaritan, you will hear Jesus say, “Go and do likewise.” The unexpected and kind actions of the Samaritan toward this stranger are the guide for you to determine who your neighbor is and how you will treat them.
As you meditate on the story of the Good Samaritan, it will probably bring to mind some regrets. To properly overcome regrets, it’s not enough to just try harder next time, because there will always be other new regrets. And eventually we will all run out of time to do what we “shoulda.”
As you meditate on the story of the Good Samaritan, let the words of Jesus bring you closer to Him. That’s what His words do. A parable like this one shows you how much you need Jesus.
Remember in last weeks Gospel reading, when the people standing around when Jesus healed the blind man said, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear, and the mute speak.” (Mark 7:37). Jesus is the One who has done all things well. No regrets there. Not only did Jesus never commit a sin. He never omitted what He should have done. He helps all. Cares about all. Loves all.
When he does all things well, we are the beneficiaries. He picks up us, who have fallen, we who have been beaten by sin, death and the devil. He heals our wounds, with the balm and precious oil of his graciousness. Because He was wounded for our sins of commission and sins of omission, we are forgiven, by his stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53).
In Jesus’ parable the Good Samaritan brings the injured man to an Inn and appoints the innkeeper to care for him. In our times the good Lord is doing something similar. He has provided his church as a place for convalescence and healing of guilty consciences. He appoints the pastor to care for the fallen ones he picks up. The pastor is here for you to talk, to listen, and to apply the saving medicine of the Gospel of Jesus.
Don’t remain down in the dumps with regrets and guilt. Hear what your Savior has to tell you. He tells you to pray daily, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”. He tells you continually, “I forgive you all your sins.” Amen.
+ PRAYER +
O Lord, deliver us from pandemic and pestilence, from disaster and danger, and from a sudden death, that kept in faith, we may be preserved through this mortal life and in death be received into the arms of Your mercy and into the blessed rest of everlasting life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, be present among Your people to serve us with the gifts of Your grace, and grant that we may receive them with joy. Give to us faithful pastors and church workers who will minister to us in Your name and strengthen our faith and life together as Your baptized people. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, give to us good and honest leaders who will govern according to Your Word and will. Give us grace, that we may not fail to pray for those who lead us and to act as good citizens and good neighbors to one another. Give peace to the nations, and bring an end to violence, prejudice and racism. Guide us to know and respect all life, from the infant in the womb to the youth beginning maturity, and from the mature to the aged. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, You send rain upon the earth and turn the seeds into plants rich with fruit for harvest. Accept our thanks and praise for Your continued goodness in providing a good harvest and food for all. Give us wisdom so that we may use Your resources wisely and extend Your care to those in need. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, You urge us to give special care and guidance to the young and those new to the faith. Give us grace, that we may not lead them into temptation or sin but guard their faith by making known to them the full counsel of Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, You are the strength of the weak, the healing of the sick, the comfort of those who grieve and the peace of those near death. Hear us on behalf of all the members of our congregation who are ill, quarantined, or in any distress that they may be sustained in their afflictions, comforted in life and death, and delivered to everlasting life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, You have given the day for work and the night for rest. Bless all honest labor and industry, artists and artisans, and those in caring professions. Keep us in humility, and guard us against pride and arrogance. Give to us a spirit of generosity, that we may share with others the blessings that flow from our labors. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Hear us, O Lord, who cry to You in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, whom with the Spirit, You are one God and one Lord, now and forevermore. Amen.
LORD’S PRAYER
C Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
BENEDICAMUS
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
BENEDICTION
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
702 MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE
1 My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior divine.
Now hear me while I pray;
Take all my guilt away;
O let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!
2 May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart;
My zeal inspire!
As Thou hast died for me,
Oh, may my love to Thee
Pure, warm, and changeless be,
A living fire!
3 While life’s dark maze I tread
And griefs around me spread,
Be Thou my guide;
Bid darkness turn to day,
Wipe sorrow’s tears away,
Nor let me ever stray
From Thee aside.
4 When ends life’s transient dream,
When death’s cold, sullen stream
Shall o’er me roll,
Blest Savior, then, in love,
Fear and distrust remove;
O bear me safe above,
A ransomed soul!
Text and tune: Public domain
No comments:
Post a Comment