Manuscript for the service of Trinity 19

 P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C Amen.

 

INTROIT Psalm 78:1–3, 4b; antiphon: Psalm 35:3b; 34:17a, 6b; 48:14a

Say to my soul, “I am your sal- | vation!”*
When the righteous cry for help, the | Lord hears.
[The Lord] saved him out of all his | troubles;*
this is God, our God forever and | ever.
Give ear, O my people, to my | teaching;*
incline your ears to the words | of my mouth!
I will open my mouth in a | parable;*
I will utter dark sayings | from of old,
things that we have | heard and known,*
that our fathers have | told us.
We will tell the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, | and his might,*
and the wonders that | he has done.
Glory be to the Father and | to the Son*
and to the Holy | Spirit;
as it was in the be- | ginning,*
is now, and will be forever. | Amen.
Say to my soul, “I am your sal- | vation!”*
When the righteous cry for help, the | Lord hears.
[The Lord] saved him out of all his | troubles;*
this is God, our God forever and | ever.

 

COLLECT OF THE DAY

Almighty and merciful God, of Your bountiful goodness keep from us all things that may hurt us that we, being ready in both body and soul, may cheerfully accomplish whatever You would have us do; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.

 

(Sit)

 

OLD TESTAMENT READING Genesis 28:10–17

¹⁰Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. ¹¹And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. ¹²And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! ¹³And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. ¹⁴Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. ¹⁵Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” ¹⁶Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” ¹⁷And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

 

A This is the Word of the Lord.

 

PSALM Psalm 84; antiphon: v. 8

¹How lovely is your | dwelling place,*
O | Lord of hosts!
²My soul longs, yes, faints
for the courts | of the Lord;*
my heart and flesh sing for joy
to the | living God.

³Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may | lay her young,*
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
my King | and my God.
⁴Blessèd are those who dwell | in your house,*
ever sing- | ing your praise!

⁵Blessèd are those whose strength is | in you,*
in whose heart are the highways to | Zion.
⁶As they go through the Valley of Baca
they make it a | place of springs;*
the early rain also covers | it with pools.
⁷They go from | strength to strength;*
each one appears before God in | Zion.

⁸O Lord God of hosts, | hear my prayer;*
give ear, O God of | Jacob!
⁹Behold our shield, | O God;*
look on the face of your a- | nointed!

¹⁰For a day in your courts is better
than a thousand | elsewhere.*
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of | wickedness.
¹¹For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord bestows favor and | honor.*
No good thing does he withhold
from those who walk up- | rightly.
¹²O | Lord of hosts,*
blessèd is the one who | trusts in you!

 

EPISTLE Ephesians 4:22–28

²²Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, ²³and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, ²⁴and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

²⁵Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. ²⁶Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷and give no opportunity to the devil. ²⁸Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.

 

A This is the Word of the Lord.

 

 

HOLY GOSPEL Matthew 9:1–8

P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the ninth chapter.

 

¹Getting into a boat [Jesus] crossed over and came to his own city. ²And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” ³And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” ⁴But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? ⁵For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? ⁶But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” ⁷And he rose and went home. ⁸When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

 

P This is the Gospel of the Lord.

 

APOSTLES’ CREED

 

609 JESUS SINNERS DOTH RECEIVE

1 Jesus sinners doth receive;
    Oh, may all this saying ponder
Who in sin’s delusions live
    And from God and heaven wander!
Here is hope for all who grieve:
Jesus sinners doth receive.

 

2 We deserve but grief and shame,
    Yet His words, rich grace revealing,
Pardon, peace, and life proclaim;
    Here our ills have perfect healing.
Firmly in these words believe:
Jesus sinners doth receive.

 

3 Sheep that from the fold did stray
    No true shepherd e’er forsaketh;
Weary souls that lost their way
    Christ, the Shepherd, gently taketh
In His arms that they may live:
Jesus sinners doth receive.

 

4 I, a sinner, come to Thee
    With a penitent confession.
Savior, mercy show to me;
    Grant for all my sins remission.
Let these words my soul relieve:
Jesus sinners doth receive.

 

5 Oh, how blest it is to know:
    Were as scarlet my transgression,
It shall be as white as snow
    By Thy blood and bitter passion;
For these words I now believe:
Jesus sinners doth receive.

 

6 Now my conscience is at peace;
    From the Law I stand acquitted.
Christ hath purchased my release
    And my ev’ry sin remitted.
Naught remains my soul to grieve:
Jesus sinners doth receive.

 

7 Jesus sinners doth receive;
    Also I have been forgiven;
And when I this earth must leave,
    I shall find an open heaven.
Dying, still to Him I cleave:
Jesus sinners doth receive.

Text: Public domain

 

 When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men. Matthew 9:8

 “they were afraid.” That’s how it should be when a sinner is suddenly confronted with God.

 Jacob woke from his terrific dream where He saw the Lord in heaven and he was afraid. “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” Jacob was overwhelmed. This stairway in his dream went to heaven, to the house of God, the presence of the Lord almighty and Jacob a sinner suddenly confronted with God was rightly afraid.

 We human beings owe our lives, our whole existence, to the creator above. But in the shamefully disappointing course of our lives, we despise our creator by sinning against Him and violating his good creation.

 When one is in the midst of committing a sin -- act, word or thought -- the presumption is God isn’t watching. He doesn’t notice. He’s away up in heaven, a far and safe distance away from us down here below.

 But rather than that presumption, we should rightly fear God. Now we tell each other “Don’t fear!” “Fear is to be avoided.” But then the first commandment meaning in the catechism says “We should fear, love and trust in God above all things.

 Sinners who have sinned in the past and who are tempted to sin again in the future, should definitely fear God. This is a positive thing, to fear God. This is a productive fear. All of our other fears are not productive. When we fear something on earth, something of God’s creation, that fear distracts us from the true fear and faith in God.

 And fear of anything less than God is just silly. God is almighty. He is in control  of everything, all creation. We have to fear God, not the small stuff.

 The crowds following Jesus in Galilee that day, saw Jesus do an incredible healing -- he gave a paralyzed man the health and strength to walk again, while talking to the man about his sins. Jesus had the control over forces that the rest of us can only imagine and he deals with us according to our sins. That combination of almighty power and a careful scrutiny over one’s character and morals was disturbing. If the Lord almighty, omnipotent, all powerful, peers into your heart and soul, you have to be honestly unnerved. You ought to be afraid.

 “When the crowds saw [the miracle], they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.”

 Jesus’ kind demeanor and actions toward this poor, afflicted man added another dimension to the people’s reaction to all this. They feared and glorified God.

 God in heaven, creator of us all and judge of us all, so we have a healthy amount of fear for his displeasure toward us. But now these folks see that he has sent to earth forgiveness of sins. He has given to the man Jesus Christ the authority to forgive the sins,that we had been worried about. Jesus, who can heal the paralyzed man, finds it just as easy to pronounce the heavenly forgiveness on this man and on all who come to Him. He has the authority to do so.

 Which is easier, to say your sins are forgiven or to say to a paralyzed man, get up and walk home? Jesus doesn’t really answer that question for us. The life of Jesus went on from there, onto Jerusalem where He suffered and died for the sins of that pardoned paralytic. He could easily say, that man’s sins were forgiven, because he with horrible difficulty and suffering paid for those sins with His blood and death.

 God gave His Son and authorized His Son, to forgive sins. He gave the Son the authority to do what it takes to heal and to forgive. And you know what it takes, the death of the holy innocent dear sweet Jesus.

 When the crowds saw it, they were afraid and they glorified God. Let’s also do both. We should fear and love God. For our sins, we should recognize and admit we deserve God’s temporal and eternal punishment, but even more so, we should give glory to God for saving, redeeming and forgiving us.

 Glorify God. When you see a beautiful sunset, when you escape from some dreadful calamity, when you count your earthly blessings, glorify God. But God’s greatest glory is that He brought forgiveness to people here on earth by the suffering, death and resurrection to life again of His beloved Son Jesus. Glorify God primarily for this good news: “Take heart, my son, my daughter, your sins are forgiven.”

 Glorify God for this good news. Don’t ever let it get trite, dull, repetitive. Every time you hear Him say, “I forgive you all your sins”; every time you taste and hear “for the forgiveness of sins”; every time you pray and believe, my sins are forgiven for Jesus sake, glorify God. Amen.

  

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

P Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.

Heavenly Father, through Your Son, Jesus Christ, You have given Your Church the authority on earth to forgive sins. Grant that we may always rejoice to receive the forgiveness announced and delivered by those men who have been called and ordained to serve in Christ’s stead and by His command, and, having been forgiven, give us hearts that are quick to forgive others. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

 P Almighty God, our Savior sent forth His Church to the ends of the earth to proclaim the Good News of salvation in Him. Continue to send workers into Your vineyard, and give us willing and generous hearts to support the preaching of Your Word in our community and throughout the world. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

 P Merciful Lord, You blessed Jacob with offspring as numerous as the dust of the earth. Give comfort to those who long for children but are unable to conceive. May they find in the Church a family to love and cherish. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

 P Gracious Father, in the waters of Baptism, You rescued us from our fallen condition and adopted us as Your own children. Guide those who are seeking to adopt children of their own, that they may be a model of Your love, and give them patience and endurance as they work through the adoption process. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

 P Almighty God, we beg You, grant wisdom to all those whom You have placed in temporal authority, both in this country and throughout the world. Renew their diligence, that they would use their offices to serve their fellow citizens with justice and compassion. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

 P Eternal Father, as the paralytic was brought to Your Son, Jesus, so, too, we bring before You in prayer all those suffering in any physical and mental anguish [especially _____________]. According to Your will, grant them healing in this life, and give them faithful friends who will proclaim to them the forgiveness of their sins, so that they would face the trials of this life confident in Your love for them. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

 P Whatever else that we need or would be good for us, we entrust to Your bountiful providence, for You live and reign with the Son and the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end.

C 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

A Bless we the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

 

BENEDICTION

P The Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you.

The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and T give you peace.

C Amen, amen, amen.

 

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV^® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2018 Concordia Publishing House.