Manuscript for Lent 4

 + 4^th Sunday in Lent +

March 14, 2021

 

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

C Amen.

625 LORD JESUS CHRIST, LIFE-GIVING BREAD

COLLECT OF THE DAY

P Almighty God, our heavenly Father, Your mercies are new every morning; and though we deserve only punishment, You receive us as Your children and provide for all our needs of body and soul. Grant that we may heartily acknowledge Your merciful goodness, give thanks for all Your benefits, and serve You in willing obedience; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

 C Amen.

 

OLD TESTAMENT READING Exodus 16:2–21

²And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, ³and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

⁴Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. ⁵On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” ⁶So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “At evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, ⁷and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against the Lord. For what are we, that you grumble against us?” ⁸And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.”

⁹Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, ‘Come near before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’” ¹⁰And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. ¹¹And the Lord said to Moses, ¹²“I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”

¹³In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. ¹⁴And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. ¹⁵When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat. ¹⁶This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.’” ¹⁷And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. ¹⁸But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat. ¹⁹And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.” ²⁰But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. ²¹Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.

A This is the Word of the Lord.

 

SECOND READING Acts 2:41–47

⁴¹So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

⁴²And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. ⁴³And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. ⁴⁴And all who believed were together and had all things in common. ⁴⁵And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, ⁴⁷praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

A This is the Word of the Lord.

 

HOLY GOSPEL

P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the sixth chapter.

¹After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. ²And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. ³Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. ⁴Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. ⁵Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” ⁶He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. ⁷Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” ⁸One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, ⁹“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” ¹⁰Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. ¹¹Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. ¹²And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” ¹³So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten. ¹⁴When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”

¹⁵Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

P This is the Gospel of the Lord.

 

APOSTLES’ CREED

SERMON

 

“And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness” (Exodus 12:2).

 

In response to their grumbling, Moses had to say, “Woah, this is not against us. It’s against God that you are grumbling.” The frustration and grievances were misdirected. Don’t blame humans when God is in charge.

God gave Moses and Aaron special jobs. Speaking through a burning bush, God called Moses to a special position, a high position and holy office -- the one who lead God’s people out of slavery and into the promised land. Aaron was called to be the spokesman and Aaron was anointed to the office of priest. They each held an important office for God and for God’s people. Folks were forgetting that. In complaining and grumbling against Moses and Aaron, they were not considering the office, they were just looking at the person of Moses and Aaron.

It is important and necessary to consider the person and the office. Often we see the person. What we have to believe is, this person has been placed by God into an office. Moses said, “When the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.” Moses was just a man. Aaron was just a man. God is the one who gives daily bread. God provides when and where he chooses. He has established certain means for getting his blessings into the lives of people. He set up the office of leader and put the man, Moses into it. As the office holder, Moses was not to do his own work, but God’s work. Likewise, Aaron was the first office-holder of the priesthood, not serving himself, but serving the Lord.

The short-sighted view sees the person. By faith, we understand that God is at work, by means of the person. Consider for example the offices God has established for you and your good. Think of how you hear this term “office” used. Not as the room, the place of work, but as the position someone has. The Office of the President, and other leaders in our government serve in their various offices and positions. I serve in the Office of the Ministry. We speak of law enforcement officers, and the office they have to serve and protect the public. It’s good to remember that God works to provide for us through these offices, even using sinful people to work in those offices. So if police officers abuse their authority and work for harm, the fault is in the person, not in the office.

Father-hood is an office God has established. Motherhood is similar in some ways, but a distinct office. All human beings have a father and a mother. But because those offices are held by weak, lowly human beings, many have been let down by their father or mother, neglected, even abused. In small ways or in big ways, the people who hold the office of fatherhood and motherhood fail, in weakness or sin. This does not make fatherhood a bad thing, nor motherhood. We honor our parents, and other authorities, because of the office established by God, even if the person has done things that make it difficult to honor them or to serve them without reluctance. We should keep this in mind because sometimes we come across people so hurt and bitter by the person who was their father that they can’t think of fatherhood in a positive way. And so by extension, can’t bring themselves to call God their heavenly Father.

Office and person -- keep the difference in mind. Give thanks to God that he establishes and fills the offices that sustain and enrich your lives. Keep it in mind even when you are served by the worker at the store or at the restaurant. Beyond the person, (who, hopefully is pleasant to deal with and a joy to do business with) but beyond that, believe and confess that right there is God working to provide you your daily bread.

Office: it’d help us to think about this notion as we think about the responsibilities we have and the people we deal with in our lives and the offices they carry out.

Your eternal life, your salvation was worked out by Jesus in His office. He is the anointed One. He was anointed the Great High Priest to offer the perfect, complete sacrifice for your sins. That’s the Gospel. God loved you and the whole world, so He sent Jesus to do this great work of saving you from perishing and providing you with eternal life.

That’s the eternal gospel, but it’s worked out in daily living as well. Jesus calls Himself the Bread of Life. Whoever receives Him will live forever. And then daily, he gives us daily bread, providing for our everyday needs. Believe in the Lord for your eternal salvation. Believe in the Lord for your present needs.

When God provided bread, manna, for the people of Israel in the wilderness, he attached some specific rules to the process. He said, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven . . . the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not.”

These rules were given for their own good. If they didn’t tend to it properly it would rot and stink. But this law was given to show faith. Would they believe in God? Would they believe in more than the eyes see? Would they trust that the words Moses and Aaron spoke and the actions Moses and Aaron took were not done by them as persons, but as those holding offices from God, and therefore it was God’s bread, God’s instructions, God’s control.

As part of your ongoing Lent meditation and discipline consider the commandments in the days ahead. Consider your place in life according to those commandments. What is your office? How is God blessing others through what you’ve been appointed to do? Consider those around you. Those who serve you. Those who work for you or with you. How is God keeping and blessing your life by their work?

In all things let’s direct our attention beyond what is just right in front of us. Let’s not grumble and complain like the Israelites did, against some poor blokes just doing their jobs. Let’s also be quick to give thanks and praise for the good things God arranges for us. And share those good things as we are able. Amen.

 

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

Let us pray.

O Lord our God, we acknowledge your great goodness toward us and praise you for the mercy and grace that our eyes have seen, our ears have heard and our hearts have known. We sincerely repent of the sins of this day and those in the past. Pardon our offenses. Correct and reform what is lacking in us. Help us to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Inscribe your law upon our hearts and equip us to serve you with holy and blameless lies. May each day remind us of the coming of the night when no one can work.

In the emptiness of this present age, keep us united by a living faith through the power of your Holy Spirit with Him who is the Resurrection and the Life, that we may escape the eternal bitter pains of condemnation. By your Holy Spirit bless the preaching of your word and the administration of your sacraments. Preserve these gifts to us and to all Christians. Guard and protect us from all dangers to body and soul. Grant that we may, with faithful perseverance, receive from you our sorrows as well as our joys knowing that health and sickness riches and poverty and all things come by permission of your Fatherly hand.

Keep us this day under your protective care and preserve us securely trusting in your everlasting goodness and love for the sake of your son, Jesus Christ our Lord who lives in reigns with you and the Holy Spirit one God now and forever. 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.

 

 

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 © 2021 Concordia Publishing House.