“He will come to judge the living and the dead.” We confess it every Sunday, but often live like those are empty words. Number your days aright and gain a heart of wisdom! Jesus wants us to be the waiting Church—the Church that watches for her Savior and cries, “Come, Lord Jesus!” As we journey through these latter days, however, our vigilance slips, and our hearts grow drowsy because the bridegroom seems to be taking so long. So while we wait, the Church prays, “Keep us ever watchful for the coming of your Son that we may sit with him and all your holy ones at the marriage feast in heaven.” (Prayer of the Day)
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The Day of the Lord is drawing near, and it will be “a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation” (Zeph. 1:14, 15). We know that there will be a judgment, a separating of the sheep and the goats, the wheat and the chaff, the righteous and the unrighteous. So listen to the prophet Isaiah this morning: “Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow” (Is. 1:17). Be “good and faithful” stewards of His property (Matt. 25:21). Live by faith in His free gift of forgiveness, and multiply His goods in the loving forgiveness of your neighbor. “The Master of those servants” settles His accounts with them by the gracious reckoning of His Gospel (Matt. 25:19). Likewise, “do not continue to conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you test and approve what is the will of God—what is good, pleasing, and perfect” (Rom. 12:2). You can do this because “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool” (Is. 1:18). On that day, works and efforts will be for nothing, but those who fear, love and trust in the Lord will be saved.
The persistent widow was determined: she would receive justice, even from a corrupt judge. Her determination kept her begging for justice day after day. In the end she received her due even from a judge with no fear of God and no respect for his fellow man. Learn a lesson in prayerful persistence: How much more will our heavenly Father work justice and bring deliverance to those determined in prayer!
The Living God repeatedly works in the strangest of ways and with the strangest of objects for his loving and gracious activity. In a time of history when everyone was doing what was right in his own eyes, the LORD moved world, regional and local events to fit together so that Ruth, a Moabitess, would get a new god. She was turned from her old, dead gods and, by the grace of God, confessed her new LORD. The thin, blood-red line of the Promise included even her and then was passed on through her. Grace upon grace. You had old gods, too. You are repeatedly pulled to bow to those old gods when your heart is troubled by what you see or don't see, by what you hear or don't hear, by what you feel or don't feel. But, by the grace of God, the LORD moved world, regional and local events to fit together so that you got a new god, one who buried you and who make you alive in Christ Jesus—this He promises! So, to hell with your silly feelings and sensory perceptions that seem to portray another kind of god is in charge! The Word prevails. Jesus died. Jesus rose. Jesus continues to rule all things for the good of His body, the Church. Listen! And speak such power into the hearts of those who are troubled within earshot of you!
It is the believer’s duty to abstain from sin, give forgiveness, and serve our neighbor. It is a privilege to do our duty as Christians, but we are weak. The Church, therefore, prays that God would make us ready to do with a cheerful heart that which pleases him.
Godliness with contentment leads the faithful steward to a life marked by faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Content with our needs, we make faithful use of the Lord’s blessings to carry out his kingdom work. Use of money for God’s loving purposes, avoids the love of money itself. We fight the good fight to break the grasp of mammon and take hold of the eternal life to which we are called. So then, real wealth is found in heavenly treasure. Earthly riches are not a reward for doing good, but rather an opportunity to do good.
The Ten Commandments always accuse. That is their chief use. They also serve as a rough curb against gross outbreaks of sin. But they also function as the "true fountain" from which all good works must spring. We never have to try to invent or create works to do that are pleasing to God or go beyond what he has given us. In these Ten Commandments we have the guide we need to understand what truly pleases God. Some of Luther's most powerful remarks about the difference between God's Ten Commandments and man-made Church rules are found here. Luther thunders against the pomposity and false teaching that certain "Church works" are better in God's eyes than the simple, humble, lowly works of common life, such as a young girl taking care of a little child. In his Large Catechism, Luther provides a brief summary of the commandments and again shows how the First Commandment is the fountain for all the rest. God has given us a great treasure by giving us the Ten Commandments..
Divine Service ~ September 11, 2016 ~ The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost (9th & 10th Comm.)9/11/2016 Luther says that God gave these two commandments to ensure his people knew that stealing is not only the physical act of taking unjustly from another, but is also the desiring of something that is not ours, such as our neighbor's wife, servant's or any property belonging to our neighbor. These commandments are not broken with the hand or the mouth but with the heart. They remind people who consider themselves virtuous that they too, by nature, sin. Toward the end of his explanation in the Large Catechism, Luther offers a powerful and critical theological insight: All the commandments constantly accuse us of sin and reveal to us where we stand under the Law in God's eyes–guilty! This is the chief purpose of the Law, to show us our sin.
This commandment was given to protect one's name and reputation. Communicating in ways that do not uphold our neighbor's name and reputation break this commandment. The greatest violators are false preachers who, by their false doctrine, speak ill of God and his name. If we are aware of something negative about our neighbor, but have no authority to act, we should remain silent and not speak of it. However, when the proper authorities call upon us to speak to the matter, we will do so honestly. Also, if we are aware of something that requires the attention of public authorities, we will share it with them. Luther clearly states that civil magistrates, pastors, and parents must act upon hearing of something requiring their attention. Luther carefully distinguishes between secret sins and open, public sins. Secret sins should not be made public. However, when the error is open we have every right, even the duty, to speak publicly about it and to testify against the person involved. Speaking publicly about another person's public error or sin is not bearing false witness, nor is it a violation of Matthew 18. In his Large Catechism, Luther concludes that putting "the best construction on everything" is a fine and noble virtue.
Stealing is not only physically robbing another's possessions, but it is also taking advantage of other people. Luther was very concerned about unjust business practices, His comments particularly challenge us today, since we live in a culture built on a free-market economy and generally agree that nay price charged to people is morally acceptable. On the other hand, Luther points out how working people also steal from their employers by not giving a full day's work for a full day's pay. Though written over 475 years ago, Luther's comments on the Seventh Commandment are amazingly relevant and timely, and they point out the biblical distinction between the two kingdoms. For example, toward the end of the discussion on the Seventh Commandment in the Large Catechism, Luther wisely notes that the duty of the Church is to reprove sin and teach the Word of God. It is the duty of governing authorities to restrain lawlessness. The Church, as a spiritual institution, does not order society or enact societal laws; this is solely the duty of the government.
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