Wednesday of the 8th Sunday after Pentecost - Sermon and Video
Wednesday of the 8th Sunday after Pentecost
Collect of the Day: O God, whose never-failing providence orders all things both in heaven and earth, we humbly implore You to put away from us all hurtful things and to give us those things that are profitable for us; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
The Epistle on this Wednesday after the 8th Sunday of Pentecost is from Romans, the 6th chapter. Romans 6:19-23
19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. This is the Word of the Lord
Verse: Alleluia. Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy! Alleluia.
The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the 8th chapter. Mark 8:1-9
8 In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them, 2 “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. 3 And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away.”4 And his disciples answered him, “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?” 5 And he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.” 6 And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. 7 And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them. 8 And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. 9 And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. The Holy Gospel of our Lord.
Sermon: O Lord, your word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, my Rock and my Redeemer. Amen.
A common feature of advertisements is the before and after pictures. The house looked like this before we started working on it, now that we are done, behold, it is beautiful. We have seen the before and after images for all manner of things including weight loss drugs, haircuts, clothing, skin care, car care, and the list goes on. These days, anything that can be shown with a before and after picture visually proves the point that someone’s intervention saved the day.
In both of our texts today, we are presented with verbal before and after word pictures. Instead of a product to purchase, the agent that will bring about change is Jesus, the embodied Good News of God.
In the Gospel, the people are hungry. They are somewhere in the Decapolis region and have been with Jesus for 3 days. They came and stayed because they were hungry for Jesus saving Word through His preaching and teaching. The people desperately needed what Jesus gave them. But it is time to dismiss the people. They are famished. So, Jesus extends the mystery of the three days by the miracle of feeding 4000 people with seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. Before these people listened to Jesus they were spiritually hungry. Now their faith is filled. To prove the point that Jesus is the Son of God who has power over all things, and to illustrate that He is our eternal Good Shepherd who cares for his flock, Jesus miraculously provides sustenance to fill hungry stomachs and strengthen weak bodies. Out of so little, so many are fed.
The Apostle Paul focuses on the before and after images of the nascent church in Rome. Before they encountered Jesus Christ’s cross and resurrection in the preached Word and in Holy Baptism, they were sinners. They used their bodies for unholy practices because they had not yet been declared righteous on account of Jesus’ cross. But, now, through faith created by the Word in Holy Baptism, they belong to God. They respond to God’s grace through living as God wants His people to live. The Holy Spirit leads the baptized into a life that begins and ends with faith and follows God’s commands.
Through Jesus’ death on the cross, we have life.
Unlike the before and after advertisements, there is nothing for us to purchase. The Apostle Paul speaks the Gospel plainly: 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Jesus gives His life for us to that we may have forgiveness and the promise of eternal life in Paradise. And, it doesn’t cost us a dime. Jesus bears all the cost in his own body. Thanks be to God!
The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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