LESSON: JOHN 10:14-16

“Then the householder in anger said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city and bring in the poor and maimed and blind and lame.’” Luke 14:21

The householder’s instruction to his servant to go out quickly “to the streets and lanes of the city” refers to the fact that the Jews proved themselves unworthy of the Gospel and turned away from it. As a result of this, the disciples of Christ turned to the Gentiles. Before His resurrection, Christ instructed His disciples not to turn to the Gentiles or to preach in the cities of the Samaritans. They were too busy themselves only with the sheep of the house of Israel and to pasture them. This they also did.

But later, after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, when the Jews opposed Christ’s Word of salvation and refused to accept it, the apostles told the Jews, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it from you and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us” (Acts 13:46-47). The apostles then quoted a passage from the prophet Isaiah, “I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6).

The same instruction is given by the householder to the servant here in this Gospel: “Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city and bring in the poor and maimed and blind and lame. Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled” (Luke 14:21, 23).

SL 11:1214 (11)

PRAYER: O God, in your great mercy and grace you have given us the good news of salvation in your Son Jesus Christ. Fill our hearts with thankfulness so that we may tell abroad the glad tidings which we have received, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:33-38.

LESSON: LUKE 14:25-33

He called to him the multitude with his disciples, and said to them, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.” Mark 8:34-35

He who gives up something for the Gospel really loses nothing. Even if you lose your earthly life for Christ’s sake, He will give you another, better life, eternal life, as Christ Himself says: “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 10:39). If you have to leave child and wife, remember that God can take care of them and be a much better father to them than you have ever been. There is no doubt at all about this. Believe it with all your heart!

You have equally great assurance, together with rich promises and encouragement, that He will never fall down on His Word. He will keep His Word, as we shall also discover if we are ready to put our trust in it and to resign ourselves to it. He has given us His Word and promised; what more could we want, or what could we desire that is greater?

Is something lacking? Only in our faith. Let no one come to this banquet unless he comes with a thorough-going faith which exalts God above all creatures and loves Him above all else.

SL 11:1213 (10)

PRAYER: Almighty God, so reign in our heart and soul that Christ may always have dominion there. Grant that we may continue in true faith to confess Him with our tongues and glorify Him by our works with You, O Father, and the blessed Spirit, now and forever. Amen.

Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:33-38.

LESSON: ISAIAH 55:1-7

“A man once gave a great banquet and invited many; and at the time for the banquet, he sent his servant.” Luke 14:16-17

Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a marriage feast for his son and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast.” Matthew 22:1-3

This invitation was sent out in the manner described in this Gospel. The man sent out his servant to invite guests to this great banquet. The Apostles were sent out by Christ into all the world with one and the same message: to invite men to this heavenly banquet with one voice, with one Gospel, with one message.

If St. Peter had ever preached at a place where St. Paul had previously preached the Gospel, it would have been one and the same proclamation, the one like the other. It would not have been difficult for the hears to declare, “Peter preaches exactly the same message that we heard from Paul. They agree perfectly; they proclaim one and the same message.”

To indicate this basic sameness in the proclamation of the message, the evangelist says here, “At the time for the banquet he sent his servant.” He does not say “servants” or “many servants,” but “servant.”

SL 11:1211 (4)

PRAYER: We thank and praise You, heavenly Father, for the one, clear message of salvation, which You have given us in Your Gospel of salvation. Strengthen us in such a way that we always cling to this with our whole hearts, for Christ’s sake. Amen.

Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:33-38.

LESSON: LUKE 14:16-21

“A man once gave a great banquet.” Luke 14:16

In this Gospel, as well as in the remainder of Holy Scripture, we must make an effort, to the best of our ability, to grasp the true, simple meaning of the text and to rest our heart and conscience on it. Anyone who wants to do battle with the devil must not waver to and fro or totter, but must be sure of his ground, armed with clear and certain Scripture. Otherwise, when the devil gets him on to his fork by means of an unsure understanding, he will toss him to and fro like the wind tosses a dry leaf.

In this Gospel we must also obtain a sure understanding so that we may stand our ground. It has nothing at all to do with the Lord’s Supper, as has sometimes been claimed with the assistance of some really hair-splitting exegesis.

The sum and substance of this Gospel is that the Gospel has been preached and proclaimed in all the world, but only few accept it. It is called a “banquet” or a supper because the Gospel will be the last, final word and doctrine which will bring this world to a close.

This supper, then, is nothing else but a rich, precious meal, which God has made ready by means of the Gospel, through Christ, in which He sets before us great blessings and rich treasures.

SL 11:1210 (1-3)

PRAYER: Lord, You have set before us great blessings and rich treasures in the banquet prepared for us through Your Son and offered to us in Your Gospel. May we never lose sight of these blessings and treasures but ever regard them as our highest good, in and through our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:33-38.

LESSON: HEBREWS 3:7-15

Abraham said, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them … If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.” Luke 16:29, 31

In this Gospel you see how Abraham refuses to send someone from the dead to teach the living at the request of the rich man. He reminds the rich man that the living have Moses and the prophets to whom they should give heed.

In these words, we are also reminded of God’s prohibition against any kind of consultation of the dead on the part of the living (cf. Deuteronomy 18:10-12). It is certainly a devilish apparition when spirits make themselves known to men in response to various invocations, and request men to offer up masses for the dead, to undertake pilgrimages for them and to perform other works. There have also been claims that they have given assurances of success to those who have heeded their instructions.

In this way, the devil has misled men into putting their trust in works and drawn them away from faith. He has created the illusion among men that works can perform great wonders. What St. Paul foretold is being fulfilled, that God sends upon those who perish and refuse to love the truth and be saved “a strong delusion, to make them believe what is false” (2 Thessalonians 2:10-11).

Therefore, be well advised and learn that God refuses to make known how the dead fare after this life. Here the only thing that can help us is faith through God’s Word, faith which believes that after this life God receives believers into blessedness and condemns unbelievers. This is made abundantly clear in the Gospel of the rich man and poor Lazarus.

SL 11:1207 (31-32)
AE 78:65

PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, You are with us throughout our life; abide with us also at our death. Grant us not to die eternally but to rise to life everlasting with You and in You, who live and reign in the glory of the eternal Trinity, one God, forevermore. Amen.

LESSON: LUKE 12:16-21

Abraham said, “Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.” Luke 16:25

The inability of Lazarus to render bodily service to his neighbor has been more than recompensed by the rich spiritual service he has been enabled to render to others. For now, after his death, he serves the whole world with his sores, hunger, and distress. His bodily hunger feeds our spiritual hunger; his bodily nakedness clothes our spiritual nakedness; his bodily sores heal our spiritual sores.

He teaches and comforts us by his example, reminding us that God can still be pleased with us even if things do not go well with us here on earth, provided that we have faith. He warns us that God’s wrath can come upon us even if things go well for us in unbelief, even as God was pleased with him in his wretchedness and displeased with the rich man.

What king, with all his wealth, could render the whole world a service comparable with the service rendered us by Lazarus with his sores, hunger, and poverty? How wonderful are God’s works and judgements! In what a masterly manner He puts to shame the clever fool, with his reason and worldly wisdom, who prefers to see the beautiful purple of the rich man rather than the sores of poor Lazarus, who would rather look at a healthy man like the rich man than at an ugly naked body like that of Lazarus.

Christian faith brings about a complete change in our whole set of values.

SL 11:1200 (16-17)
AE 78:59

PRAYER: Enlighten us with Your Holy Spirit, heavenly Father, that we may always get and keep our values straight as Your children by faith in Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer. Amen.