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Sermons and Bible Studies from Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Olive Branch, Mississippi and Peace Lutheran Church in Oxford, MS
Episodes
Monday Sep 04, 2023
Monday Sep 04, 2023
Monday Sep 04, 2023
Introit: Ps. 70:2b, 4a, 5b; antiphon: Ps. 70:1-2a
Gradual: Ps. 34:1-2
Old Testament: Is. 29:17-24
Psalm 146 (antiphon: v. 8)
Epistle: 2 Cor. 3:4-11
or Rom. 10:9-16
ProperVerse: Ps. 81:1
Gospel: Mark 7:31-37
Faith Comes from Hearing
A man who was deaf and therefore also had an impediment in his speech was brought to Jesus (Mark 7:31-37). In the same way, all are by nature deaf toward God and therefore also unable to confess the faith rightly. For "faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ" (Rom. 10:9-17). Jesus put His fingers into the man's ears, and He spat and touched His tongue. Even so in Holy Baptism, water sanctified by the words of Jesus' mouth is applied to us; and the finger of God, that is, the life-giving Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 3:4-11) is put into our ears in the hearing of the baptismal Gospel. Jesus' sighing "Ephphatha" opened the man's ears, and his tongue was loosed to speak plainly as Isaiah prophesied of the Messiah, "In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book" (Is. 29:18-24) So also, He who sighed and breathed His last on the cross for us has given us to hear and believe in Him and has opened our lips that our mouths may declare His praise.
Monday Sep 04, 2023
Monday Sep 04, 2023
Wednesday Aug 23, 2023
Wednesday Aug 23, 2023
Wednesday Aug 23, 2023
Introit: Ps. 68:1, 3, 7a, 10b, 19; antiphon: Ps. 68:5b, 6a, 35b
Gradual: Ps. 28:7b, 1a, 2a
Old Testament: Gen. 4:1-15
Psalm 50:7-23 (antiphon: v. 14)
Epistle: Eph. 2:1-10
or 1 Cor. 15:1-10
ProperVerse: Ps. 90:1
Gospel: Luke 18:9-14
The Lord Lifts Up the Lowly
"And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard" (Gen. 4:1-15). For unlike Abel, Cain's offering did not proceed from a heart that revered and trusted in the Lord. Thus, the lowly tax collector who prayed, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" was the one who went down to his house justified before God, not the respectable, outwardly righteous Pharisee who trusted in himself and his own good living (Luke 18:9-14). "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Eph. 2:1-10). The one who penitently despairs of his own righteousness and relies completely on the atoning mercy of God in Christ is the one who is declared righteous. For Christ died for our sins and rose again the third day (1 Cor. 15:1-10). Therefore, "everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."
Wednesday Aug 23, 2023
Wednesday Aug 16, 2023
Wednesday Aug 16, 2023
Wednesday Aug 16, 2023
Wednesday Aug 16, 2023
Introit: Ps. 55:1, 4-5, 16; antiphon: Ps. 55:16a, 17b, 18a, 22a
Gradual: Ps. 17:8, 2
Old Testament: Jer. 8:4-12
or Jer. 7:1-11
Psalm 92 (antiphon: v. 4)
Epistle: Rom. 9:30-10:4
or 1 Cor. 12:1-11
ProperVerse: Ps. 88:1
Gospel: Luke 19:41-48
Jesus Weeps for Jerusalem
Our Lord wept over Jerusalem for the destruction that would soon come upon her. For she did not recognize the time of God's visitation in Christ, who had come to bring her peace (Luke 19:41-48). Through His prophets God had consistently called His people to turn from their deceit and false worship. "But My people do not know the judgments of the Lord" (Jer. 8:4-12). They sought to establish their own righteousness rather than receive Christ's righteousness through faith (Rom. 9:30-10:4). So it was that God was in His temple to cleanse it, a precursor to the once-for-all cleansing from sin which He would accomplish in the temple of His own body on the cross. God grant us to know the things that make for our peace-His visitation in the Word and Sacraments-that by the Holy Spirit we may penitently confess "Jesus is Lord" (1 Cor. 12:1-11).