Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church - Olive Branch, MS

The Prophet Amos in Israel

The Lutheran doctrine of Law and Gospel 

Introit: Ps. 84: 1-2a, 4, 10b, 11b; antiphon: Ps. 84:9-10a\rGradual: Ps. 92:1-2
Old Testament: Prov. 4:10-23
Psalm 119:9-16 (antiphon: v. 12)
Epistle: Gal. 5:16-24
ProperVerse: Ps. 65:1
Gospel: Luke 17:11-19

The Cry of Faith: Lord, Have Mercy
The ten lepers cried out from a distance, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" (Luke 17:11-19). Their condition cut them off from God and others. So also do the works of the flesh cut us off from God and others. "Those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God" (Gal. 5:16-24). Thus we cry out with the lepers, "Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy; Lord, have mercy," eagerly seeking His good gifts. Jesus said to the lepers, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed. So too, we walk by faith and not by sight, being confident of Jesus' help before we see any evidence of it, trusting that Jesus' cleansing words of forgiveness will restore us to wholeness in the resurrection. Let us be as the one leper who returned to the true High Priest to give Him thanks and glory. For Jesus bore our infirmities in His sacrifice at Calvary. His words are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh (Prov. 4:10-23).

More on God’s Word

Introit: Ps. 74:1-2, 19b, 21b; antiphon: Ps. 74:20a, 21a, 22a, 23a
Gradual: Ps. 77:14-15
Old Testament: 2 Chron. 28:8-15
Psalm 32 (antiphon: v. 2)
Epistle: Gal. 3:15-22
ProperVerse: Ps. 88:1
Gospel: Luke 10:23-37

Jesus Is Our Good Samaritan
The Law cannot help us or give us life. Rather, it confines everyone under sin as wounded and naked before God (Gal. 3:15-22). So it is that two figures of the Law, the priest and the Levite, passed by the injured man on the side of the road (Luke 10:23-37). Only the promised Seed of Abraham can rescue us and make us righteous before God. Only the Samaritan, our Lord Jesus, had compassion, as did the Samaritans of old (2 Chronicles 28:8-15). He came down to us in our lost and dying condition, pouring on the oil and wine of the Sacraments. He placed us on His own animal, bearing our sin and brokenness in His body on the cross to restore us. Jesus brought us to the inn, that is, the Church, and gave the innkeeper two denarii, that His double forgiveness might continue to be ministered to us. In this way the Lord, by whose Law we are torn and stricken, heals us and revives us by His Gospel and raises us up with Himself.

What does God’s Word say about Stewardship? 

The Word of God - Means of Grace 

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.

Recap of the Eve in Exile Documentary