Worship Helps for Pentecost 3
Artwork: Calling of the Apostles
Artist: Domenico Ghirlandaio
Jesus appears as the light that shines in the darkness.
Dark places remain covered in the shadow of sin and unbelief. Now there are,
however, bright places too, and there you find God’s children. Jesus shines his
light by preaching repentance and the good news of the nearing kingdom, and he
invites us to follow him to a life illumined by him. Following him means living
in the joy of freedom (First Lesson) and walking in the light of love for God
and brother (Second Lesson).
Old Testament: Isaiah 9:1-4
On the other hand, there will be no more gloom for the one who was in
anguish. In the former time, he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of
Naphtali, but in the latter time he will cause it to be glorious, along the way
of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. 2The people
walking in darkness have seen a great light. On those living in the land of the
shadow of death, the light has dawned. 3You have multiplied the
nation. You have increased its joy. They rejoice
before you like the joy at harvest, like the celebration when people divide the
plunder. 4 For you have broken the yoke that burdened him, the
bar on his shoulder, and the rod of his oppressor, as you did in the day of Midian.
1. What kind of “darkness” were the people walking in?
2. What “great light” did they suddenly see?
Epistle: 1 John 2:3-11
3This is how we know that we
have known him: if we keep his commands. 4The one who says, “I know
him,” but does not keep his commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5If
anyone keeps God’s word, the love of God is truly made complete in him. This is
how we know that we are in him: 6The one who says he remains in him
should walk as Jesus walked. 7Dear friends, I am not writing you a
new command but an old one that you have had since the beginning. The old
command is the message you heard. 8At the same time, the command I
am writing is new—it is true in Jesus and in you, because the darkness is
passing away, and the true light is already shining. 9The one who
says he is in the light and yet hates his brother is still in the darkness. 10The
one who loves his brother remains in the light, and nothing causes him to
stumble. 11The one who hates his brother is in the darkness and
walks in the darkness and does not know where he is going, because the darkness
has blinded his eyes.
3. How can we be certain that we know God? How do John’s
words apply to people today who think they know God?
Gospel: Matthew 4:12-23
12When Jesus heard
that John was put in prison, he withdrew into Galilee. 13He left
Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of
Zebulun and Naphtali. 14He did this to fulfill what was spoken
through the prophet Isaiah: 15Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, along
the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, 16the
people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and on those dwelling in
the region and the shadow of death a light has dawned. 17From that
time, Jesus began to preach: “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven is near.” 18As
Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is
called Peter, and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea,
since they were fishermen. 19He said to them, “Come, follow me, and
I will make you fishers of men.” 20They immediately left their nets
and followed him. 21Going on from there, he saw two other brothers,
James the son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in the boat with their
father Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus called them. 22Immediately
they left the boat and their father and followed him. 23Jesus
traveled throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel
of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people.
4. What did Jesus do when he heard that the Baptizer had
been arrested?
5. What did Jesus do to help him in his job of preaching
the good news of the kingdom?
Answers:
1. These people were walking the spiritual darkness of sin
and death. St. Paul says that we were “dead in our transgressions and
sins” and “objects of God’s wrath” (Ephesians 2:1,3).
2. Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12) that brings
spiritual peace and joy.
The story of Zebulon and Naphtali was one of suffering.
These northern tribes bore the brunt of foreign attacks, most notably by
Assyria. Adding insult to injury, the land had become Galilee of the Gentiles,
a melting pot of resettled peoples and a hot bed of crass syncretism. It was a
land covered by the darkness of gloom and unbelief. Though the people’s
punishment was well deserved, it was not an end to itself, but a means to God’s
end. God’s plan broke upon them as suddenly as light shining into the darkness
when Jesus appeared and began to preach and teach. He fulfilled every one of
Isaiah’s prophecies: he honored them with his presence; he gladdened them with
his gifts; he freed them with his sacrifice for sin.
3. John says, “Obey his commands.” The Gnostic heretics
that John combated had little regard for laws and sin and the commands of God.
They felt they knew God well enough without worrying about acts of obedience.
How similar to modern unbelievers and even to many Christians today! They think
they know God, but they have little time for talk of sin, guilt, and obedience.
John tells us that contrary to their opinion, they do not know God. Jesus, our
Morning Star, has already come, and the light of his dawn is beginning to break
over the world, and the time for deeds of darkness is fading fast. There are
still places of deep darkness, but that is not the place to find God’s children.
They will be found walking in the light and shedding their own light on the
darkness around them by living in love for God and brother.
4. He returned to Galilee to preach the gospel, fulfilling
the words of Isaiah in the First Lesson.
5. He began to call his disciples. What faith they
showed by dropping everything and following Jesus!
The light of the world appeared and began to cast its beams. Fulfilling
Isaiah’s prophecy, the bulk of Christ’s ministry took place in Galilee of the
Gentiles which had been so oppressed. Galileans were the first to see the light
of God’s day breaking over the world. From that time on, Jesus began to preach,
and we hear the first public words of Jesus Christ: Repent, for the kingdom of
heaven is near. With those words the Holy Spirit describes Jesus shining his
light into the shadowed nooks and crannies of the world. From fishing boats to
synagogues, from workmen to lame men, Christ cast a beacon of light into the
darkened world around him with his three-fold ministry of teaching, preaching,
and healing. The kingdom of heaven drew near and called God’s children to
follow the light and live in the light.
Putting
your faith into action
Whatever we do, if we do it
for God, he will help us to do it better. When Peter and Andrew went fishing
that day, they never could have imagined anything better than the economic
benefit in filling their nets with fish. Then Jesus came along and showed them
a better way to keep on fishing: “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers
of men.” Whatever job you may have, whether menial or important, it is God’s
gift, to provide for the needs of yourself, your family, and to serve others.
Jesus came to live and work among us, to know us and understand us, to die for
our sins and rise again for our salvation. We cannot possibly thank him for all
he has done for us, but we can start by doing everything, using everything, to
bring glory to his name.
1] Since
a division has occurred not only between the Papists and us, but also among
some theologians of the Augsburg Confession themselves, concerning free will,
we shall, first of all, show exactly the points in controversy.
2] For since man
with [respect to] his free will is found and can be considered in four distinct,
dissimilar states, the question at present is not what was the condition of the
same before the Fall, or what he is able to do since the Fall and before his
conversion in external things which pertain to this temporal life; also not
what sort of a free will he will have in spiritual things after he has been
regenerated and is controlled by God's Spirit, or when he rises from the dead.
But the principal question is only and alone, what the intellect and will of
the unregenerate man is able to do in his conversion and regeneration from his
own powers remaining after the Fall; whether he is able, when the Word of God
is preached, and the grace of God is offered us, to prepare himself for grace,
accept the same, and assent thereto. This is the question upon which, for quite
a number of years now, there has been a controversy among some theologians in
the churches of the Augsburg Confession.
3] For
the one side has held and taught that, although man cannot from his own powers
fulfil God's command, or truly trust in God, fear and love Him, without the
grace of the Holy Ghost, nevertheless he still has so much of natural powers
left before regeneration as to be able to prepare himself to a certain extent
for grace, and to assent, although feebly; however, that he cannot accomplish
anything by them, but must succumb in the struggle, if the grace of the Holy
Ghost is not added thereto.
4] Moreover
[On the other side], both the ancient and modern enthusiasts have taught that
God converts men, and leads them to the saving knowledge of Christ through His
Spirit, without any created means and instrument, that is, without the external
preaching and hearing of God's Word.
5] Against
both these parties the pure teachers of the Augsburg Confession have taught and
contended that by the fall of our first parents man was so corrupted that in
divine things pertaining to our conversion and the salvation of our souls he is
by nature blind, that, when the Word of God is preached, he neither does nor
can understand it, but regards it as foolishness; also, that he does not of himself
draw nigh to God, but is and remains an enemy of God, until he is converted,
becomes a believer [is endowed with faith], is regenerated and renewed, by the
power of the Holy Ghost through the Word when preached and heard, out of pure
grace, without any cooperation of his own. – Formula of Concord, Solid
Declaration, Article II, Free Will (paragraphs 1-5)
Hymns: 771; 85; 84; 90; 577
1 O God from God, O Light from Light, O Prince
of Peace and King of kings,
To you in heaven’s glory
bright The song of praise forever rings.
To him who sits upon the
throne, The Lamb once slain but raised again,
Be all the glory he has won,
All thanks and praise! Amen, Amen.
2 Deep in the prophets’ sacred page, Grand in
the poets’ winged word,
Slowly, in type, from age to
age The nations saw their coming Lord;
Till through the deep Judean
night Rang out the song, “Good will to men!”
Sung by heav’n’s hosts in
splendor bright, Re-echoed now, “Good will!” Amen.
3 That life of truth, those deeds of love, That
death of pain mid hate and scorn—
These all are past, and now
above He reigns, our King once crowned with thorn.
Lift up your heads, O mighty
gates! So sang the angel hosts again.
Lift up your heads—your King
awaits. We lift them up, Amen, Amen.
4 Sing to the Lord a mighty song; Sing to his
name, his glories tell!
Sing, heav’nly hosts, your
praise prolong, And all on earth, your anthem swell!
Worthy the Lamb for sinners
slain! Forever let the song ascend!
Worthy the Lamb enthroned to
reign; Glory and pow’r! Amen, Amen.
Text: John Julian, 1839–1913,
abr., alt.
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