Worship Helps for Pentecost 21

Worship Theme: Next to the attachment to hearth and home, a person’s chief attachment is to his purse. So it is not out of order to consider what God has to say about his gifts of wealth and to let him put those gifts in a proper context for us.

Old Testament: 2 Kings 5:14-27

¹⁴So he went down and dipped in the Jordan seven times, just as the man of God had said. Then his flesh was restored like the flesh of a small child, and he was clean. ¹⁵Then he and his whole escort went back to the man of God. He stood in front of Elisha and said, “To be sure, now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel. Now accept a gift from your servant.”

¹⁶But Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord lives, in whose presence I stand, I will not take anything.” Even though Na'aman urged him to accept something, he refused.

¹⁷Then Na'aman said, “If you do not want anything, please give me, your servant, as much dirt as two donkeys can carry, for your servant will never again burn incense or sacrifice to other gods, but only to the Lord. ¹⁸But may the Lord forgive your servant this one thing: When my master goes into the house of Rimmon to bow down there and he supports himself on my arm, then I too have to bow down in the house of Rimmon. When I bow down in the house of Rimmon, may the Lord forgive your servant this one thing.”

¹⁹Then Elisha said to him, “Go in peace.”

When Na'aman had gone some distance from him, ²⁰Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “My master was too easy on this Aramean, Na'aman, when he did not accept anything that he brought. As surely as the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.”

²¹So Gehazi chased after Na'aman. When Na'aman saw him running after him, he got down from his chariot to meet him. He said, “Is everything all right?”

²²Then Gehazi said, “Yes, everything is all right. My master sent me to say, ‘Look, just now two young men from the hill country of Ephraim, from the sons of the prophets, have come to me. Please give them a talent of silver and two sets of clothing.”

²³Na'aman said, “Certainly! Take two talents!” He urged Gehazi and tied up the two talents of silver in two bags with the two sets of clothing. Then Na'aman gave them to his two servants, and they carried them ahead of Gehazi. ²⁴When he came to the hill, he took the gifts from them. Then he hid them in the house and sent the men back, so they left. ²⁵Then he went in and attended his master.

Elisha said to him, “Where were you, Gehazi?”

Gehazi said, “Your servant didn’t go anywhere.”

²⁶Then Elisha said to him, “Didn’t my heart go along when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take silver, or to accept clothes or olive groves or vineyards or sheep or cattle or male and female servants? ²⁷Na'aman’s leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever.” Then Gehazi went out from his presence, leprous like snow.

1. How did Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, lie to Naaman?  What did Gehazi request?

2. How much did Elisha know about what Gehazi had done? (See 5:26)

Epistle: Hebrews 13:1–6  

Continue to show brotherly love. ²Do not fail to show love to strangers, for by doing this some have welcomed angels without realizing it. ³Remember those in prison, as if you were fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated, as if you yourselves were also suffering bodily.

⁴Marriage is to be held in honor by all, and the marriage bed is to be kept undefiled, for God will judge sexually immoral people and adulterers. ⁵Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have. For God has said:

I will never leave you,

and I will never forsake you.

⁶So then we say with confidence:

The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid.

What will man do to me?

3. As the writer to the Hebrews (Jewish Christians) wrapped up his letter with specific encouragements, which of them had to do with money?

4. In Deuteronomy 31:6, aged Moses told his successor, Joshua, something that the writer to the Hebrews says God promises all of us.  What was Joshua to trust, according to Hebrews 13:5?  And what are we to trust, as well?

Gospel: Mark 10:17–27  

¹⁷As Jesus was setting out on a journey, one man ran up to him and knelt in front of him. He asked, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

¹⁸Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except one—God. ¹⁹You know the commandments. ‘You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony. You shall not defraud. Honor your father and mother.’”

²⁰The man replied, “Teacher, I have kept all these since I was a child.”

²¹Jesus looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

²²When he heard this, he looked sad and went away grieving, because he had great wealth. ²³Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!”

²⁴The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus told them again, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in their riches to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁶They were even more astonished and said to one another, “Who then can be saved?”

²⁷Jesus looked at them and said, “For people, it is impossible, but not for God, because all things are possible for God.”

5. What is Jesus trying to accomplish with the request he makes of the rich young ruler?

6. What does Jesus want the disciples to realize when he contrasts the camel with the eye of a needle?

Answers:

1. Gehazi lied to Naaman by asking him for clothes and money for two young men from the company of the prophets (perhaps seminary students, in our terms \ future pastors).  Naaman gave Gehazi about 150 pounds of silver and two sets of clothes \ tens of thousands of dollars.

2. Elisha not only knew about Gehazi’s deceit.  He knew that Naaman had stepped down out of his chariot to speak with Gehazi.  He knew that Gehazi had started thinking about the olive groves, vineyards, flocks, herds and servants he would soon acquire.  In other words, Elisha knew everything.  Today, too, God knows everything about our greedy thoughts, words and actions.  We must never try to conceal them, but confess them and find mercy in Christ.

3. Many of the writer’s encouragements had to do with money: a) being hospitable, b) keeping our lives free from the love of money, c) being content with what God has given us, and d) confidently trusting in the Lord instead of people.

4. God told Joshua, and God tells us, “Never will I leave you.  Never will I forsake you.”

5. The rich young ruler thought he was good enough to get eternal life on his own, so Jesus served the rich young ruler a big helping of law / telling him to go and sell everything he had, give to the poor, then follow his Lord.  Jesus wanted the man to see that his possessions had become his god.  In doing so, Jesus wanted the young man to despair of being good enough for God on his own, and trust in him.

6. Jewish people in Jesus’ day were familiar with the camel as the largest beast of burden they used. They were also aware of just how small the eye of a needle was. When Jesus compared the largest with the smallest, he quickly conveyed the idea that it was impossible by human means to save oneself from sin and enter God’s kingdom.

Putting your faith into action

Jesus is picking on the rich again! Why is it so hard for rich people to enter the kingdom of God? A clue is in verse 22: “At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.” The rich man couldn’t get past the time he had to spend on securing, investing, and spending his money to give it all up to follow Jesus. Money and possessions, Jesus tells us throughout the New Testament, are an all-consuming burden. Managing riches for self gets in the way of stewardship—managing everything for God’s purposes. I suspect the rich young man didn’t enjoy his wealth nearly as much as he enjoyed wielding the power it afforded him. As you examine your life in the light of this lesson of Jesus, get to the bottom of it: Is it wealth and possessions that you enjoy, or the managing of your resources? As God’s stewards, our managing is directed toward what God would have us do. This frees you from the burden of wealth.

A reading from the Book of Concord for the 21^st Sunday after Pentecost

Those fussy spirits are to be rebuked who, after they have heard a sermon or two, find hearing more sermons to be tedious and dull.  They think that they know all well enough and need no more instruction.  For that is exactly the sin that was previously counted among mortal sins and is called apathy.  This is a malignant, dangerous plague with which the devil deceives the hearts of many so that he may surprise us and secretly take God’s Word from us.

Even though you know God’s Word perfectly: you are daily in the devil’s kingdom.  He ceases neither day nor night to kindle in your heart unbelief and wicked thoughts against the commandments.  You must always have God’s Word in your heart, upon your lips, and in your ears.  But where the heart is idle and the Word does not make a sound, the devil breaks in and has done the damage before we are aware.  On the other hand, the Word is so effective that whenever it is seriously contemplated, heard, and used, it is bound never to be without fruit.  It always awakens new understanding, pleasure, and devoutness and produces a pure heart and pure thoughts.  For these words are not dead, but are creative, living words [Hebrews 4:12].  This truth ought to urge everyone to the Word, because thereby the devil is driven away.  Besides, this commandment is fulfilled and this exercise in the Word is more pleasing to God than any work of, however brilliant. – Large Catechism, Ten Commandments, paragraphs 99-102

462  Oh, that the Lord Would Guide My Ways

1  Oh, that the Lord would guide my ways

To keep his statutes still!

Oh, that my God would grant me grace

To know and do his will!

2  Order my footsteps by your Word,

And make my heart sincere;

Let sin have no dominion, Lord,

But keep my conscience clear.

3  Assist my soul, too apt to stray,

A stricter watch to keep;

And should I e’er forget your way,

Restore your wand’ring sheep.

4  Make me to walk in your commands—

’Tis a delightful road—

Nor let my head or heart or hands

Offend against my God.

Text: Isaac Watts, 1674–1748, abr., alt.