Worship Helps for Pentecost 9
Artwork: Mary and Martha
Artist: Nathan Greene
Worship Theme: Doctors
sometimes tell sick, weak people to put on some weight. Their body needs proper
nourishment. That is true also for our souls. Even after we become Christians
through the powerful working of the Holy Spirit, our faith-life needs daily
nourishment to fight against the power of sin inside us and around us. And how
is our faith-life nourished? Only through God’s gospel promises in Word and
Sacrament.
Old Testament: 1 Samuel 3:1-10
The boy Samuel was
ministering to the Lord in the
presence of Eli. The word of the Lord
was rare in those days. Prophetic vision was not common.
2Now it happened that Eli’s eyes had begun to grow dim, so that he could not
see. Once when Eli was lying down in his place 3and God’s lamp had
not yet gone out, Samuel was lying down in the Lord’s
temple, where God’s ark was. 4The Lord
called Samuel, and Samuel said, “I am here.” 5He ran to Eli, and
said, “I am here, since you called me.”
Eli said, “I did not
call. Lie down again.” So he went and lay down.
6Then the Lord called once
more, “Samuel!”
So Samuel got up and
went to Eli and said, “I am here, since you called me.”
He answered, “I did
not call, my son. Lie down again.”
7Now Samuel had not yet experienced the Lord’s
presence, that is, the word of the Lord
had not yet been revealed to him.
8The Lord called Samuel for the
third time. So he got up and went to Eli and said, “I am here, since you called
me.”
Then Eli realized
that the Lord was calling the
young man. 9So Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls
you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your
servant is listening.’”
So Samuel went and
once again lay down in his place. 10The Lord came and stood there and called as he had the other
times, “Samuel! Samuel!”
Then Samuel said,
“Speak, for your servant is listening.”
1. When young Samuel woke
up and heard someone calling his name, who did he think was calling him?
2. What did Samuel say to
the LORD when he realized who was calling to him?
Epistle: Colossians 3:12–17
12Therefore, as God’s elect, holy and
loved, clothe yourselves with heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility,
gentleness, and patience. 13Bear with one another and forgive each
other if anyone has a complaint against anyone else. Forgive, just as Christ
forgave you. 14And, in addition to all these things, put on love,
which ties things together in perfect unity. 15Let the peace of
Christ control your hearts, to which you were also called, in one body. And be
thankful.
16Let the word of Christ dwell in you
richly, as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, singing psalms,
hymns, and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17And
everything you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord
Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
3. First Paul tells us to love others, be thankful, etc.
Then he tells us to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly. What is the
connection, probably?
4. Paul does not picture a group of people sitting
passively as one person reads and applies God’s Word to them. What does Paul
picture, instead?
Gospel: Luke 10:38–42
38As they went on their way, Jesus
came into a village, and a woman named
Martha welcomed him into her home. 39She had a sister named Mary,
who was sitting at the Lord’s feet and was listening to his word. 40But
Martha was distracted with all her serving. She came over and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has
left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me.”
41The Lord answered and told her,
“Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, 42but
one thing is needed. In fact, Mary has chosen that better part, which will not
be taken away from her.”
5. When Jesus came to visit
their home, with what did Mary and Martha busy themselves, respectively?
6. According to Jesus,
which sister made better use of her time?
7. True or false: Jesus is suggesting that work is a
waste of our time.
Answers:
1. Samuel thought Eli, the
high priest, was calling to him at night.
2. Samuel said, “Speak, LORD,
for your servant is listening.”
3. The connection between
us loving others, being thankful, etc., and the word of Christ dwelling in us
richly is that we will only do the actions in the first group if the word of
Christ dwells in us richly. God’s good news in Christ is the power plant for
energy to love God and others.
4. Paul is not telling us
it is wrong for a pastor to preach to a congregation of Christians, but Paul
also envisions Christians teaching and warning each other with all wisdom as we
sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to each other— all in connection with
God’s grace.
5. Martha busied herself
with preparing a meal for Jesus, while Mary busied herself with sitting at
Jesus’ feet for the nourishment of her faith-life.
6. When Martha became upset
at Mary, Jesus told Martha that her sister had chosen the more necessary thing.
7. False. Jesus is simply pointing out that the
nourishment of our faith-life through the gospel is far more necessary than
worrying about earthly needs (see Matthew 6:25-34). Work is a blessing from God
as we are given the opportunity to serve him and one another in unselfish love.
Martha showed her selfishness when she became angry at Mary. Instead she should
have graciously accepted the task of preparing the meal by herself without any
thought of what Mary was doing! Instead of being angry at Mary, she should have
rejoiced that Mary was being granted such a wonderful opportunity to be
nourished through the gospel.
Putting your faith into action
We
sometimes think that we are the first generation to ever have been busy—the
first generation to ever have to make choices concerning the use and
stewardship of our time. It’s not true, of course. What Martha wouldn’t have
given for the use of a time-saving microwave! Mary surely had many things
beckoning to her that day—including God-pleasing service to her Lord. But even
that paled in comparison to using her time for the one thing needful—the
hearing of her Savior’s Word. Yes, there is a need for council meetings and trimming
the church’s hedges and balancing the congregation’s checkbook and organizing
the congregation potluck, but the best stewardship of our time still comes when
we sit with Mary at Jesus’ feet.
The eternal Father calls
down from heaven about His dear Son (Matthew 17:5) and about all who preach
repentance and forgiveness of sins in His name, “Listen to Him”.
All who want to be saved
ought to listen to this preaching. For
the preaching and hearing of God’s Word are the Holy Spirit’s instruments. By, with, and through these instruments the
Spirit desires to work effectively, to convert people to God, and to work in
them both to will and to do.
A person can hear and read
this Word outwardly, even though he is not yet converted to God and
regenerate. As said above, a person even
since the fall has a free will to a certain extent in these outward
things. So he can go to church and
listen or not listen to the sermon.
God works through this
means (i.e., the preaching and hearing of His Word). He breaks our hearts and draws us to
Him. Through the preaching of the Law, a
person comes to know his sins and God’s wrath.
He experiences in his heart true terrors, contrition, and sorrow. Through the preaching of, and reflection on,
the Holy Gospel about the gracious forgiveness of sins in Christ, a spark of
faith is kindled in him. This faith
accepts the forgiveness of sins for Christ’s sake and comforts itself with the
Gospel promise. So the Holy Spirit is
sent into the heart. – Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article II, Free
Will (paragraphs 51-54)
God’s Word is our great
heritage
And shall be ours forever;
To spread its light from age
to age
Shall be our chief endeavor.
Through life it guides our
way;
In death it is our stay.
Lord, grant, while worlds
endure,
We keep its teachings pure
Throughout all generations.
Text: Nikolai F. S. Grundtvig,
1783–1872; tr. Ole G. Belsheim, 1861–1925.
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