Full Text for CTM Outlines on the Wuerttemberg Gospel Selections 12-11 (Text)

no T? \,ill be no marrying no:r giving in narria f. also Luke 20: 34-38. Believers will be like angels, V. 30. Hesurrected bodies will be true bodies, same bodies as in this life, Job 19: 25-27. Example, Moses and Elijah on Mount of Transfiguration. But they will be heavenly, glorified bodies, Phil. 3: 21. Jesus called attention to God's power. Resurrection can be accomplished only by omnipotence. God proved power in Creation. If He can create from dust of earth, He surely can raise again from the dust of the earth. Apostle ca~~.:; u~~ention ~v &crmination of seed as an example, 1 Cor. 15: 37. Why should Gt be a·~_ .. .) raise the dead? Acts 26: 8. An Inconsistency Nor you nor I can make a blossom grow. A seed must be corrupted in the earth Before the first protruding blade will show An evidence of a new flower's birth; God lifts a spotless bloom from this decay, Nor can the wisest scientist explain How life comes forth out of the lifeless clay Under God's wand of sunshine and of rain. And yet what inconsistency to hold That I shall not be lifted up by God After this earthly body turns to mold Like the corrupted seed beneath the sod! Does God think more of flowers than of me, For whom His blood was shed on Calvary? T, E. B. Jesus adduced Scripture to prove that there is a r ection 1-:::_ .:juoted Moses. Could have quoted Job 19: 25-27; DC-. __ . 2, etc. Why did He quote Moses? Sadducees professed to accept only the teachmgs of Moses. They should have known what he recorded, Ex. 3: 6,16. Patriarchs had died whE:n Moses wrote these words, but "God is not the God of the dead, but of the living," v. 32. This Outlines on the Wuerttemberg Gospel Selections 849 surely means that the patriarchs are alive with God. In other words, there must be a resurrection. The Scripture declares it. We may well remind ourselves agaiIl and again to follow Christ's example and quote Scripture to prove God's doctrine. That def- initely decides matters. God's Word positively teaches a resur- rection of the body, Dan.12:2; Job 19:25-27; 1 Cor. 15; Luke 16: 19-31; John 5: 28,29; Phil. 3: 21. J . W. BEHNKEN Twenty-Third Sunday after Trinity Luke 14:16-24 It is pleasant to meditate on the glories of heaven. Wrongly : as an escape from the realities and rigors of present responsibility. Rightly : as a glory spurring us on to overcome every present trial. But the Lord makes clear in the parable before us that any medi- tation on future bliss should not leave out of account a present fact and condition; that is, that the way to heaven lies only through an invitation, extended to men in this present world, toward which they must take a stand. This invitation is our subject today. The World's Most Important Invitation: Accept a Place in God's Kingdom of Grace 1. What does this invitation contain? A) The invitation implies that we are by nature outside of the kingdom of God. An invitation is extended to those who do not possess the good thing to which they are invited. -(1) Man is by nature outside of God's kingdom because of sin. Eph. 2: 1-3. Man's disobedience to God cuts him off from a place in God's family and inheritance. (2) Man by nature does not even care to belong to the kingdom of God. His heart is depraved and does not under- stand the things of God. 1 Cor. 1 and 2. He places a higher value on such matters as making a living, buying and selling, family life, as the Savior points out in the parable. Thus matters otherwise good and profitable become a source of disaster. 1 John 2: 15-17. B) The invitation contains God's request that man should ac- cept a place in His Kingdom of Grace. -(1) The invitation offers a gift. The Savior in this parable chooses that illustration which puts the emphasis on the free nature of the invitation. It asks men to accept something toward which they have done nothing; some- thing which is completely ready for them, v. 17, like a festival meal. The similar parable Matt. 22 adds an episode emphasizing this fact by the further picture of the man without a wedding-garment. The invitation implies that God does everything; nothing of our old self, old pretensions and qualities, is to remain. (2) The parable plainly refers to God's invitation to accept salvation from sin and damna- 54 850 Outlines on the Wuerttemberg Gospel Selections tion which has already been procured for us through the work of Jesus Christ, our Savior. This work has left nothing for man to do. lt is God's gift to man, and it conveys its good to man simply in this, that man accepts it by faith, that he answers the invitation. Rom. 3: 23,24; 11: 6; 2 Cor. 5: 19; Heb. 10: 12,14. 2. How is this invitation extended? A) An invitation implies a word which is spoken, listened to, and accepted or refused. - (1) Through the Gospel, the account of the Savior's work and the plea to accept it, this invitation is ex- tended to men. They are to hear it. Rom. 1: 16; 1 Cor.l: 18. This word is put into the keeping of Christians that they, too, may aid in the business of invitation. Vv. 17, 21; Matt. 28:19. (2) This in- vitation is contained in, and reenforced by, the Sacraments, which likewise convey and seal the promise of the forgiveness of sins. B ) The invitation is an effective and powerful one. - (1) True, it can be resisted, and it is resisted wher e man, influenced by the lusts of the flesh and the false sense of earthly values, persists in his refusal, vv. 18- 20. So Israel repeatedly acted toward the mes- sage of the Gospel in Old and New Testament times; so many do to the present day. Luke 8: 12; John 3: 19 ff. (2) But God earnestly and powerfully invites. He has His Gospel preached and enlists us in this work in order to change, by the power of this message, the carnal heart and work faith. Acts 2: 38 ff.; 2 Cor. 5: 19 ff.; Jas. 1:18; John 3:5; 1 Pet. 1:23. The Savior's lesson of the precious invitation of the Gospel should impress upon us the glory of our salvation, completely pre- pared and waiting for all men; the power of the message which works faith in this salvation; the need of accepting this invitation and remaining steadfast in faith; and the responsibility which we have in sharing in the spreading of this invitation. RICHARD R. CAEMMERER Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Trinity Matt. 16:5-12 Scripture frequently warns us against the care of th is world, the worry about, and the concern for, the things of this world. It is true that we need them to support this body and life, but God has promised to provide us with all that we need. Yet we over- look these promises of the Lord and begin to worry. This care may prove very harmful to us. Therefore the Lord warns us: Matt. 6: 25-34; 13: 22. Our text shows us that The Care of This World is Blinding Our Eyes to Spiritual Truth 1. The disciples show us that this is the case 2. The Lord shows us how we are to be cured of this care Outlines on the Wuerttemberg Gospel Selections 851 1 The Lord was rapidly approaching the end of His public ministry. By word and deed He had proved Himself the promised Messiah. But His bitter enemies deliberately closed their eyes to this testimony and desired that He prove His claim by a sign from heaven. The Lord reproves them for their hypocrisy; out- wardly very religious, they were in their hearts wicked and spiritual adulterers, who had broken faith with their Lord, 16, 1-4. The Lord sailed away with His disciples, v. 5. He then uttered the solemn warning: v. 6. The disciples had been with the Lord for some time and had heard many of His parables. They knew that he used this method to present great spiritual truths. When He wished to ask about common, every-day matters, He used direct language, Matt. 15: 34; John 21: 5. The very use of this language should have led them to ponder the spiritual truth the Lord evidently wished to convey. But though the Lord did not even mention the word bread and spoke only of the leaven, they could think of nothing but of the fact that they had forgotten to provide themselves with sufficient food; cpo Mark 8: 14. Thus the care of the world blinded their eyes to spiritual truth, as it had done before, John 4: 31-33. Do we not behold ourselves in this mirror? We know Matt. 6: 33 and Luke 10: 42. But how often our eyes are blinded! We go to church, yet matters of this world keep us from paying strict attention to God's Word. In times of trouble we too often forget about the more serious trouble of our soul. We often restrict the glorious promises of God to this world. We feel grateful for relief from sickness of the body, but feel little reason for thanking God, who heals the sickness of the soul. Our longing is often confined to the present instead of being directed to the glorious future . 2 Left to themselves, the apostles would not have been cured and the care of this world might have choked the Word. But the Lord took matters in hand, as He does today. He reproved them, saying, "0 ye of little faith!" Giving in to the care of the world was not a slight, insignificant matter. He does not declare that they have lost their faith altogether, but He warns them that it is growing weak; if they are not careful, they may fully lose it. We also are inclined to consider such worldly cares as an insignificant matter and therefore do not watch and pray. The Lord tells us, Be careful; your faith, this precious gift, is at stake. The disciples had manifested faith when others had gone back and walked no more with Him, John 6: 66. The Lord had 852 Outlines on the Wuerttemberg Gospel Selections shown special confidence in them by choosing them as His dis- ciples and considering them worthy to be sent out to testify of Him. This made their present weakness of faith all the more worthy of censure. We also know the Lord much better than many others. He has blessed us with a great measure of His presence and spiritual blessings. The care which the disciples manifested was altogether ground- less, vv. 9, 10. Twice they had been shown in a miraculous manner that the Lord could easily provide for physical needs. This surely should have been enough evidence to cure them forever. They knew that Jesus was not uttering empty words when He said: Matt. 6: 33 b. They were to remember this truth for the future to keep them from again falling into this error. Likewise we must realize that the cares of this world dare not remain in our hearts because they in effect deny the gracious providence of our Lord. Therefore He has given us many glorious promises that He will care for us, so that we may drive away all gloomy thoughts. And God has manifested the truth of these promises in our lives many a time; let us remember these instances of the Lord's power and not be afraid. Finally the Lord reminds His disciples: v.n. The under- standing of God's Word is a most precious gift; we should not permit our cares to deprive us of this understanding. Therefore they, and we, must, with the help of God, again and again overcome these cares, so that the clear light of God's Word may shine into our hearts. The cure was effective in the case of the disciples, v. 12. May we, also, by the grace of God be cured whenever the care of the world besets us, that we may obtain the end of our faith! Day of Repentance Joel 2:13,14 PAUL F. KOEHNEKE One of the most impressive words of the just and merciful God is that in Ezek. 33 : n (18: 23,32) . Although God is just and righteous and cannot condone sin, He pleads with the sinner to turn from his sin and to seek forgiveness, grace, and mercy in Him alone. The Lord supports His call to all men with an oath by His own life, a fact which should cause men everywhere to take a most careful inventory as to their real attitude toward God. In this we also will be aided by the contemplation of our text. The Lord's Serious Concern for All Sinners 1. He implores them to show true sorrow over their sins 2. He promises them His grace and mercy Outlines on the Wuerttemberg Gospel Selections 853 1 In the entire first chapter of Joel, as well as in the first part of chapter 2, the Lord had painted a picture of almost unparalleled calamities and punishments of various kinds which He had sent upon the children of Israel on account of their wilful denial of the Lord and their frequent lapses into idolatry. He had also threatened further punishments if they refused to listen to the admonitions of His prophets and servants. Therefore He implores them to show true sorrow over their sins, to turn to Him with all their hearts, v. 12. a) Fasting, weeping, mourning, as named in order, can indeed be simulated and imitated even by hypocrites, and men have great difficulty in distinguishing between the true and the false. But God searches the reins and the hearts, Ps. 7: 9; 26: 2; Jer.17: 10. b) He calls upon His people for a turning to Him with all their hearts, in a change of attitude and relationship which is based upon sound facts, a turning away of the heart from that which is evil and cleaving to that which is good and right in the sight of God. This change is characterized by the emphatic call that the people should rend, not their garments, which could also be a mere show of hypocrisy, but their hearts. Not the act of Caiaphas, Matt. 26: 65, is acceptable in the sight of God, but the true remorse of the publican in the Temple, Luke 18: 13. 2 But if such godly sorrow has been effected in the sinner, 2 Cor. 7: 10, then the Lord's anxious concern for the sinner will also carry into effect His promises of grace and mercy, v. 13. a) On the one hand, the Lord is slow to anger. He is much more reluctant to assert His punitive justice than He is eager to show the wealth of mercy. He is not indeed like a weak father who condones the sins of his children, for He has found a way of satisfying His own justice. His repenting of evil means that He is ready to show mercy to a thousand generations rather than punish wicked sinners to the third and fourth generation. b) As a correlate to these facts the Lord is gracious (chanun) , ready to show unmerited love to sinners who repent. He is mer- ciful, or warm-hearted (rachum), ready to take away even the consequences of sin according to His good pleasure. He is of great kindness, the word chesed denoting favor, pleasantness, an attitude of fatherly benignity, an eagerness to be of assistance to the foolish sinners who have lost their way. In the measure in which we appreciate the Lord's earnest, serious concern for all sinners we shall be urged and incited to true repentance over all our sins and to a childlike confidence in His promises of grace and mercy. P. E. KRETZMANN , 854 Outlines on the Wuerttemberg Gospel Selections Thanksgiving Day Lam. 3:22-24 The present is a time of trying uncertainty, care, and al,xiety. A state of national emergency has been proclaimed. On every hand feverish activity in preparation for the grim business of war. In these days the annual Thanksgiving Day proclamation goes forth. Can we in all sincerity comply with it? Indeed! From the dark background of evil days the never-failing mercies of God shine forth all the more brightly. -Let us join Jeremiah of old in making Grateful Recognition of God's Mercies This means 1. To take invento1'Y of God's mercies totvard 'US 2. To regard these me1'cies as ttnmerited indeed 3. To have the Lord for OU?· all-sufficient portion 1 A) In the dark days of misfortune Jeremiah still recognizes God's mercies, various manifestations of mercy; foremost, the fact that Israel was not "consumed," that there was still a remnant of God's people, enjoying blessings even in captivity, with the hope of returning, etc. The darkness of his days does not blind him to the rays of light that yet appear. B) Base ingratitude, if we in our time failed to take true in- ventory of God's mercies toward our nation. Though not un- affected by the ills of our time, yet "we are not consumed." On the contrary, to the present day the history of our country is a record of unparalleled blessings. Contrast days of first Thanks- giving Day with the present. Note wealth of natural resources, abundant harvests, improved economic conditions, earnings, etc. Precious free institutions still preserved. - Above all, contrast our nation with practically all the nations of the old world, engulfed in the carnage and horrors of modern warfare. The advantage and security of our geographic situation, etc. What a catalog of bless- ings! - Nor let us fail to take inventory of individual blessings. First Article; Fourth Petition. Let us not overlook God's spiritual bless- ings. Second and Third Article. Literally God's mercies are new every morning. Every rising sun a call to bless the Lord. Ps. 103. Surely, a true inventory will make this and every day a true Thanksgiving Day. - All the more, since blessings are indeed un- merited mercies. Outlines on the Wuerttemberg Gospel Selections 855 2 A) Jeremiah ascri.bes the preservation of wayward Israel solely to God's mercy, his unfailing compassion, and great faithfulness. Had God dealt with Israel according to strict justice, they had in- deed been u tterly consumed. -Jeremiah makes this confession his own. "We." - All the more gratefully is Israel therefore to regard its preservation and blessings. B) True gratitude ever recognizes God's unmerited mercy, compassion, and faithfulness as the one and only source of bless- ings. Thus J acob. Gen. 23: 10. The professed thanks of the Phari- see (Luke 18: 10 ff.), hypocrisy. - Our nation, too, has every reason to make Jeremiah's confession its own. Half the population un- churched. National sin of gross materialism, greed, avarice, glar- ingly reflected in our days by most revolting conflict between capital and labor, with attendant violence, unworthy of a civilized nation. Corruption of every description, a veritable stench rising to provoke the righteous wrath of God. Surely, if any nation, ours has every reason to confess: "It is of the Lord's mercies," etc. Nor are w e Christians without guilt. Individually we confess with Luther: Explanation of Fifth Petition. - Collectively, as a church , coldness and indifference in our Lord's service. Let us sincerely, penitently, join in the confession of our text! Thus will the mercies of God appear all the more adorable and make us truly thankful. 3 A) Grateful recognition of God's mercies will bring to our hearts and lips the joyful declaration: "The Lord is my portion." Many material blessings had been withdrawn from Israel during the captivity. But God's grace and favor was still theirs. To Jere- miah that was all-sufficient, providing for every need in time and eternity. Reference to Num. 18: 20; Ps. 16: 5. B) The grateful heart recognizes God and his mercy as the greatest and highest good. Rightly so. Folly to place creature above Creator, the gift above the Giver. To lose God's grace and favor is to lose all. In possession of it through simple faith in Christ, lovingly, gratefully loyal to our merciful God, we may truly ("saith my soul"), also in t hese troublous days, join the apostle in the triumphant challenge Rom. 8: 31, 32; Ps. 73: 25, 26. AUG. F . BERNTHAL NOTE: Beginning next month, outlines on the Epistle Lessons of the Wuerttemberg Series will be published. EDITORIAL COMMITTEE