Archive for the ‘vocation’ tag
August 30, 2009: Titus, the Pastor
The text for this lesson is Titus 1:1–2:1; 1 Timothy 1:3–7; 3:1–7; 4:11–16.
Key Points
- As God called Paul to the preaching office for the sake of His elect and their eternal life, so He also called Titus and the pastors Titus appointed in Crete as gifts to His Church.
- Law: Many people see the Office of the Ministry as optional for the Church.
- Gospel: Pastors are gifts of God’s grace to complete “things that are lacking” (Titus 1:5 NKJV) in a congregation without them.
- Law: Congregations sometimes fail to respect the pastors God has given them.
- Gospel: When a pastor speaks the words of forgiveness of sins in Absolution or proclaims eternal life by Christ in the Gospel, it is as “certain, even in heaven, as if Christ our dear Lord dealt with us Himself” (Small Catechism: Confession; Luke 10:16).
- Law: Pastors must be willing and able to rebuke false doctrine and sinful lives, but pastors sometimes shirk these duties, and members sometimes resent when pastors do what they must.
- Gospel: Through His pastors, God speaks the Law to hardened sinners so that He can speak the Gospel of forgiveness to them when they repent.
- Law: Pastors must be above reproach and not arrogant, holding firm to sound doctrine.
- Gospel: Through the very same Word and Sacraments pastors administer to others, God forgives His pastors when they fail and guides them in His wisdom.
Context
As an apostle, Paul received the same mandate as the other apostles selected during Jesus’ ministry: to baptize and preach the Gospel (see Matthew 28:16–20; Mark 16:15) and forgive and retain sins (John 20:21–23). Lesson 12 explained that Timothy was one of the pastors trained and ordained by the apostles to carry on the apostolic ministry of preaching the Word and distributing the Sacraments. Titus was another such pastor. He does not appear in the Acts, but is mentioned several times in Paul’s epistles. In 2 Corinthians 8:23, Paul calls Titus “my partner and fellow worker for your benefit,” that is, for service to the church at Corinth.
We refer to 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus as “the pastoral epistles” because they were written to pastors (Timothy and Titus) and address the requirements for those who are placed into the Office of the Holy Ministry.
August 23, 2009: Timothy Is Taught
Reminder
This week, we change to our new format. The podcast is an interview hosted by the Rev. Todd Wilken of Issues, Etc. Because of this change, the publishing schedule for the podcast will also be different. Podcasts will now normally be posted the Wednesday before each respective Sunday.
The text for this lesson is 2 Timothy 1:1–7.
Key Points
- Though Paul could speak of himself as Timothy’s spiritual father, God had actually raised Timothy in faith through instruction in the sacred Scriptures by his grandmother Lois and his mother, Eunice.
- Law: When children disobey or disrespect their parents, they are not only sinning against God, who gave them parents, but are also ignoring God’s primary means of bringing children to Himself.
- Gospel: Children receive the very gift of heaven when parents bring them to infant Baptism (Acts 2:38–39) and then nurture them in faith by telling them about Jesus and bringing them to His house (Proverbs 22:6).
Context
Paul and the other apostles chosen by Jesus trained and ordained pastors to carry on the ministry of Word and Sacrament in Christian congregations (Titus 1:5). The purpose of the apostolic ministry was and is to deliver “the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 1:1) to sinners in need of salvation.
August 16, 2009: Soldiers Protect Paul
The text for this lesson is Acts 21:26–36.
Key Points
- God preserved Paul’s life from a mob through the intervention of His appointed servants, the Roman soldiers.
- Law: In our fallen world, crime and violence will always be a tragic reality.
- Gospel: Because we have been reconciled to God by Jesus’ cross, God does not abandon us to our senseless violence but graciously appoints governments to maintain peace and order through police and military forces.
- Law: The sinful nature in each one of us would resort even to murder to get its way, unless it is curbed by God’s Law (including the punishments God has ordained governments to carry out).
- Gospel: Christ’s death at the hands of lawless men has purchased forgiveness for our violent passions and actions.
Context
Paul is usually considered the apostle to the Gentiles but Jesus commissioned him as “a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15). Having completed three missionary journeys (Acts 13:2–21:16), Paul returned to Jerusalem to visit with James and the other elders of the congregation there (Acts 21:17–18). Paul recounted his endeavors among the Gentiles, and the elders glorified God for what He had done through Paul (Acts 21:19–20).
However, there were members of the congregation at Jerusalem who still adhered to many customs of the Mosaic Law. They accused Paul of preaching that Jewish Christians should not continue to observe the Mosaic Law (Acts 21:20–21). While Paul had insisted that Gentiles need not adhere to the Mosaic Law (Acts 15 and Galatians), he also never required the Jewish Christians to give up their customs. Paul voluntarily underwent purification rites in the temple (Acts 21:26). He knew that such rites were unnecessary, but deferred to the weakness of the faith of the Jewish Christians and became “all things to all people” (1 Corinthians 9:22).
August 9, 2009: Dorcas, the Mercy Worker
The text for this lesson is Acts 9:36–42.
Key Points
- The Lord continued His acts of charity and power through Dorcas and Peter.
- Law: We are often so busy with our own agendas that we give little time or thought to the needs of others, even those in our own congregations.
- Gospel: Our greatest needs of forgiveness, life, and salvation have been met by Jesus’ full devotion; therefore, we joyfully contribute our talents and energy to meet human needs.
- Law: The entire Church suffers loss at the death of one of its own.
- Gospel: The household of faith is comforted by the sure hope of resurrection to a blessed reunion.
August 2, 2009: The Parable of the Good Samaritan
The text for this lesson is Luke 10:25–37.
Key Points
- Jesus calls us to show mercy to everyone in need because He Himself is the Good Samaritan to us.
- Law: We are in desperate need of forgiveness because we have often passed by on the other side when we have seen our neighbor in need.
- Gospel: We are forgiven because Jesus had mercy on us, paying for our sins with His life.
- Law: We are sometimes selective in whom we love, loving those like ourselves but keeping our distance from those who are different.
- Gospel: Jesus equally loves Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female, young and old, and even each of us.
- Law: We are commanded to help and support our neighbor in every physical need.
- Gospel: We truly desire to love and serve our neighbor because Jesus first loved us.
Context
When the Lord revealed Himself to Moses, He described Himself as “a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6). His covenants with Israel were motivated by His grace, mercy, and love. Therefore, the love shown by individuals in Israel was to be understood as a gift from the Lord; any mercy they showed was animated by the mercy already shown by God.
When Jesus came, He found that many Jews were getting things backwards. Instead of saying, “God has been merciful to us, so now we live grateful lives of limitless mercy toward all others,” they said, “Let’s codify how much mercy we need to show—and determine to whom we need to show it.” The lawyer in the story of the Good Samaritan was a legalistic Pharisee and held to the latter attitude. Jesus used the story to call Israel back to the proper attitude.
July 26, 2009: Joseph, the Father
The text for this lesson is Matthew 2:13–15, 19–23; Luke 11:11–12; Ephesians 6:1–4; 1 Thessalonians 2:11–12.
Key Points
- The heavenly Father used dutiful Joseph to deliver His Son from death at the hands of Herod to preserve Him for death in due time on the cross.
- Law: Countless children today are in danger because men and women—including government officials—see them as a problem rather than a blessing.
- Gospel: Jesus’ death—not as an infant but far more painfully on the cross—has redeemed each of those children and the adults who threaten them.
- Law: Raising a family demands sacrifices of money, time, and freedom—sacrifices many men make in word only.
- Gospel: Since the heavenly Father sacrificed His Son, we are able to make great personal sacrifices willingly, knowing we still have everything we truly need.
- Law: Being a father is often a thankless job that is not highly honored in today’s world.
- Gospel: God honors men highly by allowing them to raise His dear children in faith.
Context
Joseph was Mary’s husband and a carpenter by trade, who was thought by many to be the biological father of Jesus (Luke 4:22; John 1:45, 6:42). The Gospels testify that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit; therefore, God was His Father (Matthew 1:18–25). Nonetheless, Joseph faithfully cared for Jesus as his own son. Though Jesus knew that His Father was God, He loved and respected Joseph and fulfilled the Fourth Commandment (Luke 2:41–52).
Mary appears alone at the wedding at Cana (John 2:1–12) and throughout the Gospels, so we do not know what happened to Joseph.
Jesus is the Son of God by birth (His human nature) and God the Son in essence (His divine nature). The Baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:13–17) shows His unique relationship with the Father. Through our Baptism into Christ and faith in Him, we become children of the heavenly Father (Galatians 3:26–27; John 3:5).
July 19, 2009: Joash Repairs the Temple
The text for this lesson is 2 Kings 12:1–16.
Key Points
- Because the temple was the place of God’s faithful dealings with His people, Joash, his workers, and their donors dealt faithfully in repairing it.
- Law: We often allow God’s house and worship to be a low priority in our lives.
- Gospel: Being with His people by Word and Sacrament is always God’s highest priority.
- Law: Too often we fail to bring God the first and best of our treasure—sometimes because we disagree with how it is being used.
- Gospel: God did not withhold His own Son, but freely gave Him up for us.
Context
Lesson 5 described the building of the Lord’s temple (1 Kings 5–6). There He dwelled in the midst of Israel to hear prayers, receive sacrifices, and bless His people. By the time of Joash, the temple had fallen into a state of disrepair on account of aging, neglect, and abuse.
Joash (also known as Jehoash) ascended the throne of Judah at the age of seven and reigned forty years (2 Kings 11:21–2:1). Prior to this, the wicked queen mother Athaliah sought to wipe out all of King David’s lineage (the Messianic line) so that she could control the throne, but the Lord rescued Joash from her hand (2 Kings 11:1–3). The godly high priest Jehoiada anointed Joash and secured the throne for him.
Joash reigned well as long as his counselor Jehoiada lived, but later the king backslid into idolatry (2 Chronicles 24:15–27). Joash’s life reminds us to live each day in repentant trust in the grace which God delivers in His Word and Sacrament, knowing that we can lose our salvation by leaving the church or living in persistent, intentional sin (Hebrews 10:23–27).
July 12, 2009: Naaman’s Servant Girl
The text for this lesson is 2 Kings 5:1–14.
Key Points
- Just as the Lord used an ordinary servant girl and ordinary water to heal Naaman, He cares for us through the ordinary people and ordinary means He chooses.
- Law:We may consider ourselves to be too young, too unimportant, or too poorly prepared to do anything valuable for God’s kingdom.
- Gospel: God constantly creates opportunities for us to share His love with others, and He brings miraculous results from our small efforts.
- Law: We may delude ourselves into thinking we are so important that God owes us special attention.
- Gospel: Though we do not deserve it, God cares for each one of us.
- Law: We too often want or even expect God to work in dramatic and exciting ways, such as pulsating worship, spectacular results to our witnessing, or giving us personal signs.
- Gospel: God gives forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation through ordinary water, through bread and wine, and through the voice of humble servants, all by the power of His simple Word.
Context
Elisha succeeded Elijah as Israel’s chief prophet. They both worked great wonders, but their main purpose was to exhort people to trust in and worship the Lord alone. Their miraculous signs were meant to turn people from false gods and lead people like Naaman to the conclusion, “Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel” (2 Kings 5:15).
In the Old Testament, leprosy describes various skin conditions that made a person ceremonially unclean (Leviticus 13–14). A common misunderstanding of the Old Testament ritual system is that “uncleanness” equates to sinfulness or condemnation. The book of Leviticus shows that this was not so; states of cleanness had to do with determining which people were eligible to enter God’s holy presence in the sanctuary.
Leprosy caused discomfort and had serious social consequences. People avoided lepers and considered them cursed by God for some particular sin. Elijah’s healing of Naaman previews Christ’s healing of lepers, which fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases” (Matthew 8:17). Jesus accomplished eternal healing for all people when He died for the sins of all (2 Corinthians 5:14).
July 5, 2009: Workers Build the Temple
The text for this lesson is 1 Kings 5:1–6:28.
Key Points
- The temple was a magnificent structure that symbolized God’s even more magnificent dwelling with His people: Christ Jesus.
- Law: The temple was a constant reminder of God’s presence with Israel, but we often forget that God is with us.
- Gospel: In Holy Communion, Christ is with us personally in His body and blood.
- Law: We take for granted that God is with us when we avoid coming to His house.
- Gospel: Each time His Word speaks to us and His Sacraments are given to us, He forgives us for our indifference.
Context
Solomon succeeded David as king of Israel (1 Kings 1:1–2:46) and continued the Messianic line (Matthew 1:6–7). He asked for and received a special gift of wisdom from God and Israel prospered in unprecedented ways (1 Kings 3:1–4:34). Solomon’s glory provided a point of comparison for Jesus’ teaching on God’s generous provision for His creatures, which offers Christians a life without anxiety (Matthew 6:25–34). Solomon’s proverbial wisdom set the stage for “something greater than Solomon” (Matthew 12:42), namely, Jesus, “whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30).
Though Solomon’s reign was initially characterized by peace and prosperity, his personal sins later cast a dark cloud over his reign. His decadence and intermarriages with pagans brought outright idolatry into Israel and invoked God’s anger and judgment (1 Kings 11:1-43).
June 28, 2009: The Friendship of David and Jonathan
The text for this lesson is 1 Samuel 18:1–4; 19:1–7; 20:1–42; 2 Samuel 1:17–27.
Key Points
- Rather than being jealous that God had chosen David to be king and ancestor of the Messiah, Jonathan accepted God’s plan and befriended David.
- Law: When we see others being honored, we often become jealous.
- Gospel: In our Baptism into Christ Jesus, God has chosen and honored each of us beyond any human accolades.
Context
The Lord chose David to replace disobedient King Saul (1 Samuel 13:1–14; 15:23; 16:12). After David was anointed king, “The Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the LORD tormented him” (1 Samuel 16:14). David was called to play the lyre for Saul, which relieved his spiritual torment. Saul became even more dependent on David after he killed Goliath (1 Samuel 17) and was set over Israel’s army (1 Samuel 18:5). Almost immediately, Saul became extremely jealous of David’s successes, began to view David as a threat to his throne, and attempted to kill David (1 Samuel 18:5–27). Saul realized that the Lord was with David and became even more afraid of him; thus, “Saul was David’s enemy continually” (1 Samuel 18:29).
1 Samuel 18–31 recounts the drama of Saul’s efforts to secure his throne by killing David. Though David was anointed king by the Lord in 1025 BC, he did not become king of Judah (the southern kingdom) until 1010 (2 Samuel 2), after Saul and his son Jonathan died (1 Samuel 31). David became king of Israel (the northern kingdom) in 1003 (2 Samuel 5).
