Readings:
Psalm 51 Deuteronomy 26:1-11 2 Corinthians 8:16-24 Luke 18:9-14
Sermon:
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” Galatians 5:1
Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.
There is no captivity, there is no yoke, no bondage darker than the shadowy estate of slavery and the power that it has over men…
Yet, for every anguish of the spirit, for every deafening cry of the soul, there is an answer from our Lord, a God of liberty and freedom, that contends with the cause of His children and that strengthens and preserves them amidst their plight and struggle, amidst the challenges that overtake them and the hurt that burdens them, threatening to crush them under the weight of its bleak power. He hears the calls, the yearnings, the longing, and He responds with the force of His justice. “I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place. The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?” (Psalm 118:5 and 6)
Here we come to that deep and abiding truth, we have had a God who, in His tender mercies, in His gracious precepts, has maintained the dignity of humanity and the integrity of life through His declarations of liberty through all ages, in all times. So much so has He stated the freedom of men, that He would give His only begotten Son, our Savior, Christ Jesus unto this world for the sake of freedom, setting to flight the bondage of sin, death and the Devil and its dark hold over us. Through the encompassing sacrifice of the Messiah we would find undeserved, unearned liberty that would wash us clean in the wonder working power of the blood of the Lamb.
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Readings:
Psalm 53 Deuteronomy 13:1-11 2 Corinthians 7:2-16 Luke 17:20-37
Sermon:
I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. Deuteronomy 5: 6-7
How important is the First Commandment? For many of us, it kind of gets jumbled up with the others of the first four commandments describing our duty to God, before we get to the seemingly more relevant ones, like not cheating or stealing or killing. But to God, it was so important that not only are we expected to die rather than submit to false gods, but we are also expected to fight to defend the community of faith against them.
In today’s Old Testament reading we see God warning the people of Israel against being tricked or seduced into the worship of false gods. He warns them that even if a person claiming to be a prophet produces miraculous signs but does so in the name of another god, that false prophet must be put to death. And even if those nearest and dearest to them try to lead them astray, they must put aside all pity and compassion and cast the first stone, putting to death any who would introduce false gods into the community of worship.
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