It Shall Not Return to Me Void: Isaiah 55:10-13

Isaiah 55:10-13: "10 For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. 12 For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; And it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."

Our Lord God through the Prophet Isaiah states that His Word shall not return to Him void, it shall accomplish the purpose for which He sent it. This is good news for us. For this Word is the Gospel, that is, the preaching that our sins have been forgiven on account of our Lord Jesus Christ's perfect fulfilling of the Law, and His sacrifice of death in our stead. This Gospel is for you, for all those who hear and believe.

And this Gospel shall encompass the whole earth. The mountains and hills, the trees of the field, everything will proclaim this good news. The Word of God produces trees, cypress trees and myrtle trees, not thorns and briers. This is the promise of our Lord God.

This is shown us in the Gospel reading for today, which is Sexagesima, or Exsurge, where we hear our Lord Jesus proclaim that the seed that falls on good soil will produce fruit of an hundredfold. Here the Prophet Isaiah also proclaims the same thing will happen. This pericope, appointed for this Sunday in The Lutheran Hymnal, adds to the Gospel reading, by proclaiming the good things that the Gospel does for all those hear.

We are told by the Lord God through the Prophet Isaiah, that this Word which comes down from Heaven, waters the soil, and gives bread to the eater. Here we see the elements for the two Blessed Sacraments of Holy Baptism and the Lord's Supper. These Sacraments also are the Word of God, they are the Word of God attached to a visible element. And it is through these Sacraments that the Holy Ghost works when and where He pleases to create and sustain faith in life in the believer.

It is our participation in these things, preaching and the Sacraments, where we are not only made into Christians, but the seed of faith that has been planted into us, is nurtured and sustained, so that it grows into a mighty tree, like a cypress or myrtle tree. Again, we have a tree, which draws us back to the cross of our dear Lord Jesus Christ. For those who believe on Him, have been crucified with Him, and all that dwells within them, has been buried in His grave. Therefore, we are made into trees, that is, trees of life. Trees can be seen from far away. Even if there is just one it can be distinguished as a tree. Not so with thorns and briers, the bushes of the enemy. But we are not thorns and briers, we are not under the oppression of sin and the slavery of death.

No, we live as trees of life, forgiven, redeemed, and from us, that is, from the Words of our lips as we share the Gospel in this world, all those who eat of our fruit of the Gospel, have the seed of the Word of God planted within them, and when they come into the holy house of God to hear the preaching and receive the Sacraments, the Holy Ghost creates and sustains faith and life in them, making them Christians, so that the cycle of Life continues onward.

May the fruit of eternal life go forth from our lips, and fill the hills and mountains, and produce fruit of an hundredfold, gathering all those who hear into the holy house of God.

God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

My Grace is Sufficient For You, For My Strength is Made Perfect in Weakness: 2 Corinthians 11:19-12:9

2 Corinthians 11:19-12:9: "11:19 For you put up with fools gladly, since you yourselves are wise! 20 For you put up with it if one brings you into bondage, if one devours you, if one takes from you, if one exalts himself, if one strikes you on the face. 21 To our shame, I say that we were too weak for that! But in whatever anyone is bold—I speak foolishly—I am bold also. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. 24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation? 30 If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity. 31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. 32 In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me; 33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.

12:1 It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord: 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—4 how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 5 Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities. 6 For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me. 7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me"

The Church at Corinth is over run with Judaizers. They want to force the Corinthians into observing all the old levitical laws and customs that the Jews grew up with. One may wonder why this is happening in a Greek Church, since Corinth is among the Gentile nations. However, when one considers that whenever St. Paul started to preach in a new city, the first thing he would do is find a Jewish synagogue and start preaching there first, when they would not listen then he would preach to the Gentiles. Now, there were often Jews who heard the message, and would be apart of starting this new church, but some of them, having been convinced by those who came out of the persecution of Jerusalem, and who believed that the old levitical customs should still be observed, started causing trouble in these new churches. Such is the case with the Church at Corinth.

This reading is the Epistle for Sexagesima, also sometimes called Exsurge, from the Introit. The theme for Sexagesima, is derived from the Gospel for the day, which is the parable of the Sower and the Seed from the Evangelist St. Luke's Gospel. St. Paul here in his Epistle to the Church at Corinth also talks about the importance of the Word of God. There is only one thing needful, and that is the Gospel. The Blessed Apostle, St. Paul, goes through a laundry list of things that have happened to him on account of this Gospel. It isn't a pretty picture.

There must have been those among the Judaizers who were boasting of their great deeds, and on account of this, some among the members of the Church at Corinth, were led astray. Therefore the Blessed Apostle St. Paul reveals what things he has suffered for the Gospel. It is on account of these things that he boasts. Now there are those, who if they had suffered much less than these things, would have left the Church. Indeed, in the Gospel reading, we see that very thing, as three out of four types of soil, reject the Gospel. That could mean that only 25 percent of the people who are preached to, actually hear and receive the glad tidings. However, this is not the point our dear Lord Jesus is making. Rather He is pointing His hearers to Himself, for He is both the seed and the soil, and the Sower, for it is on account of His fulfilling of the Law, or to say it another way, it is on account of His hearing His Father's Word and will, and doing it, that a harvest of more than a hundred fold was produced.

Part of that fruit was produced and harvested in Corinth. Here St. Paul also shows what things the seed of the Lord, those who are His offspring through the Word, must go through, the suffering they must endure for the Gospel. As was stated earlier, this might drive some off, but St. Paul shows that these things are what drives him to continue in the Gospel, for the Word that Christ has given us, is worth dying and fighting, and suffering for. For it is this Word that brings eternal life. It is the Gospel that has freed the Jews from the bondage of the levitical customs. No longer was it necessary to offer the sacrifices. No longer was it necessary to do the other customs. For Christ has fulfilled them once and for all. Therefore to go back to them, would be like going back to one's old sinful ways which they had given up.

Therefore, even though St. Paul has asked for the oppression to cease, it will not, for as our Lord says, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Christ was strongest at His weakest, that is on the cross as He dies, for even though in the eyes of the world, it appeared as if He had failed, He rather had won forgiveness, life and salvation for all. In short, He won for us grace. Therefore, His grace is sufficient, for it is the Words of eternal life.

May God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

Consecrate to Me All the Firstborn: Exodus 13:1-22

Exodus 13:1-22: "1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 'Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine.' 3 And Moses said to the people: 'Remember this day in which you went out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out of this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten. 4 On this day you are going out, in the month Abib. 5 And it shall be, when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, which He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall keep this service in this month. 6 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD. 7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days. And no leavened bread shall be seen among you, nor shall leaven be seen among you in all your quarters. 8 And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, "This is done because of what the LORD did for me when I came up from Egypt." 9 It shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the LORD's law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt. 10 You shall therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year. 11 And it shall be, when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as He swore to you and your fathers, and gives it to you, 12 that you shall set apart to the LORD all that open the womb, that is, every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have; the males shall be the LORD's. 13 But every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. And all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. 14 So it shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, "What is this?" that you shall say to him, "By strength of hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 15 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all males that open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem." 16 It shall be as a sign on your hand and as frontlets between your eyes, for by strength of hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt.' 17 Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, 'Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.' 18 So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt. 19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had placed the children of Israel under solemn oath, saying, 'God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here with you.' 20 So they took their journey from Succoth and camped in Etham at the edge of the wilderness. 21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. 22 He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people."

All the firstborn of Israel are consecrated to the Lord. Having celebrated this past week the Presentation of our Lord and the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is sometimes called Candlemas, this reading should be especially poignant. For it is the purification rite that the Blessed Virgin under went that is a result of this consecration of the firstborn. Everyone that opened the womb must be redeemed, that is, they must be bought back from God. This was done through the sacrifices listed in the Old Testament.

But this consecration of the firstborn, really points to our Lord Jesus Christ. For He is consecrated to His Heavenly Father, and because of this, He does His Father's will. For the Christian, our Lord Jesus is called the Firstborn out of all the dead. When the Blessed Apostle St. Paul states this, he is recalling this narrative from Exodus 13. For our Lord Jesus has opened up the womb of the tomb. He is the Firstborn of out the dead, that means that all those who are baptized with the waters of Holy Baptism, also come out of that womb of the tomb. Therefore, just as He was raised from the dead, and arose out of that tomb alive, so to all those who come out of the womb of Holy Baptism, are eternally alive in Christ Jesus.

This is why the Church is often referred to Holy MOTHER Church, for she gives birth to her children through the waters of Holy Baptism. A woman's womb, is like a tomb, for inside the baby grows alive while the outside world is unaware, especially before the baby's life is detected and known. In that time, it is as if the baby does not exist, as if it was dead to the world, however, that baby is alive and growing. So it is to in Holy Baptism, for in the waters of Holy Baptism the baby, or the one being baptized, is spiritually drowned in those waters, and all that is in him from Adam, and all that he has added thereto is drowned and killed in those waters of Holy Baptism.

Having therefore killed off the sin, death, and devil that lived in that child, he is now able to arise again to a new life in Christ. On the cross, our Lord Jesus took upon Him all of our sin, death, and the marks of the devil, and crucified it with Himself, so that He could place them eternally in the grave, and leave them their dead and rotting, so that they could no longer harm us or have an eternal effect on us. Having accomplished this task He rose alive again from the tomb, and opened the womb of eternal life.

However, He did not stop there. He did not only become the Firstborn out of all the dead, who are now living. But He gave that gift to all those who believe. He made us co-heirs of His triumph. So that now we also are considered in the Father's eyes as firstborn out of the dead, and His children. Therefore, we rightly call Him Father, for He is our eternal Father. Having then been consecrated to the Lord our Heavenly Father, through the waters of Holy Baptism, we do His will, trusting in His mercy and grace, and living according to His commandments, and listening to and hearing His holy Word, which is preached into our ears to keep reminding us that we are His children, and He provides us with all that we need to support this body and life. Especially has He gifted us with forgiveness of sins, eternal life and salvation.

May the Lord God Heavenly Father keep you in your baptismal grace, and bring you to His home in Heaven, when your Holy Baptism is consummated at your death.

God be with you!

Deacon Dulas