Then the Lord Rained Brimstone and Fire on Sodom and Gomorrah: Genesis 19:1-29

Genesis 19:1-29: "1 Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground. 2 And he said, 'Here now, my lords, please turn in to your servant's house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.' And they said, 'No, but we will spend the night in the open square.' 3 But he insisted strongly; so they turned in to him and entered his house. Then he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. 4 Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. 5 And they called to Lot and said to him, 'Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.' 6 So Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him, 7 and said, 'Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly! 8 See now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please, let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you wish; only do nothing to these men, since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof.' 9 And they said, 'Stand back!' Then they said, 'This one came in to stay here, and he keeps acting as a judge; now we will deal worse with you than with them.' So they pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near to break down the door. 10 But the men reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. 11 And they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they became weary trying to find the door. 12 Then the men said to Lot, 'Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city--take them out of this place! 13 For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it.' 14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, 'Get up, get out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city!' But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking. 15 When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, 'Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.' 16 And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife's hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. 17 So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, 'Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.' 18 Then Lot said to them, 'Please, no, my lords! 19 Indeed now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have increased your mercy which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, lest some evil overtake me and I die. 20 See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.' 21 And he said to him, 'See, I have favored you concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken. 22 Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there.' Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. 23 The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar. 24 Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens. 25 So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. 26 But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. 27 And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the LORD. 28 Then he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace. 29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had dwelt."

The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is a direct result of the unrighteousness of those cities, as we learned in the previous chapter. The unrighteousness of these two cities was so great that everyone is destroyed, the only people saved were Lot, his wife, and two of his daughters. We are told that Lot tries to save his other daughters by pleading with his son-in-laws, but they think he is joking, and they end up perishing. Even Lot's wife, who was initially saved, looked back on the destruction, which she wasn't supposed to do, and was turned into a pillar of salt.

Let's consider this from Lot's perspective. He comes out of this destruction with nothing but his two daughters. He had to leave everything else behind. He was left without any possessions. Remember that this is the land that he chose when his herdsman and Abraham's herdsmen were fighting over the good pastures. Lot chose the valley, which was lush and green. It is no longer that way, even unto today it is a barren wasteland, where not much lives, if anything lives. So, it would appear that Lot has lost practically everything, with the exception of his two daughters, and his own life.

However, Lot has something more than these things, he has righteousness. This is in the end what saved him. We learn from the reading that the reason Abraham pleaded with our Lord God in chapter eighteen was on account of Lot. Abraham pleaded with God for Lot's life. Lot shows his righteousness in protecting the two men sent to destroy Sodom and Gommorah from the men of those cities, who desired to know them carnally. God shows his distaste for such behavior in the manner of the destruction of these two cities. It should also be pointed out, that Zoar, the place where Lot was supposed to escape to, was also meant to be destroyed because of its proximity to Sodom and Gomorrah, but because Lot pleaded to escape there, since it was too far to make it to the hills, it was saved.

We are told in the verses following this pericope that Lot was scared to live in Zoar, on account of what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah, that he ended up living in a cave with his two daughters. It would appear that even though Lot was considered a righteous man, for some reason he desired to live with unrighteous men. That is, until the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, then he refused to dwell where unrighteous men lived. In a way, this is a picture of our Lord, who eats with sinners, and takes his dwelling place among the unrighteous, in order that he might save them, and heal them of their unrighteousness.

The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah also leads to the birth of two nations, which would come to always be at war with Israel. This narrative is relayed in the verse at the end of chapter nineteen. Lot's two daughters, having reasoned in their mind that Lot will have no offspring, because they are living in a cave, and there are no other people around, that they should each get their father drunk, and sleep with him; an event of which, holy Scripture tells us Lot was unaware. One wonders what he thought when his two virgin daughters each became pregnant.

The two daughters each gave birth to baby boys. Their names were Moab and Ben-ammi, which mean "from the father" and "son of my people," respectively. These two became the fathers of the Moabites and the Ammonites. These followed in the footsteps of their mothers, who learned how to live one's life from the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the nations that grew out of these two boys' loins, became the wicked cousins of the Israelites. And, they were the ones who caused the Israelites to turn away from their God, and worship false gods.

This is the true purpose of the narrative of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, to reveal where the people of Moab and Ammon came from. It also reveals where the wickedness of these two nations came from, that is, from Sodom and Gomorrah. We see from this that even though the evil is punished, it is not destroyed. And this sinfulness and evil eventually becomes a stumbling block to the Israelites, continuing to plague them.

This is why our Lord Jesus comes to dwell among us unrighteous sinners, so that He could on the cross destroy once and for all sin. We see the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as a prefigurement of the cross of our Lord. Brimstone and fire, mystically speaking, are rained down upon sin, death, and the devil on the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, and they are utterly destroyed. Their power is barren and they are a desolation. Such is our Lord's mercy toward us. He saves us, as He saved Lot, and He frees us from our sins.

God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

Do Not Even the Tax Collectors Do the Same?: St. Matthew 5:27-48

St. Matthew 5:27-48: "27 You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 31 Furthermore it has been said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' 32 But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery. 33 Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.' 34 But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; 35 nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one. 38 You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' 39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away. 43 You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."

"Do not even the tax collectors do so?" Our Lord Jesus asks this question of His disciples, expecting a negative answer. It is interesting that our Lord uses the tax collector as an example. It is even more interesting when one considers the Evangelist who recorded these words for us. It is none other than St. Matthew, the tax collector. How interesting it is that St. Matthew, the tax collector, points out our Lord's words about the sinful behavior of tax collectors. The point is not lost on St. Matthew. The fact that he relates our Lord's words regarding the abuse of tax collectors, shows his repentance, and that he has turned away from that life of sin. Or to say it another way, he has listened to our Lord's preaching, and his heart has been changed so that he no longer does those things but strives to live according to what our Lord teaches.

This is true for us as well. Correcting sinful behavior is not done just by resolving ourselves to a more righteous life. This is what the world teaches, and this is evidenced by twelve step programs, and purpose driven lives, and the like. These things will only get us so far. As soon as temptation sets in, and it will come again and again, after a time we will fail. For we will reason within ourselves that nobody really cares what we do, or, we are our own persons and can do what we want, or, we listen to the lies of the world, which tell us that everybody else is doing it, so why can't we.

True repentance, that is, turning from sin to a life of faith in our Lord Jesus, comes from hearing the preaching of our Lord Jesus. In other words, it is through the constant receiving of Word and Sacrament. For it is in these means of grace, that our Lord gives us the Holy Spirit to resist and refrain from sin. Apart from our Lord we can do nothing. Not only does He change our hearts and minds to be focused on Him and His works, so that we can trust in Him, but through the Holy Spirit, which He gives through preaching and the Sacraments, He gives us faith in Him. For that is what the work of the Holy Spirit is, to create and sustain faith and life in the believer, that is, those who don't resist Him, or put up spiritual walls to shut Him out.

This section from the Sermon on the Mount, addresses three specific commandments: the sixth, the eighth, and the fifth according to the ancient manner of numbering the commandments. That is, "Thou shalt not commit adultery"; "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor"; and "Thou shalt not kill." * Our Lord points out in His sermon that these commandments have a deeper requirement than we can actually keep. Each of these commandments could be addressed in full detail, but that would require more space than is desired in this post. In fact each of them could take up a week's worth of posts each. Therefore, they will be spoken of in general terms as they relate to the whole decalogue.

Every commandment has something that is forbidden, and something that is required of us. For example with regard to the sixth commandment, our Lord forbids, committing adultery, that includes even lusting, as our Lord points out in the Sermon on the Mount. What our Lord requires in the sixth commandment is that "we may lead a chaste and decent life in word and deed, and each love and honor his spouse." *

There are those who believe that if they keep the outward tenants of the Law that they do not sin, and have no sin, as did the Jews during our Lord's time, but He dispels this false teaching by pointing out that these commandments, in order for them to be kept, require a complete change of heart. The only heart that sinful desires do not come out of is our Lord's heart. He is the only one without sin, He is the only one who is righteous, He is the only one who fulfills the requirements of the Law completely. This is why His sacrifice on the cross is accepted by our Heavenly Father, for He is the True Spotless Lamb, who is pure, and free from sin.

We are not so, we lust, we hate, we lie and deceive, even when it is only misleading. The statement is often made that if another person knew our inmost thoughts, they would be shocked to hear of all of the degrading and vile thoughts that enter into our minds. We have these evil thoughts because we live in this world, and live in this flesh of sin, and the devil is still prowling about, ready to lead us into shame and despair, or pride and haughtiness. We have this comfort though, we are not alone. Not only does everyone else on the planet experience these same sinful desires, but our Lord Jesus, also comfronted all these temptation that the devil, throws at us, so He knows our pain and suffering. He knows it so well, that while we were yet His enemies, He loved us enough to suffer and die for us on the tree of the cross of shame.

Some may experience these temptations to differing degrees, but it is always in relation to what we can handle, as our Lord promised us. And, there are those outside of the Church, who live abominable and degrading lives, doing horribly sinful acts, and then have the gall to say that these things are good and right. This is a lie and deception of the devil, who wants us to accept these lewd sins as normal everyday acts, so that we say they are not sins, or worse, do them ourselves. There are many examples from this world that show how the devil and the world have misled and deceived us into thinking that things that are against the commandments are okay to do, and in some cases are even encouraged. To name a few: pre-marital sex, homosexuality, abortion, gambling, usury, or practice of lending to make a profit, and the use of witchcraft.

These are portrayed in our society as normal human behavior, and not sinful acts, and a breaking of the commandments. It is not a far cry from the Sermon on the Mount, where our Lord teaches the disciples how the Jews of their day dismissed the commandments of God by establishing loop holes, and saying that what God considered a sin, to not be a sin. We who desire to keep the commandments of God, must resist this temptation of the devil and the world, and also boldly defend the commandments when they are abused. The question that is always raised when someone stands up for the commandments, and for righteous behavior is the misuse of the passage from St. Matthew 7 on judging one's neighbor. Since that pericope comes up in a couple of days, it will be addressed then, but this much can be said, there is a difference between pointing out sin, and judging someone on account of their sin. Stayed tuned in a couple of days to get a more complete answer.

We are not lost however, our Lord, knows our suffering and struggle with sin, and He gives us His preaching and His means of grace, to strengthen and preserve us through the dark days when we are challenged by and struggle with sin. Therefore, get to the Church, participate in our Lord's good gifts, and receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to give you faith and life.

May God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

* Translation from Doctor Martin Luther Small Catechism and An Explanation of Christian Doctrine based on Doctor Luther's Small Catechism, Edited by Markku Sarela, Published by The Confessional Lutheran Church of Finland, 1999.

Then the LORD Appeared to Him By the Terebinth Trees of Mamre: Genesis 18:1-33

Genesis 18:1-33: "1 Then the LORD appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. 2 So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, 3 and said, 'My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant. 4 Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5 And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant.' They said, 'Do as you have said.' 6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, 'Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes.' 7 And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it. 8 So he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate. 9 Then they said to him, 'Where is Sarah your wife?' So he said, 'Here, in the tent.' 10 And He said, 'I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.' (Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.) 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. 12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, 'After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?' 13 And the LORD said to Abraham, 'Why did Sarah laugh, saying, "Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?" 14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.' 15 But Sarah denied it, saying, 'I did not laugh,' for she was afraid. And He said, 'No, but you did laugh!' 16 Then the men rose from there and looked toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to send them on the way. 17 And the LORD said, 'Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, 18 since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.' 20 And the LORD said, 'Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, 21 I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.' 22 Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the LORD. 23 And Abraham came near and said, 'Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? 25 Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?' 26 So the LORD said, 'If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.' 27 Then Abraham answered and said, 'Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: 28 Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?' So He said, 'If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it.' 29 And he spoke to Him yet again and said, 'Suppose there should be forty found there?' So He said, 'I will not do it for the sake of forty.' 30 Then he said, 'Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Suppose thirty should be found there?' So He said, 'I will not do it if I find thirty there.' 31 And he said, 'Indeed now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose twenty should be found there?' So He said, 'I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.' 32 Then he said, 'Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: Suppose ten should be found there?' And He said, 'I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.' 33 So the LORD went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place."

This pericope embraces two parts, one, the promise of our Lord God to Abraham that he would have a son. The second, the interceding on the behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah by Abraham.

Our Lord visits Abraham, and the first thing that they do together is eat a meal. This meal consisted of fresh baked bread, and a freshly slaughtered calf, with butter and milk. It seems that meals happen a lot in holy Scripture, when our Lord is involved. This meal (and really all meals in holy Scripture) of bread and flesh, is foreshadowing of the perfect meal that our Lord gave to us in His Body and Blood. In the Revelation of Jesus Christ to St. John, the eternal meal with our Lord is portrayed as a wedding banquet. We have all been to a wedding at some point, and weddings are known for their good food, and the abundance of food and drink. This is how eternity is pictured, an everlasting banquet.

The meal that we receive of our Lord's Body and Blood is a great meal that grants forgiveness of sins, and strengthens our faith in the Holy Blessed Trinity. But even this meal, on account that we still live in this sinful flesh, and in this sinful world, pales in comparison to the eternal meal that awaits us in Heaven.

There is a reason for all of the talk about meals in holy Scriptures. We often see our Saviour being invited over to somebody's house to eat with him. Meals are about communion, that is, fellowship. They are about uniting together in a bond of unity all those who eat the meal. For the Jews in the Old Testament, every meal was a figure of the Last Meal that they ate in the land of Egypt before the Exodus. For them every meal was an image of the unity that the people of Israel were united during the Passover. And so, when they sat down to eat with one another, or they invited someone over to their home to eat with them, it was showing a solidarity, a bond of unity. Therefore, when our Lord ate with people, He was uniting Himself to them; to their sinfulness, their pain, their struggle, and in uniting Himself to them He takes these things from them, and purifies them.

The same is true of the meal that we eat with our Lord and Saviour, which is His very Body and Blood, given in bread and wine. He unites Himself to us, taking away our sin and sorrow, and giving us of His very self. Those who eat this meal together are binding themselves together into a bond of unity. Therefore, all those who eat this meal are in agreement on doctrine and practice, and not just the doctrine and practice of the meal they eat, but in all points. The Church has practiced this from the beginning, and it has come to be known as closed communion. Those outside the faith, or outside the bond of fellowship have to wait until they are a part of that fellowship until they can enjoy the meal.

The Hebrews of the Old Testament practiced this as well, not allowing a foreigner or a stranger to eat with them, especially when it came to the Passover meal. Our Lord Jesus even practices this by eating the Last Supper with just His disciples.

And so Abraham, who by his faith, which is counted towards him as righteousness is in fellowship with our Lord God, and prepares a meal for him. The bond of unity between the Holy Blessed Trinity and Abraham is expressed in the proclamation once again of a baby boy to be born to the house of Abraham, who will be the father of many nations. The birth of this baby boy will be marked by joy, which is seen in the name that will be given to him, Isaac, which means "he laughed." Even Sarah, laughs with joy at such a prospect of giving birth to a baby boy when she is not physically able to give birth. Sarah is the first mother who gives birth when according to all reason and science she should not be able to. She is a figure of not only the Blessed Virgin Mary, but also her relative, Elizabeth, who also gives birth in her old age while barren. Isaac will become the prefigurement of our Lord, the only son of the father, who is obedient to him even unto death, as we will see in Genesis 22.

All fellowship, all meals, all promises of baby boys, all lead to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. For it is in Him alone where true fellowship and unity is to be found. Apart from His presence, and His action, there can be no unity, no fellowship. Indeed, there can be no righteousness. And so, our Lord heads to Sodom and Gomorrah for its destruction. For Sodom and Gomorrah represent the complete opposite of the bonds of unity and fellowship.

In Sodom and Gomorrah, we find a people where selfishness and hatred and lust and degradation and abominable acts of homosexuality are rampant, and indeed praised as worthwhile things. But in Abraham's pleading on behalf of these cities, we see our Heavenly Father's mercy and grace, for Abraham begs for our Lord God to not destroy them, but to spare them. Our Lord, in His own mercy, agrees to spare them if there are only found ten righteous persons within these cities. The narrative is not completed for us today, but we know from history, and from holy Scripture, that our Lord did not find ten righteous persons, only Lot, and his wife and daughters. Thus, Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, and their names became bywords of degradation and abominable acts.

These two cities picture the opposite of the fellowship that the Church shares with our Lord Jesus. For fellowship with Him is only through righteousness, not unrighteousness, like the men of Sodom and Gomorrah. Our righteousness is accounted to us because of our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. And on account of this faith, we are able to participate with Him in the holy Supper which He prepared for us by His death and the cross. Therefore, let us put away the works of unrighteousness, of revelry, of lust, of selfishness, and put on the works of our Lord Jesus Christ, so that we may be united in the bond of holy fellowship with Him, and with all those already united in Him.

May God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

Then He Opened His Mouth and Taught Them: St. Matthew 5:1-9

St. Matthew 5:1-9: "1 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: 3 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.'"

This morning reading is our Lord's teaching of the Beatitudes. This pericope from the Evangelist St. Matthew is a shortened form of the Gospel lesson appointed for the festival of All Saints. That festival is about the gifts bestowed upon the saints, and their work and labor done in faith to Him. Today's reading has a different theme being appointed in the season of Epiphany. Epiphany means "to manifest" or "to reveal." A good illustration to remember what Epiphany means, is to think of the cartoon characters who have a light bulb appear above their head when they come up with an idea, or think of something. The idea or thought has been manifested, they have had an epiphany.

The epiphany that takes place today is our Lord revealing His teaching to His disciples through the Sermon on the Mount. There is some debate, even among the Early Fathers, whether this sermon is given to just His disciples, or to the whole multitude, since it says after seeing the crowds He went up into the mountain, and after His disciples sat down, He began to teach them. St. Augustine and St. Chrysostom, the great Fathers of the West and East, respectively, seem to give warrant to the teaching that He was with His disciples alone. St. Augustine relating the reason for differences in this Gospel and St. Luke's Gospel, where our Lord stands for His sermon, is due to the fact that these are two separate sermons, one given solely to the disciples, the other given to the crowds. To whomever He was speaking, whether the crowds or just the disciples, is not as important a discussion as to what He was saying, and where He was saying it.

There are three places where our Lord Jesus takes His repose: the ship, or boat; the desert; and the mountain. These three things have much symbolism attached to them, and each reveal something about our Lord's person and work. Today we have the mountain. Now, our Lord doesn't go up into the mountain, as some would suppose, just for better acoustics. (They say the same thing about Him getting into a boat to preach, too.) The mountain hold more significance and it shows up often in our Lord's life. He is crucified on a mountain; He would often go to the Mount of Olives with His disciples to pray and sing hymns and psalms; The Temple was situated on a mountain; Jerusalem, the holy city, was situated on a mountain; He was transfigured on a mountain. From these brief examples we can see the importance of mountains in our Lord's life, but what do they signify about Him?

The Prophet Isaiah said, "Get thee up into a high mountain." (Isaiah 40:9) The Prophet Isaiah was talking about the preaching of good news, of glad tidings, that such good news should be shouted from the highest places, for they embodied the holiness and righteousness of our Lord God, on account of their proximity to Heaven. St. Chrysostom compares the Church to this mountain, for it is only within the Church that the mysteries of the truth are revealed and given out. St. Augustine carries this point even further by comparing our Lord Jesus to the mountain. For there are two important mountains in all of holy Scripture, Mt. Sinai, and Mt. Calvary. The one mountain represents the Law, the other represents the fulfiling of the Law, or the Gospel. Mt. Calvary is the mountain of our Lord, and the mountain where He wins the battle over sin, death, and the devil. This Mt. Calvary becomes the new mountain, replacing Mt. Sinai, for all of Christendom, the mountain of our Lord's righteousness, which He delivered through His love for us, by His very own death.

The Evangelist St. Matthew tells us that our Lord sat down, and opened His mouth, and taught them. Our Lord manifests Himself as the True Prophet, through His sitting down, which mystically speaking is a representation of His incarnation where He sits down into the flesh of mankind. If He had not taken on our flesh, we would not be able to come to Him, like His disciples come to Him on the mountain.

He also opens His mouth. He who had opened the mouth of the prophets, now opens His mouth to proclaim to His disciples His righteousness. The Beatitudes, as this section in holy Scripture is commonly called, is all about Jesus. He is the one who is poor in spirit, that is humble. He shows His humility by laying aside His glory to become a man in the flesh. He is the one who mourns for His lost people on account of their sins. He is the one who is truly meek. Meek people are those who suffer the trials and troubles of this life without seeking revenge, but rather, endure the punishment willingly, knowing they receive a greater crown in Heaven. Our Lord shows His meekness in enduring the cross and shame of our our guilt willingly and silently as a Lamb led to the slaughter. He is the one who hungers and thirsts after righteousness, desiring to learn all there is to learn about His Father in Heaven, and do what He commands Him to do. This is shown us by the Boy Jesus in the Temple, who spent three days, answering and asking questions of the teachers of the holy Scriptures. Truly He is merciful, for He doesn't treat us the way we deserve to be treated, that is, we deserve our punishment, as the malefactor on the cross next to our Lord Jesus rightly confessed about himself, that he was deserving of death. But our Lord shows His mercy by taking our punishment, and freeing us from ours.

He is the one who is pure in heart, that is, He is without sin. He is pure and clean. We are made pure and clean by grace, through the preaching of the Word of God, and the receiving of the Sacraments. We remain clean and pure in heart, when we continue in these things, and not disdaining them. Our Lord is also the true peacemaker. When our Lord refers to peacemakers, He is not just referring to those who make peace with their fellow man; those who live without dissension and discord amongst themselves; who do not have contentions and fighting amongst them and other people. He is the true peacemaker, for peace begins in the heart and the soul. One cannot have peace with his fellow man, where there is an inward struggle of the soul. Those who battle with sin, the devil, and the world, cannot have peace with his fellowman. Our Lord's heart is pure, and there is no struggle with sin and Satan and the world, for He has conquered them all, therefore He can make peace with mankind for there exists within His heart and Spirit peace.

Does that mean that there is no hope for us, that we can never find peace? Apart from our Lord Jesus Christ, the answer is a firm no. However, through the preaching of the holy Word and the administration of the Sacraments, our Lord gives us His Holy Spirit, who creates and sustains faith in us, replacing our sinful heart with the sacred and pure heart of our Lord Jesus. It is by putting on Christ, that we find peace in our souls, rest from the war with sin, death and the devil, and in receiving that peace, we can then live in peace with our fellow man.

These peacemakers, made by the Holy Spirit, are called sons of God. They have been given the title of their Saviour. Our Lord Jesus teaches His disciples these things in the Beatitudes, and by His person and work, He teaches us that He is the fulfillement and embodiment of these Beatitudes. He fulfills these Beatitudes for us, in order that we may be joined to Him and live as Him by the assistance of the Holy Ghost.

God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

This Is My Covenant Which You Shall Keep: Genesis 17:1-22

Genesis 17:1-22: "1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, 'I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. 2 And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.' 3 Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: 4 'As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. 7 And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. 8 Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.' 9 And God said to Abraham: 'As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. 10 This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; 11 and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. 12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. 13 He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14 And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.' 15 Then God said to Abraham, 'As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.' 17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, 'Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?' 18 And Abraham said to God, 'Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!' 19 Then God said: 'No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. 21 But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year.' 22 Then He finished talking with him, and God went up from Abraham."

Abram gets a name change. Now he will be called Abraham, which means "father of a multitude." (Abram means "exalted father.") Or to say it another way, he went from being a father of one, to a father of many. Sarai (meaning "princess") also gets a name change. Her name will now be Sarah, which means "noblewoman," or to say it another way, she went from being a princess to a queen. This is the result of the Holy Blessed Trinity making a covenant with Abraham, his and his wife's name are changed. The covenant itself is made through circumcision.

Circumcision is the removal of the flesh of the foreskin of a male child. The cutting of flesh was how covenants were made. In most cases that involved sacrificing of an animal, as we saw in previous readings where the animal of sacrifice was cut in two. This became the basis for the Old Testament Temple ritual of sacrifice certain animals for purification or forgiveness. The covenant that the Holy Trinity makes with Abraham involved this same cutting of the flesh.

Circumcision, the means of the covenant, was not meant to be a pleasant thing. It was a small representation of the punishment that sin brings, which is death. In order for death to be averted in the Old Testament, a sacrifice, that is, a life, had to be taken, and offered up to our Lord God. In circumcision there was a shedding of blood. This shedding of blood represented the penalty for sin being appeased. Our Lord Jesus Christ on the eighth day after His incarnation, entered into that covenant by His circumcision. Already on the eighth day of His earthly life He is shedding His blood for us.

Notice too, the words of the Blessed Trinity, that it was HIS covenant. This was not a two-way agreement, like we see in many contracts where one side agrees to give something in exchange for something else. This covenant is His covenant, He is the one making it, and He is the one promising to act upon it. This is good news for those under His covenant, because on account of sin, they would break that covenant, as is shown throughout Israel's history, evidenced by the majority of the kings of both the northern and southern kingdoms. This covenant of our Lord God finds its ultimate fulfillment in our Lord Jesus. Our Lord, comes of His own free will to be born a man; God in the flesh. In this flesh He fulfills the covenant by offering Himself up as a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. He is then buried, and rises again on the third day.

Circumcision symbolized death. It was the death of the foreskin. And it prefigured our Lord's death on the cross, and His shedding of blood. But circumcision was only a foreshadowing of the true means of God's grace and mercy. For those who partook of the covenant, who agreed to be apart of our Lord God's promise, were considered by Him to be His sons. And our Lord Jesus gives to us, His holy Church, a new covenant. This covenant of our Lord God, in which He promises us forgiveness of sins, eternal life and salvation is Holy Baptism.

This new covenant also symbolizes death. It symbolizes the death of sin and death. It is the symbol of our Lord's death and grave. But just as our Lord rose on the third day to new life, bringing eternal life to all who believe on Him, this new covenant, called Holy Baptism, raises us out of sin and death, into eternal life in Heaven with Him. And again, this covenant of Holy Baptism, is not our covenant. It is not our agreement with our Lord God. But it is rather, His agreement with us. He is the one who offers the covenant. He is the one who enacts the covenant. He is the one who completes the covenant by sending His Holy Spirit upon those who are baptized.

Also notice that our Lord God tells Abraham that the covenant shall be kept by him. This is not an inconsistancy. Our Lord God is not saying, "This is My covenant which you have do the work on." Our Lord does the work, but Abraham, and his descendants, have to participate in this covenant. And they participate by the act of circumcision. In the same way, we participate in the Holy Trinity's promises by participating in Holy Baptism. As our Lord Jesus said, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; But he that believeth not shall be damned." Meaning, if we wish to be saved, we must be baptized. Or to say it another way, if we wish to receive our Lord God's grace and mercy, we must participate in the means which He has given to us to receive His grace and mercy.

Abraham, and his descendants, participated in the covenant of our Lord God, because he believed in the covenant. We who have been baptized, also come to believe and trust in our Holy Baptism, as the means whereby we receive forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation. Therefore, we learn to live daily in our Holy Baptisms, confessing our sins daily to our Lord God, and weekly in private to our minister, drowning anew the Old Adam of sin that dwells within us, so that we might, like our Lord, rise each new day as a new man before our Lord without sin, wrapped in His righteousness and in His works.

And because we live our lives this way we learn to become like Isaac, the son of Abraham, whose name means "he laughed." In other words, we live in joy and happiness. Every time we see water, we are once again reminded of our Lord God's covenant with us and we rejoice that our sins are forgiven. May you too learn today to laugh and rejoice in your Holy Baptism, standing before our Lord God as a new man.

May God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

Follow Me and I Will Make You Fishers of Men: St. Matthew 4:18-25

St. Matthew 4:18-25: "18 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 Then He said to them, 'Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.' 20 They immediately left their nets and followed Him. 21 Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him. 23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. 24 Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. 25 Great multitudes followed Him--from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan."

Today is an holiday. It a day to celebrate the deeds and faith of a beloved saint and man. Today is the festival of the Confession of St. Peter. This mornings reading although not specifically appointed to today's festival, does seem to fit for this day of celebration. This morning's reading has the calling of St. Peter, along with St. Andrew, St. John, and St. James the Elder.

At first glance this pericope from the Evangelist St. Matthew seems to contradict with the Evangelist St. John, since St. John has St. Andrew, and the other disciple who is not named (but probably is St. John) following Jesus the day after His baptism. And in St. John's Gospel, St. Peter is brought to Jesus by St. Andrew. St. Matthew, on the other hand, has Sts. Andrew, Peter, James the Elder and John, being called by Jesus next to the sea of Galilee, while they were fishing. There seems to be an inconsistancy in the two narratives.

There is an explanation for the seeming differences between the two pericopes. The Evangelist St. John relates the first meeting of these disciples with our Lord, however, He does not call them. He only invites them to spend the evening with Him. However, in the Evangelist St. Matthew's narrative our Lord specifically tells them to follow Him. And since they had already met Him and spent time with Him they immediately drop all and follow Him.

Here is what must be kept in mind as far as timeline. Our Lord was baptized, met His disciples, attended the wedding at Cana, and then was led into the wilderness, and spent forty days and nights by Himself. He had preached in Nazareth, and would have been thrown off a cliff if He had not escaped from among them. He moved to Capernaum, next to the sea of Galilee, which is where the disciples from this mornings pericope lived. He then called these four men, three of which became His closest disciples, and accompanied Him whenever He would do something of importance. Shortly after these things, our Lord Jesus cleanses the Temple at the time of the Pasch.

This should shed some light on the seeming incongruity between the two Gospels. However, this is not the main point of this pericope. This reading is all about our Lord beginning His earthly ministry. He begins by calling men that would carry on His message after He ascended into Heaven. These men would spend about three years with our Lord, hearing Him, learning from Him, seeing His miracles that showed them He was in deed the Messiah.

Our Lord's preaching and ministry had an affect on these men. This is why we celebrate today, for one of these men, the Blessed St. Peter, confessed that our Lord was indeed the Son of God, the One promised that would save men from their sin. It was upon this confession that our Lord built the Church. Against this proclamation of the Gospel, which proclaims our Lord Jesus to be the One and only Saviour, the gates of hell cannot prevail. This is the faith which the Church is built upon. The Church is built upon the faith of her children, who believe and trust in their Lord alone for salvation.

Today, after calling His disciples, Sts. Andrew, Peter, James the Elder, and John, our Lord Jesus, goes throughout all Syria, that is, the northern part which used to be Israel, and was the first part of the kingdom to be led into captivity by Assyria, preaching in their synagogues, and healing the sick and demon-possesed. He reveals Himself as the Messiah, the Christ. He reveals Himself as our One and only Saviour. Those who see His deeds, believe on Him, and they follow Him wherever He goes. Those who follow Him are not just the disciples who He specifically calls to follow Him, but also all those from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and all those beyond the Jordan.

We who have heard His Word in these times also follow Him, for we hear His Word, see His deeds, that is, His Blessed Sacraments, and we are spiritually healed by His gifts. And so, today, we rejoice in the confession of the Blessed St. Peter, and we rejoice that we too have the freedom to confess Him as our One and only Saviour from sin, death, and the devil.

May God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

I Will Raise Up For Them a Prophet Like You From Among Their Brethren: Deuteronomy 18:15-19

Deuteronomy 18:15-19: "15 The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, 16 according to all you desired of the LORD your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, 'Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.' 17 And the LORD said to me: 'What they have spoken is good. 18 I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. 19 And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him.'"

Unlike this morning's reading from the Epistle for today, which did not appear to have anything in common with the Gospel reading. This evening's reading, appointed as the Old Testament reading for the Second Sunday after Epiphany, shows the theme of the Gospel rather clearly. This reading from the Book of Moses, commonly called Deuteronomy, relates the prophecy given through Moses to the people of Israel, that our Lord God would raise up from among their brethren a Prophet.

In the Gospel for today we heard of our Lord Jesus manifesting Himself as God by working His first miracle. In this He shows that He is the Propet that our Lord God promised to the Israelites. We are told that His disciples believed on Him, on account of the miracle at Cana.

Our Lord God tells us that this Prophet would speak all the Words that He gave to Him. And whoever does not listen to them, or heed them, payment will be required. This is a clear statement that only our Lord Christ is the True Messiah, and that salvation is found only in Him. Those who do not hear His Words, that is, believe on Him as did the disciples in today's Gospel, cannot have salvation. There is only one way to heaven, and that is through the True Prophet, our Lord and Savior Jesus.

The Old Testament prophets were called and sent to preach glad tidings. The glad tidings of our Lord God, specifically the glad tidings of the coming Messiah. Our Lord Jesus as Prophet does the same thing, He proclaims Himself and His work of salvation. In the Gospel from St. John 2, our Lord doesn't speak to proclaim Himself, but He does a work, a miracle to proclaim Himself as the Messiah.

In our Lord Jesus this prophecy recorded in the Book of Moses called Deuteronomy is fulfilled. He manifests Himself as this Prophet by performing a miracle. This is really just the first step in His work of salvation for mankind. From Cana He began to preach and teach about what He was to do, and who He was. His disciples who were with Him in Cana got to spend the next three years with Him hearing His Word, which was the Father's Word. They in turn carried that Word to the whole world, until it reached our ears. We have been given the proclamation of the True Prophet. We have been told about our Lord Jesus and the great things that He did for us.

And through the mouths of the prophets of today, who proclaim our Savior, we continue to hear what He has done, that He fulfilled the Law perfectly for us, and suffered and died in our place. We hear of how our Lord Jesus sent us the Holy Ghost to work through means to give us faith and eternal life, so that we might have peace and joy in Him. And we hear of all the good things that our Lord Jesus continues to do for us through His Word and Sacraments, and that on the Last Day, He will raise us up, along with all the dead, and we who believe on Him; who have heard and listened to His Word, will live with Him forever in heaven.

May God keep you in His holy Word, and strengthen you richly and daily with His Holy Spirit.

God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

Be of the Same Mind Toward One Another: Romans 12:6-16

Romans 12:6-16: "6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. 9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble."

This mornings reading which is the Epistle appointed for the Second Sunday after Epiphany, doesn't really seem to have anything to do with the Gospel reading for today, which is our Lord's first miracle, the changing of water into wine at the wedding at Cana.

There is something to be said about this, that is, that certain Epistles throughout the Church year are what they call "continua lectio." This is an ancestor of the ancient practice of reading the Scriptures continuously, the Bishop telling the Deacon when to stop reading. The Deacon would start up the next time where he left off. One can see this pattern when one looks at the list of Epistle reading for Epiphany, they are all from Romans 12 and 13 with only a few gaps in between. Hence, certain Epistles in the Church year were not meant to necessarily relate in theme to the Gospel, but instead were certain parts of Scripture that were read at certain times of the year.

However, the theme of the Gospel, that our Lord manifests Himself as God, can be seen in this Epistle. Our Lord Jesus is manifested through the saints who prophesy, minister, teach, exhort, give, lead, or show mercy. When the saints do these things, they show the love of our Lord, Who shows His love in the Gospel reading today, by not only providing for a need, but revealing Himself to His disciples that He is the Messiah, and foreshadowing the blessed Sacraments of baptism and communion.

Of course the Blessed Apostle, St. Paul qualifies his statement to the Church of Rome by saying that just doing these things, doesn't manifest our Lord, but rather, those who do these things without hypocrisy, that is to say, doing these things in faith; Believing that when these things are done, our Lord Jesus Christ is manifested to those who receive them in faith. This is similar to the Gospel reading for today, for those who saw the sign, done for the benefit of those at the wedding in Cana, manifested our Lord Jesus, and His disciples believed in Him. That is to say, they had faith that He was the Messiah.

This faith is really only fostered in unity. For where there is discord and strife, a roadblock to faith is put up, for people are so consumed with the discord that they lose sight of the thing that truly matters. However, it should be stated up front that unity does not come at the cost of the Word of God. True unity exists where people dwell together in the peace of like teaching. When there is unity in teaching and belief according to those teachings, there is a trust and bond that truly displays the love of our Lord Jesus Christ through us.

This is such an important point, that the Blessed Apostle, St. Paul, tells the Church at Rome to "be of the same mind toward one another." Or, in other words, be in unity in doctrine and practice. This is only accomplished through humility. Humility comes by submitting yourself to someone else. In the Church this is done by fellow ministers of the Word submitting themselves to examination of their doctrine, life, and practice by their other fellow ministers of the Word. This is only fostered by an enviroment of accountability, meaning, when your brother ministers challenge your doctrines or life or practice, that minister should listen to them, and humble himself before them., especially if that fellow minister of the Word be a Bishop, who has the care of the ministers under his authority.

Where this humility and accountability exists, love, trust, and peace exist. Our prayer is that the whole Church on Earth might experience this great gift of our Lord God.

May God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

I Am Your Shield, Your Exceedingly Great Reward: Genesis 15:1-21

Genesis 15:1-21: "1 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, 'Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.' 2 But Abram said, 'Lord GOD, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?' 3 Then Abram said, 'Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!' 4 And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 'This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.' 5 Then He brought him outside and said, 'Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.' And He said to him, 'So shall your descendants be.' 6 And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. 7 Then He said to him, 'I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it.' 8 And he said, 'Lord GOD, how shall I know that I will inherit it?' 9 So He said to him, 'Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.' 10 Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. 11 And when the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. 12 Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then He said to Abram: 'Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. 14 And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. 16 But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.' 17 And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. 18 On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: 'To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates--19 the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.'"

Abram shows a moment of doubt towards God's promise. He hears the promise, but doesn't see the results. There are times we can certainly relate. God has promised in His Word that His Word will not return to Him void, yet, from our perspective we often don't see this happening. We see congregations disdaining the Word of God, exchanging it for man-made platitudes. We see discord among brother ministers of the Word, where we should see unity. We see strife between clergy and lay people, where there should be peace. We see Church bodies forsaking the Word of God by teaching things that God does not teach. We would think that this world would hear God's Word more attentively than it does.

Of course this is really our own sinful desire to place demands upon God. We expect to see results, just like Abram did. However, as God in the pericope points out to Abram, just because there are no visible results, does not mean that the promise won't come true.

The same is true of our Lord's second coming. This promise was given almost 2,000 years ago, and yet we still wait for His return. There are some who are so antsy for His return that they start making up dates. Again, this is our sinful desire to place demands upon God, instead of trusting that His promises will come true in His own time, and on His own terms.

However, our Lord God doesn't just tell Abram to trust in Him, of which Abram would have been content, for his faith is strenghtened simply by the repetition of the promise, and we are told that this is counted as righteousness, but God actually makes a covenant with Abram, through the sacrifices of the animals that Abram offers. The same is true for us as well, God doesn't simply just remind us of His promises through the spoken, preached Word, but He actually gives us signs that testify to His promises. These signs are His holy Sacraments, and means of grace, that is, Baptism, Absolution, the Lord's Supper, and the mutual conversation and consolation of the brethren, in addition to preaching.

Through Baptism and the Lord's Supper we have actual physical signs we can point to that not only proclaim our Lord God's promises, but actually impart forgiveness of sins, eternal life and salvation, which was won for us by our Lord Jesus's death on the cross. These simple signs of water, bread and wine, when connected to the Word of God, remind us of the promise, and place us once again into His covenant that He made with Abram. Even a case could be made for preaching and absolution, for the sign would be the man of God who was sent by Him to impart forgiveness, and proclaim the good things that our Lord has done for us. This minister is a visible sign that God fulfills His promises, for he represents the mouth of God Himself, when He preaches the Word of God in its truth and purity, and administers the Sacraments according to Christ's institution.

The same can be said about the mutual conversation and consolation of the brethren, for wherever two or three are gathered together in the Name of our Lord Jesus, He is there amongst them. When we are surrounded by fellow believers in Christ, we have a visible example that God keeps His promises, for we are shown by the gathering of the saints, that God's Word is not fruitless, but has fulfilled its purpose.

Now granted, the men of God, and the gathering together of the saints, aren't as sure signs as the water, bread and wine, since these elements never fail, unless one would use elements unfit for these Sacraments. On account of sin, however, mankind does fail from time to time to give a decent witness of the promises of God. This, however, does not render the promises untrue. Rather, it makes them more true, for we see from these simple mundane things our Lord's grace and mercy, working through what we might consider inferior vessels.

Our Lord God tells Abram that He is his Shield, and His exceedingly great reward. This is the same promise that is made to us. How great it would be if we had faith like Abram's and believed and trusted in God simply when He spoke to us, no matter in what form that Word came to us. Our doubts would be assuaged, and we would have joy knowing that our Lord God is fulfilling His promises.

May God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

The People Who Sat in Darkness Have Seen A Great Light: St. Matthew 4:12-17

St. Matthew 4:12-17: "12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. 13 And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: 15 'The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: 16 The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.' 17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'"

St. John the Baptist is put in prison. It would seem that as soon as our Lord Jesus shows up, the devil immediately begins to do all things that he can to put obstacles in the way of our Lord's work. Our Lord will have no rest from the devil, and his tempations, and his questioning and harassing of Him until He is dead on the cross. Such is our Lord's life. All of the temptations, troubles, sorrows, trials, dangers, and the like that we face throughout our lives, our Lord Jesus faces in abundance. His pain, His sorrow, His trials and temptations are greater than we ever experience, for the devil can win if he succeed in getting our Lord Jesus off of His mission of saving us.

But our Lord is fit to the task. He does not waver, but trusts completely in His Father, that His Father could send down legions of angels to assist Him if He so desired. However, as we learn from Scripture, our Lord Jesus takes the punishment, takes the abuse of the devil, in order that He might fulfill His work of salvation on our account. This is the love of our Savior. This is His grace. He takes on our temptation and punishment; And this, in more abundance than we ever experience.

Our Lord Jesus, however, is not, it would appear from His departing into Galilee after St. John the Baptist's imprisonment, afraid to avoid a situation that is not necessary for Him to experience. He would not have much of a ministry, if He began preaching near the Jordan River like St. John the Baptist, and then was arrested like him before His time. And so, He retreats to Galilee, and makes His home there in Capernaum. We are told by the Evangelist St. Matthew, that this was foretold by the Prophet Isaiah. Our Lord would abode in Zebulun and Naphtali by the sea.

The interesting thing to note about the prophecy of the Prophet Isaiah is that Galilee is considered the land of the Gentiles. This poses the question, "Why in the land of the Gentiles?" Galilee was divided into two sections by King Solomon, one for the Jews and one for the Gentiles. It is here in the section set apart for the Gentiles that our Lord takes His abode. This region of Zebulun and Naphtali, was also the first section of Israel that was lead into captivity and exile by the Assyrians. So it seems that our Lord takes His abode in the place where the darkness and shadow of sin and death were at its greatest. Our Lord Jesus comes to the darkest place, spiritually speaking, to shed the Light of the Gospel upon these who so desperately need it.

It would seem that the use of the word "retreat" is a little bit of an overstatement. So let us follow so far the steps of Our Lord Jesus Christ's adult life as we know it. He is baptized, and then spends 40 days in the wilderness being tempted by the devil, then after St. John the Baptist is put in prison, He leaves Judea, where he was preaching, and then (we are told by the Evangelist St. Luke) He goes to Nazareth to preach in the synagogue, in which they want to throw Him off a cliff, and now the Evangelist St. Matthew tells us that the prophecy of the Prophet Isaiah is fulfilled by our Lord's abiding in Capernaum of Galilee. It appears that our Lord is faced with adversity throughout the beginning of His ministry. And where does He go? He goes to the place that is the darkest, where Satan's power would seem to be the strongest, and makes His abode there.

This is what our Lord Jesus does for us, He takes on the devil head on. He does this through His preaching. And if one examines the preaching of St. John the Baptist, and our Lord Jesus Christ here in the Gospel of St. Matthew, one would find that the sermon is exactly the same. "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Mystically speaking, we have an instance where the Law, represented by the preaching of St. John the Baptist who was the last of the Propets of the Law, gives way to the Gospel, represented by our Lord Jesus who is the Light of the world.

In this manner, our Lord comes to us. He comes with His preaching into the darkness of our lives full of sin, and sheds the Light of His Gospel upon us. He calls us out of darkness into His glorious Light. Therefore, the beautiful words of the Prophet Isaiah are fulfilled in our midst whenever the Word of God is preached and taught in its purity, and the Sacraments are given out according to Christ's intention, that is, "the people who sat in darkness have seen a great Light." That "Great Light" is our Lord. And although this prophecy was directed at those who were lead captive by the Assyrians, it finds its true fulfillment in the all those who hear the Word of God and believe it.

May we ever see this Great Light and be rescued from the darkness of our sins.

God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

Then Melchizedek King of Salem Brought Out Bread and Wine; He Was the Priest of God Most High: Genesis 14:8-24

Genesis 14:8-24: "8 And the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and joined together in battle in the Valley of Siddim 9 against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar--four kings against five. 10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of asphalt pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled; some fell there, and the remainder fled to the mountains. 11 Then they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. 12 They also took Lot, Abram's brother's son who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed. 13 Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, for he dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner; and they were allies with Abram. 14 Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 He divided his forces against them by night, and he and his servants attacked them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. 16 So he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people. 17 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley), after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him. 18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. 19 And he blessed him and said: 'Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.' And he gave him a tithe of all. 21 Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, 'Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself.' 22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, 'I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, "I have made Abram rich"--24 except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.'"

This evening we get to meet the high priest of God Most High, Melchizedek. And what does the priest of the Most High God do? He brings bread and wine. How could this not be anything but a figure of what the priests of today do every Sunday and Feast day? The priests of today, Bishops, Pastors, and Deacons, bring out the bread and wine to be consecrated in the Blessed Sacrament of our Lord's Supper.

Melchizedek is figure of our Lord Jesus Christ. The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews makes this connection for us in the fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters of that book. The Psalmist David, likewise in Psalm 110, connects the promised Messiah to Melchizedek. In these passages we have Scriptural proof, that Melchizedek is a prefigurement of the Messiah, that is, the Christ, our Lord Jesus, to come.

There are some things that need to be noted about Melchizedek. First, he is a king. Second, that he is the king of Salem. Third, that he is a priest of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth. Fourth, he blesses Abram. Fifth, the meaning of his name.

The fact that Melchizedek is a king, also ties him to our Lord Jesus. For our Lord is also a King. He sits on the right hand of the throne of God, judging the quick and the dead. What do kings do? Or, what are they supposed to do? Kings are supposed to supply the needs of their people. Melchizedek supplies the needs of those returning from the slaughter of the kings by bringing to them bread and wine. He brings them something to satisfy their hunger, and to lift their spirits. Our Lord Jesus supplies the needs of His people by giving them His very own Body and Blood in bread and wine, to feed their souls, and strengthen them from the battle with sin, death, and the devil. He also declares as King, that all those who believe and trust in Him, are free from sin, and free from the punishment of sin.

That Melchizedek is the king of Salem, also ties him to our Lord Jesus. Salem means peace. That means that Melchizedek is the king of peace. Our Lord Jesus is the true King of Peace, He is the true King of Salem. Salem is believed to be the city which became Jerusalem. Jerusalem means "set ye double peace." Jerusalem is the place where the Temple of God stood. It is where our Lord God decided to make His dwelling place on earth in the time of Solomon the king. It is also the place where the kings of Judah reigned. It is no surprise therefore, that our Lord Jesus Christ go there to take His place of residence. It is not His home, that was Capernaum. And our Lord did not dwell in the Temple, even though He preached there. Our Lord's true place of abode, the place where He reigns as our King of Peace, is on Golgotha, the Place of the Skull, that place where He offered up His own Body and Blood as a sacrifice for us, in order that we might have salvation.

Melchizedek is also connected to our Lord Jesus because he is a priest of God Most High. What do priests do? They offer sacrifices. Our Lord is the True Priest, for He not only offers the Sacrifice, but He also takes the place of the victim. He is the true Lamb of God, offered for our salvation, by the True Priest of God. Priests also intercede for the people. Our Lord Jesus, now sitting on the right hand of God the Father, intercedes for us to the Father, ever reminding Him of His Sacrifice, and that our punishment has been paid. Priests also were given the remnants of the sacrifice as their food. The Blessed St. Peter in his First Epistle calls us "a royal priesthood." What that means is that we now get to enjoy the food that once was only reserved for the levitical priests. We get to eat the once for all Sacrifice of our Lord's Body and Blood under bread and wine. Melchizedek prefigures this great meal of forgiveness by bringing out bread and wine for the weary battlers. We as weary battlers with sin, death, the devil, the world, and our flesh, are refreshed through this salutary meal.

Melchizedek also blesses Abram. This shows his role as a prophet. The purpose of a prophet was to preach glad tidings. Melchizedek preaches to Abram that it was God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, who brought him the victory. It doesn't say it, but we can assume since Abram doesn't object, that Abram received this preaching with the ears of faith, believing wholeheartedly that God has indeed accomplished this through him. Our Lord Jesus is also a prophet, as we heard in this mornings text, He preaches Himself, and the good things that He plans to do for us. He preaches His death on the cross, for our salvation. And He preaches that He will give us His very own Body and Blood to eat and drink for our forgiveness.

Melchizedek is a prophet, priest and king. Our Lord Jesus is a Prophet, Priest, and King. That brings us to the final point about Melchizedek, and that is his name. Melchizedek means "my king is righteousness." Does that not bring our Lord Jesus to mind? Our Lord and King is Righteousness. Contrast that with our unrighteousness. We break the Law of God constantly. We fail miserably in keeping the commandments. We confess in public confession, that we are "poor, miserable sinners." This is a good confession, because it is true, and it is honest. On account of our sin we are deemed unrighteous. But our Lord Jesus is Righteousness. What that means, is that in His righteousness, He fulfills the Law perfectly for us. He covers over our unrighteousness, with His righteousness, so that our Father in heaven sees only His righteousness when He looks at our works. We, therefore, are counted righteous not because of anything that we did, or are doing, but because of what our Lord Jesus Christ did, and is doing.

Therefore, we can rejoice that we are counted righteous, that we have a High Priest, in the order of Melchizedek, who intercedes on our behalf constantly to the Father. And because of this we are deemed holy and pure. Rejoice in your holiness and perfection!

God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

The Time is Fulfilled: St. Mark 1:12-15

St. Mark 1:12-15: "12 Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. 13 And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him. 14 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.'"

For the second morning in a row the temptation of our Lord Jesus is mentioned. However, this reading is not just about our Lord spending forty days in the wilderness. This pericope is about the end of St. John the Baptist's preaching, and the beginning of the preaching of our Lord. Our Lord begins His preaching by carrying on the preaching of St. John the Baptist, that is by preaching, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."

The time that is fulfilled is the appearance of our Lord God in our flesh. Our Lord God has come to us born as one of us to fulfill the Law for us, and suffer and die for us. What a great thing! Our Lord begins to preach about Himself, the basis for all good preaching. And He immediately begins to preach about His work, another sign of good preaching. Good preaching, such as our Lord Jesus and St. John the Baptist preach, is always about our Lord and His work of redemption.

Bad preaching includes pop-psychology, which puts forth a sort of 12-step program of religion, that is, do these certain things, and your life will be great. Besides the fact that our Lord Jesus states that men will revile and hate and persecute His followers, this is wrong because it places the focus on man, and not on our Lord God. Included in this type of preaching are the so-called "success" preachers, who claim that if you truly love God enough, and you are a good person, God will reward you. Again, this places the focus on you and what you must do, and not on our Lord Jesus.

Bad preaching also includes the so-called preachers who use the pulpit to promote some political agenda. And along the same lines, are those who carry on about some facet of social justice. Having a good government and just citizens may be a good thing to have, but again, it takes the focus off of our Lord Jesus Christ, or worse yet, it drags Him into the picture, as if only a certain form of government and social action is pleasing to our Lord. None of this has to do with our Lord's true work of salvation for mankind, which is basically two things, His active (His fulfilling of the Law) and passive (His death on the cross) obedience.

Another form of bad preaching is the type of preaching that simply tells a bunch of stories, most of which have nothing to do with each other, or the text appointed for the day. Along these same lines is the preaching that uses the pulpit as a place for stand-up comedy. I suppose these can be entertaining, except when you get the preachers who think they are funny or entertaining but are really not, but again, preaching is not about being entertaining, it is about proclaiming our Savior and what He has done for us, and still does for us, through His Blessed Sacraments. Now that is not to say that preaching should be dull or boring either, but entertaining should not be the main focus.

Let's look at our Lord Jesus's preaching, which is the carrying on of St. John the Baptist's preaching. Our just states the facts. "The time is fulfilled." That is to say, "I, the Messiah, have come to fulfill the Law which you are unable to keep." "The kingdom of God is at hand." That is to say, "I am here to suffer and die in your place, taking on your punishment, so that I suffer all of your pain, and you get all of My reward." "Repent." That is to say, "Turn from yourselves and your works; turn from the things in which you trust in this life, and rely and trust in Me. For those things in which you trust are false gods, and I am the One True God and Savior. Trust in Me, for in Me only will you find the salvation and True God which you seek." "Believe in the Gospel." That is to say, "Believe in My work of fulfilling the Law perfectly, which you are unable to keep perfectly, and believe that My suffering and death in your place has won for you forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation, in order that you may receive these things through the means of grace given out by the Holy Ghost.

Our Lord preaches Himself and what He has done. All good preaching will put the focus on our Lord Jesus, and not some other thing. It is our duty as hearers to make sure that we are hearing about our Lord, and not being puffed up in our works, or our success, or our emotions, or feelings, or our social action, or our politics, but solely in what our Lord Jesus has done for us. This is the type of preaching that will actually save you, for it will place the mantel of the Holy Spirit upon you, and give you true peace.

May God's peace be with you!

Deacon Dulas

I Will Make Your Descendants As the Dust of the Earth: Genesis 13:1-18

Genesis 13:1-18: "1 Then Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, to the South. 2 Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. 3 And he went on his journey from the South as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4 to the place of the altar which he had made there at first. And there Abram called on the name of the LORD. 5 Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents. 6 Now the land was not able to support them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together. 7 And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock. The Canaanites and the Perizzites then dwelt in the land. 8 So Abram said to Lot, 'Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.' 10 And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar. 11 Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other. 12 Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. 13 But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD. 14 And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: 'Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are--northward, southward, eastward, and westward; 15 for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. 16 And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. 17 Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.' 18 Then Abram moved his tent, and went and dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to the LORD."

"I will make your descendants as the dust of earth." This is glad tidings for us, for we are the descendants of Abram by virtue of our baptisms into our Lord Christ. This promise is given to Abram when he has no offspring. And, this is the first time that he receives this promise, but it isn't the last. Abram will be the father of a huge nation. However, he will never see it come to fruition. Even his son Isaac, was not married to Rebekah until he was forty years old, and he only had two sons. By the time Jacob marries Leah and Rachel and has all of his sons and daughters, Abram is long dead.

But, Abram, takes these words of God on faith, just like he did when he left his home in Haran. And the promises do not stop there. Not only will Abram be the father of a large nation, but he will also be given the land of which he resides in now as far as he can see in all four directions.

These promises were first fulfilled through the nation of Israel. Israel, who was called Jacob, begat twelve sons, who became the twelve tribes of Israel. And they eventually resettled in the land that Abram is currently in. This is all well and good, Abram will have a huge nation, and possess a great amount of land. But that is not the only reason that our Father promises Abram these things. This is done, so that through Abram, the Messiah would be born. This Savior is the same one promised back in Genesis 3 to Adam and Eve. The Messiah born out of Abram's descendant's is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Our Lord Jesus, even though born among the Israelites, as the Messiah of the Israelites, does something great and wonderful for all of us who were not born Jews. He extends His grace and mercy to us, by calling us into that nation and people. All we who are baptized, spiritually, are Jews, descendants of Abram, and brothers of our Lord Jesus. Indeed, the holy Church on earth, extends to all peoples and tongues. Christianity encompasses the whole earth. God is in great abundance has given to the descendants of Abram, not just Canaan, not just Jerusalem, not just the Holy Land, but He has given the whole world for us to live in and be a part of. And He also shows His abundant mercy, by not just calling Jews His people, but all peoples everywhere, His people.

This is all accomplished through His Son Jesus Christ, who by His obedience and death, as called us out of darkness, into this holy Nation. Our Lord Jesus, has restored His creation to Himself. He does this on the first day of the week, that is, on Sunday. The same day that He began creation, is the same day that He completes salvation. He recreates the earth that was corrupted by the sin of Adam by His resurrection from the dead. He takes the Nation that was dead in its trespasses and sins, and brings it back to life, just as He brought Himself back to life. And now He calls all nations to Himself through holy Baptism.

What great glad tidings this is for those of us who are baptized. We see this promise fulfilled in the holy Mother Church. And not just the Church that lives on the earth, but the whole history of the universal Church of all ages. When we consider also all those who have gained their heavenly reward, including the Blessed Abram and Sarai who were the parents of this great people, we cannot even fathom, let alone number, all the saints, who are part of this holy family. This is the family of which we who are baptized are a part. And seeing this family we can rejoice that the Lord fulfilled His promise to Abram. It makes sense, therefore, that if our Lord fulfilled this promise, and many other promises as well, He will fulfill all of His promises.

May God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

You Shall Not Tempt the Lord Your God: St. Luke 4:1-13

St. Luke 4:1-13: "1 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry. 3 And the devil said to Him, 'If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.' 4 But Jesus answered him, saying, 'It is written, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God."' 5 Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, 'All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7 Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.' 8 And Jesus answered and said to him, 'Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, "You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve."' 9 Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, 'If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: "He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you," 11 and, "In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone."' 12 And Jesus answered and said to him, 'It has been said, "You shall not tempt the LORD your God."' 13 Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time."

The temptation of Jesus in the wilderness seems out of place in this season of Epiphany. This is afterall the narrative for Invocabit, the First Sunday in Lent, although that Gospel is from the Evangelist St. Matthew. So why does the temptation reading get appointed for this week after the First Sunday after Epiphany? The answer is that the readings for the mornings are following the natural progression in the life of our dear Lord Jesus. He was baptized, called his first disciples, and then is led out into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil for forty days. There are many things that can be said about this pericope, but here are a few.

Jesus is tempted, we are told, for forty days. This number 40 calls to mind several things. The Flood, where it rained for 40 days and 40 nights. The Exodus, where the Israelites spent 40 years in the wilderness. Moses was on the mountain for 40 days and nights when receiving the Law, both times, that is, when he first received them, and when they were broken on account of the Israelites making a golden calf, and then again a second time, to replace the first one, in which he did not eat bread nor drink water for those 40 days and nights, during which he pleaded with God for the lives of the Israelites. The Israelite spies spent 40 days spying on the land of Canaan, before they decided to not attack the land, and God forced them to spend 40 years in the wilderness. Forty was the maximum number of blows that was to be given to someone who was to be beaten because of their wrong doing. Goliath came out to challenge the Israelite army for 40 days and nights. The front of the Temple was 40 cubits long. The ten lavers of the Temple held 40 baths of water. From these examples, and there are plenty more, one can see that the number 40 is important in Scripture.

Another thing that can be pointed out about this pericope is the response of our Lord Jesus to the second temptation: "Get behind Me, Satan!" This reminds us of the Blessed St. Peter, when he tried to stop our Lord from going to the cross, immediately after confessing Him to be the Son of God. This is how our Lord responds to those who try to prevent Him from completing His work of saving mankind from their sin.

The next thing to be pointed out about this text is the temptation itself. St. Luke the Evangelist points out to us that our dear Lord Jesus was not just tempted after the 40 days and nights were completed, but that He was tempted throughout the forty days. The fact that this happens directly after His baptism, tells us something of our own Christian life. Immediately after having the Holy Ghost descend upon Him in the form of a dove, our Lord is driven into the wilderness and tempted. The same thing is true of us as well. The Blessed Dr. Martin Luther in his observations about baptism states that when we baptize someone, we make them an enemy of the devil. And because we make that person an enemy of the devil, he will have no end of trouble and sorrow, on account of the devil, the world and his own sinful flesh, which war against that holy thing which has been implanted into him.

The Temptation of Our Lord Jesus Christ is shown as a picture of our Christian lives. The devil is always leading us into temptation. However, unlike our Lord, we often fail at that temptation, especially if it is a particular sin we like to do. The good news is that our Lord resists the temptation. What that means for us is that the Evangelist St. Luke is here showing us that our Lord indeed does fulfill the Law with His obedience. Theologically speaking this is what we call our Lord Christ's "active obedience." That is to say, He actively obeys the Law on our behalf. This is coupled with what is known as His "passive obedience." Which is His death on the cross for our salvation, that is to say, He passively suffers in our place so that we won't have to. By these two forms of obedience, our Lord fulfills His work given to Him by the Father. And in so doing, He gives us a picture of how to resist temptation. It is done through knowledge of His Word.

We pray in the Lord's prayer, in the sixth petition, "And lead us not into temptation." * What we are praying for when we pray this is "that God would guard and keep us, so that the devil, the world, our flesh may not deceive us, nor seduce us into misbelief, despair, and other great shame and vice; and though we be assailed by them, that still we may finally overcome and obtain the victory." * How does God guard and keep us? We learned that from the third petition of the Lord's Prayer, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." * When God breaks and hinders every evil plan and purpose of the devil, the world, and our flesh, we are protected from them. This is done when He gives us His Word and Spirit (The first two petitions of the Lord's Prayer). He gives us these through preaching and the Sacraments. So how does one learn to resist temptation, by hearing and receiving the Word of God, and His Blessed Sacraments, wherein, He implants into us His Holy Spirit, so that we might resist these sinful desires, words, and actions.

What that means for us who desire to resist temptation like our Lord, is that we should be in the Church, and we should be in a parish that preaches the Word of God in its purity, and administers the Sacraments according to the institution of our Lord Christ, in order that we might receive the Holy Spirit, and thereby be given a way to resist temptation.

May this be done for us all.

God's peace be with you!

Deacon Dulas

* Translation from Doctor Martin Luther Small Catechism and An Explanation of Christian Doctrine based on Doctor Luther's Small Catechism, Edited by Markku Sarela, Published by The Confessional Lutheran Church of Finland, 1999.