I AM the LORD Your God: Exodus 20:1-23

Exodus 20:1-23: "1 And God spoke all these words, saying: 2 'I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 You shall have no other gods before Me. 4 You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. 7 You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. 8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. 12 Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you. 13 You shall not murder. 14 You shall not commit adultery. 15 You shall not steal. 16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 17 You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.' 18 Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. 19 Then they said to Moses, 'You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.' 20 And Moses said to the people, 'Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.' 21 So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was. 22 Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: "You have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. 23 You shall not make anything to be with Me--gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves."'

The people of Israel must have at first thought that what God proposed was a great thing. For they had just witnessed His great power in sending plagues upon the Egyptians, and destroying Pharaoh and his army. So, when the Lord God proclaimed that He was going to be their God and they would be His people, they must have thought that was a great thing, to have such a God as this. Furthermore, upon hearing the commandments for the first time, they must have thought these were good things too, for they protected them from the cruelty of their neighbors. And since the Jews lived among the Egyptians, and probably had suffered these things from the Egyptians, they must have thought these commandments were a good thing too. Then they learned how strict our Lord God desired for them to be kept.

God wants us to keep His law perfectly, and not just in deed, but also in thought and word, too. And because of the fall of Adam into sin, "no one is able to fulfill God's Law in a manner acceptable to God. Unbelievers do not fulfill it at all, and even the obedience of believers in Christ is sadly deficient. Christ alone has fulfilled God's Law."* We can see this from the fact that every commandment contains something that is forbidden, and something that is required. Even if we were able to not do the thing forbidden, we would fail to do the thing required.

In the First Commandment, God requires that we fear, love, and trust in Him above all things, and forbids us to have other gods. In the Second Commandment, God requires that we call upon His Name in every trouble, that we pray to Him, praise Him, and give Him thanks at all times, He forbids us to take His Name in vain, that is, curse, swear, use witchcraft, or other satanic arts, lie, and deceive by His Name. In the Third Commandment, God requires that we sanctify the holy day, that is, hold His Word sacred, and gladly hear and learn it, and He forbids us to despise preaching and His Word. In the Fourth Commandment, He requires that we honor our parents, serve them, and obey them, and hold them in love and esteem, He forbids that we depise or anger our parents and other authorities. In the Fifth Commandment, God requires that we help and befriend our neighbor in his every bodily need, He forbids us to kill, that is, to hurt or harm our neighbor in his body. In the Sixth Commandment, God requires us to lead a chaste and decent life in word and deed, and each love and honor his spouse, He forbids us to commit adultery and other sexual sins. In the Seventh Commandment, God requires us to help and improve our neighbor's property and business, and forbids us to steal, that is, to take our neighbor's money or property, or get them by false ware or dealing. In the Eighth Commandment, God requires that we defend our neighbor, speak well of him, and put the best construction on everything, He forbids us to bear false witness against our neighbor, that is, deceitfully belie, betray, slander or defame him. In the Ninth Commandment, God requires that we help and be of service to our neighbor in keeping his inheritance or house, He forbids that we covet our neighbor's house, that is, craftily seek to get it, or obtain it by a show of right. In the Tenth Commandment, God requires us to urge our neighbor's wife, servants, or cattle to stay and do their duty, He forbids that we covet them, that is, estrange, force or entice them away.

Therefore, God not only forbids things in the Commandments, but requires things as well. And so, that we might learn how serious our Lord God is about these commandments of His, He adds these words, to the beginning of the Commandments: "I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me." What does that mean? It means that God indeed threatens to punish all those who break His Commandments. Therefore, we should fear His wrath, and not act contrary to them.

But our Lord God also presents a promise with these Commandments, that is, that He would be "showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments." This is great news! God will show mercy to us, if we keep His commandments. Uh, oh! That is impossible for us! "O wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death?"**

Here we see our deliverer, our dear Lord Jesus. We also see why this text comes at this particular time in the Church Year. Tomorrow, Sunday, is Quinquagesima, it is the Sunday before Lent, which starts this coming Wednesday on Ash Wednesday. Lent has always been a time of catechesis, and among Lutherans, it has been a time of catechesis in the Ten Commandments. For as we study the Ten Commandments, we see how little we keep them, and that brings to the forefront of our minds, our sin and transgressions, and our great need of forgiveness. This leads us to proclaim with the Blessed Apostle, St. Paul, "Who will deliver me from this body of death?" And this leads us to the cross. Where our dear Lord Jesus, after fulfilling the Law perfectly, something we were unable to do, but He was able to do perfectly on our behalf, He suffers and dies, taking on our punishment for transgressing the Commandments.

Therefore, the Lord God, the Great I AM, visits the iniquity of the fathers upon His very own Son, punishing that sin, not just for three or four generations, but for all the generations of man, that had come, and will come. He was punished once and for all, that all mankind might have forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation. And that is what He does for all those who have believed and been baptized, He shows us His love and mercy, that is, He doesn't treat us the way we deserve to be treated, but instead treats us the way His Son deserves to be treated. His Son, on account of His perfect sacrifice was rewared with life again, and now sits on the right hand of the Father judging the quick and the dead, proclaiming all those who believe and are baptized to be His children, His people, just like the people of Israel, who stood that day under the cloud, hearing our Lord's commandments.

This love and mercy is for thousands of generations, which is to say, it is for all generations. This means it is for you and for all! Certainly there are those who reject and despise this gift, who desire to remain a slave, in bondage to sin and death. And we must certainly continue to proclaim the Word of God in its truth and purity, continue to proclaim the Ten Commandments, so that people might realize their sin, and their grave condition, so that they might repent and believe, and be baptized, so that they too might have our Lord God's love and mercy. This is the task of the Church, it is what our Lord God has given us to do, while here on this Earth, and we pray that He would bless our efforts, so that His love and mercy may fill the whole world, and sin and death may be driven back by our Lord God.

May God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

* From "Doctor Martin Luther Small Catechism and Explanation of Christian Doctrine based on Doctor Luther's Small Catechism", Edited by Markku Sarela, Published by The Confessional Lutheran Church of Finland", page 114.
** Romans 7:14.

The Power of the Lord Was Present to Heal Them: St. Luke 5:12-39

St. Luke 5:12-39: "12 And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, 'Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.' 13 Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, 'I am willing; be cleansed.' Immediately the leprosy left him. 14 And He charged him to tell no one, 'But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, just as Moses commanded.' 15 However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. 16 So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed. 17 Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them. 18 Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. 19 And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus. 20 When He saw their faith, He said to him, 'Man, your sins are forgiven you.' 21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, 'Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?' 22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, 'Why are you reasoning in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, "Your sins are forgiven you," or to say, "Rise up and walk?" 24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins'--He said to the man who was paralyzed, 'I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.' 25 Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. 26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, 'We have seen strange things today!' 27 After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, 'Follow Me.' 28 So he left all, rose up, and followed Him. 29 Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them. 30 And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, 'Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?' 31 Jesus answered and said to them, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.' 33 Then they said to Him, 'Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?' 34 And He said to them, 'Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? 35 But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days.' 36 Then He spoke a parable to them: 'No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old. 37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. 38 But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved. 39 And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, "The old is better."'

We are told by the Evangelist St. Luke that in a certain city our Lord Jesus was met by a man full of leprousy. We learned from the Evangelist St. Mark that this "certain city" was Capernaum. Why does the Evangelist St. Luke leave out the specific name of the city? It is because he is showing that this healing of the leper, although a specific instance here, happened throughout the land wherever our Lord Jesus went. And so, this same event happened often in many different places, and St. Luke, by relating one instance, relates all curing of lepers done by our Lord Jesus.

What is interesting about this healing embraces two things. One, the manner in which the leper approaches our Lord. And two, the fashion in which Lord Jesus heals the leper. In the first instance, the leper "fell on his face, and implored him." He approached Him as one would approach God. Let us first look at the ceremonial laws regarding lepers, for it will give us a greater understanding of what is happening here. For the full description of these laws governing leprousy, one can find them in Leviticus 13-14. Leprousy is a disease of the skin, that involves sores. It is still around today, but it is called "Hansen's disease." It can also be treated with a simple cream applied to the sores.

But for the Israelites of our Lord Jesus' time, and for the time during Moses, a leper had no cure. And this disease was very contagious. So if a leprous person touched another person, they could also acquire the disease. For this reason, lepers were considered "unclean." If one was diagnosed as a leper, and they were diagnosed by the priests, who would look at the sore, and determine if it was just a rash, or some other skin irration, or if it was indeed leprousy. If it was leprousy, then the person would be declared unclean, he would then be isolated from the rest of the people, most likely with other leprous people, he was to tear his clothes, and shave his head, and cover his mustache, and if he was out and about, and other people passed by, he was to shout out, "Unclean, unclean!" So that the person who they passed by knew that he was not to be approached on account of his leprousy.

The same was true when the leper was healed of his leprousy. He was to show himself to the priest, he was to shave his head, and wash himself and his clothes, and wait seven days outside his tent but among the people to see if it would return. If after seven days, he was still clean, he would shave his head again, along with his beard and eyebrows, and wash his clothes and his body, and then he would be clean. There were also sacrificial rituals attached to this as well. The most interesting being the taking of two clean birds, along with some cedar wood, and scarlet, then killing one of the birds over running water in a earthen vessel, and dipping the other bird, the cedar wood and scarlet into the blood of the other bird, and setting the alive bird free in a field as an atonement for the leper. For the complete details on the sacrificial element, they are in chapter 14 of Leviticus.

What is interesting about the approach of this leper to Jesus, is that he doesn't call out "Unclean, unclean!" like he was supposed to but instead approaches our Lord and falls on his face before Him. The priests were the only ones who could declare a leper clean or unclean, so what this leper is professing with his actions, is that our Lord Jesus is the True Priest. For what does he say? "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." Now consider for a moment that this leper, on account of his uncleanness, could not worship in the synagogues, he could not approach let alone come into the Temple. He was by law forced to live by himself. Therefore this individual was forbidden to be anywhere near the people of God, or the Church. And only a priest could grant that.

We see in this individual his great desire to be a part of the Church, and so he goes to the One Man Who can grant that desire. So, he shows himself to the True Priest, to be declared clean, so that he might worship the Lord again with the other people.

Even more strange than the man's behavior, is our Lord Jesus' behavior, for our Lord does not run away, or take a few steps back, but instead proclaims that He is willing to make this man clean. Then He doesn't something which was forbidden by ceremonial law, that is, to touch the unclean person. But in this He shows that He, as true God, has power over uncleanness, for our Lord is so pure and clean, that He can pass that cleanness along to this leper, so that he may be healed. The leper is then told to go and show himself to the priests, and he would be declared clean, and be allowed to once again enter into the synagogue and the Temple. In short, he would be welcomed back into the Church.

In this we see a picture of Private Confession and Absolution. For on account of our sin, we are leprous and unclean. But when we confess our sins, we are approaching the True Priest through the man of God who serves in His place, and having confessed our sins, and asked to be made clean, the Lord Jesus, through the minister, pronounces that we are clean, by pronouncing us forgiven of sins. We then live no longer as one leprous and unclean, that is, we do not return and immediately keep doing the sin which we just confessed and professed to not do anymore, but we instead, seek to live according to God's commandments.

This healing of the leper also brings to mind the restoration of someone who has been excommunicated. For they have been barred from receiving Holy Communion, just like the leper was forbidden to approach unto the synagogue. But after repentance of the sin, and confessing that what he did was wrong, the Church welcomes him back with open arms, no longer considering him unclean.

Therefore, we as the Church desire, like our Lord Jesus, that all those who remain outside, full of leprousy, unclean from sin, may show themselves to the priests, that is, the ministers of Giod, and confess their sins, and desire for themselves to be made clean through the waters of Holy Baptism, that they, like this leper, may be made a part of the synagogue of our Lord.

May God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

You Shall Be a Special Treasure to Me Above All People: Exodus 19:1-25

Exodus 19:1-25: "1 In the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on the same day, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai. 2 For they had departed from Rephidim, had come to the Wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness. So Israel camped there before the mountain. 3 And Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, 'Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: 4 "You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.' 7 So Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before them all these words which the LORD commanded him. 8 Then all the people answered together and said, 'All that the LORD has spoken we will do.' So Moses brought back the words of the people to the LORD. 9 And the LORD said to Moses, 'Behold, I come to you in the thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever.' So Moses told the words of the people to the LORD. 10 Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes. 11 And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day the LORD will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. 12 You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, "Take heed to yourselves that you do not go up to the mountain or touch its base. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. 13 Not a hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot with an arrow; whether man or beast, he shall not live." When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come near the mountain.' 14 So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and sanctified the people, and they washed their clothes. 15 And he said to the people, 'Be ready for the third day; do not come near your wives.' 16 Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. 17 And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. 19 And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice. 20 Then the LORD came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. 21 And the LORD said to Moses, 'Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to gaze at the LORD, and many of them perish. 22 Also let the priests who come near the LORD consecrate themselves, lest the LORD break out against them.' 23 But Moses said to the LORD, 'The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai; for You warned us, saying, "Set bounds around the mountain and consecrate it."' 24 Then the LORD said to him, 'Away! Get down and then come up, you and Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the LORD, lest He break out against them.' 25 So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them."

Our Lord God prepares to meet His people. This preparation is necessary because of the uncleanness and sinfulness of the Israelites, and on account of the holiness and righteousness of our Lord God. For that which is unclean, cannot come in contact with that which is clean. Therefore the Israelites must prepare to meet the Lord. This is done through washing. They must wash their bodies, wash their clothes, and they must not have sexual intercourse for the three days prior to the meeting with God. In addition to this, they must set boundaries around the mountain so that no one would on purpose, or accidently, touch the mountain, and be killed.

This is in a sense a baptismal rite for the Israelites, for they are washing themselves. That is, of course, what Holy Baptism is, a washing of regeneration, and a renewal of the Holy Ghost. We'll see this over and over again throughout the Book of Moses, commonly called Exodus, where the people are being cleansed in some way. Even when they are being cleansed by blood.

The most significant thing to observe from this pericope, however, is the barrier that is set up between the Israelites and the Lord God. This is the barrier that exists between God and man since the fall of Adam into sin. This barrier, prevents that which is holy from coming in contact with that which is unholy. That is, we cannot approach God, who is holy, on account of our sin, which makes us unholy. The other aspect of this, is the context of this pericope, for this reading comes directly before the receiving of the Ten Commandments by Moses. Therefore, we see that even though the Law has not been officially given, we can still see that the penalty for disobedience to God still exists.

This Law will serve to create an even deeper rift between God and man. Not because the fault lies within the Law, but because the fault lies within man who constantly breaks that Law. This brings up another point, for the Law of God was only officially given to the people of Israel. Therefore, according to reason, it would only apply to them, right? It does not. This Law given to the people of Israel, applies to all mankind, therefore, no one is excused from it. There may be those who ignore it, or think it doesn't apply to them, or even those who try to change the tenets of the Law, saying that somethings are not a transgression against the Law. But the Law still applies to them too. And the breaking of the Law, and its penalty, eternal death, still applies to them as well.

Therefore, the command has been put out by our Lord God in this pericope, that no one should approach or touch the mountain, or they will die. We are not told if any one tried, and one would think that we would be as an eternal example of our Lord's righteousness, but this rule was a test to the people of Israel to see if they would obey the command.

Unfortunately, we know the history of the Israelites, for even though they have consecrated themselves to the Lord, and washed themselves in order to appear in God's presence clean, they would break His commandments before they were even given, by worshipping a golden calf, which was made by the chief priest, Aaron.

Through the Law, there would be no salvation for the Israelites, nor is there salvation through the keeping of the Law for us. Therefore, from before the foundation of the world, the Lord planned our salvation, knowing full well, that Adam would sin, that the Israelites would turn their back on Him time and again, and knowing that even us today, would sin greatly and much, breaking His commandments often. His plan was to send to Earth in our flesh, His One and Only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. He would fulfill the Law perfectly, and He would satisfy the penalty of breaking the commandments of God for us by suffering and dying on the cross of Calvary. Having done so, He consecrates and purifies all those who believe, by washing us with Holy Baptism, wherein we are crucified with Him, so that just as He rose from the dead, we too, may forever live free from sin, and in holiness before Him. And because of this we are a special treasure to the Lord, above all people.

May God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

Today This Scripture Is Fulfilled in Your Hearing: St. Luke 4:14-44

St. Luke 4:14-44: "4 Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. 15 And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. 16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. 17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: 18 'The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.' 20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, 'Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.' 22 So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, 'Is this not Joseph's son?' 23 He said to them, 'You will surely say this proverb to Me, "Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country."' 24 Then He said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. 25 But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; 26 but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.' 28 So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 29 and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. 30 Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way. 31 Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths. 32 And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority. 33 Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice, 34 saying, 'Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are--the Holy One of God!' 35 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, 'Be quiet, and come out of him!' And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him. 36 Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, 'What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.' 37 And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region. 38 Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon's house. But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her. 39 So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them. 40 When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them. 41 And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, 'You are the Christ, the Son of God!' And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ. 42 Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; 43 but He said to them, 'I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.' 44 And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee."

One of the good things about this Lectionary is that we get to go back and hear the narratives that we heard in St. Mark, told from a different perspective from St. Luke. As a matter of fact, if the Epiphany season was longer this year, we would have also heard these same narratives from St. Matthew's point of view. So that, the three synoptic Gospel writers each have a voice in training us about our Lord Jesus' life and mininstry leading up to His crucifixion. And during Lent we will get to hear from all four Gospel writers their perspective of the Passion of our Lord. If you are wondering when we will get to hear St. John's perspective on the life and ministry of our Lord, that will come during the Easter season, from Easter to Whitsunday. St. John giving us our Lord's life and ministry from a theological standpoint comes after Easter. For the three synoptic Gospel writers present the material in a catechetical manner. And since Epiphany was historically the preparation for catechesis into the Church, and during Lent the catechesis actually took place, these narratives serve as a teaching tool for to learn what our Lord did while He was alive on Earth, and it teaches us what things He endured for our salvation.

Therefore, today, we get to see from St. Luke the narrative of our Lord teaching in the synagogue of His home town, Nazareth. From St. Luke we learn that the people of Nazareth did want our Lord Jesus to perform the works that He did in Capernaum, but our Lord says no. We also learn that this upset the people of Nazareth so much that it led them to so much wrath that they desired to throw our Lord off of the mountain upon which the town was situated. Now, something should first be said about differences between the Gospel writers. St. Luke and St. Mark to not differ in substance, they only differ in the details. That is, what one writer leaves out, the other writer supplies. This is for our benefit, for we get to see this narrative on our Lord's return to His home town, from different perspectives to get the full story.

The key to understanding this pericope is that the people of Nazareth had a stumbling block which got in the way of our Lord performing any miracles there, and that stumbling block was who is family was. He was born to lowly parents, a handmaid and a carpenter. They knew His family, and they weren't kings, or leaders, and of course, this is from whom the Jews thought the true Messiah would be, from a family of substantial standing. Therefore, we first see our Lord being despised by men, for whom He is not; for His humble existence.

In other words, they had heard of the miracles performed in Capernaum, but because of their reproach of Who He was, and on account of their envy of the works performed by Him in a Gentile region, they did not receive His works. Mystically speaking we see here the unbelief of the Jews, portrayed by the people of Nazareth, and the willing reception of the Gentiles, represented by Capernaum, which was in the land of the Gentiles. This is in a sense a foreshadowing of what would eventually take place, the Jews would reject our Lord Jesus, to the point of crucifying Him, but the Gentiles would gladly hear about the Messiah from the Apostles after His Resurrection and Ascension.

This is shown further by our Lord's exegesis of the Old Testament. For in both Elijah's day, and Elisha's day, the unbelief of the Jews towards the prophets prevented them from healing the Jews. Only the widow of Zarephath would receive the benefits of Elijah's preaching, on account of her belief. And only Naaman, the Syrian, would receive the benefit of Elisha's preaching, for only he was willing to do what the prophet asked. Therefore, we see from these examples from the Prophets, the unwillingness of the Jewish people to listen to and hear the Word of God. It is on account of their unbelief that many more wonders were not performed in their territory. As it was for the prophets Elijah and Elisha, so it is for our Lord Jesus in His own country. For our Lord was not the type of Lord they expected, nor wanted.

The same is true today, for many want our Lord to work many wonders and miracles, to show Himself in grand ways. They prefer rock bands, and laser light shows with fog machines blowing, and loud amplification systems blaring over all, for in their mind, they think this is the only way that people will listen. First of all, it is not the only way that people will listen, but secondly, and more important, it is not the way that our Lord portrayed Himself, nor came to His people. But He came to us in simple and humble means. He does this today as well. For He comes to us in the simple and humble forms of water, word, bread and wine. In these simple means He, through the working of the Holy Ghost, performs the miracle of forgiveness of sin. There are many today who despise and distain such simple means, after all they aren't as flashy as a big screen with words and pictures on it, and loud music.

But this is how our Lord has chosen to impart His miracles of forgiveness, life and salvation. All those who receive them in faith, trusting that our Lord does impart His gifts through them, gladly receive them, and they are strengthened through them. Those who reproach them, receive no benefit, and search after other false means, which lead them away from God, and into a theology of themself. And there is no salvation in one's self.

May God Almighty lead you to the One True Faith, and guard and keep you in that faith, unto life everlasting, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

The LORD Is My Banner: Exodus 17:1-16

Exodus 17:1-16: "1 Then all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of Sin, according to the commandment of the LORD, and camped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, 'Give us water, that we may drink.' And Moses said to them, 'Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the LORD?' 3 And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said, 'Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?' 4 So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, 'What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!' 5 And the LORD said to Moses, 'Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.' And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 So he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, 'Is the LORD among us or not?' 8 Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9 And Moses said to Joshua, 'Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.' 10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses' hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. 14 Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.' 15 And Moses built an altar and called its name, 'The-LORD-Is-My-Banner;' 16 for he said, 'Because the LORD has sworn: the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.'"

The-LORD-Is-My-Banner in Hebrew is Jehovahnissi, which in the King James Version is left untranslated. This altar that Moses built would stand as a memorial to the people of what happened there that day. And it would serve as a marker of knowledge for all those who would pass by this memorial. In our society, we are quite familiar with memorials. They are all over the place. As one drives down the road, one often sees a sign that states, "historical marker ___ miles." This historical marker probably contains a sign or plaque that states what took place on that spot of historical significance. Sometimes one sees crosses, or flowers, or other markers along the road as memorials to some event taking place on that spot. There are even memorials that are sponsored by civil government to mark important things happening. Therefore, the concept of a memorial is not uncommon to us.

This memorial however, is different, for it states something about Who the Lord God is, and who His people are. This altar would proclaim that Jehovah was the God of the people of Israel, and they were His people whom He fights for, and anybody that messed with them, would be messing with their God. Hence the name, Jehovahnissi, The-LORD-Is-My-Banner. This brings us to a discussion on banners.

In most parishes there are banners that hang in the nave, or other parts of the church, and they either have symbolic pictures or words from Scripture, or both. These banners add color to the church, and provide some instruction. But these banners, although pictures and figures of the true banners of God, are not the type of banner that is being spoken about here. For a banner is an instrument of war. It would serve as a rallying point for the army if the battle became to fierce. The troops would be able to rally back to the banner, or ensign, and they would find strength to continue on in the battle. In the Greek language of the Septuagint, the Greek version of the Old Testament and Apocrypha, the word for banner is "katarefuge." In that Greek word we can see our English word "refuge." A refuge is a place where we go to "recharge our batteries" so to speak. It is a place where we retreat from the troubles of this life, to find some relaxation, and respite.

For the Istraelites, this is where they were shown by God that He fights for them, and protects them, and will be their God. For us, our refuge is the Word of God. And the enemy that we fight, is not Amalek, who was destroyed by the Israelite army, but it is sin, death, and the devil. Our banner, our rallying point is the Word of God, wherein we hear over and over again, that our Lord Jesus fought and won the battle for us, and now gives us forgiveness, and through that promise of forgiveness we have hope and comfort in eternal life and salvation. Our Lord Jesus, even as He fought the war for us, and won the victory, just like for the Israelites against Amalek, and gave them an altar as a memorial for all generations, has also given us a memorial of His victory over sin and death in the Sacrament of the Altar.

In this Sacrament of the Altar, our Lord Jesus gives us His very Body and Blood as a memorial of His victory in bread and wine. And this meal is not just a memorial, that is, we don't just remember the cross and what our Lord did for us, but it actually grants forgiveness of sin, eternal life, and salvation, through the working of the Holy Ghost in this meal.

So, here we have again, another reminder of our sin, and our Lord's cross in the Book of Moses, commonly called Exodus. And these reminders are leading us into the Lenten season with Ash Wednesday coming just next Wednesday. This coming Sunday, Quinquagesima, is sometimes called, the Sunday before Lent. Therefore, this penitential season fast approaches (pun intended). Therefore in this Lectionary we can see how our eyes are slowly being directed from the Incarnation and Revelation of our Lord Jesus in the flesh, to His purpose and work, that is, His cross for our forgiveness.

Let us give thanks this day, that our Lord has fought the battle with sin, death, and the devil, and has given us the victory, so that we need not fear these enemies of God. And let us give thanks for the grace that He bestows upon us every day.

May God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

But After That No One Dared Question Him: St. Mark 12:13-44

St. Mark 12:13-44: "13 Then they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words. 14 When they had come, they said to Him, 'Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? 15 Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?' But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, 'Why do you test Me? Bring Me a denarius that I may see it.' 16 So they brought it. And He said to them, 'Whose image and inscription is this?' They said to Him, 'Caesar's.' 17 And Jesus answered and said to them, 'Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.' And they marveled at Him. 18 Then some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him; and they asked Him, saying: 19 'Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, and leaves his wife behind, and leaves no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. 20 Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife; and dying, he left no offspring. 21 And the second took her, and he died; nor did he leave any offspring. And the third likewise. 22 So the seven had her and left no offspring. Last of all the woman died also. 23 Therefore, in the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be? For all seven had her as wife.' 24 Jesus answered and said to them, 'Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God? 25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26 But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?" 27 He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. You are therefore greatly mistaken.' 28 Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, 'Which is the first commandment of all?' 29 Jesus answered him, 'The first of all the commandments is: "Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. 30 And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength." This is the first commandment. 31 And the second, like it, is this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." There is no other commandment greater than these.' 32 So the scribe said to Him, 'Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. 33 And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.' 34 Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, 'You are not far from the kingdom of God.' But after that no one dared question Him. 35 Then Jesus answered and said, while He taught in the temple, 'How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David? 36 For David himself said by the Holy Spirit: "The LORD said to my Lord, 'Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool.'" 37 Therefore David himself calls Him "Lord;" how is He then his Son?' And the common people heard Him gladly. 38 Then He said to them in His teaching, 'Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, 39 the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, 40 who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.' 41 Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. 42 Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. 43 So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.'"

Today's reading is the last reading from the Evangelist St. Mark until the week of Judica, when we will pick up again with the Passion of our Lord. Starting tomorrow we will begin reading through the Gospel of St. Luke skipping over the Christmas narratives, which we read during that season. So today, we have the final debates between our Lord Jesus, and the religious leaders of His day. We hear from the Pharisees and Herodians, who were Jews who were loyal to the Roman power, from the Sadducees, and from a scribe, the only one in the bunch who is "not far from the kingdom of God." Therefore, all the groups who will seek for His death are represented.

In the first group, the Pharisees and Herodians, we learn from chapter 11:27, that the "they sent" refers to the chief priests, elders and scribes. Having already been silenced by our Lord, they send the Pharisees and Herodians. The interesting thing about these two groups, is that they were at odds with each other, for the Pharisees, were concerned with achieving freedom from Roman power. They wanted the Jews to be free from the Roman rule, so that they could rule and govern themselves. Therefore, the subcurrent of this narrative about taxes to Caesar is that if our Lord Jesus were to say pay Caesar the Pharisees would jump on Him for being a disloyalist. And if He said, do not pay Caesar, the Herodians would jump all over Him for not being loyal to the Roman government. Therefore, in their minds, they have set the perfect trap. A no win question for our Lord Jesus.

However, our Lord sees right through this ruse, and answers their question with a question as He is wont to do. And after ascertaining that the coin bore the image of Caesar, and therefore, belonged to him, our Lord tells them to give back the coin to whom it belongs.

The second group coming to Him is are the Sadducees. The Sadducees differed from the Pharisees and Herodians, not only in doctrine, but in their intent. For the Pharisees and Herodians, and the chief priests, elders, and scribes who sent them, hated our Lord Jesus, because of Who He is, that is He is the Messiah, and all the people see it. These people have therefore stopped listening to them, and have gone after Him. In short, they were driven by jealousy, and attacked His person, trying to get the people to see He was a liar and not worthy of being listened too. The Sadducees, on the other hand, hated our Lord Jesus, because of His doctrine. They did not like what He taught, for He taught about the resurrection, that there are such a thing as angels and demons, and other doctrines which they did not believe. For they only read the Pentateuch, that is, the five books of Moses, sometimes called the Torah. And only the doctrines contained in those books they would uphold. They were the Marcionites of our Lord Jesus' time. Those who cut out certain parts of Scripture because it didn't agree with their teachings.

Their question centers around the Resurrection. Here again, the Sadducees, like the Pharisees and Herodians, try to trick our Lord Jesus, by offering an elaborate example of the Law of Moses regarding the producing of offspring. First of all, the question ignores the purpose of this Law, it was to keep the Jewish line going, this was especially important in the line of David, for his offspring would be the Messiah. Second, it shows their lack of understanding of the holy Scriptures. For all those who cut out parts of holy Scripture, or say that some parts are God's Word and other parts are not, or that some parts are only to be understood as being culturally relevant to the time when they were written in the Bible, lack true understanding of holy Scripture. This also obviously applies to those who say that the Bible is not the Word of God, or only contains the Word of God, and other such nonsense.

For the Sadducees, because they have left out, or don't read, or don't believe in certain parts of holy Scripture, their understanding of the resurrection is flawed. For these Sadducees didn't believe in the resurrection of the body, for they thought that the body was raised in the same form it died, and therefore, if the body is completely destroyed it could not be raised from the dead. And, as we learn fromt the Blessed Apostle, St. Paul, a Pharisee who had full knowledge of all the holy Scriptures, in his epistle to the Church at Corinth, that the body is raised as a "glorious" body. Much like when we witness our Lord Jesus being transfigured on the mountain.

Our Lord refutes this lack of knowledge by going back to the Words of holy Scripture to which they would actually read and believe; to the passage on the burning bush which appeared to Moses. The Lord God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who were at the time of Moses (and the time of Jesus) not alive on the Earth, but alive in Heaven. For even those these patriarchs appeared to be dead, they were alive, hence, our Lord God is not a God of the dead, but the living.

The Pharisees and Sadducees are contrasted with a scribe, a lone scribe, who understands and believes our Lord Jesus. He is the model of faith among the clergy. For although it is said in the Gospel of St. Matthew, that this man asked the question to test Him, it need not be understood to be with evil intent, but to ask a question, about which He pondered. The most striking thing about this whole discourse is the final realization of the scribe, that the commandments of our Lord God were greater than all the sacrifices. This is also why our Lord Jesus says that he is not far from the kingdom of God, and not that he is within the kingdom of God. For this man places the Law above sacrifices. Which is better than what the Pharisees and Sadducees believed, but it is not fully informed. This man is like the people today who desire to good work their way into heaven.

All this man really needs to hear is the Gospel, that our Lord Jesus suffered and died for his salvation, so that in His love for His Father, and for His Father's creation, all the sacrifices and burnt offerings are no longer necessary, for our Lord has completed them all by His once and for all sacrifice of atonement for us on the cross, so that we might have forgiveness, life, and salvation. Therefore, this man is close to the kingdom of God, but not there yet. We can almost gather from this narrative by the Evangelist St. Mark, that he is referring to a specific individual that would have been known to the first hearers of this Gospel. We don't know, but we do know that this man's enlightenment from the Word of our Lord Jesus, give an example of the enlightenment that takes place in all those who hear the Gospel.

God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

What Is It?: Exodus 15:22-16:36

Exodus 15:22-16:36: "15:22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah. 24 And the people complained against Moses, saying, 'What shall we drink?' 25 So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them. And there He tested them, 26 and said, 'If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.' 27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters.

"16:1 And they journeyed from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they departed from the land of Egypt. 2 Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3 And the children of Israel said to them, 'Oh, that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.' 4 Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not. 5 And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.' 6 Then Moses and Aaron said to all the children of Israel, 'At evening you shall know that the LORD has brought you out of the land of Egypt. 7 And in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD; for He hears your complaints against the LORD. But what are we, that you complain against us?' 8 Also Moses said, 'This shall be seen when the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to the full; for the LORD hears your complaints which you make against Him. And what are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the LORD.' 9 Then Moses spoke to Aaron, 'Say to all the congregation of the children of Israel, "Come near before the LORD, for He has heard your complaints."' 10 Now it came to pass, as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. 11 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 12 'I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, "At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am the LORD your God."' 13 So it was that quails came up at evening and covered the camp, and in the morning the dew lay all around the camp. 14 And when the layer of dew lifted, there, on the surface of the wilderness, was a small round substance, as fine as frost on the ground. 15 So when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, 'What is it?' For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, 'This is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat. 16 This is the thing which the LORD has commanded: "Let every man gather it according to each one's need, one omer for each person, according to the number of persons; let every man take for those who are in his tent."' 17 Then the children of Israel did so and gathered, some more, some less. 18 So when they measured it by omers, he who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack. Every man had gathered according to each one's need. 19 And Moses said, 'Let no one leave any of it till morning.' 20 Notwithstanding they did not heed Moses. But some of them left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. 21 So they gathered it every morning, every man according to his need. And when the sun became hot, it melted. 22 And so it was, on the sixth day, that they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. And all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. 23 Then he said to them, 'This is what the LORD has said: "Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning."' 24 So they laid it up till morning, as Moses commanded; and it did not stink, nor were there any worms in it. 25 Then Moses said, 'Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field. 26 Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, there will be none.' 27 Now it happened that some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found none. 28 And the LORD said to Moses, 'How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws? 29 See! For the LORD has given you the Sabbath; therefore He gives you on the sixth day bread for two days. Let every man remain in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.' 30 So the people rested on the seventh day. 31 And the house of Israel called its name Manna. And it was like white coriander seed, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. 32 Then Moses said, 'This is the thing which the LORD has commanded: "Fill an omer with it, to be kept for your generations, that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt."' 33 And Moses said to Aaron, 'Take a pot and put an omer of manna in it, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations.' 34 As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept. 35 And the children of Israel ate manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. 36 Now an omer is one-tenth of an ephah."

What is it? It is manna. Of course this is what "manna" means, "what is it?" We learn from this pericope that for forty years this is what the Israelites ate. There was not much variety in their diet. This text comes to us as we prepare for the fast. It is a reminder to us who may complain about having to fast, or give up certain food items, that for forty years the Israelites ate nothing but something that tasted like bread made with honey. It probably tasted good, but even after forty days it would seem boring, not to mention forty years. Of course, for us, the fast is something regulated by Christian freedom, that is, one can fast has ascetic as one wants, or not at all. However, this text serves as an encouragement to those who desire to fast. For consider what the Israelites ate for forty years, but also consider the amount. They were allowed an omer a day of manna. Now, we are told an omer is 1/10 of an ephah. An ephah is equal to a bath. A bath was about 6 gallons or, more precisely, 22 liters. That means that an omer, being 1/10 of an ephah, would be 2.2 liters, or about 2 quarts. If one considers there are three meals in a day, that would work out to about a little over 21 ounces of manna per meal. That works out to about 1 2/3 lb. of food per meal. Not knowing how many ounces the average American meal is, that seems like a pretty substantial amount. So, they were not going hungry, but they could only eat one thing for forty years.

In the Early Christian Church, during the time of Lent, the time leading up to Easter, Christians were encouraged to go without food or drink, except water, for forty days. These forty days represented two things, one, the sojourn of the Israelites for forty years in the wilderness, in which they fasted by necessity. And, two, the fasting of our Lord Jesus for forty days in the wilderness, in which He neither ate nor drank anything, but water, for forty days and nights, being tempted by the devil. This fasting of our Lord, also represented the fasting of the Israelites for forty years. Therefore, our Lord Jesus placed Himself into the condition of His people, taking on their burdens.

In this gift of manna from our Lord God, we also see our Lord God providing another meal for His people. Before the manna, He sent quail, and so in the evening before the manna was given, they got to eat the meat of quail. The quail and the bread is a picture of the Lord's Supper, for in that meal there is both flesh and bread. And in the flesh is blood, therefore, we have prefigured the meal that our Lord Jesus instituted for us Christians to eat and drink. This of course, also directs our eyes to the cross, where our Lord won for us forgiveness, life and salvation. The gifts that He bestows through this Blessed Sacrament.

This is why the book of Exodus is read during this time of Pre-Lent, for it prepares us for the fast, and directs our eyes to the meal that was given to us, on account of our Lord's death and burial, which gives us forgiveness of sins. And as we fast, as a spiritual exercise of our humility over our sin, which we reflect upon during Lent, we are prepared to hear of the cross of our Lord, for it is in the cross where our sins are destroyed, and it is in the cross where our fasting ends, for on the third day after His cross He rose again to eternal life, and we too, are granted this eternal life by Him. Therefore during Easter, there has never been fasting until after Pentecost, in the whole of the history of the Church. This is a witness to our resurrection from the dead, which our Lord won for us by His resurrection.

Therefore, during this coming Lenten season, as we fast and reflect upon our sins, humbling ourselves before our Lord God, let us also remember the sojourn of the Israelites in the wilderness, and of our Lord Jesus who also sojourned in the wilderness after His Holy Baptism. For all Christians are only sojourning in this life, heading towards the promised land. Therefore, in the fast we learn to shed the props of this life, and look to, and hope in the eternal life that waits us.

May God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

Let No One Eat Fruit From You Ever Again: St. Mark 11:1-33

St. Mark 11:1-33: "1 Now when they drew near Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples; 2 and He said to them, 'Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it. 3 And if anyone says to you, "Why are you doing this?" say, "The Lord has need of it," and immediately he will send it here.' 4 So they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door outside on the street, and they loosed it. 5 But some of those who stood there said to them, 'What are you doing, loosing the colt?' 6 And they spoke to them just as Jesus had commanded. So they let them go. 7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and He sat on it. 8 And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: 'Hosanna! "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!" 10 Blessed is the kingdom of our father David That comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!' 11 And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve. 12 Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. 13 And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 In response Jesus said to it, 'Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.' And His disciples heard it. 15 So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 16 And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. 17 Then He taught, saying to them, 'Is it not written, "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations?" But you have made it a "den of thieves."' 18 And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching. 19 When evening had come, He went out of the city. 20 Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 21 And Peter, remembering, said to Him, 'Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.' 22 So Jesus answered and said to them, 'Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, "Be removed and be cast into the sea," and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. 25 And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.' 27 Then they came again to Jerusalem. And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him. 28 And they said to Him, 'By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?' 29 But Jesus answered and said to them, 'I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things: 30 The baptism of John--was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me.' 31 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, 'If we say, "From heaven," He will say, "Why then did you not believe him?" 32 "But if we say, "From men"'--they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed. 33 So they answered and said to Jesus, 'We do not know.' And Jesus answered and said to them, 'Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.'"

In today's reading our Lord Jesus enters into Jerusalem and pronounces sentence against it. It is easy to read this text, which contains two well known narratives--the triumphal entry of our Lord into Jerasalem and the driving out of the Temple of the money-changers--and skip over the seemingly insignificant narrative of the withering of the fig tree. At first sight this scene seems rather odd. Why is our dear Lord Jesus withering fig trees? Couldn't He just find some other means in which to find some food? As a matter of fact, why is He upset that the tree doesn't have fruit when the Evangelist St. Mark tells us that it wasn't the season for figs? But this withering of the fig tree is more than it seems. For notice that the Evangelist St. Mark relates what the other Gospel writers do not, that after entering into Jerusalem and going to the Temple, He just looks around. In the Gospels of St. Luke and St. Matthew, Jesus immediately goes into the Temple to drive out the money-changers.

However, here in this pericope, we get the fuller narrative of what our Lord did upon His arrival into Jerusalem. Our Lord Jesus upon looking around and doing nothing, goes outside of the city of Jerusalem, and seeing a fig tree from a far off, goes to it and pronounces judgment against it. This fig tree represents Jerusalem, and our Lord's proclamation against the fig tree, is His proclamation against Jerusalem. This prophecy against Jerusalem was fulfilled in 70 A.D. when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple leaving not one stone upon another. In the Gospel of St. Luke we are reminded of this by our Lord Jesus Christ's weeping over Jerusalem, as He enters into this once holy city. (St. Luke 19:41-44) This also takes place before the cleansing of the Temple.

What that means is that in two Gospels we have between our Lord's arrival on a donkey into Jerusalem and the cleansing of the Temple, we have our minds directed towards it's destruction, one, the Gospel of St. Luke, does this by showing our Lord weeping as His praises are being sung by the crowds as He enters Jerusalem, and the second is here in the Gospel of St. Mark, where our Lord, through the destruction of the fig tree, foreshadows Jerusalem's destruction.

Thereupon, He cleanses the Temple (for the second time, for He did this at the beginning of His ministry as related by the Evangelist St. John) and having done so, the scribes and chief priests sought to destroy Him. This is interesting indeed. For the Lord has already passed judgment on Jerusalem through the withering of the fig tree, which He does because of the unbelief of the Jews, and now, having cleansed the Temple, the Jews seek to destroy Him. We see in this a picture of the battle between God and the devil. For God has already passed judgment on the devil, and for this reason, he seeks to destroy mankind, and now that the Son of God has shown up to save mankind, he seeks to destroy Him.

But the Lord Jesus shows His authority over these would be destroyers, for here they come to question Him on whose authority He does these things. This is strange, for they know full well, which is shown us by their reasoning amongst themselves over our Lord's question to them about St. John the Baptist. They knew he was from God, but did not want to admit it, for this would reveal their unbelief. See how unrepentant they are! The same is true of their view of our Lord, for they know that He is from God, even all the people see it, but they cannot bring themselves to confess it, for their unbelief is great.

This again leads us back to the fig tree, for as St. Peter points out, the fig tree that our Lord Jesus cursed, has withered, and the disciples, wanting to understand this, ask of Him what it meant. To which our Lord Jesus reveals that it is about faith. The fig tree represented the unbelief, or the unfruitfulness of the Jews, which led to the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem, but those who have faith, those who believe that our Lord Jesus is the Son of God, sent from the Father to win forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation, produce much fruit. And this faith, this fruit, always comes back to forgiveness of sins.

This is perhaps an odd thing for our Lord to say, since He was not very forgiving to the fig tree for not having any figs when it wasn't the season for them. But this is made more clear when one understands the fig tree to represent the unbelief of the Jews, who in their unbelief cannot forgive. Therefore, our Lord Jesus is teaching His disciple to not be like the scribes and chief priests, but rather be forgiving. For whenever there is forgiveness, the fruit of faith is produced, in those who are truly repentant. For forgiveness is only half of the equation, the other half is repentance, or confession of one's sin. The Jews refused to confess their sin of unbelief, and as a result they condemned themselves to destruction.

Therefore, we should view this a stark warning to ourselves to confess our sins, and receive absolution. This is why private confession, which sadly, has fallen into disuse among Lutherans, on account of pietistic and Reformed influence, is starting to be observed in more parishes in the Lutheran Church. This is rightly so, since our Lutheran Confessions state that it should not fall into disuse. This private confession, offers a chance for an individual to get into the habit of bearing one's sins to God the Father, and being able to hear the absolution from God pronounced by the minister sent by Him to do this.

This is especially important as we enter into the season of Lent, where our eyes will be directed to our sinfulness over the next few weeks. We have a great opportunity to relieve ourselves of those burdens of sin which trouble us, by seeking out our minister and confessing to him our sin, so that he may forgive us. Even if your parish does not provide set times for private confession, if you contact your minister, he will be happy to hear your confession. If he is not willing, or doesn't know what he is doing, then perhaps you need to seek a new parish and minister, one who knows the importance of these things, and actually follows the Lutheran Confessions.

May God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

Then Moses and the Children of Israel Sang This Song to the Lord: Exodus 15:1-21

Exodus 15:1-21: "1 Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the LORD, and spoke, saying: 'I will sing to the LORD, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea! 2 The LORD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father's God, and I will exalt Him. 3 The LORD is a man of war; The LORD is His name. 4 Pharaoh's chariots and his army He has cast into the sea; His chosen captains also are drowned in the Red Sea. 5 The depths have covered them; They sank to the bottom like a stone. 6 Your right hand, O LORD, has become glorious in power; Your right hand, O LORD, has dashed the enemy in pieces. 7 And in the greatness of Your excellence You have overthrown those who rose against You; You sent forth Your wrath; It consumed them like stubble. 8 And with the blast of Your nostrils the waters were gathered together; The floods stood upright like a heap; The depths congealed in the heart of the sea. 9 The enemy said, "I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; My desire shall be satisfied on them. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them." 10 You blew with Your wind, The sea covered them; They sank like lead in the mighty waters. 11 Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? 12 You stretched out Your right hand; The earth swallowed them. 13 You in Your mercy have led forth The people whom You have redeemed; You have guided them in Your strength to Your holy habitation. 14 The people will hear and be afraid; Sorrow will take hold of the inhabitants of Philistia. 15 Then the chiefs of Edom will be dismayed; The mighty men of Moab, trembling will take hold of them; All the inhabitants of Canaan will melt away. 16 Fear and dread will fall on them; By the greatness of Your arm they will be as still as a stone, till Your people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over whom You have purchased. 17 You will bring them in and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which You have made for Your own dwelling, the sanctuary, O LORD, which Your hands have established. 18 "The LORD shall reign forever and ever." 19 For the horses of Pharaoh went with his chariots and his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought back the waters of the sea upon them. But the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea.' 20 Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. 21 And Miriam answered them: 'Sing to the LORD, for He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!'"

Parts of this pericope make up what is known as the canticle "Cantemus Domino," which is translated, "I will sing unto the Lord." This canticle is traditionally the canticle that is sung on Thursday at Matins, in place of the "Te Deum," which, strictly speaking, is the canticle for Sunday, except during the penitential seasons. The Cantemus Domino is derived from verses 1-2, 6, 11, 13, and 17-18 of Exodus 15, although it is often listed as being Exodus 15:1-18. Traditionally it is chanted to the eighth Gregorian psalm tone. Shown below:

The two notes before the double barline indicates the intonation. The reciting note is the B flat written as a double whole note. The flex, which is sometimes used on long sections of recitation, or on the "-ning" of beginning in the the Gloria Patri, indicates a drop to that note (in this case G), it is usually either a drop of a whole step or a minor third depending on what the reciting note is.

The mediation comes next. This is where the canticle verse is divided in two, usually by a colon, or semicolon, or by and asterisk. In the example above it is the two notes before the double barline marked with an asterisks above. In the eighth psalm tone, and some others as well (2nd, 4th, and 5th), sometimes the final note of the mediation is dropped. This is the case if the final syllable of a poly-syllable word is accented, or if the word is a mono-syllable. This is what is known anciently as the "monosyllabic mediation." After the mediation, the reciting note is again taken up until the termination.

The termination in the eighth psalm tone is the four quarter notes listed above. In the eighth psalm tone, besides the normal termination, there are two other "differentiae" or "variations." Also, the termination in the example above does not include what are known as "hollow notes." In Gregorian chant, these were notes that were that were not filled in, hence, they were "hollow." These notes indicated the note to be sung when two syllables were to be sung to the same note. The syllables that are sung to hollow notes are typically the "short" syllables that follow an accented syllable. They are, typically, one or two letter syllables. The note they are sung to depends on the following note, whether it is a less than two steps, or a third step or more. If less than two steps, the short syllable is sung on the same note as the accented syllable. If the next note is a third step or more, the short syllable is sung to the following note.

This canticle is the song of the people of God, who having been rescued from the perils of sin and death, praise God for His abundant mercy. Therefore let us sing this canticle and give praise to God.

God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

Now They Were on the Road, Going Up to Jerusalem, and Jesus Was Going Before Them: St. Mark 10:32-52

St. Mark 10:32-52: "32 Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed. And as they followed they were afraid. Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him: 33 'Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; 34 and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.' 35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, 'Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.' 36 And He said to them, 'What do you want Me to do for you?' 37 They said to Him, 'Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.' 38 But Jesus said to them, 'You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?' 39 They said to Him, 'We are able.' So Jesus said to them, 'You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; 40 but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared.' 41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John. 42 But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, 'You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. 44 And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.' 46 Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!' 48 Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, 'Son of David, have mercy on me!' 49 So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, 'Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.' 50 And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus. 51 So Jesus answered and said to him, 'What do you want Me to do for you?' The blind man said to Him, 'Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.' 52 Then Jesus said to him, 'Go your way; your faith has made you well.' And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road."

Again, we are told that our dear Lord Jesus is on the road going up to Jerusalem. This is more then just the Evangelist St. Mark telling us were Jesus is headed geographically. This is an indirect statement about our Lord's purpose. He is going up to Jerusalem, the place where He will be scourged, beaten, spit upon, mocked, and crucified by the Gentiles. The Evangelist St. Mark is preparing us for the Passion of our Lord. Our Lord Jesus Christ also prepares His disciples for His suffering and death by telling them what will happen to them when they reach Jerusalem. Although there is a light at the end of the tunnel. On the third day He will rise again from the dead.

We are told over and over again in the Gospels that the disciples didn't understand what He was talking about whenever He tells them about His work. And this lack of understanding continues until after His resurrection, and then they finally understand. However, here in this pericope, we get an example of two of the disciples' lack of understanding; St. John and St. James the Elder, two of our Lord's chief disciples. Here they ask our dear Lord Jesus to take their places on the left and right of Him in His glory.

The Sons of Zebedee, St. John and St. James the Elder, understood this to be His earthly glory. That is, they believed that He would establish an earthly throne, and rule. They were simply asking to be His right hand men. There are others today, who say that this glory is a reference to the throne that our Lord Jesus sits on in Heaven. Besides the obvious dilemma that our Lord Jesus sits on the right hand of the Father, and that one of the disciples would be sitting where the Father is sitting, this understanding of the text fails to take into consideration what our Lord Jesus tells St. James the Elder and St. John next.

The Lord starts talking about His cup and His baptism. Obviously we can see allusions to the two Sacraments of Holy Baptism and the Lord's Supper, but more than that we see a glimpse of what our Lord considers to be His glory. It is the cross. His crucifixion is His glory. This ties in nicely with what our Lord Jesus says about being servant of all. He is the greatest, because He became our servant and suffered and died in our place, fulfilling the Law. Our Lord's glory is not sitting on a throne judging people, even though He does that too. But, our Lord's glory is His Passion.

This too, is our glory. For it is His cross which we bear. We bear this cross through our Holy Baptism, where we were crucified and buried with Him in the waters of Holy Baptism, so that we too might rise again to new life. Indeed St. John and St. James the Elder were baptized with Christ's baptism, this takes place during the washing of the disciples feet on the night when He instituted the Lord's Supper. But, more than that, they both were baptized in blood. St. James the Elder became the first disciple to be martyred, and St. John, although not a martyr in the flesh, was a martyr in spirit, and his life was constantly in jeopardy, including being poisoned, which he survived. This is why his symbol is a cup with a coiled snake coming out of it.

The cup also represents blood, and it also is a symbol of the martyrdom of these two disciples. This cup that our Lord Jesus speaks about is the cup of His Passion. And from His Passion, our Lord gives His Blessed Apostles the cup that would be the life blood of the Church. It is this cup which we drink everytime we receive our Lord's Body and Blood, in bread and wine. This Body and Blood, is what He offered once and for all on the tree of the cross, and He gives it to us; to His holy Christian Church, as heavenly food for us to eat and drink. And this heavenly meal keep us in the one true faith unto life everlasting, by the in-working of the Holy Ghost.

Therefore, our Lord Jesus must go up to Jerusalem, in order to win for us forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation on the cross. And along the way, He opens the eyes of the blind man Bartimaeus. It is interesting that after our Lord Jesus tells His disciples what He must do, St. John and St. James the Elder reveal the spiritual blindness and misunderstanding of all the disciples, but on the road to Jerusalem, in the city of Jericho, the town which the Israelites first encountered after they crossed over the Jordan, a man who is physically blind, can see clearly spiritually. The blind man Bartimaeus represents all those who upon hearing of the cross of Jesus Christ, become enlightened, and believe on our Lord Jesus, the Son of David, and the Son of Man, that is, the True Messiah. Having received their spiritual sight, they follow our Lord Jesus on the road to Jerusalem.

Therefore as we prepare for Lent, and the journey to the cross and Passion of our dear Lord Jesus, we rejoice in our Holy Baptism, and we receive the cup of Salvation, and rejoice that our sins our forgiven, and that our eyes have been opened, so that we can see clearly our Lord's glory, and our glory. For our glory is His glory, and His glory is the cross. This too is our glory, for it is the means whereby we have forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation.

May God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

Do Not Be Afraid. Stand Still, and See the Salvation of the Lord: Exodus 14:1-31

Exodus 14:1-31: "1 Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 2 'Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea. 3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, "They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in." 4 Then I will harden Pharaoh's heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD.' And they did so. 5 Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people; and they said, 'Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?' 6 So he made ready his chariot and took his people with him. 7 Also, he took six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over every one of them. 8 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and the children of Israel went out with boldness. 9 So the Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon. 10 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the LORD. 11 Then they said to Moses, 'Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? 12 Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, "Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians?" For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.' 13 And Moses said to the people, 'Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14 The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.' 15 And the LORD said to Moses, 'Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. 16 But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. 17 And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18 Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.' 19 And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. 20 So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night. 21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23 And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24 Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the LORD looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians. 25 And He took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty; and the Egyptians said, 'Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the LORD fights for them against the Egyptians.' 26 Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.' 27 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28 Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained. 29 But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 30 So the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Thus Israel saw the great work which the LORD had done in Egypt; so the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD and His servant Moses."

This is a rather well known pericope. The narrative of the destruction of Pharaoh and his army in the depths of the Red Sea. In this reading we see the pride of Pharaoh, and we see that the old saying is true, "After pride, cometh a fall." We also begin to see in this reading from the Book of Moses, commonly called Exodus, the trouble that our Lord God is going to have with the Israelites. Pharaoh also is a picture of what the Israelites will be like after they have begun living in Canaan.

Throughout the ten plagues, Pharaoh has moments of remorse; moments where he plans on letting the people of Israel go, however, he eventually reneges on remorse. He is no exception, for after the death of the firstborn has sunk in, Pharaoh, and we are told all of Egypt with him, wonders why he let the Israelites go. His pride gets the best of him, therefore, he gathers his army to chase after the Israelites to either bring them back into Egypt by force, or worse, to slaughter them all in the wilderness, taking vengeance upon them for the death of the firstborn sons.

The same thing is true of the Israelites after they enter the land of Canaan, for they also have moments where they have great faith in the Lord God, and call upon Him, and trust in Him, but then as their lives get easier, and they don't need Him as much, they forget about Him. Therefore, the Lord God sends them oppressors, in the form of other lands enacting some kind of force upon them, until they cry out once more to God. This cycle continues throughout the Old Testament, until at last God finally has enough of them, and leads them into exile.

We can see this already in this pericope, for the Israelites, who were slaves in Egypt, and as much as they object at the present time about being led out into the wilderness to die, they did not like it in Egypt. But yet, they still claim they would have been better off staying in Egypt. Yeah, right! But God has already planned their salvation, and the destruction of Pharaoh. For this is where Pharaoh's pride has led him, to his own destruction.

This whole reading is a picture of Holy Baptism. Pharaoh and his army, represent the devil and world, all those things which lead us away from God, and into sin. The Israelites, represent the Church, that is, the people of God, who have been baptized in the holy waters of Baptism. And the Red Sea represents the waters of Holy Baptism itself. The Israelites pass through the waters of the Red Sea with the waters walled up on their left and their right, and they pass through those waters, through seeming death, to life on the other side. Pharaoh and his army, however, are drowned and killed in the Red Sea, so that they can no longer harm the Israelites forever.

This is precisely what takes place in Holy Baptism, all that is evil and sinful within us that we have inherited from Adam, and have added thereto ourselves is drowned and killed in the waters of Holy Baptism. And we emerge out of the waters alive and cleansed, and the powers of hell and death can no longer bother us forever.

Seeing the result of what the Lord God did through the waters of the Red Sea, the people of Israel believed the Lord, and His servant Moses. In other words, it produced faith. This is just like Holy Baptism, for through it the Holy Ghost creates faith in those who cling to their Holy Baptism. And those in whom faith has been created, believe and trust in God, always seeking after Him, and hearing His Word.

However, like the Israelites who would always stray from God, and would need to be led back through oppression and persecution, we too, when times are easy forget about the great gift that is placed upon us. However, through the trial and tribulation placed upon us by our sinful flesh and the world, we are again led back to the Lord God, we are reminded of our Holy Baptism, and that He has redeemed us by the precious Blood of His Only Son Jesus Christ. And having heard once again the message, we again have faith and trust in Him. Although, if we are kept steadfast in His Word, our faith is never shaken, although it may be tested and tried. For through our constant hearing of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are always reminded of what He has done for us, and continues to do for us.

May God be with you!

Deacon Dulas