A gentleman by the name of John Simon from Austin, TX has recorded the Greek New Testament read in Greek and Latin. The mp3 files are free. Visit his website here. He’s recording the Hebrew Old Testament right now. 29 chapters of Genesis are finished.

Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, pastor of Hope Lutheran Church in Aurora, Colorado, has begun the wonderful project of recording Luther sermons from his postils.  You may find them HERE.  I hope you spend a moment to check these out.  It’s a great idea, and worth getting into your sermon preparation workflow.

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In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit

One of the many problems that plagues the Christian Church is the definition of success. It seems as if success is defined as “new starts” and “new believers”. There is nothing wrong with either of these. What is wrong is when Christians decide that numbers are the most important thing in the Church. The phrase “maintenance ministry” is considered an insult. No pastor merely wants to “maintain” a congregation. Nevertheless, what is wrong is maintaining sound doctrine from God’s Holy Word? What is wrong with faithful congregational practice of the Sacraments according to Christ’s institution? For some strange reason the words “maintenance” and “new” cannot go together when both have a place in the church when rightly understood.

The tension between “maintenance” and “new” boils down to a lack of fear of God’s Word. Hearing Jesus’ parable in Luke chapter eight might bring sadness. Three out of four soils do not produce fruit from the seed that was sown. That fact shouldn’t disturb you. If every ground was as accepting as the last ground who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience, then every church would be full, there would be millions of Christians in Haiti showing Christ’s mercy through good works, and there would be no internal strife among Christians. Everyone would get along. No one would look down their nose at anyone else in any congregation.

You do not live in paradise. You live in a broken world full of trampled, rocky, and thorny soil. You live in a world where the devil, the world, and our sinful nature want all the attention. You live in a world where blame is shifted from the soil receiving the seed to the seed itself. What a backwards world! When a sower sows seed, it could be that the seed is bad. More often than not, it is not the seed that is bad but the ground. If every patch of ground were perfectly arable, then there is no need to blame the seed. Even if you know nothing about planting seed, you know that where you plant a seed is very important. Why then are Christians like you so quick to blame the seed of the Word of God for every failure in the Church?

Well-meaning Christians try new measures, great awakenings, revivals, and everything short of kneeling down to the earth and screaming at it to multiply new starts and new believers. Do these well-meaning Christians ever step back and consider that the seed is not the problem? The problem is the soil receiving the seed. It must be worked patiently, cautiously, and carefully. Saint Paul sowed the seed on ground that no man would dare sow seed. The Corinthians trusted in wisdom more than the power of God’s Word to convert hearts and lives. The Corinthians also fell prey to “super-apostles” who preached a different gospel among them. These false teachers sowed a seed of dissension among them, preaching Paul was a powerful writer but was a wimp when it came to face-to-face preaching and teaching. Paul’s apostleship was questioned.

Instead of bragging about all his success stories in three missionary journeys, Paul instead “boasted” in his sufferings. Paul writes, if I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity. Everything that happened to Paul, whether it was stripes or shipwrecks, perils or concerns, served to strip away any worldly notion that Paul was the most important thing. Saint Paul was encouraged to proclaim freedom from sin and death through Jesus Christ when seemingly everything around him crashed and burned. When helpers failed and comforts disappeared, all Paul had left was the Word of God.

Perhaps that is why pastors and congregations go through bad spells together. When I first came among you nearly three years ago, there was a lot of doubt. It seemed everything was crashing down before our eyes. There was anger, dissension, failure, hurt feelings, and other concerns. What some pastors might consider a disaster, others might consider an opportunity to let the seed of the Word of God do its work.

Both you and I have learned together these past three years that the patch of ground called the heart needs to be worked over in repentance and forgiveness. Satan tramples daily over that patch of ground. Our sinful nature tries to dry baptismal water. The world attempts to choke the seed with idols of this filthy here and now. The seed is sown. The ground either receives it and bears fruit, or does not receive it and goes its own way. What matters most is the seed is sown as it has been sown in this patch of ground called Momence for nearly 119 years.

Though congregations come and go, the Seed of the woman is sown. The Seed of the woman crushes the serpent’s head when the tree of life was planted on that patch of ground called Golgotha. On two pieces of dead wood lay the Life of the World, the Life that overcomes death. The Life of the World rises from the dead so that when your lifeless body is planted in the ground, it will be raised an imperishable seed. As we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.

The seemingly secret formula for “success” while we wait for the day of resurrection is Saint Paul’s words in today’s Epistle. Concerning this [thorn in the flesh] I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” The Seed of the Word delivers God’s undeserved love toward us. The Seed of the Word implanted in our patch of ground called the heart grows strong and tall nourished in baptismal water, fed with the True Body and Blood of Christ, renewed and restored in Holy Absolution and Holy Preaching, delivering a yield that is thirty, sixty, even one hundred fold. God’s grace and God’s Word are all you need to sustain you on the forthcoming Lenten journey to Jerusalem. The Word never returns empty. The Word accomplishes what our Father in heaven pleases. The Word prospers in the thing for which He sent it. That thing is repentance and forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ, the Seed Who is the Word of God.

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit

Luther’s House Postil for Sexagesima is one of his best. Here are a few quotes to stir your heart and mind for sowing the Seed.

Let each of us examine his own heart and determine to which class he belongs. The first three classes of disciples hear the Word without being benefited or bearing any fruit. But particularly troubling are those who belong to the first class. “Those by the way side are they that hear,” says the Lord, “then cometh the devil and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe, and be saved.” Mark these words well.

I never would have dared to presume that the hearts of those who hear the Word and yet pay it no heed, ignore it, and give it no further thought, were possessed of the devil….Here we have the verdict upon people – young and old – who hear the Word preached and walk away as thought they had never heard it, with no intention of giving it heed. These people cannot say that they have the Holy Spirit; they are the devil’s own. He is their master.

The devils, Christ says, who are always around, take the Word from their hearts so that they do not espouse it; they are of the opinion that nothing much is lost when they let the Word in one ear and out the other. But if we want to know what that loss is, then listen to what Christ has to say, for his judgment is better than that of the world, and he states that it is the devil who instigates this. When, therefore, you meet such a person, or you yourself are no more responsive to preaching than a log…you may conclude that none other but the devil is in control of their hearts.

Consequently, the Lord admonishes us earnestly (as St. Matthew writes): Take heed therefore how ye hear: “For whosoever hath, to him shall be given…whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath” (Matthew 13:12). By such Word, Christ gives us to understand that he is not talking about ordinary things but about the Word of God; those who have it in their hearts will be saved and those who do not have it will be damned. A person should, therefore, be steadfastly devoted to it and not trifle with it as though it were an indifferent thing. It is not a trivial matter. It does no good for a person to think he would like to become interested for a while, thinking to himself, I shall study and believe God’s Word after I’ve tried other options and have accumulated all other things that I consider important. Take care; do not deceive yourself.

A preacher serves the church to a greater degree than a workman who devotes himself only to his domestic affairs. And yet both are Christians, redeemed from sin and death through Christ and heirs of eternal life. May we be found in this class, despite it being the smallest.

However, to this, as Christ says, we must add a good and honest heart, that is, a heart which, in the first place, is not listless but really intent on the Word of God. Such a heart must, above all else, have fidelity, if the devil is not to come and snatch the Word away. Second, the heart must be firm and steadfast, not weak and timid, allowing itself neither to be led astray and become frightened, nor swayed by people’s favor or disfavor. For if we do not fear and love God above all else, his Word will not continue long, since it is constantly being assailed. The devil can neither endure nor tolerate it. He is a taskmaster who never lets up, forever and ever driving his servants, never allowing them to be idle, as we see things going on all the time among the papists. Third, the heart must be purged and swept clean so that no thorns remain in it, that is, we must no longer love possessions, money, fame, and pleasures more than God’s Word and the life which is to come, nor be more concerned with secular affairs than with God’s Word, as Christ says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33).

To be sure, trial and tribulation, adversity and temptation will not be lacking, as St. Paul says (2 Timothy 3:12): “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” May we be ready to meet such eventuality and, as Christ says, possess our souls in patience, and in the meantime take recourse in prayer. For it never fails, we must confess, that we are, unfortunately, assaulted on all sides, with no letup in sight.

We need to be on guard against the weaknesses and infirmities in our nature, against succumbing to false security, but petitioning God for his Holy Spirit…to remove such obstacles, to sweep out those thorns and thistles from our hearts, so that we can continue to hear and retain God’s Word, and bring forth the good fruit, by faith in Christ, through which faith we not only live in obedience to god but also become God’s children and heirs. The main reason this seed is sown, that is, that the Gospel is proclaimed in all the world, is to create and work fruit in us which endures into eternity.

Now, then, this parable also tells us not to be surprised if we see that the Word does not bring forth fruit in every case. For we learn that it is the Lord himself who sets up four divisions of which only one, the smallest group, is truly upright. The other three classes are actually worthless; we must let them go and not become disturbed when we see that there are more who despise than accept the Word. It is in the nature of the Gospel that wherever it is preached, there three types of unworthy hearers appear, while the fourth is good and upright. And yet the fault lies not with the Word nor with the one who preaches, as the blind papists charge, like the ranting crazies that they are. They think they can defame us and make our gospel all the more offensive by charging us with the offenses the devil has stirred up ever since the gospel first was proclaimed. In evidence thereof, isn’t it so that when Christ himself, along with John and his apostles, preached, weren’t there also great offenses and weren’t great sins committed?

We want to let the matter involving our doctrine rest without apologizing for why we hold to it and why we will not be driven from it. We simply call attention to the words of our dear Lord Jesus, who says that the seed is the Word. Now, there is not a single papist so senseless and foolish who would dare say that the Word about which Christ is speaking here is an evil word or is false teaching. What, however, does Christ say about the good, pure seed? What does he explain? That only a fourth of it takes root and bears fruit! Who then can deny that the world is evil, even though the Word and its preaching are upright and good, and that they will bear fruit?

Christ’s Word plainly states that only a fourth part of the seed bears fruit, and  his own experience (to say nothing of John’s and the apostles’ experience) exhibits the fact that not everyone was ready to believe and accept the Word. The majority of the people are and remain evil and without fruit; only a limited number, a fraction, repent and come to faith.

Therefore, to fault the doctrine and say that it is no good, amounts also to saying that the seed which falls by the wayside, on the rocks, and among the thorns is also not good. But we must turn this around and not blaspheme God. His Word is the seed which is being sown. This Word in truth is pure and good, and by its very nature can do nothing but bear fruit. The fact, however, that it does not bear fruit everywhere is not the fault of God and his Word but the fault of the soil which is not good, and in which, as a result, the seed must remain unproductive and decay.

For the blame does not lie with the Word but with people’s hearts. They are unclean and impure, and either despise the Word or fall away from it under duress, or are choked by the cares, riches, and pleasures of this life. So, let everyone learn from this parable that it will always be this way with the gospel: some will be converted but there are probably three times more who will take offense.

Listen to God’s Word while you have it; the time may come when you would like to hear it, but it may not be there for you. Therefore, give ear to it diligently while you have it. For he who despises it is overcome by darkness (John 12:35).

Blessed Martin Chemnitz said: “Good words are to be done because they are necessary on the basis of the command of God … For the will and command of God is that believers should not be idle, but that they walk and exercise themselves in good works” (Enchiridion, p96).

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit

Is your eye evil because I am good?

The landowner’s words in our Lord’s parable are damning. The landowner agreed with the laborers on their wage before the day’s work began. Whether the laborer worked one hour or twelve hours, the wage is the same: one denarius. Nevertheless, those who worked twelve hours whine about the agreed upon wage.

You are the complaining laborer. Did you think on the day you were baptized that the pastor would present you with a gift bag full of rewards? Did you expect more than the Body and Blood of Christ on the day of your confirmation? Do you expect a monument erected in your honor every time you do or say something good on behalf of the congregation? The reward you might expect and the reward Christ bestows upon you are two different things.

Men build monuments to themselves perhaps thinking God will smile on them and reward them. Consider the tower of Babel in Genesis chapter eleven. Mankind thought it convenient to build a tower to reach God rather than hearken to His Word of repopulating the earth after the Flood. The tower would be the ultimate monument to mankind’s achievements. The tower instead became a monument to sin and frustration. Languages changed instantly at God’s behest. Confusion reigned. God’s children were on the move, looking for people who could speak their new languages.

Men still build monuments to honor themselves. It’s sad to say some of those monuments look a lot like churches. Instead of delivering forgiveness of sins and eternal life, these churches-come-monuments deliver a message of feelings and emotions. The language spoken sounds nothing like churchly language. Churches become a sanctuary of feeling good about one’s self rather than a hospice for sinners. What goes on inside the building might look like church, but could be a pep rally or a motivational seminar.

You look for rewards; for instant gratification as you run the race of life that Saint Paul describes in today’s Epistle. Paul writes: they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. A Christian does not run the race of life expecting God to give him every earthly thing they want. A Christian runs the race of life to receive the crown of life that cannot be compared with all the finery in the Tower of London. The Winter Olympics begin shortly. Prizes in the form of medals are given to those who compete well. An Olympic medal is a wonderful achievement. However, the more wonderful achievement is the privilege to compete in the Olympics.

Unlike the Olympics, a Christian receives their fair reward whether or not their life was extraordinary or merely ordinary. There is one prize that all receive when their race is run. God rewards the race of life well run not because of your works but because of the work of Jesus for you. Good works are useless outside of Christ. In Christ, good works give proof before the world that faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior from sin and death is living and active. As you sang a moment ago: “Faith clings to Jesus’ cross alone/ And rests in Him unceasing; / And by its fruits true faith is known, / With love and hope increasing. / For faith alone can justify; / Works serve our neighbor and supply/ The proof that faith is living.”

Jesus Christ enters the vineyard of this world. He comes not to show off His majesty. He comes not looking for people to notice Him. He doesn’t come to despise those who are not perfect as He is perfect. He comes to labor for His vineyard. His labor costs Him His life. Instead of keeping the fruits of His labor to Himself, He gives you the fruits of His labor. Your sins are forgiven because of the merciful deliverance by God the Father’s goodness to the glory of His Name.

His gift of forgiveness and life is fair. You did nothing to deserve it. We are unprofitable servants. Hearing again what Jesus did for you this coming Lent shifts the balance of fairness away from you to Jesus. It’s not fair that Jesus went through all the misery in His Passion to save a sinner like you. It’s not fair that you should receive the spoils of victory won by the death of God’s only Son. That’s the genius of our Father’s Promise! God’s free grace and favor is just that: free. His Son did everything necessary to secure a place for you in heaven.

Today you receive God’s free grace and favor as all who came before you received it. You are under the cloud of God’s protection as you journey through the wilderness of life to the Promised Land in the life of the world to come. You passed through the sea of Holy Baptism. The Word is planted in your ear through preaching. The Word is planted in your mouth in the Lord’s Supper. There is no greater reward for a hard life’s work than to rest your soul in the cleft of the Rock of Ages. The Psalmist writes: the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever. The Lord is my Rock and my Fortress and my Deliverer, for You save a humble people, but the haughty eyes You bring down. Believe it for Jesus’ sake.

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit

No, I don’t mean our annual “what color should the paraments be during the Gesimas?” conversation.  And no, I don’t mean the “does the Feast of the Annunciation take priority over a Sunday in Lent?” time.  Those are always great times, and I’m glad to have them.

It is the time of year for renewing the domain name, paying for the upkeep of the site, and the like.  It costs about $50 a year or so to run historiclectionary.com.

I am happy to provide this service as an opportunity for us to speak and learn from one another.  I am also happy if anyone else would like to share the joy of providing this service.

If you think this is a useful site, please consider contributing toward our site.  You may do so by sending money to me via paypal at the account “toddpeperkorn –at– mac — dot —com”.  I’d appreciate any amount you would be able to give.

What does the future hold for historiclectionary.com?  Time will tell.  This has been what some might call a rebuilding year.  Most of the posts to the site have come from my friend and brother in office, Pastor Dave Juhl.  Thank you for your service!  I would really like to beef up our weekly offerings a little more, with sermons, helps, musical suggestions for the season, and the like.  In order for that to happen, I will need a few more people contributing.  If you are interested, please leave a note in the comment line or contact me offlist.

Another one of the possibilities for this next year is that of a lectionary wiki.  I have had this in mind for some time, and I believe that the relative stability of the one year lectionary would lend itself to a wiki format.  If anyone would like to help me with that aspect of our project, drop a comment!  I think it could be a lot of fun.

God’s blessings to you in Christ, fellow preachers and hearers.  See you in cyberland!

Pastor Todd Peperkorn, STM

historiclectionary.com

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit

It’s not as if Jesus had no idea He was the Son of God until He was transfigured. Jesus, according to the flesh, is at all times both fully God and fully man. Nevertheless, there seems to be two Jesuses on the mountain. One is transfigured before Peter, James, and John’s eyes, appearing with Moses and Elijah. The other Jesus stands before the three men alone, comforting them from their fear at seeing this awesome event and hearing the voice of God Almighty proclaiming Jesus to be His beloved Son.

Looking back to what he saw on the mountain peak thirty-odd years before, Saint Peter writes in today’s Epistle: [Jesus] received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place. It was Peter who meant well when we said, Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles, one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. Though Peter meant well, his words make him a heretic.

Peter sees the glorious Christ with Moses and Elijah and wants them to stick around for a while. Worse yet, Peter’s comment puts Jesus on the same plane with Moses and Elijah. They are three great men who do great things with the help of the Lord. Peter’s comment is a subtle denial of Christ’s divine nature. You would think seeing Jesus transfigured would be enough evidence for Peter to believe that Jesus is not merely a man. Guess again.

Like Peter, you often are caught up in focusing too much on the glorified Christ and leave behind the Christ with skin and bones. Unlike Peter, this is a denial that Jesus Christ was born a man. Jesus with skin and bones do not sell Christian books. Jesus with skin and bones makes for a boring church service. You love the awesome God but when He comes looking not so awesome it’s a letdown. Jesus doesn’t have a shine as He does in Matthew chapter 17. His glory doesn’t light up your life as you think it should. Jesus on the mountain peak in all His splendor and glory is right where you want Him.

It is good to be with the Lord, but it is even better to be with Him as He is instead of the way you want Him. For all the talk of splendor and honor, when a Christian sees Jesus in all His pomp it’s a different story. Every time the pre-incarnate Christ appears in the Old Testament one of two things happen. Those who despise the Lord fall backward in fear. Those who believe in the promise of the Seed of the woman who will stomp the head of the serpent fall forward in worshipful awe. They hide their face before the presence of the Light of the world.

This is why the Christian Church keeps the laudable custom of bowing the head when the name of Jesus is spoken. Another custom is to bow the head at the name of the Holy Trinity. You bow when you come forward to receive the Lord’s Supper. You bow when you enter the chancel to pay due reverence to God almighty in His holy habitation. These customs confess something. They confess that God is present and you honor His presence accordingly.

Jesus does not come in order to give you respect. He does not come to revere you. He comes to die for your sins and rise from the dead for your justification. He comes to bring joy to the world. Jesus is no pious wordsmith, saying one thing and doing another. Jesus is the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place.

Shoeless Moses stood before the presence of the Lord in a burning bush that was not consumed. The Lord God sent him to Pharaoh to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. As Moses did what his name means, namely “drew out” the Israelites from Egypt to the Promised Land, so Jesus does the same thing. Jesus draws you out of slavery to sin and death and into the Promised Land of forgiveness and life. Jesus saves you through water in Baptism as He saved the Israelites by leading them through the Red Sea on dry land. Jesus provides you food for the journey Home with His True Body and Blood just as He provided manna and quail for the Israelites and gave them water from the rock…and that Rock was Christ.

Elijah bowed low before the Lord ashamed to say he seemed to be the only one still zealous for the Lord. The Lord told Elijah to get up and do what was given him to do. Before Elijah did as He was commanded, He was privileged to see the backside of God and live. Though it seemed like Elijah was against the world, the Lord God used Elijah to proclaim His name above the false god Baal. The prophets of Baal were slaughtered after God consumed the wet sacrifice with thunder and fire. Elijah spoke God’s Word with great boldness and was given his reward when the Lord took him to Heaven in a fiery chariot. Elijah’s witness prepared the way of the Lord in a way that would not be seen again until John the Baptizer, the last of the prophets and one greater than Elijah, was born.

The acts of Moses, Elijah, and Jesus confirm God’s Hand at work among us. You know God worked through them because His Word reveals His work as a light that shines in a dark place. There is only one Jesus on the mountain peak. He is both God and man. His glory is shown where mortal men never think to look. Jesus’ glory will soon be shown in a way no man can understand unless the Light from above shines on Him. Jesus will be glorified in His Passion, naked, bloody, and bruised before the world. You will see this spectacle and marvel with joy that God would stoop so low and do such a thing to save you from eternal death. Since He bids you leave the mount, come with Him to the plain. Come with Him to Jerusalem and see Him suffer and die for you. Do not be afraid. His glory, your glory, shall never end.

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit

Pr. McCain’s comments in Pr. Esget’s thread about the change of seasons forthcoming has me thinking along the same lines as he might be thinking. What did Lutherans in the Age of Orthodoxy do with Transfiguration? There are no Luther sermons that he (and I) can find in English on Matthew 17. Same for Gerhard. Same for Walther and Stoeckhardt. A look at three Lutheran Annuals from the 1940s shows that Transfiguration was not transferred to the Last Sunday after The Epiphany. Perhaps when the rare occasion of a Sixth Sunday after The Epiphany occurred, then Transfiguration was celebrated. Perhaps Transfiguration was celebrated on August 6.

Is there someone smarter than Pr. McCain and yours truly that could help us out?

Reminder: traditional Lutheran congregations begin the season of Pre-Lent this year on January 31, Septuagesima. That means Transfiguration falls this year on January 24.

Here are the seasonal customs for this time, from the wonderful liturgical resource Lex Orandi:

The Season & Customs of Pre-Lent

The three Sundays before Ash Wednesday are called Septuagesima, Sexagesima and Quinquagesima. These Sundays are privileged, not yielding to any other celebration. From Vespers on the eve of Septuagesima until Shrove Tuesday, the Alleluia is omitted, the Gloria in Excelsis is not sung except on festivals, and the Benedictus replaces the Te Deum in Sunday Matins. Flowers may still be used and the organ played as usual.

At Vespers on the Eve of Septuagesima, the Alleluia, the ancient exclamation of joy and praise, is officially silenced and is not heard again until Vespers on the Eve of Easter. The Alleluia is bidden farewell by singing it twice after the prayers in Vespers, thus: V. Bless we the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia. R. Thanks be to God. Alleluia, allelua. Hereafter, the acclaimation “Praise to Thee, O Lord, King of eternal glory” is substituted for the Alleluia. Also, the Alleluia verse is omitted from the Gradual at Mass and the Tract is used in its place.

-Christopher S. Esget

Cross-posted at Esgetology