Emmanuel Lutheran Church

Mark 11:1-33

11 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:

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.”

The Lord knows that it is not the season for figs, but the Lord is hungry and decides to use the opportunity to teach. He sees a fig tree with no figs on it and then He curses the tree. This would seem odd to any reader at first. However, there is something hidden in Jesus’ words.  The temple in Jerusalem is located at both ends of this text regarding the fig tree, for Jesus visits the temple before and after the scene. With this in mind, the curse spoken against the fig tree, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again,” is really a curse against the temple in Jerusalem..

Upon His return to the temple the Lord drives out the money changers — the ones who were using the sins of mankind as a means to make a profit. They were profiting off of man’s misery, even though most people just considered them to be providing a service.

The Lord was preparing the way for the true Temple — the Temple of His Body — which will provide the one and only sacrifice needed for the full atonement of all sins. Salvation is revealed only in Christ’s sacrifice for you on the cross. Those who buy and sell forgiveness contradict God’s truth, cause confusion, take the focus off of Christ, and are frauds. They will be held accountable for such false teachings. Salvation is a free gift, given through Holy Baptism and the other means of grace, to all those who flee in faith to God’s Mercy Seat, promised through the One who is just that, Christ Jesus! He is the One who has made full payment for your sins. No other payment can be made (or purchased). Praised God who has supplied the way of refuge and peace through faith in His only begotten Son!

Let us pray: O God, the strength of all who put their trust in You, mercifully grant that by Your power we may be defended against all adversity; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Mark 10:32-53

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.

You are presented with two very different (somewhat contrasting) scenes after Jesus instructs His disciples in what was about to happen to Him. In the first scene, James and John request that they be given the highest seats of authority in the kingdom — to sit on the Lord’s left and right. They seek power and authority.

Yet again, man’s flesh does not comprehend the spiritual things of God! They have no idea what they are asking. Man’d flesh will ever wrestle with the understanding of God working through crosses (or suffering). To sit with the Lord Jesus means to endure His suffering and pain, His mocking and scourging. Oh, they will, indeed, drink this cup of the Lord, even though it is not what they expect to happen.

The second scene involves a blind man, Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus. What is his request of the Lord? It is not a fleshly request for glory or fame, but a spiritual petition from the New Man for mercy. He cries out with a loud voice until his prayer is answered, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.” Bartimaeus suffers blindness as a result of being conceived and born into the darkness of this world full of sin.

James and John, in their spiritual darkness, ask for something fleshly that cannot be given to them. Bartimaeus with eyes of faith, however, sees the Lord Jesus as the source of light. Not only is He the source of light which cures Bartimaeus’ blindness, but He shines in this dark world to conquer sin through His life, death and resurrection, enlightening all those who believe on Him. Rejoice that you are among those enlightened!

Let us pray: O God, the strength of all who put their trust in You, mercifully grant that by Your power we may be defended against all adversity; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Mark 10:1-31

10 Then He arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan. And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again.

² The Pharisees came and asked Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” testing Him.

³ And He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?”

⁴ They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her.”

⁵ And Jesus answered and said to them, “Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. ⁶ But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ ⁷ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, ⁸ and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. ⁹ Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

¹⁰ In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter. ¹¹ So He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. ¹² And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

¹³ Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. ¹⁴ But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. ¹⁵ Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” ¹⁶ And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.

¹⁷ Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”

¹⁸ So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. ¹⁹ You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”

²⁰ And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.”

²¹ Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”

²² But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

²³ Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” ²⁴ And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁶ And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, “Who then can be saved?”

²⁷ But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”

²⁸ Then Peter began to say to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You.”

²⁹ So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, ³⁰ who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. ³¹ But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Usually when you hear someone quoting the passage “for with God all things are possible” it is meant to imply what great things that individual can do if he just has God working for him (because they take it out of context). When you read this verse in context, however, it is not talking about God making possible what mankind does — rather, it is about salvation!

Only God can save! Mankind cannot do anything that will bring him salvation. Obeying the Commandments cannot do it.   That’s why confessional Lutheran’s are so blessed to have the explanation to the Third Article professed through their lips: “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him, but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel.” Not even selling all you have and giving it to the poor can do it. With mankind, salvation is impossible, period! But with God, salvation is possible.

Our Lord Jesus Christ humbled Himself and became man so that the impossible task of fulfilling the Commandments might be accomplished for mankind (this is called His ‘active obedience’). He even humbled Himself further by selling all that He had, even His very life, to suffer our punishment on the tree of the holy cross to atone for the breaking of the Commandments by all mankind (this is called His ‘passive obedience’). On account of the merits and work of Christ we, believers, now have treasure in Heaven, an eternal life with our Redeemer and all the saints. This why Christ the crucified is the focal point of the Christian Church. His scars are glorious in our eyes of faith!

Let us pray: O God, the strength of all who put their trust in You, mercifully grant that by Your power we may be defended against all adversity; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Revelation 3:7-13

⁷ “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write,

‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”: ⁸ “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. ⁹ Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. ¹⁰ Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. ¹¹ Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. ¹² He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.

¹³ “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Well, who is able to say they don’t have an ear?  Honestly, no-one! Even deaf people ‘have’ an ear and they also are able to receive “what the Spirit says to the churches.” (it’s just through a different medium). All of these messages to the churches reveal how God takes the proclamation of His Word extremely serious. So, it’s always shocking when someone is encountered who treats God’s Word flippantly. But, sadly and frustratingly, it happens — a lot!

It’s imperative to keep in mind who the Spirit is as God’s speaks through the written word. The Spirit is called the “teacher,” at many places of Holy Scripture (see Nehemiah 9:20; John 14:26; Luke 12:12; and 1 John 2:27). Being familiar with the terminology, we, Lutherans, could call God’s Spirit the ultimate ‘catechist’ (teacher) when it comes to the ‘catechesis’ (teaching) of God’s Word. God’s Holy Scripture could then be looked upon as the ultimate ‘catechism’ (book of teachings); and we could be viewed as the Holy Spirit’s ‘catechumens’ (students).

This gives a whole new perspective to Luther’s words “Let me ever remain a student of the catechism!”  Obviously Luther was speaking about the catechisms (large and small) that he had created. But the same applies when it comes to all of God’s Word! It’s the Spirit who, thankfully, reveals the spiritual things of God. Those things are not discerned by man. Every word spoken by any teacher of Holy Scripture needs always to be held accountable to “what the Spirit says” — for what He speaks, through Law & Gospel, is what brings about true repentance and belief in Jesus. Rejoice that you have heard!

Let us pray: O God, the strength of all who put their trust in You, mercifully grant that by Your power we may be defended against all adversity; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.