Series A – Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost – Sunday, August 16, 2020 | Pr. Chris Rosebrough
Welcome to the Teaching Ministry of Kongsvinger Lutheran Church. Kongsvinger is a beacon for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and is located on the plains of Northwestern Minnesota. We proclaim Christ and Him crucified for our sins and salvation by grace through faith alone, and now, here’s a message from Pastor Chris Rosebrough: |
Time Stamp | Transcript |
0:23 | The holy gospel according to saint |
0:30 | matthew the 15th chapter glory to you o lord so Jesus went away |
0:36 | from there and withdrew to the district of tyre and sidon and behold a canaanite woman from that region came out and was |
0:41 | crying have mercy on me o lord son of david my daughter is severely oppressed by a |
0:47 | demon but he did not answer her a word and his disciples came and begged him saying |
0:53 | send her away for she’s crying out after us and he answered i was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of israel |
1:00 | but she came and knelt before him saying lord help me and he answered it is not right |
1:06 | to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs she said yes lord yet even the dogs eat |
1:11 | the crumbs that fall from their master’s table then Jesus answered her o woman great is |
1:16 | your faith be it done for you as you desire and her daughter was healed instantly |
1:21 | this is the word of the lord to you o Christ in the name of Jesus have you ever been |
1:29 | in a circumstance where you felt completely out of place like you were in the wrong place altogether i’ve had this happen to me a |
1:36 | few times and this will help form the basis of our understanding of our texts today years and years ago when my kids |
1:42 | were little josh used to attend a a Christian school and uh and he was pretty young this may |
1:48 | have been like kindergarten or first grade and they were having a Christmas pageant now a little bit of a note uh winters in |
1:54 | southern california are like the summers here you know it’s um the people in southern |
2:00 | california have two seasons it’s really hot and warm there’s there’s like nothing else after that you |
2:06 | know and it’s really funny watching southern californians when it’s 50 degrees wearing parkas |
2:11 | it doesn’t make any sense but anyway so uh it was Christmas time my biological |
2:18 | father was visiting and my dad is a golfer and i used to be a golfer i’ve given it up |
2:23 | for the most part but we decided that we would spend the day golfing that day and so we were wearing shorts and you know |
2:29 | kind of casual shirts and you know and after playing a round of golf you’re not exactly clean and i thought it would be |
2:36 | a great idea for whatever reason because i’m stupid that my father and i would attend the Christmas pageant |
2:43 | you know having gone straight from the golf course to the church and upon walking into the auditorium we |
2:49 | realized we were egregiously underdressed and |
2:55 | and the look from people that we received was actually quite interesting because people were looking |
3:00 | at us like whoa they’re letting anybody in nowadays and you can tell like some of the people |
3:05 | were saying well they do allow you know people who are in poverty to attend this church |
3:11 | in the school so well you get the idea we we were grossly out of place but have |
3:18 | you ever felt that way as you read the scriptures let me explain what i mean by that when you read the scriptures especially |
3:23 | when you get to the the stories in genesis of abraham of isaac of jacob and the nation whom god chose |
3:31 | the people whom he chose to reveal his word to perform his miracles to set free from slavery |
3:38 | and then even going into the new testament you’ll note that well you know Christianity started off |
3:43 | as a thoroughly jewish affair have you ever had the feeling it’s like well you know i i just don’t even you know i feel like |
3:50 | i don’t quite fit i don’t quite belong you know because i have such a strong european heritage or |
3:56 | i’m not jewish at all and and so there’s these feelings of like spiritual inadequacy like somehow |
4:02 | we’re part of a group we’re in a building we’re in a congregation where we kind of stand out |
4:07 | as people who you know we really shouldn’t be there right and then you have the challenge of |
4:14 | kind of sorting this one out but what about the people who are genetically related to abraham today |
4:20 | who if you say these words Jesus is the promised messiah of the old |
4:26 | testament they don’t react with indifference they react with like full-on hostility |
4:34 | and then also kind of in that same vein and we’ll talk about this as we develop our thought today |
4:40 | in that same vein what do you make of the people today who are believing some of the craziest things |
4:46 | like they believe in sneaky squid spirits or they believe that you know if you sow a thousand dollar seed offering that god’s |
4:53 | gonna make you a millionaire or that they believe that god blesses same-sex marriage or all kinds of weird |
5:00 | perversions that are running around the landscape today and and claim that you’re racist and bigoted and homophobic if you actually |
5:06 | say well the scorchers doesn’t say don’t say that you know what do you make of people who are clearly believing |
5:12 | things that are just well it doesn’t make any sense it seems like |
5:19 | it’s irrational well our epistle text is going to help us with that today and so i’m going to work back |
5:26 | through the bigger context of romans 11 and we’re going to sort a few things out and we’re going to note that there’s a |
5:32 | very very stern firm warning for us today in this text and |
5:39 | what i’ve said sets the basis for it so in romans 11 it says paul asks i ask then |
5:45 | has god rejected his people i mean it’s a legitimate question i mean |
5:50 | that’s kind of the question on the table for us today has god rejected the jews well this is what paul says he says by |
5:56 | no means he says i myself am an israelite i am a descendant of abraham a member of the tribe of |
6:02 | benjamin god has not rejected his people whom he foreknew |
6:07 | do you not know what the scripture says of elijah how he appeals to god against israel and |
6:13 | of course everybody recognizes well elijah is an israelite himself so here’s elijah’s complaint |
6:20 | to the to god he says lord they’ve killed your prophets they’ve demolished your altars i alone am left and they seek my life |
6:27 | but what is god’s reply to him i have kept for myself seven thousand |
6:35 | men who have not bowed the knee to all so too at the present time and this |
6:42 | exists to this day at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace |
6:50 | and so you’ll note that although a large percentage of people who are |
6:56 | descendants of abraham to this day do not believe that Jesus is the messiah |
7:01 | they do not believe he is the son of god they reject the fact that Christ has bled and died for their sins |
7:08 | yet you can also point to people today who are genetically descendants of |
7:14 | abraham who believe in the messiah and that’s the point so god has not |
7:20 | rejected his people and he has reserved for himself a remnant from that race but if it is by grace it’s no |
7:28 | longer on the basis of works otherwise grace would no longer be grace so then paul asked the question what |
7:33 | then israel failed to obtain what it was seeking salvation being declared righteous |
7:42 | justified before god they have failed to obtain it but the elect they have obtained it and |
7:48 | then listen to these words in verse seven but the rest were hardened |
7:55 | now that’s a tough thing for us to take in but that’s a reality that we need to |
8:02 | consider here so you’ll note there’s a reason why those who persist in unbelief regarding |
8:10 | the messiah and this is going to be both jews and non-jews today |
8:16 | their hearts are hardened and they are going to believe the most crazy things but we should not be |
8:23 | prideful saying well at least we’re not stupid like them that’s a totally wrong attitude |
8:28 | okay you’ll note they were hardened as it is written god gave them a spirit of stupor |
8:34 | eyes that would not see ears that would not hear down to this very day and david says let their table become a |
8:41 | snare and a trap and a stumbling block and a retribution for them let their eyes be darkened so |
8:46 | that they cannot see and bend their backs forever |
8:52 | so when we hear god gave them a spirit of stupor that’s an interesting word and you know sometimes if you if you |
8:57 | just say a word several times it it kind of confuses you when i say the word stupor |
9:02 | and say it’s stupor super super i think of a you know a german world war ii airplane you know there was a |
9:09 | group of stupors out there and they bombed us that’s not what stupor is stupor is this concept of god giving |
9:16 | them over to a spirit that is something to the effect of being drunk |
9:22 | not capable of rational thought stumbling bumbling that’s kind of the idea |
9:28 | incapable of walking lying you can’t reason with somebody who’s had three or four |
9:34 | too many drinks that’s the concept of a spirit of stupor and you know |
9:39 | god is the one who gave them over to it so then paul then asked the question |
9:46 | did they stumble in order that they might fall and this is not a valid question |
9:52 | paul says by no means he says rather and then listen to this part through their trespass salvation |
9:59 | has come to the gentiles so as to make the to make israel jealous and this is a |
10:05 | part of the revelation that is in scripture that we have to come to grips with that this is |
10:10 | it when we look at why some believe and some are hardened there’s purposes behind it and it’s kind |
10:16 | of a two-sided coin on the one side of the coin the they have |
10:21 | by their trespass by their unbelief god has pretty much said fine i’m taking |
10:27 | my salvation and i’m making it available to everyone people of all nations all languages all tribes |
10:35 | i’m going to make it available to all of them but you’re going to note then that because of this then the goal on |
10:43 | god’s part is to make them jealous seems kind of weird right |
10:49 | well so listen to what he says now if the trespass means riches for the world |
10:54 | and if the failure means riches for the gentiles and it does how much what more will their full inclusion mean now i’m |
11:00 | speaking to you gentiles in as much then as i am an apostle to the gentiles so i magnify my ministry |
11:06 | in order somehow to make my fellow jews jealous and thus to save some of them |
11:13 | and there it is again jealous jealous regarding what for if the rejection means the |
11:19 | reconciliation of the world what would their acceptance mean but life from the dead if the dough that is offered as the first fruits is holy |
11:25 | then so is the whole lump and if the root is holy so are the branches but if some of the branches were broken |
11:30 | off although you a wild olive shoot were grafted in among the others and you now share the nourishing root of |
11:37 | the olive tree do not be arrogant towards the branches if you are remember it is not you who support the |
11:43 | root but the root that supports you so the idea here is this regarding the |
11:49 | jealousy it has everything to do with the free forgiveness of sins |
11:54 | of no longer being bound to the rules and regulations of the mosaic covenant a good way to think of the jealousy is |
12:01 | along these lines you know people who today are descendants of abraham |
12:06 | and are still thinking that they have to keep the mosaic covenant yet they don’t it’s impossible to keep the mosaic |
12:12 | covenant today because there is no temple and so they’ve kind of crafted their own |
12:19 | religion that is not the religion of the old testament but they look at us Christians and they go |
12:25 | these Christians have the forgiveness of sins given to them freely daily without cost without works |
12:32 | without all the rules and regulations without requirements to keep the feast days and circumcision |
12:38 | and all this kind of stuff and those Christians they’re allowed to eat bacon you know which i think is a good thing |
12:44 | you know i think that’s a good thing because bacon should make everybody else jealous and so you know |
12:50 | we receive from god mercy grace and favor without works |
12:57 | as a gift well they’re striving to attain these things by their torah keeping and never attain |
13:05 | them but you’re going to note then that what i talked about you know us being in a place where it |
13:12 | seems like we don’t belong where we don’t quite fit in well that’s true because you’ll note |
13:18 | here paul says that when it comes to israel some branches were broken off and all of us |
13:27 | we are wild olive shoots we’ve been grafted in among the others and we now share in this nourishing root of the |
13:33 | olive tree so on israel israel is now likened to a big old olive tree |
13:40 | certain branches that were cultivated have been broken off and god has gone and said let’s find |
13:45 | some wild olive shoots uh let’s see here what have we got we got a mikey we got a david you know we got a josh we |
13:52 | got a don and a maryland and an ashley we’ll we’ll graph them all in and we’re all |
13:57 | wild olive branches and we’ve been grafted into israel and so in a lot of ways we can say you know |
14:03 | what we don’t belong here we don’t and the other part of it is |
14:10 | if you really think about what god is doing here sunday after sunday forgiving our sins cleansing us |
14:19 | assuring us of eternal life comforting us with the promises of the world to come and the riches of |
14:26 | god given as a gift we recognize this none of us deserves to be here |
14:33 | at all i don’t deserve to be here you don’t deserve to be here and that’s |
14:40 | kind of the point so you’ll note then paul’s admonition is don’t be arrogant toward the branches that |
14:47 | have been broken off and have been hearted hardened don’t do that |
14:53 | because well pride comes before a fall and note what he says then you do not support the root the root |
15:01 | supports you but then you’ll say well branches were broken off so that i could be grafted in |
15:07 | that is true that is true they were broken off because of their unbelief |
15:12 | but listen to what he says then you stand fast through faith and you’ll note |
15:20 | that if you’re standing fast through faith not by your works this requires you to maintain a position |
15:28 | mentally of one of humility because i didn’t earn salvation it’s |
15:35 | been given to me as a gift you haven’t earned salvation it’s been given as a gift so we hold on through |
15:40 | faith so don’t become proud instead fear |
15:47 | and this is that stern warning for if god did not spare the natural branches neither will he spare |
15:52 | you so note then the kindness and the severity of god severity towards |
16:00 | those who have fallen but god’s kindness to you and then listen to the words |
16:06 | provided you continue in his kindness so how does one continue in the kindness of god |
16:11 | well what is the kindness of god the kindness of god is the good news that god so loved the world |
16:18 | every tribe every nation every language that god gave his only begotten son that |
16:23 | whoever believes in him would not perish and you can almost write into the subtext of that |
16:29 | portion of the gospel of john chapter 3 would not perish as they deserve as i deserve as you |
16:35 | deserve but have everlasting life for god did not send the son of the |
16:42 | world to condemn the world but the world might be saved through him and so you’ll note |
16:47 | that many manifestations of arrogance and self-righteousness appear within the church appear within |
16:54 | our own lives and these are the things that we are being warned against here the sin of |
16:59 | arrogance and pride that was the sin of the devil and so in different manifestations of this |
17:06 | type of religion which masquerades as Christianity often times in self-righteous systems |
17:13 | they have these multi-tiered systems set up where in there’s a group of people who’ve figured out they’ve figured out the |
17:20 | secret they’ve had the breakthrough they’ve figured out the secret to how to live super-de-duper holy lives |
17:26 | sinless in all capacities at least that’s the claim and then |
17:33 | you’ve got another group of people another tier those who are striving trying to figure |
17:39 | out how the people in the first group are pulling it off and of course the people in the first group |
17:45 | oftentimes they’ll be willing to tell you their secrets if you purchase their book follow their |
17:52 | plans and their steps but then there’s a third group there’s a third group in those kinds of |
17:57 | systems the third group are those who are just tired |
18:04 | they’ve tried climbing the mountain they can’t figure out how the people at the top claiming that |
18:09 | they’re pulling it off or worse they can see their hypocrisy all their claims of being |
18:15 | righteous and holy they can see right through it and they |
18:21 | can see their arrogance and pride and what do they do they backslide they fall away |
18:27 | or maybe they keep coming to church but people say of them they’re not even trying but |
18:34 | the thing is is that that’s not Christianity i mean continuing in the kindness of god |
18:40 | recognize causes us to recognize that arrogance and self-righteousness are completely out of place |
18:46 | in Christianity there are only forgiven sinners there is no |
18:52 | secret to holiness there is no group of people who’ve figured out how to pull |
18:59 | it off everybody has to pray daily forgive us our trespasses |
19:05 | as we forgive those who trespass against us so continuing the kindness of god is to continue in |
19:11 | the gospel continuing to believe that Christ’s forgiveness is death on the cross is enough to save |
19:16 | even you and then the kindness of god given to you through the gospel |
19:22 | you share with others in words as well as actions |
19:29 | doing your good works in love for your neighbor’s sake deviate from this then note that what |
19:35 | the scripture says note the kindness and the severity of god if god did not spare the natural |
19:40 | branches because of their unbelief because of their self-righteousness he won’t spare you either this would be the equivalent |
19:48 | of going back to egypt if you would use the metaphor from the old testament |
19:53 | so the note continue in the kindness of god otherwise you two will be cut off and |
19:59 | even if they do not continue in in their unbelief god they will be grafted in for god has the |
20:06 | power to graft them back in again for if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree and grafted |
20:12 | contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree how much more will these the natural branches be grafted back into their own |
20:19 | olive tree so lest you be wise in your own sight which is foolishness |
20:25 | i don’t want you to be unaware of this mystery brothers a partial hardening has come upon israel until the |
20:31 | fullness of the gentiles has come in and so in this way all of israel will be saved as it is written the deliverer |
20:38 | will come from zion he will banish ungodliness from jacob and this will be my covenant with them |
20:43 | when i take away their sins so as regards to the gospel |
20:49 | those who’ve rejected Christ who are genetically jewish paul says they are enemies for your sake |
20:56 | because their rebellion has caused god to bring salvation to the nations |
21:01 | but as regards of election they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers for the gifts and the calling of god are |
21:06 | irrevocable for just as you at one time were disobedient to god now you have received mercy because of |
21:14 | their disobedience so that they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy |
21:20 | shown to you they also may receive mercy you see their disobedience means |
21:27 | our salvation and god showing mercy to us may in fact cause seven of them to be |
21:32 | jealous so that they too can receive mercy like we have and then this is where our epistle text |
21:38 | ends and this is a good place for us to kind of wrap this portion of the thought up for god has |
21:43 | consigned all everybody jew gentile german polish norwegian |
21:49 | doesn’t matter what your ethnic heritage is god has consigned all to disobedience |
21:56 | so that he may have mercy on all every |
22:04 | single one of us that’s the point self-righteousness arrogance pride |
22:11 | they’re ruled out it’s absolutely ruled out you see god wants and desires to forgive |
22:19 | everybody of every tribe nation and language and with that then consider our gospel |
22:24 | text i think our gospel text does a great job of pointing that out woven into that thought that we just |
22:33 | heard from paul consider the state of affairs between jews |
22:38 | and canaanites at the time of Christ the time of his first advent |
22:45 | back in those days the jews openly referred to canaanites and those people who were |
22:52 | of the nations and gentiles they openly referred to them as dogs that’s a |
22:59 | common theme in their writing and in their teaching and the word used for god for dogs in |
23:06 | the greek here there’s actually two words that you could use |
23:11 | the word for dog being used as a as an epithet as kind of a racial slur used by the jews |
23:16 | of Jesus is time that that type of dog would have been the dog that had the fleas |
23:22 | that was mangy would eat the garbage and and be picking through things and they weren’t |
23:27 | tame they were feral and they were disgusting and they would foul up your yard that’s one word for |
23:34 | dog now back in the time of the romans romans also kept dogs as |
23:39 | pets but those were the lap dogs those were the trained dogs those were the dogs who were raised as puppies to actually |
23:46 | be in the house and they they’re every bit just like any dogs that any of uh any of us have had you know they’re |
23:52 | faithful they’re loyal they’re loving they protect and they bark and they hate postman and all that kind of |
23:58 | stuff even back then they would chase the male the male guy but you get the idea so |
24:03 | keep that in mind the second word for dog would have been the house dog the lap dog the trained |
24:09 | dog and that’s a slightly different dog so as we read this account you’re gonna |
24:15 | note that Jesus he’s outside of israel now he’s in the region of tyre and sidon |
24:20 | he’s in canaanite territory and that is important because what’s a |
24:27 | jew doing outside of israel well Jesus isn’t just an ordinary |
24:34 | jew he is the son of david and the son of god and he has a point to make here and |
24:41 | personally having worked through this text several times this week as well as preached on it a few |
24:48 | times over the past six years i’m beginning to think that Jesus was trying to work out some of the |
24:53 | inherent race racism that existed within the disciples because |
24:58 | of the the view that they were taught had modeled and even themselves were exemplifying |
25:04 | in their disdain of people who were not jewish and you can see that struggle you can |
25:10 | see that struggle even in the book of galatians you know you can see it in the book of acts |
25:15 | itself as well so Jesus is entire inside and says behold a canaanite woman from that |
25:21 | region came out and was crying have mercy on me o lord son of david my daughter is |
25:27 | superior severely oppressed by a demon now a little bit of a note women are not supposed to start |
25:34 | conversations with men in public in the ancient near east that’s just forbidden so this woman’s |
25:40 | breaking the rules she’s a canaanite Jesus is a jew she’s breaking another rule and if you |
25:46 | were just to look at her through that type of prejudice through that type of |
25:51 | discord and malice you can basically say woman who do you |
25:57 | think you are starting up a conversation with rabbi Jesus you know better than that you’re |
26:02 | breaking the rules oh and your daughter’s oppressed by a demon well that’s probably your own fault i mean you’re a pagan you worship |
26:09 | false gods and canaanites oftentimes engage in the occult so you got what’s coming to you lady |
26:18 | you’re one of those dogs it would be very easy to dismiss her |
26:25 | like that and here’s the thing you’ll note that in her initial crying out |
26:34 | this woman has some pretty good theology this is quite the statement have mercy |
26:39 | on me by the way curie liaison we we say we sing that every |
26:45 | week when we say lord have mercy Christ have mercy lord have mercy have |
26:50 | mercy on me and then listen to this these words oh lord son of david |
26:57 | i think you can make an argument this lady knows that Jesus is both the son of god and the son of man where did this canaanite woman |
27:06 | learn this theology she’s only getting second hand reports |
27:11 | about Jesus and these are the days before facebook and twitter right but yet she knows that Jesus |
27:18 | is the one who can help her and she calls him lord and son of david and she comes with a |
27:25 | very serious problem but and this is where it gets awkward Jesus |
27:31 | didn’t answer her word |
27:38 | now i can usually get away with this if i’m in another room and my wife is calling for help and wants me to help with something in the kitchen |
27:46 | right help the pod’s boiling over chris i need you to come downstairs |
27:51 | i didn’t hear you some men they just turn off the hearing aids right okay but this woman is crying out in a |
27:59 | way that well everyone’s noticing and what do we decide what does Jesus disciple say to send her away |
28:07 | send her away Jesus she keeps crying out after us and you’re going to note here i’m really |
28:14 | really discouraged and disappointed by this answer from the disciples |
28:19 | do they not yet understand that Christ came to bleed and to die for the sins of the whole world |
28:24 | and that he is as john the baptist said the lamb of god who takes away the sin |
28:30 | of the world do they really not yet get that salvation is for everyone and so with the |
28:37 | prejudice they were taught send her away she’s crying out after us she’s breaking all the rules Jesus and |
28:42 | she’s a complete pagan and at first it seems like Jesus is going along with it |
28:49 | so he says to her i was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of israel |
28:55 | there that’ll shut her up but it didn’t |
29:03 | that did not send her away and after what we just read in romans 11 what Christ said |
29:11 | is true he was sent for the lost sheep of israel and we’ve all been grafted into israel |
29:17 | and i don’t know if you notice this about yourself but uh you were born a pretty mangy |
29:24 | sheep right so was i |
29:29 | so this woman she comes and now she kneels before Jesus that’s the posture of prayer |
29:37 | wow and her prayer is this lord help me |
29:44 | that’s a prayer i’ve prayed and i would bet money that’s a prayer you’ve prayed too |
29:51 | lord help me in all kinds of circumstances we pray that prayer lord |
29:56 | help me have you ever felt like after you’ve prayed that prayer |
30:02 | that god hasn’t heard you you ever have the call them like ricker-shaped prayers you know lord help me and it hits the |
30:08 | ceiling and ricochets and it comes right back down kind of feels like that sometimes doesn’t it |
30:15 | but god hears our prayers the scriptures assure us of this |
30:20 | and then comes one of the hardest things that Jesus ever said and will note the word that he uses |
30:27 | so Jesus answered her it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs |
30:33 | and the word for dogs here is not the the really strong one it’s it’s the lap |
30:40 | dogs the house trained dog it’s not good to take the bread and throw it to |
30:45 | the little lap dogs |
30:51 | so Jesus did call her a dog but he didn’t use the normal f that and this woman hears these words |
31:00 | and in that word she hears hope and a promise |
31:08 | so she says yes lord yet even the little lap dogs |
31:13 | they eat the crumbs that fall from their masters table she’s not incensed she’s not outraged |
31:21 | she doesn’t she’s not triggered she doesn’t go on social media and let everybody know what a horrible racist Jesus is |
31:30 | she just says yep that’s right i’m a lap dog now give me my lap dog |
31:36 | portions Jesus and when you think about this it’s absolutely brilliant |
31:43 | let me give you another example of this luther talks about this idea that someday each and every |
31:50 | one of us is going to stand before Jesus on the day of judgment and i know that that creates anxiety but the gospel |
31:57 | should not create any anxiety in you at all and luther says that if you stand before |
32:05 | Christ on the day of judgment and Jesus takes his glasses and looks down |
32:10 | over the top of his glasses and he says to you off to hell with you luther says you stand your ground |
32:18 | you stand your ground and you say these words if you throw me into hell you’re a liar |
32:25 | you can’t throw me into hell because that lousy good-for-nothing rose bro pastor guy |
32:31 | he kept telling me sunday after sunday that you forgave me of my sins he even pointed out |
32:37 | in john chapter 20 the sins you forgive will have already been forgiven so i heard that my sins were forgiven |
32:43 | and if you send me to hell you are a liar |
32:49 | and then i heard in the words of the institution of the lord’s supper take eat this is my body given for you |
32:56 | for the forgiveness of your sins you comforted it and assured me through the gospel |
33:02 | through the means of grace through the absolution week after week that my sins were forgiven |
33:07 | and if you throw me into hell you’re a liar |
33:14 | you’re sitting there going can you can you talk that way to Jesus |
33:20 | i sure i assure you you will not need to at all because Jesus isn’t a liar |
33:25 | the point is is that Jesus does forgive us all regardless of the sins that we’ve |
33:32 | committed he has had mercy on us and this woman |
33:37 | hearing Jesus say i don’t it’s not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little lap dog she says yes |
33:43 | lord that’s exactly what i am so give me what is my portion and Jesus |
33:48 | commends her and you’ll note Jesus doesn’t hand out commendations left and right there are very few |
33:56 | commendations like this in the gospels and this woman is held up as an example of it he says oh woman |
34:02 | and notice what he says great is your faith do you think this woman had great faith before she ever saw Jesus |
34:10 | i think so i the whole instance shows that this woman had this |
34:15 | faith in Christ even before she laid eyes on him she knew that he was the lord that he’s the |
34:22 | son of david and she knew this is the one who could free her daughter from the demonic |
34:27 | who could free her from her sins and so Christ says to her be it done for you as |
34:33 | you desire and her daughter was healed that healed instantly that very second |
34:39 | so brothers and sisters it is true we don’t belong here |
34:44 | i i don’t belong here you don’t belong here none of us deserves to be here |
34:50 | we’re all wild olive shoots we’ve been grafted into israel but great is the mercy of Christ |
34:57 | so note then this forgiveness we have received |
35:02 | not because of anything deserving within us but because of the kindness of god so |
35:09 | let us not be arrogant towards those whose hearts have been hardened or who believe a strong delusion and |
35:15 | believe in sanity when we see that happening let us |
35:20 | remember that we would be exactly where they are now if it were not for the grace and |
35:26 | mercy of Christ this calls for us to be humble and to continue to humbly receive from Jesus |
35:33 | the forgiveness of our sins i assure you there is not a day ahead of you between now and the day |
35:39 | that you die where you will not need to pray forgive us our trespasses |
35:45 | as we forgive those who trespass against us so let us continue in faith let us continue in the kindness of god |
35:52 | let us continue humbly receiving the forgiveness of sins |
35:57 | and humbly calling people to repent and to be forgiven and maybe just maybe god may have mercy |
36:03 | on some in the name of Jesus amen |
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