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1 Year Lectionary – Third Wednesday in Lent – Wednesday, March 16, 2022 | 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
0:27	A reading from genesis
0:29	chapter 39.
0:32	now joseph had been brought down to
0:34	egypt and potiphar an officer of pharaoh
0:36	the captain of the guard an egyptian had
0:39	bought him from the ishmaelites who had
0:42	brought him down there the lord was with
0:44	joseph and he became a successful man
0:47	and he was in the house of his egyptian
0:50	master his master saw that the lord was
0:52	with him and that the lord caused all
0:55	that he did to succeed in his hands so
0:58	joseph found favor in his sight and
1:00	attended him and he made him overseer of
1:03	his house and put him in charge of all
1:05	that he had
1:06	from the time that he had made him
1:08	overseer in his house and over all that
1:10	he had the lord blessed the egyptians
1:12	house for joseph’s sake the blessing of
1:16	the lord was on all that he had in house
1:19	and field and so he left all that he had
1:21	in joseph’s charge and because of him he
1:23	had no concern about anything but the
1:25	food that he ate now joseph was handsome
1:28	in form and appearance and after a time
1:30	his master’s wife cast her eyes on
1:32	joseph and said lie with me but he
1:35	refused and said to his master’s wife
1:37	behold because of me my master has no
1:40	concern about anything in the house and
1:42	he has put everything that he has in my
1:44	charge he is not greater in this house
1:47	than i am nor has he kept back anything
1:49	from me except for you because you are
1:52	his wife how then can i do this great
1:55	wickedness in sin against god and as she
1:58	spoke to joseph day after day he would
2:01	not listen to her to lie with her or to
2:04	be with her but one day when he went
2:06	into the house to do his work and none
2:09	of the men of the house was there in the
2:11	house she caught him by his garment
2:13	saying lie with me
2:15	but he left his garment in her hand and
2:17	fled and got out of the house and as
2:19	soon as she saw that he had left his
2:22	garment in her hand and had fled out of
2:24	the house she called to the men of her
2:26	household and said to them see he has
2:29	brought among us a hebrew to laugh at us
2:31	he came in to lie with me and i cried
2:34	out with a loud voice and as soon as he
2:36	heard that i had lifted up my voice and
2:38	cried out he left his garment beside me
2:41	and fled and got out of the house then
2:43	she laid up his garment by her until his
2:46	master came home and she told him the
2:48	same story saying the hebrew servant
2:51	whom you have brought among us came in
2:53	to me to laugh at me but as soon as i
2:55	lifted up my voice and cried he left his
2:58	garment beside me and fled out of the
3:01	house and as soon as his master heard
3:04	the words that his wife spoke to him
3:07	this is the way your servant treated me
3:09	his anger was kindled
3:11	and joseph’s master took him and put him
3:13	into the prison the place where the
3:15	king’s prisoners were confined and he
3:18	was there in prison but the lord was
3:21	with joseph and showed him steadfast
3:24	love and gave him favor in the sight of
3:26	the keeper of the prison and the keeper
3:28	of the prison put joseph in charge of
3:31	all the prisoners who were in the prison
3:33	whatever was done there he was the one
3:35	who did it the keeper of the prison paid
3:38	no attention to anything that was in
3:40	joseph’s charge because the lord was
3:42	with him and whenever he did the lord
3:44	made it succeed oh lord have mercy on us
3:50	please rise for the gospel
3:53	the holy gospel according to saint luke
3:55	the 22nd chapter Jesus said simon simon
3:59	behold satan demanded to have you that
4:01	he might sift you like wheat
4:04	but i have prayed for you that your
4:05	faith may not fail and when you have
4:07	turned again strengthen your brothers
4:09	peter said to him lord i am ready to go
4:12	with you both to prison and to death and
4:14	Jesus said i tell you peter the rooster
4:16	will not crow this day until you deny me
4:19	three times that you know me and he said
4:21	to them when i sent you out with no
4:23	money bag or knapsack or sandals did you
4:25	lack anything they said nothing he said
4:27	to them but now let the one who has a
4:30	money bag take it and likewise a
4:32	knapsack let the one who has no sword
4:34	sell his cloak and buy one for i tell
4:37	you that this scripture must be
4:38	fulfilled in me and he was numbered with
4:40	the transgressors for what is written
4:43	about me has its fulfillment and they
4:45	said look here are two swords and Jesus
4:47	said to them it is enough and he came
4:50	out and went as was his custom to the
4:54	mount of olives and his disciples
4:56	followed him and when he had came to the
4:58	place he said pray that you may not
5:00	enter into temptation in the name of
5:03	Jesus
5:05	temptation yeah Jesus knows a thing or
5:07	two about temptation we read about
5:09	Christ that Christ was like us in every
5:12	way except for without sin and we do not
5:16	have a high priest who cannot sympathize
5:18	with our weaknesses because he has been
5:21	tempted in every way that we have been
5:24	and yet is without sin and so as we
5:28	consider our meditation tonight a
5:30	meditation on the story of joseph joseph
5:33	has now had a
5:35	change of vocations not willfully but at
5:39	last he’s had a change of vocations and
5:41	you go he’s going to change vocations
5:42	twice in our text first vocation
5:46	slave what do we used to make of that
5:49	what what should happen to you how are
5:51	you supposed to do your good works if
5:53	somebody well
5:55	hijacks you sells you into slavery and
5:58	you find yourself waking up a couple of
6:00	weeks from now in a foreign land as a
6:03	slave what are you supposed to do well
6:06	scripture says that slaves are to obey
6:08	their masters as unto the lord and that
6:11	Christ will reward their good works as a
6:14	slave you’ll note that rather than whine
6:17	and complain and moan and go oh woe is
6:21	me i used to be my dad’s favorite and he
6:24	i used to have a really nice coat of
6:26	many colors and now i’m a slave i’m so
6:30	sad no
6:31	that’s not what joseph did he just kind
6:33	of basically said well all right god
6:35	sent me here let’s get to it so he was
6:37	the best slave ever
6:40	that’s what the text says and so you’ll
6:43	note that although the text doesn’t talk
6:45	about the temptation to despair or the
6:47	temptation to despise the vocation that
6:51	god has put you into we learn from the
6:53	later part of the story that god is the
6:54	one who sent them there so who is it
6:56	that will that joseph become a slave
7:00	god all right so the highest most
7:03	favored child tiki tiki tempo no saw
7:06	rambo has now been reduced to the slave
7:10	right that’s what has happened here and
7:13	he makes the best of it and here we hear
7:15	something about Christ because you’re
7:16	going to note that the story of joseph
7:19	is so similar to our stories about
7:21	Christ the parallels and the types and
7:23	shadows are fascinating that joseph
7:25	found favor in his sight and this his
7:29	master put him in charge of all that he
7:30	had and that the lord blessed the
7:33	egyptians house listen to these words
7:35	for
7:37	joseph’s sake
7:42	so you’re going to note here this
7:43	egyptian who doesn’t even believe in
7:44	yahweh doesn’t worship yahweh has no
7:47	faith in yahweh
7:49	he’s blessed for joseph’s sake
7:51	have you ever heard somebody say that we
7:53	Christians
7:54	we are declared righteous for the sake
7:57	of Christ or that we are
7:59	saved or that we have blessings from god
8:02	for Christ’s sake now people have turned
8:05	that into some kind of a curse word you
8:07	know they’ll use it disparagingly but
8:10	the reality is is that
8:12	we have been reconciled to god for
8:14	Christ’s sake we have been given an
8:16	inheritance in the new earth for the
8:19	sake of Christ because of his mercy his
8:22	vicarious suffering suffering bleeding
8:25	and dying for your sins and mine and so
8:28	you’ll know that there’s a little bit of
8:29	that theology in here this this egyptian
8:32	fellow is rather than being cursed by
8:35	god for owning a slave he’s being
8:37	blessed by god for the sake of joseph a
8:40	man who has faith but alas temptation
8:44	arises for all of us
8:46	and temptation arises for joseph and
8:49	since joseph is one of these fellows who
8:51	is a type and shadow of Christ rather
8:53	than giving in to the temptation
8:56	he doesn’t in the in the u.s in not us
8:59	in the world’s history’s first ever
9:02	recorded
9:03	occurrence of workplace sexual
9:05	harassment which is what we have going
9:07	on here we have a woman harassing her
9:10	employee if you would day after day
9:13	after day with these words lie with me
9:17	and she probably said it seductively in
9:19	and what did joseph do he said
9:22	no way not only that you’re going to
9:25	note that joseph
9:27	450 years before mount sinai
9:30	had sorted it out knew that adultery is
9:34	a great sin against god and would have
9:36	been a great sin against his master and
9:39	without the torah without the words of
9:43	god written in stone he with the law of
9:46	god written on his heart knows that
9:48	sexual immorality
9:50	is a sin
9:51	and by the power of the holy spirit he
9:54	resists the temptation and we’ll note
9:57	here that although the scriptures hold
9:59	joseph up as a great example for us and
10:02	by the way this is a great example
10:04	scripture itself in the new testament
10:06	says
10:07	flee
10:09	sexual immorality don’t stick around for
10:12	it it’s not a good thing and the chances
10:15	that you’re going to give into it the
10:17	longer you stay in this situation grow
10:19	and increase so scripture tells us to
10:21	flee these things just like joseph did
10:24	but
10:25	joseph well we know this that he died
10:29	and he stayed dead which means that
10:32	although he is held up as an example for
10:34	us of not giving into temptation we also
10:36	know that joseph was a sinner and that
10:39	he was in need of the forgiveness of
10:41	sins and the types and shadows point to
10:43	Christ and Jesus tempted in every way
10:46	that we were he wasn’t merely tempted
10:49	for a short amount of time regarding you
10:52	know giving in to sin he was tempted day
10:55	after day after day
10:57	in all the ways that we have been
10:59	tempted and never once yielded you’re
11:02	going to note that Christ didn’t give in
11:04	to that temptation and the fact that he
11:06	remained sinless
11:07	is salvation for us now we’ll hear the
11:11	words of Jesus in our gospel text which
11:14	are very interesting
11:16	but i’m getting ahead of myself but kind
11:18	of keep that in mind so well as the
11:21	saying goes no good deed goes unpunished
11:23	so refusing to give in to the temptation
11:27	into the pressure that was before him
11:29	now joseph in kind of an interesting
11:32	turn of events if you remember early on
11:34	joseph had that multi-colored coat his
11:37	dad basically saying you’re my favorite
11:40	now he has his coat stripped from him
11:43	and not only does he have his coat
11:45	stripped from him he has his reputation
11:47	taken from him as well he loses his
11:50	garment he loses his honor he loses his
11:53	dignity he loses his reputation all to
11:56	the sin of slander you will not bear
11:59	false witness against your neighbor the
12:01	scripture says and yet potiphar’s wife
12:04	who was the seductress in this affair
12:06	she lies about joseph accuses him of
12:10	being the perpetrator when all along she
12:13	was and makes herself out to be the
12:15	victim and now potiphar’s anger it grows
12:18	and grows and grows and off to prison
12:22	joseph goes
12:24	now for a next change of vocation by the
12:28	way
12:29	is prisoner a vocation
12:32	yes it is
12:33	yes it is
12:34	so if you should ever find yourself in
12:37	prison
12:38	well
12:39	how are you to get on and doing your
12:40	good works well the same way joseph did
12:42	by being the best prisoner
12:45	ever
12:46	and you’ll know god considers those
12:49	vocations to be godly enough that the
12:52	works done in them count as say the same
12:55	as good works done for those who are
12:57	free and those who are not in prison
13:00	keep that in mind god is the one who
13:03	punishes people for sin and sometimes
13:05	the justice system just doesn’t quite do
13:07	what it’s supposed to do and the
13:10	innocent end up with the guilty but god
13:12	sees it all and he sorts it all out and
13:14	god blessed joseph and gave him a pretty
13:17	nice job as far as nice jobs go
13:20	in the prison but all of that being said
13:23	our theme tonight has to do with
13:25	temptation and you’ll note that peter
13:28	i have a i have a little more
13:31	affinity towards peter yes because over
13:34	and again i look at my life and i think
13:36	of all the different ways when i have
13:37	been tempted i have not
13:40	like joseph fled the scene and instead
13:43	have sinned against god or my neighbor
13:45	and had to repent and to be forgiven
13:48	peter is a lot like us and so here Jesus
13:51	tells simon on the night that he’s going
13:53	to be betrayed he says simon simon
13:56	behold satan has demanded to have you
13:58	that he might sift you like wheat
14:01	man the devil does stuff like that pay
14:03	attention yeah he does but know what
14:05	Christ says but i’ve prayed for you that
14:06	your faith may not fail and this kind of
14:09	invokes another important thing for us
14:11	that Christ is our mediator Christ is
14:13	the one who well he he prays to us
14:17	for us to the father he
14:20	intercedes for us and so kind of an
14:22	important thing here so it says i pray
14:24	that your faith may not fail but when
14:25	you’ve turned again
14:26	then strengthen your brothers and peter
14:29	of course
14:30	i don’t know what he’s thinking here
14:32	because has Jesus ever said anything in
14:34	it not be true
14:36	what does peter say yeah lord i’m ready
14:39	to go with you both to prison and to
14:40	death
14:41	well we know that wasn’t true and Jesus
14:44	said i tell you peter the rooster will
14:46	not crow this day until you deny me
14:48	three times that you know me
14:50	three times and we know how the story
14:52	goes right there’s there’s peter
14:55	warming his hands over a charcoal fire
14:58	while Jesus is on trial at caiaphas
15:01	house in the middle of the night
15:02	kangaroo court by the way not real
15:04	justice you’ll note the this world is
15:06	chock full of injustices
15:09	is it not
15:10	all right and these men had set out to
15:12	murder Jesus and while peter is warming
15:15	his hands a slave girl
15:17	a slave
15:19	girl says hey you’re a galilean weren’t
15:23	you with Jesus i thought i saw you with
15:26	him no no no i don’t know the man never
15:29	seen him i’m just happened to be
15:30	strolling down the street at three in
15:32	the morning and happened to come across
15:34	a kangaroo court thought i’d check in
15:36	and see what’s going on denied Christ
15:38	three times
15:40	just like Christ
15:42	said
15:43	but listen to what Jesus says in our
15:46	gospel text
15:48	i tell you
15:49	this scripture must be fulfilled in me
15:52	and he was numbered
15:54	with the transgressors
15:56	and so you’ll note
15:58	that scripture tells us in 1st john i
16:01	write these things so that you do not
16:02	sin but if we do sin we have an advocate
16:04	with father Jesus Christ the righteous
16:06	one
16:07	Jesus tempted in all the ways that we
16:09	were he was without sin but scripture
16:12	had to be fulfilled Jesus was numbered
16:15	with the transgressors he was numbered
16:17	with all those folks like me and like
16:20	you who when faced with temptation of
16:23	all kinds
16:25	rather than flee or resist the devil
16:28	or say i could never sin against god in
16:31	that way have said okay
16:33	all right and gone along with it and as
16:36	a result of it we sinned against god and
16:38	we sin against others and you’ll note
16:40	that Jesus’s death on the cross he was
16:43	numbered with the transgressors for this
16:45	reason your sin was imputed to him so
16:48	was mine the sin of the whole world and
16:51	Jesus drawn drunk to the dregs
16:54	drunk to the dregs the whole wrath and
16:56	the fury of god in our place for all of
16:58	us who when faced with temptation
17:00	yielded to it gave way to it made
17:03	excuses for it went for it and sinned
17:06	against god and others he was numbered
17:09	with the transgressors the one who
17:11	tempted in every way and yet without sin
17:14	and the fact that he was without sin
17:16	shows us that he truly was the spotless
17:19	lamb of god who takes away the sin of
17:20	the world and the way he did it was by
17:23	being numbered among the transgressors
17:25	in fact Jesus becomes the transgressor
17:28	before god
17:29	and he bleeds and dies in your place so
17:31	that you and i can be forgiven and so we
17:35	pray as Christ taught us to pray lead us
17:37	not into temptation but deliver us from
17:39	the evil one but remember earlier on in
17:41	that same prayer we pray that god would
17:43	forgive us our debts our trespasses as
17:46	we forgive those who trespass against us
17:49	so this lenten tide this this week in
17:52	lent as we consider again the big themes
17:55	the sin that we’ve contributed that made
17:57	it necessary for us to be saved let us
18:00	think of all the different ways in which
18:01	we have yielded to temptation rather
18:03	than flee from it but take heart because
18:06	Christ tempted like us never sinned but
18:09	instead he was numbered with the
18:10	transgressors and
18:12	and suffered in our place so that we can
18:15	be numbered among the righteous
18:18	as a gift from god in the name of Jesus
18:21	amen

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