LutheranLectionary.org

Reflections on Scripture with Dr. Leins

Time Stamp	Transcript
0:09	today let’s talk about sure footing in
0:13	the kingdom of God the text before us is
0:17	from The Gospel According to St Mark the
0:19	3r chapter:
0:23	20-35
0:25	introduction Thou shalt not bear false
0:29	witness
0:31	many of us studied Luther’s small
0:34	catechism when we were younger you
0:36	probably had to memorize it for your
0:38	confirmation well I’ll bet that most of
0:41	us would have some trouble reciting the
0:43	catechism today so just as a refresher
0:47	here is Luther on the eth
0:51	Commandment you shall not give false
0:53	testimony against your neighbor what
0:56	does this
0:57	mean we should fear and love of God so
1:01	that we do not tell lies about our
1:03	neighbor betray him slander him or hurt
1:07	his
1:08	reputation but defend him speak well of
1:12	him and explain everything in the
1:14	kindest way does that sound familiar
1:19	sure the Ten Commandments are recorded
1:22	in Exodus 20 and in Deuteronomy 5 you’ll
1:26	notice that Luther not only included an
1:29	explanation of the negative aspects of
1:31	the command Thou shalt not he also
1:35	included an explanation of the positive
1:37	aspects in effect saying but Thou
1:40	shalt Luther follows the example of the
1:43	Apostle Paul in Ephesians 4 verses 31
1:46	and 32 Paul writes let all bitterness
1:50	and wrath and anger clamor and slander
1:53	be put away from you along with all
1:56	malice but be kind to one another
2:00	tenderhearted forgiving one another as
2:03	God in Christ forgave
2:06	you we may find it hard not to repay
2:09	evil for evil if someone says or does
2:13	something mean to us our flesh may rise
2:16	up and want to respond in kind why would
2:19	she say that to humiliate me well
2:24	because she’s mean or rude or
2:27	ugly or why would he say that about me
2:32	to disrespect me to make others
2:35	disrespect me well I suspect it’s
2:38	because he’s domineering or hypocritical
2:41	or maybe he’s just
2:45	insecure who hasn’t been slandered and
2:48	who hasn’t wanted to respond with a
2:50	similarly slanderous judgment but Luther
2:53	reminds us that we should
2:55	not we should not hurt someone’s
2:58	reputation we should speak well of
3:01	others and view every situation in the
3:04	kindest way why because we are children
3:09	of God and Jesus Christ lives in
3:12	US point one he is possessed by
3:16	beable in today’s Gospel Jesus is the
3:19	one who is
3:21	slandered religious leaders came all the
3:24	way out of Jerusalem to observe Jesus in
3:27	order to find fault with him to slam him
3:30	in Capernaum there was a demonized man
3:33	in the synagogue Jesus loosed the man of
3:36	an unclean Spirit the people were amazed
3:38	at the Lord’s Authority but in Mark
3:42	3:22 we read and the scribes who came
3:46	down from Jerusalem were saying he is
3:49	possessed by beel and he casts out
3:52	demons by the ruler of demons so the
3:57	scribes were saying did you notice the
3:59	verb were saying that indicates that
4:02	this didn’t happen just once it was an
4:05	ongoing slander they were saying it over
4:08	and over again as they moved throughout
4:11	the region they were attempting to
4:13	destroy the reputation of
4:15	Jesus and they were breaking God’s
4:18	eighth
4:19	commandment not to mention it was God
4:21	himself whom they were
4:26	slandering well Jesus had a couple of
4:28	immediate responses
4:30	Jesus said that their
4:32	accusation did not make logical
4:35	sense if he were of Satan and he cast
4:39	out Satan then Satan was actually
4:43	casting out himself Satan was the only
4:46	one who could lose in that fight why
4:49	would Satan Do It ultimately his whole
4:52	Kingdom would not
4:53	stand and Jesus also said no one can
4:57	enter a strong man’s house and plunder
4:59	his property unless he first binds the
5:02	strong man and then he will plunder his
5:04	house what was the Lord saying here in
5:07	short Jesus said I am the stronger man
5:11	no one can take the possessions of Satan
5:14	unless he enters Satan’s house and binds
5:16	him up then he can take Satan’s
5:19	possessions well this man who was
5:22	possessed by Satan is now loosed because
5:25	a stronger man entered Satan’s own house
5:28	and took Satan’s own
5:30	possession you see what Jesus is
5:33	saying it was really a word of caution
5:36	for the
5:37	scribes were they really aware of what
5:40	they were saying were they really aware
5:42	of what they were doing they slandered
5:45	another man that broke the Commandment
5:46	but the man they slandered was the Son
5:49	of God the stronger man who was so
5:52	strong that he plundered Satan’s own
5:55	house did they really know what they
5:57	were saying
6:01	point two a word of
6:04	caution so what do you think do you
6:06	think that the scribes actually heard
6:08	the word of caution that Jesus offered
6:11	to them it was for their own good but
6:14	they appear to have missed it they seem
6:17	to have been too arrogant to actually
6:20	examine themselves and honestly ask if
6:24	they might be the sinful ones
6:28	here that’s part of what God is doing in
6:30	this scripture passage God is calling
6:33	all people to examine
6:36	themselves we who are reading and
6:39	hearing God’s word today also are called
6:42	to confess when we have spoken ill of
6:46	others when did you harm another
6:50	person when did you harm their
6:53	reputation when did you speak a
6:55	slanderous word about someone else
7:01	oh you may retort well she was awful or
7:05	he was evil or they slandered
7:08	me but can you honestly say that you
7:10	have not been harsh and slanderous
7:14	yourself Jesus is not finished did you
7:18	notice what he did next he does not
7:20	accuse the scribes he does not respond
7:22	with insult no not at all in fact the
7:25	Lord actually responds with God’s
7:27	kindness and Care did did you notice
7:30	please listen carefully truly I say to
7:33	you all sins shall be forgiven the sons
7:36	of men and whatever blasphemies they
7:38	utter but whoever blasphemes against the
7:42	Holy Spirit never has forgiveness but is
7:46	guilty of an eternal sin oh
7:51	my the scribes were dangerously close to
7:56	imperiling their own Souls
7:59	they were at the very edge of crossing a
8:01	line of judgment that only Jesus could
8:03	see but he saw it and he knew that their
8:06	hearts and Minds were very near Eternal
8:10	damnation stop cried Jesus truly I say
8:13	to you
8:15	stop Jesus is saying you can slander
8:18	your brother you should not but you can
8:22	and you can even blaspheme your heavenly
8:25	father and you can deny his
8:28	son from each of these you can repent
8:32	for each of these you can receive
8:35	forgiveness but beyond this there is a
8:39	ground more dangerous than you can
8:42	imagine the father created you and he
8:44	loves you the son redeemed you and he
8:46	saves you from your sins and gives
8:48	eternal life but the spirit this one the
8:52	Holy Spirit takes the word of God and
8:55	the salvation of Christ and he the Holy
8:58	Spirit cre creates and keeps your faith
9:02	the spirit calls gathers enlightens and
9:06	sanctifies the whole Christian Church on
9:08	Earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in
9:11	the one true Faith the holy spirit is
9:15	the one who makes you Holy by God’s
9:18	grace through faith the scribes had seen
9:22	the work of the spirit calling people to
9:25	repentance bringing people to Faith but
9:28	they had called that Holy ho Spirit work
9:30	the
9:31	devil they not only said that Jesus was
9:34	of the devil but that his holy work the
9:37	work of the Holy Spirit casting out
9:40	demons was by the ruler of demons they
9:43	called the work of the spirit the work
9:45	of Satan and if they could not recognize
9:48	the work of the spirit if they could not
9:50	receive the work of the spirit there was
9:53	no other spirit that God has to give
9:56	them repentance and forgiveness there is
9:59	no other Spirit to give them faith and
10:03	eternal life the sin was
10:07	unpardonable because they deny the work
10:10	of the Holy
10:11	Spirit there is no other spirit that the
10:14	father and the son have to sinned in
10:16	order to save them no wonder Jesus was
10:19	so anxious to call them to
10:24	caution point three my mother and my
10:28	brothers at at the end of the passage
10:30	Jesus gives another word of Grace this
10:33	word is delivered not only to his
10:35	disciples but even to those who would
10:37	Heap slander upon him a great crowd of
10:40	people had gathered around the Lord but
10:42	a message getting a message to Jesus was
10:45	very difficult his mother and brothers
10:47	were outside looking for him but Jesus
10:50	got the message and he said something
10:52	very
10:55	profound who are my mother and my
10:57	brothers
10:59	behold and at this point I I see him
11:03	imagine him looking around
11:07	behold my mother and my
11:10	brothers who are my mother and my
11:12	brothers those who will do the will of
11:14	God they are my mother my
11:17	brother what is the will of God that’s
11:19	the question well Jesus answers what is
11:22	the will of God in his Sermon on the
11:25	Mount the will of him that sent me is
11:28	that every man that seeth the son and
11:30	believeth on him should have eternal
11:32	life the father’s will by the word of
11:36	the son is that the Holy Spirit would
11:38	call all who see and believe in Jesus to
11:41	eternal life the spirit is calling
11:45	through repentance and Faith calling
11:48	this is the Father’s
11:50	will the opposite is the false notion
11:54	that we can work and Merit our own
11:56	salvation the mistaken idea that we can
11:58	save ourselves elves through some
12:00	semblance of good works or good life
12:02	that we can offer as goodness to God
12:06	no if this were the case we would not
12:09	even need a
12:10	savior but you cannot save yourself by
12:13	your good works can you
12:15	no that was the very idea that the
12:18	scribes had about themselves and for
12:20	that reason they were blind to the work
12:23	of the holy spirit in the lives of the
12:25	people around them and yes they were
12:26	blind even to the work of the the holy
12:29	spirit in their own
12:32	lives
12:34	conclusion sure
12:37	footing the scribes in this gospel text
12:41	were on very dangerous footing
12:44	why because they did not heed God’s ten
12:47	commandments yes they not only broke the
12:51	negative aspect of the command Thou
12:52	shalt not slander but they broke the
12:55	positive aspect too Thou shalt speak
12:57	well of him and explain everything in
13:00	the kindest way if that were not bad
13:03	enough they did not
13:05	repent and they did not believe in the
13:08	Lord Jesus Christ in fact they did not
13:11	recognize the will of God and the word
13:14	of Christ and the work of the Holy
13:17	Spirit they came so near blaspheming the
13:20	holy spirit that they imperiled their
13:22	own souls and Jesus cautioned
13:26	them beloved
13:30	may God continue to pour out upon us his
13:33	holy spirit so that we do not slander
13:37	others but indeed we explain everything
13:41	in the kindest way especially may we
13:44	always recognize the work of the Holy
13:46	Spirit and receive the holy spirit’s
13:48	work with Thanksgiving and humility in
13:51	our own
13:53	lives so what is the sure
13:57	footing the most sure footing in the
14:00	kingdom of God is
14:02	this sure footing is to be on your
14:07	knees when you are most aware of your
14:10	sin and when you count yourself as the
14:13	least worthy in the kingdom of
14:16	God then you offer the greatest need for
14:20	Jesus Christ your savior when you are
14:23	the beggar when you alone are the sinner
14:27	before God
14:30	then by God’s mercy and Grace you are
14:33	ready to receive all of
14:36	Christ in your
14:39	need then by grace through faith you who
14:44	are the
14:47	weakest you are the
14:49	greatest in the kingdom of
14:54	God Amen
15:02	[Music]