LutheranLectionary.org

Reflections on Scripture with Dr. Leins

Time Stamp	Transcript
0:03	[Music]
0:18	hello today let’s talk about your
0:22	personal
0:24	hygiene the text before us is from the
0:26	gospel of St Mark the 6th chapter veres
0:29	1 through
0:31	13 introduction wash your
0:35	face there’s a legend that Luther had a
0:38	plaque on his wall that read when you
0:41	wash your face remember your
0:45	baptism I’ve never seen it historically
0:48	confirmed that Luther had such a plaque
0:50	but it sure does sound like Luther
0:51	doesn’t it in his small catechism Luther
0:55	writes the very same kind of thing
1:00	what does such washing with water
1:03	indicate it indicates that the old Adam
1:07	in us should by daily Contrition and
1:10	repentance be drowned and die with all
1:14	sins and evil desires and that a new man
1:17	should daily emerge and arise to live
1:21	before God in righteousness and Purity
1:25	forever in short when you wash your face
1:30	remember your sins and
1:33	repent thank God that your sins are
1:36	washed off in the waters of your
1:39	baptism receive the washing of
1:42	regeneration daily you’re forgiven of
1:45	your sins then emerge cleansed to live
1:49	in righteousness in Jesus Christ of
1:53	course you will do the same thing again
1:57	tomorrow this is a recognition that we
2:00	are sinners who come to God daily in
2:03	Repentance and receive his washing and
2:05	his forgiveness to begin each new day in
2:09	the righteousness of Christ this is the
2:11	continuing work of God in the waters of
2:15	our baptism
2:17	Hallelujah God did not stop working in
2:19	you the moment that you are baptized no
2:23	baptism is a lifelong Sacrament with the
2:26	power of God to call you to repentance
2:29	and the promise of God to wash you again
2:33	and again by his grace through faith in
2:36	Jesus
2:37	Christ
2:39	but truth be told many Christian
2:43	churches today are not preaching
2:45	repentance they do not even have a
2:48	confession of sins or a statement of
2:50	God’s Absolution of forgiveness in their
2:52	worship Services many pastors do not
2:56	preach that the parishioners are sinners
2:59	in Daily need of a savior whose
3:01	baptismal Waters ever flow to wash and
3:04	cleanse them of their
3:05	sins perhaps they think that their
3:09	congregations will be happier if pastors
3:12	do not talk about
3:14	Sin perhaps they think that their
3:16	churches will be more popular if pastors
3:19	do not call the people to repent of
3:21	their sins or
3:24	perhaps they have even convinced
3:26	themselves that modern men and women do
3:29	not need need to repent as a crucial
3:32	component of their Christian
3:34	lives oh well maybe that was just for
3:37	Luther and for his congregation do you
3:40	think or maybe Jesus did not really
3:43	preach or teach about repentance is that
3:46	right no no no that is not right that is
3:52	foolish talk tickling modern ears point
3:56	one they took offense at him in today’s
4:01	Gospel reading from Mark chapter 6 the
4:04	theme of repentance is a thread woven
4:07	constantly through the entire
4:10	package the text begins with Jesus
4:14	returning to his hometown of Nazareth
4:16	Jesus went to synagogue on the Sabbath
4:18	and began to teach the people were
4:21	astonished by what he said is not this
4:23	the carpenter the son of Mary the
4:26	brother of James and Joseph Judas and
4:29	Simon are not his sisters here with us
4:33	they took offense at him
4:36	so what did Jesus say that was so
4:39	offensive well probably he said the same
4:42	thing that he had been saying from the
4:43	beginning of his ministry please see
4:46	Mark
4:48	1 Jesus came into Galilee preaching the
4:52	gospel of God and saying the time is
4:54	fulfilled the kingdom of God is at hand
4:58	repent and believe believe in the
5:02	gospel in other
5:04	words God is demonstrating his Sovereign
5:07	Reign and his rule right here and right
5:11	now the almighty and holy God is present
5:14	here so confess your sins repent and
5:18	then believe that he who is the Holy One
5:22	forgives your sins by grace through
5:25	faith you
5:27	see it really was a matter of the heart
5:31	would his hearers acknowledge their own
5:34	sin their own selfishness their own
5:37	Disobedience of God’s word and God’s
5:39	will would they submit to God be humble
5:43	before God be honest with God and with
5:49	themselves they had sinned in their
5:52	thoughts and words and deeds the Holy
5:56	Spirit was at work to help them to
5:59	acknowledge this and to
6:03	repent but this was not popular it was
6:07	not
6:07	entertaining it was not congratulating
6:10	and affirming no this was spiritually
6:15	honest left to themselves they were
6:18	helpless Sinners and enemies of God that
6:22	was the true word of God but what was
6:26	offensive the
6:28	truth so what was the response of the
6:32	people they were
6:36	offended who does this man think that he
6:38	is talking to us like that this is just
6:40	Jesus the
6:41	carpenter do you notice what happened
6:44	next when the people would not repent
6:46	the Bible says that Jesus could do no
6:49	Mighty work there now that’s astounding
6:53	Jesus is God in flesh he can do any
6:55	Mighty work he pleases and yet Jesus
6:59	could only say what he heard the father
7:00	saying and he could only do what he saw
7:02	his father doing so evidently his father
7:06	in Heaven was not leading Jesus to do
7:10	Mighty works there but why I believe
7:14	that it was because the people did not
7:17	have hearts to receive the
7:19	Gospel they had no repentance for sins
7:22	and as such they did not recognize their
7:25	need for a savior to save them from
7:27	their sins so what did Jesus do
7:32	ah first he wondered at their
7:35	unbelief then Jesus saw their hard
7:38	Hearts their lack of repentance he
7:41	called it
7:43	unbelief and he went about the whole
7:46	region
7:48	teaching yes the plan of God was simple
7:51	Go Back to
7:53	Basics Jesus went back to teaching the
7:56	word and the will of God Jesus went back
7:59	to teaching about the sin of humanity
8:02	and the need for
8:04	repentance the kingdom of God is at hand
8:07	repent and believe in the
8:11	gospel point two shake off the dust from
8:14	your
8:16	feet next Jesus multiplied his ministry
8:19	by sending out his disciples he
8:22	explained that God the father would
8:24	watch over them and provide all that
8:26	they needed they should take nothing for
8:28	the journey
8:30	nothing no nothing no bread no bag no
8:34	money in their belt do not put on two
8:39	tunics then the Lord Jesus said
8:41	something very interesting wherever you
8:44	enter a house stay there until you leave
8:46	town and any place that does not receive
8:50	you or listen to you as you go out from
8:53	there shake off the dust from the soles
8:56	of your feet for a testimony against
9:00	them to shake off the dust meant that
9:04	anything that touched those people the
9:06	disciples did not want to have touching
9:09	them those people had rejected the word
9:14	and the work of God the disciples did
9:17	not want such unrepentance and unbelief
9:21	to cling to them shake off the dust said
9:26	Jesus this dust shaking is not a curse
9:30	it is a
9:31	warning the unrepentant the
9:35	unbelievers had placed themselves in
9:38	great Peril God had come close to them
9:41	but their hearts were hardened to the
9:43	truth of their sin and the truth of
9:46	God’s
9:47	salvation oh by the way this is exactly
9:50	what Paul and Barnabas did in Acts
9:52	chapter 13: 51 when they shook off the
9:56	dust of pidan Antioch after the Jews
9:59	there instigated a persecution against
10:03	them so so far we have seen how
10:07	important repentance is first we saw
10:10	that repentance was a daily experience
10:12	for the faithful believer in Jesus
10:14	Christ then in this section we have seen
10:17	that repentance is an essential part of
10:20	the entrance right when God brings
10:22	people into the kingdom of God putting
10:25	these two teachings together we see that
10:28	repentance is a crucial and essential
10:31	ingredient in the beginning and the
10:34	continuing life of the faithful disciple
10:37	of our Lord Jesus
10:39	Christ point three preach that people
10:44	should
10:45	repent it is true that some pastors and
10:49	some denominations do not preach
10:53	repentance but it is abundantly clear
10:55	that Jesus did indeed proclaim the
10:58	kingdom of God is at hand repent and
11:01	believe in the gospel it’s also clear
11:05	from this final couple of
11:07	verses that the Disciples of Jesus
11:10	carried that same message verses 12 and
11:12	13 and they went out and preach that
11:15	people should repent and they were
11:19	casting out many demons and were
11:20	anointing with oil many sick people and
11:23	healing them all right so now we know
11:28	that our pastors must continue to
11:30	rightly proclaim the law as well as the
11:34	gospel also we know that it is the role
11:38	not only of the clergy but of all
11:39	Christians to carry the entire word of
11:42	God to the world both the call to repent
11:46	and the proclamation of God’s Great
11:48	mercy and love in Jesus Christ so how
11:52	will we do it what does it look
11:56	like here is a practical example
11:59	just to help us think about how we might
12:02	Proclaim repent and believe in the
12:04	gospel this is a story found in the eth
12:08	chapter of the Gospel of St John Jesus
12:10	was teaching in the temple when a group
12:13	of scribes and Pharisees brought a woman
12:16	to
12:17	him she had been caught in adultery they
12:21	demanded that Jesus declare his judgment
12:24	upon
12:26	her it’s true Jesus came preaching
12:30	repentance but this woman evidently
12:34	already was
12:36	repentant with one look he could see it
12:40	the problem was that the scribes and the
12:42	Pharisees who accused her they were not
12:46	repentant they had not learned the
12:48	lesson that repentance is for every
12:51	single one in the kingdom of
12:53	God so Jesus stooped down with his
12:57	finger he wrote on the ground found he
13:00	stood up and said he who is without sin
13:04	among you let him be the first to throw
13:06	a stone at her then he stooped down and
13:10	wrote on the ground
13:12	again the scripture does not say what
13:15	our Lord wrote but presumably he
13:18	wrote something that showed the scribes
13:21	and Pharisees their own sin confronted
13:24	with their own failures and shames they
13:26	began to walk away and hopefully they
13:28	repent Ed for that would have been a
13:30	good
13:32	thing the woman was left without any
13:36	accusers Jesus asked
13:38	Heroman where are they did no one
13:42	condemn you and she said no one
13:48	Lord was that a statement of her
13:52	faith Jesus said neither do I condemn
13:54	you go and sin no
13:56	more how skillfully our lord Jesus
13:59	confronted those who thought they had no
14:02	sin with the truth of their
14:03	unrighteousness and how lovingly our
14:05	lord Jesus confronted the woman who knew
14:08	her sin with the truth of his
14:10	unrestrained
14:13	forgiveness something to think
14:15	about conclusion beloved Martin Luther
14:19	may never have had a plaque on his wall
14:22	that said when you wash your face
14:24	remember your baptism but it sure sounds
14:27	like him doesn’t it the point is you
14:31	will wrestle with the Devil the world
14:33	and your own flesh throughout your time
14:35	on this Earth even the best of God’s
14:38	Saints is
14:40	still a sinner in need of a
14:43	savior but God is merciful and his
14:46	mercies are new every morning yes thank
14:49	God the wonderful Waters of your baptism
14:52	run fresh and clean every single day
14:56	holy baptism is a pro promise not only
15:00	that the holy spirit will call you to
15:02	daily repentance but also that the holy
15:05	sacrament will give you daily
15:07	forgiveness so when you think of your
15:10	personal hygiene consider
15:13	this wash your face and remember your
15:18	baptism and walk wet and clean in the
15:22	righteousness of
15:24	Christ both now
15:26	today and forever
15:31	amen
15:39	[Music]