Today’s Scripture

Psalm 66:1-7   Isaiah 66:10-14           Galatians 6:1-0, 14-18            Luke 10:1-20  

 

            This summer we study the Old Testament readings as they pertain to God’s people then and to us, God’s people today.  As we read this section from the very end of Isaiah we ask these questions:

• What is God’s word to his people then.
• What is God’s word to his people today.
• What is the scene in Isaiah’s time?
• What is the scene in Jesus’ time?
• What is the scene today?
• What is God’s message in Isaiah’s time?
• What is God’s message in Jesus’ time?
• What is God’s message to us today?

 

            First of all let us look at the Book of Isaiah in its entirety.  It is called a miniature Bible.  As the Bible is composed of 66 books, Isaiah is written in 66 chapters.  The first 39 chapters are called the Book of Judgment and Promise as the 39 books of the Old Testament.  The last 27 chapters (40-66) are called The Book of Comfort  as the 27 books of the New Testament bring us the comfort of Jesus Christ.  Yes, there is law and gospel throughout Isaiah as we have throughout Scripture.

 

At the time of Isaiah: 

• A great number of the people of Israel had turned to idolatry.
• Leaders (kings) were cutting deals with foreign powers & not trusting God’s word & commands.  This is due to the threat of other powers camped at Israel’s borders and threatening Israel’s and Judah’s sovereignties.
• God prophesied their demise to Babylon first, to eternal destruction in the end
• God promised a savior – Cyrus from Babylon, Jesus from death and hell
• God would save not just the Jew, but also the Gentile
• The sacrifice to God is not grain, not earthly gifts, but those brought to him via his word.  This includes the Gentiles as well as the returning faithful Jews.
• God’s comfort is given to those who turn to him and trust his love and forgiveness.
• The wrath of his judgment is on those who continue to defy him and live lives contrary to his commands and his promise of forgiveness to those who repent and turn back to him.

 

 

In today’s Gospel:

• Jesus sends out the 72 to proclaim the Gospel to all towns and villages
• Some will accept and receive peace
• Others will reject and receive judgment
• Salvation and Judgment are the work of God.  We are his messengers carrying his word to those who receive and to those who reject.  It is out of our hands other than to carry the message.
• Carrying the message is not to be weighted down with extravagant wishes or worldly things.  The Spirit works through word and Sacrament.
• Jesus concludes to rejoice that your names are written in heaven as that is the goal.

 

In today’s Epistle:

• Restore the sinner gently and not be tempted
• Like the Gospel, don’t take extra stuff, just God’s love in Jesus Christ.
• Don’t be lured away by earthly temptations
• Boast in the cross of Christ – that is what saves, not the stuff we do, but through the stuff God gives us to do.

 

How does this Old Testament passage relate to us at Immanuel today?

• “Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad with her,” [v. 10]
• Jerusalem is not the divided city in stress and strife in today’s Israel
• Jerusalem is the city of God, the community of all believers in Christ
• This Jerusalem is comprised of all those who are saved, what joys we have to hold and to share with others.
• Yes we mourn as the world does not know and does not live in this community of grace, community of God’s love in Jesus Christ
• The community we live in, the nation we live in, the society we live in, the world we live in all are in apostasy to God, living lives not faithful to God’s commands, not trusting in his graces, and worshipping the idols of our culture, society, nation and world.  Many who deny the message deny God and live in his judgment.
• To those who rejoice in God’s love in Jesus, he sends peace like a river, constantly flowing and abundantly flowing.  There is enough peace for everyone who will hear, listen and believe.  The waters will sweep away those who do not abide by those waters.
• God’s graces will nourish and strengthen those who answer his call, but his fury, his anger and wrath will be shown to those who oppose him.
• Later in v. 19-20 Isaiah writes the prophecy of Christ and the apostles, “I will set a sign among them, and I will send of those who survive to the nations…They will proclaim my glory to the nations.  And they will bring all your brothers, from all the nations, to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the Lord…”  The greatest gift we can give to God besides our own faithfulness, is bringing his word to others so they in response will turn to him.  The greatest gift is more believers from every corner of Des Plaines to every corner of the earth.

 

      Tuesday we meet in Voters’ Assembly to again review the budget as it pertains to mission and ministry at Immanuel Lutheran Church.  We know we live in a community filled with people who do not really know God’s love in Jesus Christ.  We know we live in a society, nation and world that is like that at the time of Isaiah, not too very many loving the one true God.  We know we live in a society, nation and world that is like that at the time of Jesus, many who will respond with joy in faith in God’s love in our brother and savior Jesus Christ and others who will deny this truth and for us to move on to spread the Gospel elsewhere.  We know we live in a society, nation and world that is like that at the time Paul writes to the Galatians, one that will respond when restored gently with the message of God’s love in Jesus Christ, to not condemn the world but to save the world through him [John 3:17].  We know that we live in a society, nation and world as Paul writes to the Corinthians [2 Cor 6:8] in “honor and dishonor.”  Jesus is received in one place and despised in another.  It is the frightening truth of this sinful world. 

 

      Luther writes of this passage that the “Gospel does not depend on Wittenberg or another city…but He (God) will have a very large number of children in all nations.”  He could not do it all where he was.  We cannot do it all where we are.  But Luther knew the seeds planted in Wittenberg combined with the seeds planted throughout the world would result in a great harvest in God’s eternal kingdom.  We too have that same knowledge and faith, that seeds planted well and nurtured well from Immanuel will result in others coming to faith both here and throughout the ends of this earth.  That is why we celebrate a different mission project each month, to bring the love of Christ to those here at home and those in far away places.  That is why we include support for Northern Illinois District and Missouri Synod operations and mission because of the wealth that is returned to us as well as the spread of the Gospel in other places.  That is why we support Christian education in Bible Studies, Sunday School, VBS, web site and day school, so that many grow in faith and confidently share this good news with others.  That is why God has blessed us with a beautiful facility in a prominent site, to visibly attract others towards this place so they might enter and join in the joys knowing God’s love in Jesus.  That is why we attempt different strategies in evangelism, getting the word of Jesus out to others in our neighborhood so they too will be saved.

 

      Rejoice with Jerusalem in the joys of Christ, that your names are written in the book of life..  Mourn with her as many do not believe.  Join with her in bringing this message of God’s love in Jesus to others that they will be saved too.

 

In Jesus’ undying love.

 

Amen.