Events

Color: Green\r\rOld Testament: Deuteronomy 10:12–21\rPsalm: Psalm 34:8–22; antiphon: v. 19\rEpistle: 1 Corinthians 1:4–9\rEpistle: 1 Corinthians 1:1–9\rGospel: Matthew 22:34–46\rIntroit: Psalm 122:1, 6, 8–9; antiphon: Liturgical Text\rGradual: Psalm 122:1, 7\rVerse: Psalm 117:1\r\rIn Life and Death, Christ Fulfills the Law of God\r \rThe Pharisees ask a Law question. Jesus asks a Gospel question. The Pharisees seek to test Jesus in His own words. Jesus seeks to “test” them in the saving reality of who He is as the Messiah (Matt. 22:34–46). The Law requires you to “fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul” and to “love the sojouner” (Deut. 10:12–21). Failure to keep the Law perfectly brings judgment. On the other hand, the Gospel brings the grace of God given by Jesus Christ, that you may be blameless in the day of His return (1 Cor. 1:1–9). Jesus is David’s Son yet David’s Lord, true God and true man. He is Love incarnate who fulfilled all the demands of God’s Law on our behalf, that we might be saved from the Law’s condemnation and sanctified in the Gospel’s forgiveness. Thereby we see that “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Cor. 1:9).\r\rLectionary summary © 2021 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Used by permission. http://lcms.org/worship

Color: Green\r\rOld Testament: Genesis 28:10–17\rPsalm: Psalm 84; antiphon: v. 8\rEpistle: Ephesians 4:22–28\rGospel: Matthew 9:1–8\rIntroit: Psalm 78:1–3, 4b; antiphon: Psalm 35:3b; 34:17a, 6b; 48:14a\rGradual: Psalm 141:1–2\rVerse: Psalm 98:1a\r\rJesus’ Incarnation Secures for Us Life, Forgiveness, and Healing\r \rThe Lord does not require us to ascend to Him; in mercy He descends to us (Gen. 28:10–17). The ladder in Jacob’s dream was not for climbing; it was the means by which the Lord came to bless Jacob. This event finds its fulfillment in Christ who descended from His throne to save and bless us. By His incarnation He is the eternal bridge between heaven and earth. “The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” (Matt. 9:1–8). The Lord was present in the flesh to absolve the paralytic. Jesus also healed and restored this man’s body. “For where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation” (Small Catechism). The Lord still has power on earth to forgive sins. In holy absolution He raises up the new man (Eph. 4:22–28) and bestows the healing medicine which will bring about our resurrection on the Last Day. Thus we say with Jacob, “This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!” (Gen. 28:17).\r\rLectionary summary © 2021 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Used by permission. http://lcms.org/worship

Color: Green\r\rOld Testament: Isaiah 55:1–9\rPsalm: Psalm 27:1–9; antiphon: v. 8\rEpistle: Ephesians 5:15–21\rGospel: Matthew 21:33–44\rGospel: Matthew 22:1–14\rIntroit: Psalm 48:1, 9–11; antiphon: Liturgical Text\rGradual: Psalm 145:15–16\rVerse: Psalm 130:1–2a\r\rJesus Invites Us to His Wedding Feast to Receive Abundant Righteousness\r \rThe Holy Spirit sounds forth the Gospel call: “See, I have prepared my dinner . . . Come to the wedding feast” (Matt. 22:1–14). But many reject this invitation in favor of worldly pursuits. And so the call goes out to others, both the good and the bad. For the wedding invitation is not based on the qualifications of those invited but on the basis of the merits and work of Christ. The feast is free: “He who has no money, come, buy and eat . . . delight yourselves in rich food.” (Is. 55:1–9). Those rejecting the Spirit’s work shall experience God’s wrath and judgment. Those who are not clothed in Christ’s righteousness shall be cast into outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Let us therefore seek the Lord while He may be found, for He will have mercy upon us. Let us redeem the time, being filled with the Spirit, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph 5:15–21).\r\rLectionary summary © 2021 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Used by permission. http://lcms.org/worship

Color: Red\r\rOld Testament: Isaiah 35:5–8\rPsalm: Psalm 147:1–11; antiphon: v. 12\rEpistle: 2 Timothy 4:5–18\rGospel: Luke 10:1–9\rIntroit: Psalm 92:1–5; antiphon: Luke 24:46–47\rGradual: Psalm 119:105, 103; 45:1a, c\rVerse: Luke 19:9b, 10\r\rSt. Luke, Evangelist\r \rThe Lord bids us to “pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Luke 10:2). The fields look more like deserts, filled with jackals (Is. 35:6–7), and the Lord sends His laborers out “as lambs in the midst of wolves.” But Christ’s Word of “peace” heals the sick and brings the very “kingdom of God … near” to those who hear it (Is. 35:5; Luke 10:3–9). St. Luke, the beloved physician (Col. 4:14), did “the work of an evangelist” (2 Tim. 4:5). He diligently prepared both a Gospel, the history of Christ’s work in the flesh before His ascension, and the Acts of the Apostles, the history of His continued work among His Church. Luke and his Scriptures are a gift from this ascended Lord (Eph. 4:8–12), written for Theophilus and for “all who have loved his appearing” (2 Tim. 4:5–8). Tradition suggests that Luke was one of the 72 sent out ahead of Jesus, “two by two” (Luke 10:1). Luke proved himself to be a faithful companion throughout St. Paul’s missionary journeys, through many trials and crosses, and even to Rome, where he alone was with Paul.\r\rLectionary summary © 2021 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Used by permission. http://lcms.org/worship

Color: Red\r\rFirst Reading: Acts 15:12–22a\rPsalm: Psalm 133; antiphon: v. 1\rEpistle: James 1:1–12\rGospel: Matthew 13:54–58\rIntroit: Psalm 31:1, 3, 5; antiphon: Revelation 7:14b\rGradual: Psalm 48:10–11\rVerse: Psalm 116:15\r\rSt. James of Jerusalem, Brother of Jesus and Martyr\r \r“A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household” (Matt. 13:58). James the Just was once offended at Jesus’ “wisdom and … mighty works” (Matt. 13:54). But he came to faith following His resurrection, when Jesus appeared to him (1 Cor. 15:7). He then became a leader of the Early Church in Jerusalem, present at the council recorded in Acts 15. There James recognized from the prophets that Jesus was the Lord “known from of old” and returned to rebuild David’s fallen tent and restore it, “that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name” (Acts 15:16–18). “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (James 1:2–3). Josephus and other historians record that James was martyred by stoning in the 60s A.D. “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12).\r\rLectionary summary © 2021 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Used by permission. http://lcms.org/worship

Color: Green\r\rOld Testament: Genesis 1:1—2:3\rPsalm: Psalm 8; antiphon: v. 9\rEpistle: Ephesians 6:10–17\rGospel: John 4:46–54\rIntroit: Psalm 119:1, 38–40; antiphon: Liturgical Text\rGradual: Psalm 90:1–2\rVerse: Psalm 125:1\r\rGod Declares Us Righteous Unsheathing His Word Against All Evil\r \r“‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (Gen. 1:1—2:3). The Father speaks, and it is so. His Word accomplishes what it says. He created all things out of nothing through His Son by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Father’s creative Word became flesh in Jesus Christ, that He might restore fallen creation and save fallen man. To the nobleman whose son was deathly ill, Jesus says, “Go; your son will live” (John 4:46–54). And in the very hour Jesus spoke, the nobleman’s son was made well. The Word of Christ still accomplishes what it says. In baptism, absolution, and the Lord’s Supper, He declares His life–giving forgiveness to you, and it is so. This saving Word of God is the sword of the Spirit by which you are able to fight off all the onslaughts of the devil (Eph. 6:10–17). “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.”\r\rLectionary summary © 2021 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Used by permission. http://lcms.org/worship

Color: Red\r\rOld Testament: Jeremiah 26:1–16\rPsalm: Psalm 43; antiphon: v. 5b\rEpistle: 1 Peter 1:3–9\rGospel: John 15:17–21\rGospel: John 15:12–21\rIntroit: Psalm 89:1, 5, 15–16; antiphon: Psalm 119:46\rGradual: Romans 10:15b, 18b; Isaiah 52:7b, alt.\rVerse: John 15:16a\r\rSt. Simon and St. Jude, Apostles\r \r“Speak to them; do not hold back a word” (Jer. 26:1–6). The Word is always repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Luke 24:44) — “great mercy” and “a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:3). “If they kept my word,” says Jesus, “they will also keep yours,” but “if the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you” (John 15:18–21). In Jeremiah’s day, the people demanded he die, but they did not bring his “innocent blood” on themselves (Jer. 26:8–16). When the priests and people gathered around Jesus, they refused to hear (Matt. 27:20–26). Christ’s servants will not be above their master (John 15:20). According to tradition, Simon (the Zealot) and Jude (also known as Thaddaeus) worked to bring the Gospel to Persia, where they were martyred together. But even in this, God’s servants are “more than conquerors” (Rom. 8:37). “Though … tested by fire” and suffering, we obtain “the outcome of [our] faith, the salvation of [our] souls,” and rejoice (1 Peter 1:6–9). For as Jesus told Jude, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23).\r\rLectionary summary © 2021 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Used by permission. http://lcms.org/worship

Color: Red\r\rFirst Reading: Revelation 14:6–7\rPsalm: Psalm 46; antiphon: v. 7\rEpistle: Romans 3:19–28\rGospel: Matthew 11:12–19\rGospel: John 8:31–36\rIntroit: Psalm 34:1–2, 11, 22; antiphon: Psalm 119:46\rGradual: Psalm 48:1a, 12–14a\rVerse: Luke 12:32\r\rThe Son of God Has Set Us Free from Sin and Death by His Grace\r \r“Wisdom is justified by her deeds” (Matt. 11:19), and the true Wisdom of God, Christ Jesus the incarnate Son, justifies us by His deeds. He prepares His way by the preaching of repentance, but He has suffered the violence of the Law and voluntarily handed Himself over to violent men, that we might eat and drink with Him in His Kingdom and “remain in the house forever” (John 8:35). For He is “a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Matt. 11:19), and He has rescued us by His grace from the slavery of sin and death. By the proclamation of His eternal Gospel “to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people” (Rev. 14:6), “the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law” (Rom. 3:21), “that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom. 3:26). And by hearing the Gospel of Christ Jesus, “whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith” (Rom. 3:25), “you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31–32).\r\rLectionary summary © 2021 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Used by permission. http://lcms.org/worship

Color: Green\r\rOld Testament: Micah 6:6–8\rPsalm: Psalm 116:12–19; antiphon: v. 13\rEpistle: Philippians 1:3–11\rGospel: Matthew 18:21–35\rIntroit: Psalm 130:1–2, 7–8; antiphon: vv. 3–4\rGradual: Psalm 133:1, 3b\rVerse: Psalm 147:3\r\rWalking Humbly with Our God and Forgiving One Another\r \rWith what shall we come before the Lord (Micah 6:6) who forgives all our sins, and how often shall our fellow Christians sin against us and we forgive them (Matt. 18:21)? Our gracious God on high does not need our “burnt offerings” or “thousands of rams” (Micah 6:6-7), which we could legitimately offer in thanksgiving. He is the Savior who gave His only-begotten Son for our transgression. He offers the fruit of His body, once hanging dead on a cross but now living and giving life in His holy Meal, for the sin of our souls (Micah 6:7). Because He releases us from our enormous debt of sin against Him, we need not imprison our fellow sinners with our lack of love and refusal of forgiveness (Matt. 18:24, 27, 30). As partakers of His grace, we yearn for one another “with the affection of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:8). As forgiven sinners, “filled with the fruit of Christ’s righteousness,” our “love may abound more and more, with knowledge and discernment” (Phil. 1:11, 9), for He leads us “to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with [our] God” (Micah 6:8).\r\rLectionary summary © 2021 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Used by permission. http://lcms.org/worship

Color: White\r\rFirst Reading: Revelation 7:2–17\rFirst Reading: Revelation 7:9–17\rPsalm: Psalm 149; antiphon: v. 4\rEpistle: 1 John 3:1–3\rGospel: Matthew 5:1–12\rIntroit: Psalm 31:1, 3, 5; antiphon: Revelation 7:14b\rGradual: Revelation 7:14b; Psalm 84:5\rVerse: Hebrews 12:1a, 2a\r\rSaints Are Blessed in the Eternal Presence of Christ\r \r“A great multitude from all tribes and peoples and languages,” cry out “salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne” (Rev. 7:9–17). Faith-filled saints from every place and time with unified voices eternally magnify the Lamb of God. As His beloved children, we too, “shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:1–3). Joined with the throng of angels and a myriad of saints, we shall “serve him day and night in his temple” (Rev. 7:9–17). In our earthly tension vacillating between saint and sinner, faith and doubt, sacred and profane, we earnestly seek Jesus to calm our fears, comfort our spirits, and forgive our sins. The Holy Spirit, through faith in Christ propels us forward, fortifying us in Word and Sacrament, to our eternal home. In the midst of our constant struggle as believers, we need to be blessed. And so we are. The poor in spirit, the meek, the hungry, the thirsty, the merciful, the pure, and the persecuted are all blessed and we will most certainly inherit the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:1–12).\r\rLectionary summary © 2021 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Used by permission. http://lcms.org/worship