Events

Color: Red\r\rFirst Reading: Acts 11:27—12:5\rPsalm: Psalm 56; antiphon: v. 4\rEpistle: Romans 8:28–39\rGospel: Mark 10:35–45\rIntroit: Psalm 89:1, 5, 15–16; antiphon: Psalm 119:46\rGradual: Romans 10:15b, 18b; Isaiah 52:7b, alt.\rVerse: Mark 10:45\r\rSt. James the Elder, Apostle\r \rThe sons of Zebedee ask for seats at Jesus’ “right hand and … left, in your glory” (Mark 10:37). But they do not know what they are asking (Matt. 20:22), for God’s kingdom is not of glory and power but the cross. We will bear ours after Him. “For [His] sake we are being killed” and “regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” But “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him” (Rom. 8:36–37), for Jesus’ death is unique. He alone is baptized with our sin and drinks the cup of God’s wrath against it (Mark 10:38). We live in service to our neighbors after His example; He alone is “the Son of Man,” who came “to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Today the Church commemorates the fulfillment of Christ’s prophecy about James, killed with Herod’s sword (Acts 12:2). He is honored as the first apostle to be “conformed to the image of [God’s] Son” (Rom. 8:29). But what is that when “Christ Jesus is the one who died — more than that, who was raised — who is at the right hand of God … interceding for us”? Nothing (not even a sword) can “separate” James and “us from the love of Christ” (Rom. 8:34–35).\r\rLectionary summary © 2021 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Used by permission. http://lcms.org/worship

Color: Green\r\rOld Testament: Jeremiah 23:16–29\rPsalm: Psalm 26; antiphon: v. 12\rEpistle: Romans 8:12–17\rSecond Reading: Acts 20:27–38\rGospel: Matthew 7:15–23\rIntroit: Psalm 48:1, 3, 11, 14; antiphon: vv. 9–10\rGradual: Psalm 31:2b, 1a\rVerse: Psalm 78:1\r\rBeware of False Prophets\r \r“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Matt. 7:15). Deceit has its strength in masquerading as the truth. False prophets speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the Lord (Jer. 23:16–29). They deny the judgment of the Lord, speaking peace to the unrepentant, when in truth there is condemnation and wrath. “You will recognize them by their fruits” (Matt. 7:20). The “fruits” of a true prophet are not outward righteousness or success but faithfulness in proclaiming the Word of the Lord. This is the will of the Father in heaven, that pastors take heed to the flock, the Father’s adopted ones (Rom. 8:12–17), warning them against the wolves and their lies, and shepherding the Church of God which He purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:27–38). For indeed, the cross is that good tree bearing good fruit—namely, the body and blood of Christ, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.\r\rLectionary summary © 2021 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Used by permission. http://lcms.org/worship

Color: Green\r\rOld Testament: 2 Samuel 22:26–34\rPsalm: Psalm 51:1–12; antiphon: v. 18\rEpistle: 1 Corinthians 10:6–13\rGospel: Luke 16:1–13\rGospel: Luke 16:1–9\rIntroit: Psalm 54:1–3, 7; antiphon: vv. 4–5\rGradual: Psalm 8:1\rVerse: Psalm 112:1\r\rThe Steward’s Shrewdness Sanctified\r \r“The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness” (Luke 16:1–9). The steward’s shrewdness is praiseworthy for two reasons. First, he knew the master would be merciful. He trusted that the master would honor the debts he forgave in the master’s name. In the same way, though we have squandered our heavenly Father’s possessions in selfishness and sin, Jesus is the Steward who has canceled our debt, knowing that His forgiveness will be honored by the Father because of the holy cross. Secondly, the steward was shrewd in using oil and wheat to provide for his earthly welfare. So also do these earthly elements aid us when pressed into heavenly use in the anointing of baptism and the wheat of the Lord’s Supper. Those who have the Sacraments will have an eternal home when their earthly home fails. These provide us aid in times of temptation (1 Cor. 10:6–13). For the Lord is our strength and a shield to all who trust in Him (2 Sam. 22:26–34).\r\rLectionary summary © 2021 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Used by permission. http://lcms.org/worship

Color: Green\r\rOld Testament: Jeremiah 8:4–12\rOld Testament: Jeremiah 7:1–11\rPsalm: Psalm 92; antiphon: v. 4\rEpistle: Romans 9:30—10:4\rEpistle: 1 Corinthians 12:1–11\rGospel: Luke 19:41–48\rIntroit: Psalm 55:1, 4–5, 16; antiphon: vv. 16a, 17b, 18a, 22a\rGradual: Psalm 17:8, 2\rVerse: Psalm 88:1\r\rJesus Weeps for Jerusalem\r \rOur Lord wept over Jerusalem for the destruction that would soon come upon her. For she did not recognize the time of God’s visitation in Christ, who had come to bring her peace (Luke 19:41–48). Through His prophets God had consistently called His people to turn from their deceit and false worship. “But My people do not know the judgments of the Lord” (Jer. 8:4–12). They sought to establish their own righteousness rather than receive Christ’s righteousness through faith (Rom. 9:30–10:4). So it was that God was in His temple to cleanse it, a precursor to the once-for-all cleansing from sin which He would accomplish in the temple of His own body on the cross. God grant us to know the things that make for our peace—His visitation in the Word and Sacraments—that by the Holy Spirit we may penitently confess “Jesus is Lord” (1 Cor. 12:1–11).\r\rLectionary summary © 2021 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Used by permission. http://lcms.org/worship

Color: White\r\rOld Testament: Isaiah 61:7–11\rPsalm: Psalm 45:10–17; antiphon: v. 6\rEpistle: Galatians 4:4–7\rGospel: Luke 1:46–55\rGospel: Luke 1:39–55\rIntroit: Psalm 34:2–5; antiphon: v. 1\rGradual: Psalm 45:13–14\rVerse: Luke 1:46b–47\r\rSt. Mary, Mother of Our Lord\r \rThe Lord clothes His people “with the garments of salvation” and covers them “with the robe of righteousness” (Is. 61:10). So the blessed Virgin Mary “rejoices in God [her] Savior” (Luke 1:47). The Lord was gracious to her. She “believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord” (Luke 1:45). That is why “all generations will call [her] blessed” (Luke 1:42, 48); likewise, “blessed … are those who hear the word of God and keep it” (Luke 11:28). She has the unique honor of being the one from whom the Righteous One “sprouts” on earth “before all the nations” (Is. 61:11). But she sings as a recipient of His great mercy. “God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Gal. 4:4–7). Mary is rightly called “Mother of God” because of the nature of the Son she bore, but He alone is called “Savior,” “Redeemer” and\r“Advocate.” Jesus Christ is the “one thing … necessary,” come to rescue and heal and save us (Luke 10:28–42). He is the seed of the woman at last come to crush the serpent’s head for us (Gen. 3:15).\r\rLectionary summary © 2021 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Used by permission. http://lcms.org/worship

Color: Green\r\rOld Testament: Genesis 4:1–15\rPsalm: Psalm 50:7–23; antiphon: v. 14\rEpistle: 1 Corinthians 15:1–10\rEpistle: Ephesians 2:1–10\rGospel: Luke 18:9–14\rIntroit: Psalm 68:1, 3, 7a, 10b, 19; antiphon: vv. 5b, 6a, 35b\rGradual: Psalm 28:7b, 1a, 2a\rVerse: Psalm 90:1\r\rThe Lord Lifts Up the Lowly\r \r“And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard” (Gen. 4:1–15). For unlike Abel, Cain’s offering did not proceed from a heart that revered and trusted in the Lord. Thus, the lowly tax collector who prayed, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” was the one who went down to his house justified before God, not the respectable, outwardly righteous Pharisee who trusted in himself and his own good living (Luke 18:9–14). “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph. 2:1–10). The one who penitently despairs of his own righteousness and relies completely on the atoning mercy of God in Christ is the one who is declared righteous. For Christ died for our sins and rose again the third day (1 Cor. 15:1–10). Therefore, “everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”\r\rLectionary summary © 2021 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Used by permission. http://lcms.org/worship

Color: Green\r\rOld Testament: Isaiah 29:17–24\rPsalm: Psalm 146; antiphon: v. 8\rEpistle: 2 Corinthians 3:4–11\rEpistle: Romans 10:9–17\rGospel: Mark 7:31–37\rIntroit: Psalm 70:2b, 4a, 5b; antiphon: vv. 1–2a\rGradual: Psalm 34:1–2\rVerse: Psalm 81:1\r\rFaith Comes from Hearing\r \rA man who was deaf and therefore also had an impediment in his speech was brought to Jesus (Mark 7:31–37). In the same way, all are by nature deaf toward God and therefore also unable to confess the faith rightly. For “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:9–17). Jesus put His fingers into the man’s ears, and He spat and touched His tongue. Even so in Holy Baptism, water sanctified by the words of Jesus’ mouth is applied to us; and the finger of God, that is, the life–giving Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 3:4–11) is put into our ears in the hearing of the baptismal Gospel. Jesus’ sighing “Ephphatha” opened the man’s ears, and his tongue was loosed to speak plainly as Isaiah prophesied of the Messiah, “In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book” (Is. 29:18–24) So also, He who sighed and breathed His last on the cross for us has given us to hear and believe in Him and has opened our lips that our mouths may declare His praise.\r\rLectionary summary © 2021 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Used by permission. http://lcms.org/worship