Ninth Sunday after Trinity and Pastoral Letter

 

The Ninth Sunday after Trinity.

Psalm 119.129-144

xvii. Mirabilia.

THY testimonies are wonderful; * therefore doth my soul keep them.

130 When thy word goeth forth, * it giveth light and understanding unto the simple.

131 I opened my mouth, and drew in my breath; * for my delight was in thy commandments.

132 O look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, * as thou usest to do unto those that love thy Name.

133 Order my steps in thy word; * and so shall no wickedness have dominion over me.

134 O deliver me from the wrongful dealings of men; * and so shall I keep thy commandments.

135 Show the light of thy countenance upon thy servant, * and teach me thy statutes.

136 Mine eyes gush out with water, * because men keep not thy law.

xviii. Justus es, Domine.

RIGHTEOUS art thou, O Lord; * and true are thy judgments.

138 The testimonies that thou hast commanded * are exceeding righteous and true.

139 My zeal hath even consumed me; * because mine enemies have forgotten thy words.

140 Thy word is tried to the uttermost, * and thy servant loveth it.

141 I am small and of no reputation; * yet do I not forget thy commandments.

142 Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, * and thy law is the truth.

143 Trouble and heaviness have taken hold upon me; * yet is my delight in thy commandments.

144 The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: * O grant me understanding, and I shall live.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son * and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be * world without end. Amen. 

The Collect.

GRANT to us, Lord, we beseech thee, the spirit to think and do always such things as be rightful; that we, who cannot do any thing that is good without thee, may by thee be enabled to live according to thy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Old Testament Reading: 1 Kings 10.1-25

Psalter: Psalm 46, 47 | 44, 45

Epistle Reading: 1 Corinthians 10.1-13

Gospel Reading: St. Luke 16.1-9 

Homily

This is from my letter to my congregation this past week:

I hope you’ve taken the time to do as I recommended, and been reading through James to find out what he specifically says (or implies) about the character of God. I would love to hear from you about what you’ve found in your reading, what was corrective, and what was most encouraging. James is a truly rich and refreshing letter! 

I want to give you an example of what to look for, and you will hear it in this Sunday’s sermon. It has to do with James 1:16-18:

[16] Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. [17] Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. [18] Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

 

Observe that James 1:16-18 is focused on how we can impugn or malign God’s character. That’s why James begins with a serious admonition “do not be deceived”. We can easily deceive ourselves, or be deceived. And so James is calling on us, like this: “Do not be deceived or allow someone else to deceive you into thinking God is stingy and tightfisted.” You know James is concerned about those times when we become tempted to think God is miserly and ungenerous because of how v. 16 is straightened out by v. 17, “Don’t be deceived (16), for this is how God really is (17)!”  

Who do you recall used this tactic of claiming God was cheap and grudging to sway a certain woman into disobedience? Yes, the serpent. And so, James’s counterevidence is found in 1:18, “Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” Now, for anyone who assumes that James is all Law and no grace, all browbeating and no mercy, they need to sit up straight and take serious notice of those words! God’s prior initiative is the substantiation and foundation for all that James has said and will continue to say, “of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth”! James is really clear here. Don’t be fooled! God is lavish and God is life-giving.  

But then, pull together both v. 17 and 18, and you can see more about God’s real character, so as not to be deceived. Follow along: (1) God is not stingy but gift-giving – and the gifts he gives are just the right kind of gifts (17a), “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights”. You see an example of the right kind of gifts he gives back up 1:5-6. (2) He is steady and straightforward, not flippy-floppy or wishy-washy (17b), “with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change”. There are no “blind spots” with God, and no erratic, manic emotional shifts that go one way and then, for no reason, turn 180 degrees in the other direction. Steady and straightforward! (3) He is not a God of death but Giver of life (18a), “of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth”. Though he is over death and dying, etc., yet he delights to give life. As he says in Ezekiel, “Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel” (33:11)? (4) And lastly, he is not demeaning but purpose-investing, “that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures” (18b). His giving us life and just the right kinds of lavish gifts, etc., is to make us part of his world rescue operation, investing us with even more purpose!  

I hope that was helpful in showing what I’m asking everyone to do. And I hope it was just as encouraging to you as it is to me.         

Pastor Mike