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ngs like these and leprosy once it takes hold eats its way more and more through the body likewise sin because of this infection we all have one sin leads to another and that one easily to yet another first the desire then the misdeed then the excuse then the cover up then the lie and so on if it weren t for our leprosy of sin we would not need police officers laws penalties or rulings of law courts if it weren t for our leprosy of sin we would not have to endure racial tensions injustices pandemics or destructive rioting in the old testament god instructed his people on how to deal with lepers lepers had to separate themselves from everyone else because their diseases of infected decaying rotting flesh could infect others when healthy people walked by the lepers were supposed to warn them by crying out unclean when a person was infected with leprosy he had to show himself to the priest the priest would pronounce him unclean and the person would have to quarantine in the leper colony outside the city social distancing bible style when a leper was healed of his leprosy he would again show himself to the priest the priest would offer the appropriate sacrifices and then pronounce him clean in leviticus 14 cleansing of lepers happened first by killing a bird in an earthen vessel over fresh living water next a live bird a piece of cedarwood and a scarlet yarn were dipped in that water mixed with blood then the priest using the live bird wet with blood and water would sprinkle it seven times on him who is to be cleansed of the leprous disease lev 14 7 as god said thus the priest shall make atonement for the leper and he shall be clean lev 14 20 so let s imitate the ten lepers as jesus comes passing along between the samaria and galilee of our lives let s lift up our voices and cry out jesus master have mercy on us and let s listen to and heed him when he bids us to show ourselves to the priest no not those priests at the jerusalem temple but jesus our great high priest who has passed through the heavens heb 2 14 for we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are yet without sin heb 2 15 how can we be healed and saved from our spiritual leprosy only by finding our way to jesus the sole physician for the soul let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need heb 2 16 offered was he for greatest and for least himself the victim and himself the priest lsb 637 1 not only is jesus both victim and priest for you he is also the dead bird and the living bird for you he is the one who cleanses you by the washing of water with his word so that he might present you to himself in splendor eph 5 26 27 cleansed of your leprosy of sin actually we don t have to find our way to him he has found his way to us just as the ten lepers were cleansed before they found their way to the priests not by their own reason or strength nor by their decision or will we are cleansed in the bath of our baptism not by our own reason strength decision or will our baptismal bath sprinkles us with the very blood and water that flowed from the side of christ crucified he is the one who was crucified outside the city he is the one who comes by water and blood not by the water only but by the water and the blood 1 jn 5 6 now let s put ourselves in the shoes of the one cleansed leper who returned to jesus let s take our cue from him on how to live all of life in our baptism i m sure the other nine former lepers were generically thankful as civic courtesy and politeness would dictate but they went on to live their lives apart from jesus the samaritan however turned back praising god with a loud voice and he fell on his face at jesus feet giving him thanks he did more than just give thanks he gave praise to god he returned to the giver of the gift of cleansing he was not merely content to enjoy the gift he wanted to enjoy and be with the giver that s living your baptismal life not just a generic thankfulness for a quick healing not just a slight nod and a mental note that something special happened a long time ago but then getting back to real life no the baptismal life is about living all of life in jesus with jesus and in the presence of jesus daily contrition and repentance drowning that old adam in you making him die with all sins and evil desires every day and then thank the lord and sing his praise emerging and arising every day to live before god in righteousness and purity forever your one time baptismal cleansing becomes your daily hygiene routine not a burdensome routine but a joyful living in the blood and water that continually heals and cleanses we all wrestle with sin every day that leprous disease keeps flaring up even in us who are cleansed by jesus blood and water we will keep wrestling with our leprous sin until jesus returns on the last day it s not a matter of jesus healing not fully doing its job it has it s a matter of living in faith continually receiving his cleansing and thus praising him as did the samaritan martin luther confessed this in the face of those who deny that sin remains after baptism the fact that sin remains after baptism undercuts every notion of perfectionism that is thinking you can be free of sin or attain a sin free life this side of heaven it also topples any notion of once saved always saved while the healing for that samaritan and the other nine was instantaneous jesus chooses to heal us over the long haul the sin is forgiven to be sure jesus healing though is ongoing here s how luther expressed it this life is not godliness but the process of becoming godly not health but getting well not being but becoming not rest but exercise we are not now what we shall be but we are on the way the process is not yet finished but it is actively going on this is not the goal but it is the right road at present everything does not gleam and sparkle but everything is being cleansed a defense and explanation of all articles ae 32 24 so we return to jesus yet again at his table draw near and take the body of the lord and drink the holy blood for you outpoured lsb 637 1 we return to receive the healing he gives we return to give praise to him let us praise the word incarnate christ who suffered in our place jesus died and rose victorious that we may know god by grace let us sing for joy and gladness seeing what our god has done let us praise the true redeemer praise the one who makes us one lsb 849 3 amen posted by randy asburry at 10 59 am no comments email this blogthis share to x share to facebook share to pinterest labels forgiveness gospel healing homilies original sin preaching sin 31 august 2020 homily for trinity 12 2020 freed from isolation mark 7 31 37 the deaf and mute man was cut off from everyone around him other people could talk but the deaf man could not hear them he could try to speak in his muffled muted speech but people around him could not understand a word he said this poor man was isolated alone in his own little world quite the lonely life until jesus when jesus healed this man he freed him from his life of lonely isolation when jesus restored this man s hearing and speech he also ushered him into a new and vibrant life of hearing and talking with god and other people just as our gracious lord healed the deaf and mute man he also heals us what he did physically for the deaf man in gentile territory he does spiritually for us week in and week out not only does he open our ears to hear him and his message of mercy but he also rescues us from our isolation not only does he loose our tongues to sing his praises and confess him to others but he also ushers us into vibrant life with him and with each other the man s deafness was certainly a result of adam and eve not listening to god in the garden his physical state of being tongue tied was surely a result of adam and eve using their tongues to taste the fruit from the tree of knowledge that one tree for which god said you shall not eat of it so when jesus takes this man aside puts his fingers into his ears spits and touches his tongue our lord reverses the age old plague of sin and death it s a plague that closes our ears and shackles our tongues it s a plague that isolates us from god and from one another perhaps you ve noticed this plague of isolation when you talk with other people think of times when you and a family member are just not communicating well you re both speaking english your mouths and ears are functioning fine giving and receiving sound waves you can hear and understand each other s sounds and syllables but for some reason he or she is not hearing what you re saying you re not getting what he or she is talking about you re isolated from each other such conversations lead to frustration and misunderstanding then instead of listening to what the other person is actually saying you re planning your response to something just said or you re strategizing how to make your next point or win your case or worse yet as the other person is talking your mind is off in a galaxy far far away wondering what s for dinner your ears and tongue may be functioning just fine but you re still in isolation our isolation really shows up when we get upset with what other people say to us a friend may say something as a matter of fact but you take it as a put down or an insult you might take it as an obstacle to some dream or hope that you have perhaps you invite your friends over to play cards they respond sorry we can t make it we have a prior commitment in your isolation you start wondering am i not good enough or what s wrong with me it s the isolation of our sin and death this isolation especially separates us from god when we get so wrapped up in our own little world of daily demands and hectic schedules listening to god in his word is far from our minds we may talk a lot with loved ones friends or colleagues but talking with god in prayer we tend to put that off tell ourselves we don t know how to pray convince ourselves we re not that good at it do you ever feel like your tongue is shackled when you pray it s our isolation of sin and death it s the isolation that jesus comes to heal and wash away by his blood as jesus healed the deaf mute man he also heals you as our merciful lord had compassion on the man isolated in his deafness and silence he also cares enough to rescue you from your sin and death this same son of god joined himself to our human flesh and blood to restore it to god s original design this same lord of mercy endured the isolation from his closest disciples as they fled from him this same lord hung on a cross carrying the full weight of humanity s sin all by himself this same savior plunged into the deep dark isolation of death in order to open the graves of adam eve and all the dead so that his vibrant life might burst forth for all to enjoy this same jesus comes to you in your baptism he puts his fingers into your ears spits and touches your tongue even as the spirit filled waters cleanse you from sin and give you life with your ears opened and your tongue loosed you are brought into the lord s church here you are no longer alone no longer isolated here you get to enjoy the vibrant sounds of god s word and the joyous notes of praise sung by people around you here you learn how to live in harmony with others healed as you are this same jesus comes to you in confession and absolution and not just the general confession on sunday mornings but especially when you come to receive the holy absolution in private here you get to confess those specific sins of not listening to god or to your loved ones friends or co workers here you get to confess your many ways of isolating yourself from god and your fellow christians by your self centered thoughts words or deeds and when you confess your pastor speaks our lord s healing words into your ears yes your pastor is a sinner like you but what matters is what your lord does in the words of absolution your lord jesus again puts his fingers into your ears to open them up and when your ears are opened in the forgiveness of your particular sins you get to enjoy the vibrant sounds of life with god and renewed life with people around you and in the eucharist your lord jesus again touches your tongue so that it can speak and sing his praises and then build up your neighbor think of that as you come to the lord s table this morning with his very body and blood under the bread and wine your lord looses your tongue from those unkind bitter even judgmental words you speak against someone near and dear to you unshackled from such sins your tongue has new life to thank and praise god your tongue has new life to speak kindly to and graciously about people around you strengthened and fortified by christ s life giving body and blood you may use your tongue to declare the wonderful deeds of our savior as the hymn leads us to sing oh for a thousand tongues to sing my great redeemer s praise the glories of my god and king the triumphs of his grace my gracious master and my god assist me to proclaim to spread through all the earth abroad the honors of thy name lsb 528 1 2 the daily prayer liturgy of matins begins with these words o lord open my lips and my mouth will declare your praise that s what our tongues were made for for with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved rom 10 10 but we don t do that in individual isolation no we get to speak sing and praise in the lord s church even when we pray alone at home the matins liturgy also sings what our ears are made for blessed are those who hear the word of god and keep it lord i love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells when our lord opens our ears and looses our tongues we are rescued from our isolation we are restored to life with him we are rejoined to the people around us so faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of christ rom 10 17 now we get to listen well to our loving lord and to our neighbors now we get to speak god s wonderful deeds and build one another up in love amen posted by randy asburry at 10 34 am no comments email this blogthis share to x share to facebook share to pinterest labels christian life healing homilies life together preaching 24 august 2020 homily for trinity 11 2020 in which line do you stand luke 18 9 14 get in line now remember your grade school teacher s voice repeating that command several times each school day much of our school days were about learning how to stand in line wait in line and practice proper line etiquette stand right behind the child in front of you not to the side don t squirm or fidget or push others and certainly do not ever cut in line that got you into trouble in the lunch line and when you went out to recess no one likes a line cutter after all that s cheating instead be g...
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