Lent V
Here is the handout, from Bob and Cathy Mattson, for the Fifth Sunday in Lent.
FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT
Almighty God, our redeemer, in our weakness we have failed to be your messengers of forgiveness and hope in the world. Renew us by your Holy Spirit, that we may follow your commands and proclaim your reign of love; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Gospel: John 12: 1-8
Diego Rodriguez da Silva y Velázquez, "Christ in the House of Martha and Mary" (1620)
Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 2 There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 3 Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of the disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denari and the money given to the poor?” 6 (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) 7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. 8 You always have the poor with
you, but you do not always have me.”
SECOND Reading: Philippians 3:4b-14
If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews, as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church, as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7 Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. 8 More than that, I regard
everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, 11 if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own but this one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN ?
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Philippians iii. 12. Therefore none of the saints regards or confesses himself to be just, but they always pray to be made just and wait for those who confess that they are sinners and abhor their sins to be justified.
Hence the whole life of the new and faithful and spiritual people consists in the fact that with the inward groaning of their hearts, with the cry of their works, with the toil of their bodies they desire and implore for this one gift: that they may be satisfied until death; that they may never stand still, never think themselves to have already attained, never regard any work as the goal of justification actually already attained, but await it as though it were beyond their reach so long as they still commit sins.
Commentary on Romans 146, 153 ff. Via Day by Day We Magnify Thee by Martin Luther, Page 269
PRAYER FROM LUTHER’S PRAYERS
Dear Lord God and Father, convert and control. Convert those who are still to become children and members of your kingdom, that together we may serve you in your kingdom in the right faith and true love and pass from this kingdom begun here into your eternal kingdom. Control those who would not withdraw their might and means from disturbing your kingdom. May they be dethroned and in humiliation stop molesting your kingdom. Amen
From Luther’s Small Catechism: The Apostle’s Creed, Third Article: Sanctification
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen
What does this mean?
I believe that I cannot by my own understanding or effort believe in Jesus Christ my Lord, or come to him. But the Holy Spirit has called me through the Gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, and sanctified and kept me in true faith. In the same way he calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it united with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.
In this Christian church day after day he fully forgives my sins and the sins of all believers. On the last day he will raise me and all the dead and give me and all believers in Christ eternal life.
This is most certainly true.
