Second Sunday in Lent 3/13/22
THE SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT
MARCH 13, 2022
ST. PAUL’S LUTHERAN CHURCH, FALLS CHURCH, VA
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PRELUDE O Christ, You Walked the Road Setting: J. Bert Carlson
WELCOME
ENTRANCE HYMN (Stand) #424 O Christ, You Walked the Road
1 O Christ, You walked the road
Our wand’ring feet must go.
You faced with us temptation’s pow’r
And fought our ancient foe.
2 No bread of earth alone
Can fill our hung’ring hearts.
Lord, help us seek Your living Word,
The food Your grace imparts.
3 No blinding sign we ask,
No wonder from above.
Lord, help us place our trust alone
In Your unswerving love.
4 When lures of easy gain
With promise brightly shine,
Lord, help us seek Your kingdom first;
Our wills with Yours align.
5 O Christ, You walked the road
Our wand’ring feet must go.
Stay with us through temptation’s hour
To fight our ancient foe.
CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
In the name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
(We kneel and observe a time reflection)
O almighty God, merciful Father,
I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
INTROIT (from Psalm 25) (Stand) p. 186
Remember, O Lord, your great mercy and love,
For they are from of old.
Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day.
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.
KYRIE
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
HYMN OF PRAISE (omitted during Lent)
THE PRAYER OF THE DAY
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray. O God,
You see that of ourselves we have no strength. By Your mighty power defend us from all adversities that may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
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THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
FIRST LESSON (Be seated) Jeremiah 26:8-15
When Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, “You shall die! Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant’?” And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.
When the officials of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house to the house of the Lord and took their seat in the entry of the New Gate of the house of the Lord. Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and to all the people, “This man deserves the sentence of death, because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.”
Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and all the people, saying, “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the words you have heard. Now therefore mend your ways and your deeds, and obey the voice of the Lord your God, and the Lord will relent of the disaster that he has pronounced against you. But as for me, behold, I am in your hands. Do with me as seems good and right to you. Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and its inhabitants, for in truth the Lord sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.”
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
PSALM 4 (Read responsively)
Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have given me relief when I was in distress.
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!
O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame?
How long will you love vain words and seek after lies?
But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself;
the Lord hears when I call to him.
Be angry, and do not sin;
ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent.
Offer right sacrifices,
and put your trust in the Lord.
There are many who say, “Who will show us some good?
Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!”
You have put more joy in my heart
than they have when their grain and wine abound.
In peace I will both lie down and sleep;
for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
SECOND LESSON Philippians 3:17-4:1
Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
GOSPEL VERSE (Stand)
O come, let us fix our eyes on Jesus,
the founder and perfecter of our faith,
who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross,
despising the shame,
and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
GOSPEL Luke 13:31-35
The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke the 13th chapter
Glory to You, O Lord.
At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to [Jesus], “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” And he said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to You, O Christ.
SERMON
Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus. Amen. Dear friends in Christ:
In the Gospel lesson just read, Jesus faces a challenge, which comes to him as he journeys from his native region of Galilee and heads toward Jerusalem – the great city toward which he has resolutely “set his face” (Lk. 9:51). The challenge was whether or not to heed the threat of Herod, the political leader of that region. From what Jesus was told, Herod wanted him dead.
Jesus has a choice to make. He can either continue his journey – slowly and deliberately as he has been doing, so that he can continue to teach the crowds and heal the sick – or he can change course, turn away and do something else.
Will Jesus heed the warning and change his plans? Or will he press ahead?
As we can tell from his words here, Jesus chooses to press ahead. Nothing will deter him from accomplishing his task in Jerusalem.
But let’s examine Jesus’ thinking here as he handles this challenge and makes his choice. Let’s take a look at what he says and what he does. For you and I also face challenges upon the journeys of our lives. And we can learn important things from Jesus.
The first thing we should note is that Jesus overcomes his challenge with determination. We hear it in his words: “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course.’”
Some have wondered whether there really was a threat from Herod. After all, Jesus didn’t get the message from him directly, but from the Pharisees, who by now are definitely rivals of Jesus. Was this just a case of a manufactured threat, meant to spook Jesus?
Jesus doesn’t treat it that way. He addresses it directly. Herod most likely did want Jesus dead. This Herod – Herod Antipas we call him – was known to be ruthless and cunning, just like the others in his family who had served as leaders. That’s why Jesus calls him a “fox.” This was the Herod who had earlier killed John the Baptist at the request of his wife. And the Herod who was tracking Jesus and interested in what he was doing, as seen in a comment made a few chapters earlier (9:9).
Still, Jesus is not afraid. He stands up strongly to this enemy of his – both with his words and with his actions. He will not back down. And he lets his enemy know it. He understands the threat he’s received and says: “Nevertheless, I must keep going…” No threat will stop him. He’s determined.
And this should cause us to pause and think about ourselves. What about us? Are we also determined? Specifically, are we determined to walk the paths to which God has called us? And are we determined to make our journey of life with faith?
Herod’s threat of death to Jesus should remind us of the many Christians through the centuries who have faced similar threats. Some, as we know, gave in to the threat and renounced their faith. But many, many others stood firm in their beliefs – even to the point of paying the ultimate price with their lives.
Their deaths were tragic of course. But they were not in vain. For they served as witness to the impact Christ Jesus had upon them. And their witness, in turn, inspired others to keep faith.
That witness still inspires. Which is why the church remembers its martyrs and celebrates them. For we believe that it is better to die with faith than to live without it.
In our first reading today, Jeremiah the prophet is threatened with death for the message he has just delivered. “This man deserves the sentence of death,” said the religious leaders.
Jeremiah, however, stands firm in the face of their threats. “The Lord sent me,” he announces. “Now therefore mend your ways and your deeds and obey the voice of the Lord your God.” Jeremiah’s message was not a popular one. But he delivered it just the same. He was determined.
In the days following, the people imprisoned Jeremiah and mistreated him for it. But God sustained him and used him to bless his people. And this includes the blessing of you and me, who today read his words.
This past Monday, the church commemorated the martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicitas – two young mothers from the third century who lived in North Africa and were imprisoned for their faith and later killed, brutally, during the Roman games. Why were they killed? Simply as a way to honor the Emperor’s birthday. Horrible.
The church remembers these innocent deaths. Which, in turn, reminds us that similar things happen in our world. If you’ve paid attention to the news the last two weeks, you know that this is true. We are to stand against such innocent killings. And work for change.
Yes, our text today shows Jesus being determined. But it also shows Jesus expressing compassion. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,” he cries, “how often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and yet you were not willing.” These are words of lament, coming from a heart that is breaking. Jesus’ words here are like the cries of a parent who can only watch helplessly as their child makes a bad choice. They are words of pain, coming from a compassionate heart of love.
And this compassion Jesus brings to his challenges as well. In the story’s telling, we see that he doesn’t hate Herod. Nor the Pharisees. And he doesn’t issue his own threats in response to the threats he receives. Rather, he feels sorry for those who are threatened by him. He knows that their anger and stubbornness will only lead to their own destruction.
Indeed, that destruction would soon come. Jerusalem and its Temple were eventually destroyed at the hand of the Romans. And Jesus knows this will happen. “Behold, your house is forsaken,” he says – not as a threat but as a statement of fact.
Jesus doesn’t rejoice in it. His words come from a place of sadness, not anger. And this, again should cause us to reflect.
So, what about you? Where do your words come from? Do they come from a place of compassion? And do you handle your challenges from that place? Or do you jump quickly to anger?
Anger can be an efficient tool for getting things done. At least it can seem that way. But in reality, anger always comes with a price. And it too often leads to sin. “Be angry, and do not sin,” we said in the Psalm – not as an urging to be angry but as an acknowledgement that sometimes we are. “When you are angry do not sin,” is the sense.
At the same time, we are not to be passive-aggressive either. We are not to turn away from our challenges in disgust, showing only disinterest and refusing to engage.
Neither of these reactions to challenges is helpful. Helpful reactions call for both determination and compassion.
Jesus models this well. In today’s text, Jesus spoke directly to those who challenged him, telling them he would not turn away from his path. And, at the same time, he also spoke in love – revealing his sadness and not speaking in anger.
Jesus showed determination and compassion when challenged in today’s text. And he could do this because of one further characteristic seen here.
I suppose we could simply call this characteristic “faith.” But it’s a particular kind of faith. It’s a faith that knows God will deliver him in the end, no matter what happens to him. Let’s call it a Third Day faith.
When Jesus states his intention to keep going, not to deviate from his plan in the face of threats, he says: “Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course.” Jesus has a Third Day faith. And that’s the characteristic which makes all the difference.
Everyone knows about the first day—meaning the present. And everyone knows about the second day—meaning the future, symbolized by tomorrow. But not everyone knows about the Third Day.
The Third Day is not just the day after tomorrow. In the language of Jesus, it is the day of resurrection.
Earlier, Jesus had told his disciples that the Son of Man would be raised on the third day – not that they knew at that time what he meant. And then he told his disciples that the temple—by which he really meant his body—would be destroyed and raised on the third day.
These predictions of his came true. For when Jesus was crucified, died and was buried, he rose again – just as he said – on the third day.
The disciples who heard Jesus in today’s text may not have understood exactly what he meant either. But for those of us who know the full story, the Third Day is an unmistakable message. We are like those disciples to whom Jesus appeared after his resurrection, and to whom he said: “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations” (Luke 24:46).
Jesus knew the good news of the resurrection – that suffering and death do not prevail and that there is life beyond the grave. And because Jesus knew this, he could face his challenges with that understanding.
We can too. We may struggle today as the Herods of this world threaten our path. And our tomorrows will certainly contain struggles as well. And then, on one of our tomorrows, we will die.
But that’s not the end. For a Christian there is a Third Day. A day of victory! A day of resurrection! Jesus assures it!
With Third Day faith we can grow in our determination and compassion. And this growth will help us as we face our challenges and lead us to better choices.
But more important than our growth is the promise of our victory. Jesus has overcome our sin! The day is coming when our struggles are no more.
May God then keep us in faith until that day. And may he continue to teach us and lead us through our times of challenge. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
HYMN OF THE DAY (Stand) #708 Lord, Thee I love with All My Heart
1 Lord, Thee I love with all my heart;
I pray Thee, ne’er from me depart,
With tender mercy cheer me.
Earth has no pleasure I would share.
Yea, heav’n itself were void and bare
If Thou, Lord, wert not near me.
And should my heart for sorrow break,
My trust in Thee can nothing shake.
Thou art the portion I have sought;
Thy precious blood my soul has bought.
Lord Jesus Christ, my God and Lord, my God and Lord,
Forsake me not! I trust Thy Word.
2 Yea, Lord, ’twas Thy rich bounty gave
My body, soul, and all I have
In this poor life of labor.
Lord, grant that I in ev’ry place
May glorify Thy lavish grace
And help and serve my neighbor.
Let no false doctrine me beguile;
Let Satan not my soul defile.
Give strength and patience unto me
To bear my cross and follow Thee.
Lord Jesus Christ, my God and Lord, my God and Lord,
In death Thy comfort still afford.
3 Lord, let at last Thine angels come,
To Abr’ham’s bosom bear me home,
That I may die unfearing;
And in its narrow chamber keep
My body safe in peaceful sleep
Until Thy reappearing.
And then from death awaken me,
That these mine eyes with joy may see,
O Son of God, Thy glorious face,
My Savior and my fount of grace.
Lord Jesus Christ, my prayer attend, my prayer attend,
And I will praise Thee without end.
APOSTLES’ CREED
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
OFFERING
PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH (Kneel)
In peace, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For Godly determination upon our journey of faith, that we might not turn away from our callings in the face of life’s threats and challenges but remain steadfast and true with our eyes focused upon Jesus our Savior, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For compassion toward the enemies of Christ, that we might win them over with love – willingly enduring their assaults as did the prophets, apostles and our Lord himself; and for those enemies, laid up for destruction, that God would cause them to repent and make them citizens of His kingdom, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For our homes, that they would be places of refuge and rejoicing. And that they be centered upon Christ and his love, not upon earthly things, nor glorying in shame, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For our nation and its officials, that the Lord would give them wisdom and integrity, and that neither they nor the citizens of our land would hinder His Church or despise His call to repentance, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For those who are sick and afflicted, especially Victoria, Geraine, Ann, Arlo, Sophia, Dolly, Melissa, Gloria, Norma, Trudy, Mary Ann, June, Peter, Wendy, Halle, Arthur, Ron, Linda, Tawni, Reaghann, and those we name in our hearts… that He who cast out demons and performed cures on His way to the cross would strengthen their faith and deliver them from suffering, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For repentance and joyful confidence in Christ’s body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins; and that God would gather us at His altar in a true confession of His Word as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For faith that acknowledges both God’s wrath and His kindness, that delivered from the judgment and disaster we deserve for our sins, we would strive to mend our ways and deeds, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
Almighty God, Your Son suffered the reproach of mankind even as He bore all of our sins to the cross. Strengthen us gladly to bear our sufferings in Your name and to boldly declare Your salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever. Amen.
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THE LITURGY OF HOLY COMMUNION
PREFACE TO HOLY COMMUNION p. 194
The Lord be with you.
And with thy spirit.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up unto the Lord.
Let us give thanks unto the Lord, our God.
It is meet and right so to do.
It is truly good right and salutary…evermore praising You and saying:
SANCTUS
Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
heav’n and earth are full of Thy glory.
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is He, blessed is He, blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
THE WORDS OF OUR LORD
PAX DOMINI
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
Amen.
AGNUS DEI
O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us.
O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us.
O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world, grant us Thy peace. Amen.
DISTRIBUTION (Be seated)
The Communion Assistant will come forward to receive first, then those from the pulpit side – by order of pew, front to back. Communicants will come up the center aisle and return via the side aisle. When all from the pulpit side have communed, the baptismal font side will commune in the same manner. Distancing must be maintained between all communicants. We ask that the wine be consumed away from the tray table. Empty cups should be dropped into the baskets.
COMMUNION MUSIC Lord, I Love Thee with All My Heart Setting: Johann Sebastian Bach
NUNC DIMITTIS p. 199
Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy word,
for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people,
a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of Thy people Israel.
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.
POST-COMMUNION COLLECT (Stand)
BENEDICTION
SENDING HYMN #427 In the Cross of Christ I Glory
1 In the cross of Christ I glory,
Tow’ring o’er the wrecks of time.
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime.
2 When the woes of life o’ertake me,
Hopes deceive, and fears annoy,
Never shall the cross forsake me;
Lo, it glows with peace and joy.
3 When the sun of bliss is beaming
Light and love upon my way,
From the cross the radiance streaming
Adds more luster to the day.
4 Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure
By the cross are sanctified;
Peace is there that knows no measure,
Joys that through all time abide.
ANNOUNCEMENTS (Be seated)
DISMISSAL
POSTLUDE In the Cross of Christ I Glory Setting: Lynn Petersen
Those serving:
Sunday, March 13, 8:30 a.m.:
Greeter: Steve Berg
Comm. assist: Jim Easterly
Reader: Rich Kauzlarich
10:30 a.m.:
Greeter: Christine M. Bell
Comm. assist: Dan Buuck
Reader: Charles Fisher
Acknowledgements
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2022 Concordia Publishing House.
O Christ, You Walked the Road Text: Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., 1923–2007 Tune: William Daman, c. 1540–1591 Text: © 1997 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326 Tune: Public domain
O Come, Let Us Fix Our Eyes on Jesus Text: Hebrews 12:2, alt. Tune: Mark L. Bender, b. 1951 Text: © 2001 Crossway Bibles. Used by permission: OAR Hymn License no. 110005326 Tune: © 2009 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: OAR Hymn License no. 110005326
Lord, Thee I Love with All My Heart Text: Martin Schalling, 1532–1608; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt. Tune: Zwey Bücher . . . Tabulatur, 1577, Strassburg Text and tune: Public domain
In the Cross of Christ I Glory Text: John Bowring, 1792–1872 Tune: Ithamar Conkey, 1815–67 Text & Tune: Public domain
