Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
SERMON TEXT: Galatians 2:11-21
But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly wrong. For before some people came from James, he ate with the Gentiles. But when those people came, he drew back and separated himself, because he feared those from the circumcision group. And the rest of the Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they were not acting according to the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of all of them, “If you, a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, why do you compel the Gentiles to live like the Jews?” “We are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners. We know that a person is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. So we also believed in Christ Jesus that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law. But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves were also found to be sinners, then is Christ a servant of sin? Certainly not! “In fact, if I build up again those things that I destroyed, I bring on myself the judgment of being a lawbreaker. Indeed, through the law I died to the law that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I am now living in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not regard the grace of God as nothing. As a matter of fact, if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nothing!”
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Bible Readings
FIRST LESSON: 2 Samuel 11:26-12:10, 13-15
The wife of Uriah the Hittite heard that her husband was dead, so she mourned for her husband. When her mourning was completed, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife. She gave birth to a son for him. But what David had done was evil in the eyes of the LORD.
:So the LORD sent Nathan to David. He came and told him this:
There were two men in a city. One was rich and one poor. The rich man had a large number of flocks and herds. The poor man did not own anything except one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. He raised it so that it grew up together with him and his children. It ate from his food and drank from his cup. It slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. When a traveler came to the rich man, the rich man was unwilling to take an animal from his flock or from his herd to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. So he took the lamb from the poor man and prepared it for the man who had come to him.
David’s anger flared up against that man. He said to Nathan, “As the LORD lives, the man who has done this is as good as dead. In place of that lamb, he will restore four lambs, because he did this and had no pity.”
Nathan told David, “You are the man. This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says.”
I anointed you king over Israel. I rescued you from the hand of Saul. I gave the house of your master to you, and I gave the wives of your master into your embrace. I gave you the house of Israel and the house of Judah. If this was too little, I would have added even more. Why have you despised the word of the LORD by doing evil in his eyes? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword. You have taken his wife as your own wife. You have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. So now the sword will not depart from your house forever, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.”
David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.”
Nathan said to David, “The LORD himself has put away your sin. You will not die. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have treated the LORD with utter contempt, the child that is born to you shall surely die.” Then Nathan went to his house.
SECOND LESSON: Galatians 2:11-21
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VERSE OF THE DAY: John 20:31
These words are written that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
GOSPEL: Luke 7:36-50
A certain one of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him. Jesus entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. Just then a sinful woman from that town learned that he was reclining in the Pharisee’s house. She brought an alabaster jar of perfume, stood behind him near his feet weeping, and began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she began to wipe them with her hair while also kissing his feet and anointing them with the perfume. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would realize who is touching him and what kind of woman she is, because she is a sinner.” Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” He said, “Teacher, say it.” “A certain moneylender had two debtors. The one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he forgave them both. So, which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “I suppose the one who had the larger debt forgiven.” Then he told him, “You have judged correctly.” Turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house, but you did not give me water for my feet. Yet she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but she, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with perfume. Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; that is why she loved so much. But the one who is forgiven little loves little.” Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.” Those reclining at the table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
Is to make disciples for Jesus Christ by sharing the gospel in God’s Word and Sacraments. Following God’s direction and seeking His help, we will fulfill this mission by conducting the following activities: