The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Gospel of St. Matthew 20,28

“Jesu Fußwaschung” vom Meister des Hausbuchs (1480). Das ist Teil des Passionsaltars (Speyer) zu sehen in der Gemäldegalerie, Berlin.

Hymn of the Lutheran Church

O man becry Thy sin so bad,
wherefore Christ was so lowly clad
in Bethlehem’s poor outpost.
His mother virgin Mary pure
conceived of Holy Spirit sure
to acquit us sinners lost.
He raised the dead to life again,
Put off all illness and sore pain,
Until at last His time had come
To be the all atoning sacrifice.
He bore all sins. His works suffice.
His cross is our way home.

Let us thus praise Him gratefully,
That He died for us adequately,
Trust His love and true goodwill.
Also, lets hate all sinful ways,
As His Word shines so bright these days,
Follow the evangel and holy will.
Practice love to both big and small
As He did to us and all
With His suffering and dying.
Oh, think of his great faithfulness,
And how God hates all faithlessness,
Beware of that and lying.

Sebald Heyden (1530) LKG 127 tr. by Wilhelm Weber (2023)

God´s Holy Word for this Sunday

The Introit teaches us to pray in a God pleasing way:

Vindicate me, O God!
Fight for me against an ungodly nation.
Deliver me from deceitful and evil men.
For you are the God who shelters me.
Why do you reject me?
Why must I walk around mourning because my enemies oppress me?
Reveal your light and your faithfulness.
They will lead me; they will escort me back to your holy hill, and to the place where you live.
Then I will go to the altar of God, to the God who gives me ecstatic joy,
so that I may express my thanks to you, O God, my God, with a harp.
Why are you depressed, O my soul?
Why are you upset?
Wait for God!
For I will again give thanks to my God for his saving intervention.

Psalm 43

God´s Holy Word recorded by the great prophet Moses:

Some time after these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am!” Abraham replied. God said, “Take your son—your only son, whom you love, Isaac—and go to the land of Moriah! Offer him up there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will indicate to you.”
Early in the morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took two of his young servants with him, along with his son Isaac. When he had cut the wood for the burnt offering, he started out for the place God had spoken to him about.
On the third day Abraham caught sight of the place in the distance. So he said to his servants, “You two stay here with the donkey while the boy and I go up there. We will worship and then return to you.”
Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and put it on his son Isaac. Then he took the fire and the knife in his hand, and the two of them walked on together. Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father?” “What is it, my son?” he replied. “Here is the fire and the wood,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” “God will provide for himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham replied. The two of them continued on together.
When they came to the place God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood on it. Next he tied up his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand, took the knife, and prepared to slaughter his son. But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am!” he answered. “Do not harm the boy!” the angel said. “Do not do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God because you did not withhold your son, your only son, from me.”
Abraham looked up and saw behind him a ram caught in the bushes by its horns. So he went over and got the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place “The LORD provides.” It is said to this day, “In the mountain of the LORD provision will be made.”
The angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, “I solemnly swear by my own name, decrees the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will indeed bless you, and I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be as countless as the stars in the sky or the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the strongholds of their enemies. Because you have obeyed me, all the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another using the name of your descendants.”
Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set out together for Beer Sheba where Abraham stayed.

Genesis 22: 1-14 (15-19)

God´s Holy Word recorded in the letter to the Hebrews

For every high priest is taken from among the people and appointed to represent them before God, to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal compassionately with those who are ignorant and erring, since he also is subject to weakness, and for this reason he is obligated to make sin offerings for himself as well as for the people. And no one assumes this honor on his own initiative, but only when called to it by God, as in fact Aaron was. So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming high priest, but the one who glorified him was God, who said to him, “You are my Son! Today I have fathered you,” as also in another place God says, “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” During his earthly life Christ offered both requests and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death and he was heard because of his devotion. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through the things he suffered. And by being perfected in this way, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, and he was designated by God as high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 5, (1-6) 7-9 (10) (Sermon)

The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to the evangelist St. Mark

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him and said, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” He said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” They said to him, “Permit one of us to sit at your right hand and the other at your left in your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I experience?”They said to him, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism I experience, but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give. It is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

Now when the other ten heard this, they became angry with James and John.Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions use their authority over them. But it is not this way among you. Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Mark 10:35-45

Prayer of the Church—Responsive Form (Judika: 26th March 2023) 

Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.

Holy Father, You have received Your ascended Son back into the more perfect tent of heaven, His sacrifice complete. Give Your Church an abundance of peace, knowing that He has purified our consciences from dead works and prepared the way for us to our eternal inheritance. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Holy Lord, we thank You that You have made us Your holy people, cleansed and redeemed by the blood of Your Son. Grant that we, Your priests serving under Christ, our High Priest, may now offer living sacrifices in prayer and good works. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord God, You called Father Abraham to offer his beloved son to You, yet You spared him for the sake of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Help all godly parents to bring up their children in Your fear and love, to direct their ways according to Your Holy Word, and to commend them to Your fatherly care. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Uphold all civil authorities, especially Olaf, our chancellor, and Reiner, our minister president. Preserve our nation in peace, and allow Your people to live quiet and peaceable lives in godliness and honesty. We ask You especially for Ukraine, which is under tyrannical attack by Russia. Restore the stolen and devastated lands, bring back refugees and exiles, strengthen soldiers and defensive structures, grant hope and faith, victory and finally peace  Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, do not cast down the souls in turmoil, but call them continually to Yourself and Your truth. Sustain all who suffer among us – especially our friends from Ukraine. Lighten their darkness, bring Your joy to their every sorrow and defend them against all evil. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord, having heard Your righteous judgment against our sins and Your vindicating absolution, lead us by the light of Your truth to Your holy altar to receive the joys of forgiveness, life and salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O Lord, Your Son spoke the truth before His enemies even as they sought to trap Him in His words and deliver Him up to death. Rescue Your people from fear, and grant them courage to confess Your truth, assuring them of Your deliverance in time of trouble. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

All these things and whatever else You know that we need, grant us, Father, for the sake of Him who died and rose again and now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever. Amen.

https://www.lcms.org/worship/one-year-series-prayers

+ The peace of the Lord be with You +

+ Pax vobiscum +

The Lord bless Thee, and keep Thee:

The Lord make his face shine upon Thee, and be gracious unto Thee:

The Lord lift up his countenance upon Thee and give Thee peace.

Numbers 6,24-26 (4th Book of Moses)