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God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble

1. Peter 5,5b

The Psalm invites us to extol the triune God, our Lord and King:

I will extol you, my God, O King.
I will praise your name continually.
Every day I will praise you.
I will praise your name continually.
The Lord supports all who fall,
and lifts up all who are bent over.
The Lord is just in all his actions,
and exhibits love in all he does.
The Lord is near all who cry out to him,
all who cry out to him sincerely.
He satisfies the desire of his loyal followers;
he hears their cry for help and delivers them.
The Lord protects all those who love him,
but he destroys all the wicked.
My mouth will praise the Lord.
Let all who live praise his holy name forever.

Psalm 145,1f.14.17-21

Prophet Nathan preaches truth to power, so that King David repents:

So the Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to David, Nathan said, “There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a great many flocks and herds. But the poor man had nothing except for a little lamb he had acquired. He raised it, and it grew up alongside him and his children. It used to eat his food, drink from his cup, and sleep in his arms. It was just like a daughter to him.

“When a traveler arrived at the rich man’s home, he did not want to use one of his own sheep or cattle to feed the traveler who had come to visit him. Instead, he took the poor man’s lamb and cooked it for the man who had come to visit him.”

Then David became very angry at this man. He said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die! Because he committed this cold-hearted crime, he must pay for the lamb four times over!”

Nathan said to David, “You are that man! This is what the Lord God of Israel has said: ‘I chose you to be king over Israel and I rescued you from the hand of Saul. I gave you your master’s house, and put your master’s wives into your arms. I also gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all that somehow seems insignificant, I would have given you so much more as well! Why have you shown contempt for the Lord’s decrees by doing evil in my sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and you have taken his wife to be your own wife! You have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. So now the sword will never depart from your house. For you have despised me by taking the wife of Uriah the Hittite as your own!’ This is what the Lord has said: ‘I am about to bring disaster on you from inside your own household! Right before your eyes I will take your wives and hand them over to your companion. He will go to bed with your wives in broad daylight! Although you have acted in secret, I will do this thing before all Israel, and in broad daylight.’”

Then David exclaimed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord!” Nathan replied to David, “Yes, and the Lord has forgiven your sin. You are not going to die. Nonetheless, because you have treated the Lord with such contempt in this matter, the son who has been born to you will certainly die.”

Then Nathan went to his home.

2. Samuel 12,1-10.13-15a

St. Paul outlines the gospel in his letter to the Ephesians

But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even though we were dead in offenses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you are saved!— and he raised us up together with him and seated us together with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, to demonstrate in the coming ages the surpassing wealth of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are his creative work, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we can do them.

Ephesians 2,4-10

The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke

Jesus also told this parable to some who were confident that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else. 

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself like this: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: extortionists, unrighteous people, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.

I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’ 

The tax collector, however, stood far off and would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, be merciful to me, sinner that I am!’

I tell you that this man went down to his home justified rather than the Pharisee. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Luke 18,9-14

The Sermon for this Sunday is based on the Gospel of St. Luke

One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. ³⁷ And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, ³⁸ and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. ³⁹ Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” ⁴⁰ And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”

⁴¹ “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. ⁴² When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” ⁴³ Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 

⁴⁴ Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵ You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. ⁴⁶ You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. ⁴⁷ Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” ⁴⁸ And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” ⁴⁹ Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” ⁵⁰ And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Luke 7,36-50

Prayer of the Church—Responsive Form 

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

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

Be merciful to us, heavenly Father, for daily we are tempted by Satan, and daily we sin and transgress Your will. For the sake of Christ Jesus and His bitter suffering and death upon the cross, forgive us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Be merciful to Your Church here and in every place. Defend our pastors from arrogance and pride, and strengthen them in the faithful preaching of Your Word, that both Your holy Law and Your precious Gospel would be proclaimed and Your children be united in saving faith. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Be merciful to all in need, especially children who lack food, clothing and shelter, and all orphans in need of parents to care for them. Heavenly Father, provide earthly fathers, mothers, friends and neighbors to care for them. Give us generosity to serve as agents of Your mercy. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Be merciful to our land, that those with any authority would exercise it with wisdom and righteousness, and that we would have peaceful days. Be merciful to the nations of the world, that wars would cease and harmony be restored. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Be merciful to the sick and the sorrowing, [especially _____________,] that as they are burdened by the difficulties and hardships of life in this fallen world, they would receive not only temporal relief but know the forgiveness of their sins and have the constant hope of eternal life in Christ Jesus. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Be merciful to our neighbors, especially those who have sinned against us and done us harm. Give us patience and strength to deal with them gently and humbly, readily forgiving as we have been forgiven. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Be merciful to those who commune this day, that they may receive the forgiveness of their sins in this blessed Sacrament. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O Lord, if we trust in ourselves for righteousness, we are lost and dead in our sins. Yet You mercifully draw us to Yourself in repentance and hear the cries of those who trust in Your Son. Grant us humility, that we may not exalt ourselves or treat our brothers and sisters with contempt. Rescue us from every evil, and bring us into Your kingdom as Your beloved children. To You alone be all glory, O Father, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

LCMS Prayers of the Church

+ Dominum 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 + give Thee peace.

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

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