St. Jeremiah 17.13-14 - The 14th Sunday after Trinity
Grace to you and Peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus.
O LORD, the hope of Israel, All who forsake You shall be ashamed. “Those who depart from Me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, The fountain of living waters.” Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for You are my praise.
This is your word heavenly Father. Sanctify us by the truth. Your word is truth. Amen.
Fellow redeemed:
“Those who depart from Me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, The fountain of living waters.”
Who are those who depart from the Savior? Who has forsaken the LORD?
What does the Word of the Lord say? “All we like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way.” What does the Word of the Lord say? “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.”
Who are those who depart from the Savior? Who has forsaken the LORD? What does the Word of the Lord say? the Word of the Lord says that you have departed from the Savior. You have forsaken the LORD.
The lepers Jesus comes upon in today’s Gospel are as an outward sign of the inward condition of every one of us. Disfigured, unclean, dying. For the Word of the Lord declares, and our hearts now even know that we are sinners. Under the perfect standard of the Law the fact is that in your thoughts, words, and deeds you are worse than leprous. You are only evil all the time. Even your good works are as filthy rags. The words of the holy prophet accuse us all:
O LORD, the hope of Israel, All who forsake You shall be ashamed. “Those who depart from Me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, The fountain of living waters.”
The law accuses and we, all of us, are crushed. You are a sinner, and you have forsaken the Lord. It is no small matter. You cut yourself off by your thoughts, words, and deeds from “the LORD, the fountain of living waters.” Eternal death is your fitting inheritance, sinner. You can do nothing to escape it. You are a sinner. Like the leper who must only suffer as his flesh is continually scarred and disfigured till he dies, so sin already has destroyed you, and become your identity under the Law.
But Jesus has seen your sad estate, and your hopelessness under the weight of sin and death. And as He had mercy on the lepers, so He has had mercy on you. He has taken your place, been made the Sinner for you, taken the great debt and sorrow which is yours onto Himself, and has in His flesh borne that weight so that He gave Himself into suffering and death instead of you. As Jesus cleansed the lepers, you are cleansed. You were undone, you were destroyed, you were subject to damnation without hope. Jesus took that on in your place. Dying, Jesus paid your debt. And sinless, death could not hold Him. Jesus has burst those strong bonds once and for all. You who were dead are now made alive, not by your own action, but by the work and merit of Jesus.
When you were baptized it was into Jesus’ death. And if into His death, then also His rising. You are engrafted into His holy wounds. You are adopted by the price of His blood into Him, made no longer a damned slave, but a beloved child, an adopted son, and coheir with Jesus of the glorious and eternal kingdom of God. The LORD, the fountain of living waters has washed you in His own righteousness. And now you may stand before Him into whose hands all things are given. And Jesus, returning in Glory to judge the living and dead shall behold you, indeed, beholds you now!, and it is the Father’s pleasure that in His eyes you are completely clean.
The sinner moans ‘have mercy, Lord.’ The Lord has mercy. The lepers cry ‘have mercy, Lord’ and they are cleansed. Jeremiah declares “Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for You are my praise.”
Who shall stand before the Lord our God on the Last Day and live? What does the Word of the Lord say?
“All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.”
What does the Word of the Lord say?
“If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
When God looks at you, He sees you through the shed blood of Jesus. The penalty of all your sin is paid. The righteousness and merit of Jesus’ life, suffering, and death are all put on you. Your sin is nowhere to be seen. Where did it go? Jesus took it. He bore your sin to the cross where He died with it. It is gone. It is no more.
When God looks at you, He sees a perfect, innocent, righteous son. He sees you and He sees Jesus for you. You are just in His eyes. You are holy. You are a saint in the eyes of God, for Jesus’ sake.
But when you consider yourself, yes, what does your heart declare? What do your eyes see? Your memory tells you the never-ending story of your sin. For the Law is written on your heart. And the Law always accuses. So you see yourself a sinner. But God for Jesus’ sake sees you holy, just, a saint. That brings us to that little Latin phrase on the cover of the bulletin. You are indeed, simul justus et peccatur. That is, simultaneously just and sinner. It depends on who is doing the looking.
You see yourself in your sin, as the Law informs you. And you are helpless to better yourself before the perfect God. You are a sinner. But God sees you righteous and just, for Jesus’ sake. You see yourself a sinner. The Lord sees you a saint. Believe God! And be thankful!
Jeremiah writes: “Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for You are my praise.” The Lord your God has healed you from eternal death. The Lord your God has saved you from the sin which once damned you. The load is off of you, and indeed, the sin is all paid for. You are set free. So yes, in light of this, seeing your sin, give thanks to the Lord. Make the Lord your praise. Give praise to the God who became man, to lay down His life for yours, and for many. Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, and His mercy lasts forever. Return with the leper, for your healing is even greater, and give thanks to Jesus.
And be blessed by His Word. Your sin is before your eyes, and the devil himself may accuse you. But O, you are greatly beloved of God, and Jesus has taken that sin away from you. No guilt remains. Tell the devil to take his accusations up with Jesus- your sin was last seen with Him. The Law accuses, yes, but now no longer may condemn. For One who is mightier has fulfilled the Law for you. You are holy in the eyes of the Lord, your sin is no more. You are forgiven. The best is yet to come, for you are indeed, my fellow redeemed, and eternal life and peace and joy is for you in Jesus’ name. Amen.
The peace of God which passes all understanding guard over your heart and mind through Christ Jesus. Amen.
O LORD, the hope of Israel, All who forsake You shall be ashamed. “Those who depart from Me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, The fountain of living waters.” Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for You are my praise.
This is your word heavenly Father. Sanctify us by the truth. Your word is truth. Amen.
Fellow redeemed:
“Those who depart from Me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, The fountain of living waters.”
Who are those who depart from the Savior? Who has forsaken the LORD?
What does the Word of the Lord say? “All we like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way.” What does the Word of the Lord say? “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.”
Who are those who depart from the Savior? Who has forsaken the LORD? What does the Word of the Lord say? the Word of the Lord says that you have departed from the Savior. You have forsaken the LORD.
The lepers Jesus comes upon in today’s Gospel are as an outward sign of the inward condition of every one of us. Disfigured, unclean, dying. For the Word of the Lord declares, and our hearts now even know that we are sinners. Under the perfect standard of the Law the fact is that in your thoughts, words, and deeds you are worse than leprous. You are only evil all the time. Even your good works are as filthy rags. The words of the holy prophet accuse us all:
O LORD, the hope of Israel, All who forsake You shall be ashamed. “Those who depart from Me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, The fountain of living waters.”
The law accuses and we, all of us, are crushed. You are a sinner, and you have forsaken the Lord. It is no small matter. You cut yourself off by your thoughts, words, and deeds from “the LORD, the fountain of living waters.” Eternal death is your fitting inheritance, sinner. You can do nothing to escape it. You are a sinner. Like the leper who must only suffer as his flesh is continually scarred and disfigured till he dies, so sin already has destroyed you, and become your identity under the Law.
But Jesus has seen your sad estate, and your hopelessness under the weight of sin and death. And as He had mercy on the lepers, so He has had mercy on you. He has taken your place, been made the Sinner for you, taken the great debt and sorrow which is yours onto Himself, and has in His flesh borne that weight so that He gave Himself into suffering and death instead of you. As Jesus cleansed the lepers, you are cleansed. You were undone, you were destroyed, you were subject to damnation without hope. Jesus took that on in your place. Dying, Jesus paid your debt. And sinless, death could not hold Him. Jesus has burst those strong bonds once and for all. You who were dead are now made alive, not by your own action, but by the work and merit of Jesus.
When you were baptized it was into Jesus’ death. And if into His death, then also His rising. You are engrafted into His holy wounds. You are adopted by the price of His blood into Him, made no longer a damned slave, but a beloved child, an adopted son, and coheir with Jesus of the glorious and eternal kingdom of God. The LORD, the fountain of living waters has washed you in His own righteousness. And now you may stand before Him into whose hands all things are given. And Jesus, returning in Glory to judge the living and dead shall behold you, indeed, beholds you now!, and it is the Father’s pleasure that in His eyes you are completely clean.
The sinner moans ‘have mercy, Lord.’ The Lord has mercy. The lepers cry ‘have mercy, Lord’ and they are cleansed. Jeremiah declares “Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for You are my praise.”
Who shall stand before the Lord our God on the Last Day and live? What does the Word of the Lord say?
“All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.”
What does the Word of the Lord say?
“If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
When God looks at you, He sees you through the shed blood of Jesus. The penalty of all your sin is paid. The righteousness and merit of Jesus’ life, suffering, and death are all put on you. Your sin is nowhere to be seen. Where did it go? Jesus took it. He bore your sin to the cross where He died with it. It is gone. It is no more.
When God looks at you, He sees a perfect, innocent, righteous son. He sees you and He sees Jesus for you. You are just in His eyes. You are holy. You are a saint in the eyes of God, for Jesus’ sake.
But when you consider yourself, yes, what does your heart declare? What do your eyes see? Your memory tells you the never-ending story of your sin. For the Law is written on your heart. And the Law always accuses. So you see yourself a sinner. But God for Jesus’ sake sees you holy, just, a saint. That brings us to that little Latin phrase on the cover of the bulletin. You are indeed, simul justus et peccatur. That is, simultaneously just and sinner. It depends on who is doing the looking.
You see yourself in your sin, as the Law informs you. And you are helpless to better yourself before the perfect God. You are a sinner. But God sees you righteous and just, for Jesus’ sake. You see yourself a sinner. The Lord sees you a saint. Believe God! And be thankful!
Jeremiah writes: “Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for You are my praise.” The Lord your God has healed you from eternal death. The Lord your God has saved you from the sin which once damned you. The load is off of you, and indeed, the sin is all paid for. You are set free. So yes, in light of this, seeing your sin, give thanks to the Lord. Make the Lord your praise. Give praise to the God who became man, to lay down His life for yours, and for many. Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, and His mercy lasts forever. Return with the leper, for your healing is even greater, and give thanks to Jesus.
And be blessed by His Word. Your sin is before your eyes, and the devil himself may accuse you. But O, you are greatly beloved of God, and Jesus has taken that sin away from you. No guilt remains. Tell the devil to take his accusations up with Jesus- your sin was last seen with Him. The Law accuses, yes, but now no longer may condemn. For One who is mightier has fulfilled the Law for you. You are holy in the eyes of the Lord, your sin is no more. You are forgiven. The best is yet to come, for you are indeed, my fellow redeemed, and eternal life and peace and joy is for you in Jesus’ name. Amen.
The peace of God which passes all understanding guard over your heart and mind through Christ Jesus. Amen.