“TRINITY 2 2024”
Saint Luke 14: 16-24
2nd Sunday after Trinity: June 9 Anno Domini 2024
Fr Jay Watson, SSP
Your sinful nature causes all sorts of abnormalities, perversions, and disordering of all of God’s good gifts. Even the gift of food and community—festive cordiality—are poisoned by “old Adam.” While we all gorge and binge on junk-food, excessive alcohol, sugar, and industrial chemicals in our food and water, Jesus talks about a “great supper.” The theme of banqueting, feasting in paradise with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, i.e., the Saints of God—with God—is a theme of Holy Scripture. A theme that is real. With Christ you will not be a finicky and “picky” eater, or a glutton, a “pig.” You will not have food allergies or complaints about the temperature of the beverages or the way the meat is cooked.
Okay.
It can be said, and believed, that all of you are Jesus’ sheep. You are redeemed and believing Christians. And so, you are not like the ones in Jesus’ story who make excuses. At one level the “great supper” is of course The Sacrament of The Altar” offered here at Augsburg twice a week and on other festivals and feast days. The very fact that you are present amongst the Saints this morning bespeaks your desire to feast and banquet with your Lord and God.
And likewise, the “great supper” is a “type” of viewing the hereafter, already mentioned. The Grace of God, the Mercy of Christ, the abundant cornucopia of over-flowing gifts—represented by a full heavenly dining-table and hall—is to be forgiven of your sins and to then be guaranteed life and salvation—eternal joy and fellowship around Jesus and the Host of Sabaoth.
You know what the 3rd Commandment says. You must obey it. You don’t. You try. That is good. You repent of trespassing it and are forgiven. You know your obedience, or, attempts at obedience (to “do better”) are of zero effect in your salvation.
You know that other then traveling for business (or vacation—I guess), or sickness, or special visits to relatives where you can still attend a Divine Service (just not Augsburg’s) are the only times when The Lord can excuse your absence. So be careful. Be warry. Do not presume (ever) on His graciousness and hospitality.
When God bids you to come to Mass, to gather as one of the flock, with the flock, come. Do not equivocate, not necessarily with having “bought a piece of ground that has to be inspected,” but with other equally feeble excuses. I do not like the pastor’s attitude; I do not like the way some people sing; I do not like some of the ‘sinners’ in attendance; it’s too hot/it’s too cold; I’m too tired; the list could go on and on.
Jesus came into the world for you. He left His place in inter-Trinitarian mystery to take flesh and blood from The Virgin, just for you. He comes into your midst with His Words and His forgiving/healing presence to give you a meal, a feast, an Holy hors d’oeuvres of the Wedding Banquet to come! He serves! He gives Himself!
You may think you can just “snack” on your Bible or your “Portals of Prayer,” “Daily Treasury,” or “Lutheran Hour” at home—and it will be good enough. No. Wrong. All the teaching, preaching, hymn-singing, Scripture reading, praying, and confessing, all lead to the summit of salvation with THE New Testament—His Body and Blood in The Eucharist.
The five yoke of oxen, the Law found in Moses’ Pentateuch, will not save. Only the five wounds of Jesus on His bloody and blessed crucifix gusher forth the Blood of The Lamb—which SAVES—and Which is eaten and drunk today at this Feast!
The many and varied “wives” of this rotten world are not worth consorting with to miss this great rehearsal of righteousness—not the consorts of: sports (professional or recreational), fishing, camping, back-packing, etc., or even family members and actual “spouses” dissuading you and enticing you to be absent. It is not about Augsburg. It is not even about the Missouri Synod (though to be sure it is about the Confessional Western Church which we call Evangelically/Catholic in The Book of Concord sense). It certainly is not about me.
It is about Jesus, God in The Flesh—for you.
“The Jesus said unto them, ‘verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye eat The flesh of The Son of Man, and drink His Blood, ye have no life in you’” [Jn. 6. 53].
Good news! You do! Right now!
In The Name of The Father and of + The Son and of The Holy Ghost
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