Sunday, October 9, 2022 –
Jesus’ words produce the faith he seeks at His return. Kind words produce smiles. Encouraging words produce courage. Promises produce hope. These truths are even more true when the words are the almighty Word of our almighty Savior.
Noah had experienced first-hand the truth of God’s promises. The Lord led him to build an ark. He told him a flood was coming that would be so dramatic there was no need for Noah to build his ark near any water. God told him He would rescue him and his family as well as all the animal species on earth. And God had done every one of those things just as He had said He would. Now, Noah wanted with all his being to give God the thanks He was due, and so our Old Testament Lesson records Noah’s sacrifice of thanksgiving after God’s rescue through the flood and His promise to never send another world-wide deluge.
The context of our Epistle Lesson is a special offering St. Paul was gathering among his mission congregations to help with food relief for Christian Jews suffering during a famine back in their homeland Judea. His goal was to remind them not only of how generous God had been to them, but to remind them that God brings great blessings to the generous giver. “He who provides seed to the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your seed for sowing, and will increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you may be generous in every way, which produces thanksgiving to God through us.”
Our Gospel Lesson is the well-known story of the 10 Lepers. All ten asked for help. All ten were healed by Jesus, but while nine continued on their way to be certified as healed by the priest, one of them was so moved by gratefulness that he turned around and came back to say thank you to Jesus. In the same way, Jesus has died for the sins of the whole world, but only believers say thank you. And even among believers, some are more thankful than others. We never want to fail to thank God for all His indescribably generous gifts—especially the free gift of eternal salvation through faith in Jesus.
Our Sermon will focus on the many generous gifts God gives us, so we too are reminded to return and give thanks to God. Our sermon theme comes from the hymn of the day, Praise to the Lord the Almighty: “O My Soul, Praise Him, for He is Your Health and Salvation.”
This Week’s Lessons:
Genesis 8:15–22
2 Corinthians 9:10–15
Luke 17:11–19Psalm 111