Twelfth Sunday after Trinity (1883)

Mark 7:31-37 I. "Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf be opened."1 This prophecy is fulfilled. By the power of His Word, which has worked such a great miracle on the deaf-mute, the Lord Jesus has mightily proved Himself as the Son of God Who in the fullness of time has taken on human nature etc., as was promised. The main content of our Gospel is "The Messiah is already here, and salvation is near to all." How well have those friends of the deafmute done, that they turned to the Lord Jesus with their intercession! They went to the right doctor of body and soul and have obtained what they desired for unfortunate men, to whom they looked after in love.2 In addition to the chief teaching cited we are able to draw from our Gospel another teaching: we should pray for one another. On Christian Intercession; 1. for whom it can be done? Only by those who a. have rightly learned to pray, . who recognize Christ as the helping God and Savior3, . and therefore in faith take refuge in the only true God; b. take the spiritual and physical distress of the neighbor to heart in true love as one who rightly prays; 2. for whom it is to be done? a. in general - for all mankind, not excluding enemies; b. in particular - . for the church, . for members, . for all who are in distress and tribulation4; 3. why should it be done? a. because it is God's good and gracious will.5 We should thereby prove our faith and our love; b. because God attaches to it a wonderful blessing according to His promise: . Christian intercession has a great power (hearing the intercession)6, . and served the faithful worshipers themselves for great blessing.7 Confirmation of the prophecy in Isaiah 35:5 and fulfilling of the

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Isaiah 35:5. Psalm 65:2. 3 Mark 7:32. Cf. Matthew 9:31. 4 Cf. The Litany, the Prayer of the Church. 5 1 Timothy 2:1-3. 6 Mark 7:33-35; James 5:16. Cf. Genesis 18:23ff; Romans 15:30; 2 Corinthians 1:10-11; Philippians 1:19 (Monica; Luther. Convention Proceedings of the Central District, Volume 17, page 41). 7 Mark 7:37.

promise of Isaiah 12:4-6. Growth "in knowledge and all discernment"8 and therefore in the praise of God.9 G.R. II. The miracles of Jesus in the distress of His own; as it is 1. desired in faith10, 2. granted in grace11, and finally 3. celebrated in a loud voice.12

III. How important it is for us to know in tribulation that Jesus does all things well. In such certainty we do not doubt: 1. that our tribulation, such as the deaf-mute, was ordained from all eternity for our good, 2. that it, as long as it may last, will at last be turned by God's hand, and 3. that the glorifying of His name lies in our certain salvation. G[eorg] S[tckhardt]

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Psalm 34:9. TLH 19:6. 10 Mark 7:31-32. 11 Mark 7:33-35. 12 Mark 7:36-37.