GOSPEL: Luke 4:14-21
priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to
Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee,
and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country.
15 He began to teach in their synagogue and was praised by everyone.
16 When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up,
he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He
stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to
him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it is written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me to bring good news
to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20 And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat
down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.
21 Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been
fulfilled in your hearing.”
First Reading: Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
When the seventh month came—the people of Israel being settled
in their own towns—all the people gathered together in the square
before the Water Gate. They told the scribe Ezra to bring the book
of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had given to Israel.
2 Accordingly, the priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly,
both men and women and all who could hear with understanding.
This was on the first day of the seventh month. 3 He read from it
facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until
midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who
could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the
book of the law. 5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the
people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he
opened it, all the people stood up. 6 Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the
great God, and all the people answered him, “Amen, Amen,” lifting
up their hands. Then they bowed their heads and worshiped the
Lord with their faces to the ground. 8 So they read from the book,
from the law of God, with interpretation. They gave the sense, so
that the people understood the reading.
9 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the
all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not
mourn or weep.” For all the people wept when they heard the
words of the law. 10 Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the
fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for
whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord; and
do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN ?
The joy of the Lord is your strength.
Nehemiah viii. 10.
Behold, how daring and bold the Prophet is! Who gave him
such a stout and defiant courage? Or whence did he receive it?
From the Saviour alone. The more people would drive us away
from Him, the firmer we cling to Him. The more sorrow, misery,
and harm people do us, the more we rejoice, for our joy is eternal.
And the more people want to drag us away from it, the greater it
becomes.
But someone may say: can ever a soul lose such joy? Yes,
and as soon as we lose it we are surrounded by everlasting pain,
from which, though it is in itself eternal, God saves His people.
Hence the joy also is eternal, though we may lose it while we are
here on earth. And this should be understood as follows: Christ is
my Saviour; if I know and believe it, it is an eternal joy to me, so
long as I build upon it. When, however, the heart and conscience
are devoid of Christ, the joy has ceased. Grace continues, but the
conscience can stumble and fall. And this I say that you may not be
offended if many of your number fall away from the Gospel and
deny Christ. For here Christ is with His comfort and joy, the cross
and persecution are not far away.
But I fear that we have neither the cross nor the joy because
we receive so little of the Gospel. We remain for ever in our old
nature and despise the dear and precious treasure of the Gospel.
Sermon on the first Sunday in Advent, E.A. 17. 113.
1524, on the greatest blasphemy of the Papists
Taken from the book: Day by Day We Magnify Thee by Martin Luther
Page 284
FROM LUTHER’S PRAYERS:
(For an Answer to the Cry of the Helpless) THIRD SUNDAY AFTER
Dear Lord Jesus Christ, my longing is so great that I cannot express EPIPHANY
it in words. I know not how to ask. See my heart. What more shall
I say? My suffering is greater than all my complaining. I cannot
counsel myself with reason nor comfort myself with my own
courage. Comfortless, helpless, and forsaken, I am completely at
loss. My God, you will not abandon my hope. You will hear my
prayer and satisfy my desires. I will pray and wait for your grace.
Hear me and fulfill my hope. Amen.

a.Let those who doubt they are heard of God remove their
doubts and come unconfused to God in prayer. For God
cannot and will not endure that we doubt him. He will not
permit himself to be classed and censured with the
unfaithful and deceivers. He who doubts might as well
say: Lord, I do not believe, and how can I know whether it
is true when you say, Verily, verily, I say unto you, what
ye shall ask in my name, I will do. And he will treat other
passages of Scripture likewise. Therefore, when you pray,
kneel or stand confidently, believing your prayer will be
answered, while you sincerely acknowledge yourself to be
a sinner, and resolve to lead a better life.

b. We are sufficiently taught not to tempt God in prayer. It is not

for us to determine the time, measure, aim, manner, or person,
and how, when, where, or through what means he must grant
our requests. All this we must humbly leave to him, believing
that he will rightly answer every petition according to his divine
and infinite wisdom. Even if it seems otherwise, we shall not
doubt that the prayer was indeed heard. When angel Gabriel
said to Daniel, Chapter 9, at the beginning of your supplication Almighty God, you sent your Son to proclaim your
a word went forth, etc., he was given far more than he had kingdom and to teach with authority. Anoint us with the
prayed for. Everyone shall consider himself equally privileged power of your Spirit, that we, too, may bring good news
to call upon God in trials of his own or others. to the afflicted, bind up the brokenhearted, and proclaim
liberty to the captive; through your Son, Jesus Christ our
Lord.