Preparing for Worship - September 26, 2021

In the Old Testament lesson, Numbers 11:4-6, 10-16, 24-29, God’s people again are weeping and complaining that they have only manna to eat, even though it provided plenty of food and could be prepared in various ways. Moses is sick of trying to deal with these people and wishes he could be killed, coming close to the complaints of other prophets in weak moments. (See Jeremiah in Jeremiah 20:7, 14-18, and Elijah in 1 Kings 19:4.) God is angry at these sins, but is also merciful and gives Moses more people to help him and people who have the Spirit of God clearly at work in them, too.

In Psalm 104:27-35, the psalmist is grateful for God’s mercy in providing food and other good things for His creation. The psalmist knows that if God hid His face, all would die without Him. God rejoices in His works, though, and provides new life through His Spirit. The psalmist therefore seeks to meditate on the Lord  and to sing praise to Him and rejoice in Him as long as he lives.

The Epistle lesson is James 5:(1-12) 13-20. James warns about the wealthy who gather riches for themselves in ways that are hurtful and harmful to others, and about those who are always grumbling and complaining about others. “The Judge is standing at the door,“ James warns. Instead, God’s people are to be patient, like a farmer or like Job in his times of personal and family trouble, and to know that the Lord will be compassionate and merciful, as we pray and wait upon Him and forgive and receive forgiveness along with other believers. “The prayer of a righteous person has great power.” That is most especially true of our Lord Jesus, our Savior, as He prays on our behalf. He will care for us.

The Gospel lesson is from Mark 9:38-50. The disciple, John, was critical of someone who was casting out demons in the name of Jesus, but was not one of His regular disciples. Jesus was not jealous but grateful for any who help others in His name, including help for “little ones” who have received the gift of faith, by God’s grace. Jesus went on to warn about the seriousness of sin that could lead people away from Him. People need to battle that sin and seek to cut it out of their lives, by God’s grace and help. Jesus is not speaking of literally cutting out hands or eyes. They are not the problem, but sinful temptation within us. Three times, Jesus spoke of the reality of hell and of unquenchable fire, quoting from Isaiah 66:24. He does not want anyone to end up there, but to be “salt of the earth” (Mathew 5:13), trusting in Jesus and His love and forgiveness for us, and seeking to live in peace with others and help them see the Savior, too.