Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost
Mark 10:6 – “But from the beginning of creation ...”
In recent years our country, along with most (formerly) Christian nations of Europe, have lost their way when it comes to marriage. We have ignored the fact that it is God who created us. We always go off-the-tracks when we forget that He made us and that everything good in this world comes from His hand.
In big things and in small things, in the life of a nation or the life of an individual, things go dreadfully wrong when we ignore the Creator’s instructions for life.
LCMS Stewardship Bulletin Sentences
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Genesis 2:18–25; Hebrews 2:1–13 (14–18); Mark 10:2–16
Marriage Is a Sign that Manifests the Gospel of Christ and His Church
Humanity is created in the image and likeness of God. “It is not good that the man should be alone” (Genesis 2:18). For the Lord Himself is a perfect communion of three Persons — the Father, Son and Holy Spirit — in one God.
Therefore, “the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs,” which “he made into a woman” and brought “to the man” (Genesis 2:21–22). It is for this reason that “a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24; Mark 10:7).
This great mystery of holy marriage signifies Christ Jesus, the incarnate Son of God, and His Bride, the Church. Divorce and all manner of adultery contradict and undermine this sign, and in doing so, they confess a false Christ and a false gospel. “What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate” (Mark 10:9).
In truth, Christ Jesus has atoned for all such sins, and He has perfected marriage in Himself “through suffering,” that He might bring “many sons to glory” in His resurrection (Hebrews 2:8–10). _________________________________________________________________________
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost - Our Almighty Maker carefully creates every human male or female (Genesis 2:21-22). Jesus Himself took on the same flesh in fertilization and gestation to redeem our entire race (Hebrews 2:14, 17).
And the Lord our God calls even the littlest among us for His own (Mark 10:14). Could the Scriptures get any clearer about the sanctity of life? Can we?
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