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Jesus protests against human customs being given the weight of divine law, while the essence of God’s law is ignored. True uncleanness comes not from external things, but from the intentions of the human heart. Last week Jesus told us “the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63). Now James says God has given us birth by the word of truth. We who were washed in the word when we were born in the font return to it every Sunday to ask God to create in us clean hearts. Our service will be live streamed from Atonement Lutheran Church starting at 10:30am and can be viewed by clicking on the image above. The bulletin for this service can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X1JcHzh1RlgsEf4_LfkkR_euVZv38Ykv/view?usp=sharing

James tells us to stop showing favoritism in the assembly, treating the rich visitor with more honor than the poor one. Jesus himself seems to show partiality in his first response to the Syrophoenician woman in today’s gospel. Was he testing her faith in saying Gentiles don’t deserve the goods meant for God’s children? Or was he speaking out of his human worldview, but transcended those limits when she took him by surprise with her reply? Either way, the story tells us that God shows no partiality. Everyone who brings a need to Jesus is received with equal honor as a child and heir. Our service will be live streamed from Cross of Glory Lutheran Church starting at 9:30 am. Watch online by clicking on the image above. The bulletin for this service can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/18nQaTLFnRymQ1Or7oYtxgk_e_QGdxzBb/view?usp=sharing

Three weeks ago we heard Peter’s confession of faith as told in John’s gospel. This week we hear Mark’s version, when Peter says, “You are the Messiah.” In John, the stumbling block is Jesus’ invitation to eat his flesh, given for the life of the world. In Mark too the scandal has to do with Jesus’ words about his own coming death, and here Peter himself stumbles over Jesus’ words. But Jesus is anointed (the meaning of messiah) in Mark only on the way to the cross (14:3); so we are anointed in baptism with the sign of the cross. Our service will be live streamed from Atonement Lutheran Church starting at 10:30am. Watch online by clicking on the image above. The bulletin for this service can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1D-X20SR_B30xcgiDuXIH_ONXmQrJv4qB/view?usp=sharing