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Fourth Sunday after Epiphany • Year B
January 28, 2024
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Historical Collect
O God, you know the perilous choices we are prone to make that fall short of your desire for human faithfulness and obedience. Without you, our fragile nature cannot survive. Support us with your Word of truth, that we may grow in faith in the midst of our trials. Grant this, we pray, through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Gelasian Sacramentary, 7th Century)
Thematic Collect
Merciful One, grant to your church the heart to hear your compassionate healing grace as we gather around your word. Then, as you will, grant us courage and compassion to bear that life-giving word of grace to a world in need; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
The Common Thread
God has raised up patriarchs, judges, and prophets. Few listened to them. Still, he promised to raise up a prophet like no other. Foreshadowing a bright cloudy day in the future (Matt 17:5), Isaiah says that we are to listen to him. He is the living redemption that the psalmist declares, the one Lord and Christ, who created all things and in whom “we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). This is who the prophet tells us to listen to, and indeed, even the demons listen and obey.
First Reading • Deuteronomy 18:15-20
Consider all of the prophets that the Lord raised up after Moses. People hoped that each one would be another Moses. But did the people listen? Therefore, God would raise up a new prophet whom the people were to listen to over all the prophets and even Moses (Matt 17:5). Luther said that Jesus was this new teacher; and the early Church also believed Christ was predicted by Moses (Acts 3:22). Are we listening?
Psalm • Psalm 111:1-10
The great work of the Lord is raising up people who believe and remember all his works. He creates believers by drawing them to himself (John 12:32). We remember in many ways but how could we possibly remember any better than by doing in remembrance at the Lord's table? To “do this in remembrance of me” is to recall the greatest work of mercy and grace—the final and complete work of redemption in Christ.
Second Reading • 1 Corinthians 8:1-13
All too often, particularly in matters religious, people feel the need to be right. They insist on the last word. What is better: to know about such things or to be known by the creator of all things? No matter how much we think we understand, we see very dimly if our focus is on coming out on top in an argument about religious practices instead of on the Lord. Diet does not commend us to God, nor do certain other religious practices. Yet certain practices may mislead the weak in faith, so we must be concerned for their consciences.
Gospel • Mark 1:21-28
The teaching of Jesus must have been immediately astonishing as it evidenced new and fresh understanding of the Word instead of simply rehashing rules. His teaching even drew a man possessed. The spirit 's concern was whether Jesus was there to destroy unclean spirits. This fear was based in knowing who Jesus was: “the Holy One of God.” Jesus rebuked the spirit and commanded it to come out of the man. The spirit obeyed the voice of authority. May we do the same.
Resources
Links to Worship Resources for this Service
