LENT – WEEK 3 – SUNDAY

LESSON: LUKE 11:14-28

He was casting out a demon that was dumb; when the demon had gone out, the dumb man spoke. Luke 11:14

This is a beautiful Gospel in which we learn a great deal about many different things, and in it there is portrayed almost all that Christ, His kingdom, and Gospel are. We learn what the Gospel achieves and how it makes its way in the world.

First of all, as do all the Gospels, it teaches us faith and love, for it holds up Christ before us as a savior and help in all needs, out of His great love. He who believes this is saved.

Here we see also that He has nothing to do with those who are well but with the poor man who is ailing under many troubles. He was blind, as Matthew tells us (12:22), and dumb and possessed by a demon, as Luke says. Most of the deaf are also dumb, so that in Greek the same word is used for deaf and dumb.

The concern of Jesus for this poor man is an incentive for us to turn to Him in every need, expecting from Him all that is good. After experiencing good at His hands, we should follow Him in love and do good to others, as He has done good to us. This is the common and most delightful teaching of this Gospel and of all the Gospels throughout the whole church year.

This poor dumb man, moreover, did not come to Jesus without the Word. Those who brought him to Jesus must have heard of Christ’s love, and this moved them to put their trust in Him. Let us always remember that faith comes through the Word.

SL.XI.552,1
AE 76,392

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, your love and compassion for men in their trials and troubles was truly wonderful. Be to us a helper and savior also today, for your mercy’s sake. Amen.