Open Your Ears To See! Luke10:23to37

The Thirteenth Sunday After Trinity                                       30-August-2026
Sermon Text: Luke 10:23-37
Sermon Theme: “Open Your Ears To See!” I. Hear The Apostles See The Kingdom of God Come! (Vs.23-24) II. Hear The Law See Your Sin!(vs.25-29) III. Hear Jesus See Your Rescue! (Vs.30-35). IV. Hear Mercy Serve Your Neighbor! (Vs.36-37)  By Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
 
I.N.R.I. Joh 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease. Saint John the Baptizer turned his disciples away from himself to follow Jesus. They were worried that more people were following Jesus and being baptized by His followers than following John. John rejoiced that the Heavenly Bridegroom had come for His Bride - the Church. Earlier John seeing Jesus return from his 40 days of temptation in the wilderness pointed his disciples to Jesus proclaiming, Joh 1:29 .... "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! John was an eyewitness of the heaven’s being torn open the Holy Spirit descending and remaining on Jesus and God the Father declaring, “"This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." John testifies, Joh 1:30-34 This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.' (31) I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water." (32) And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. (33) I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' (34) And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God."
     When two of John’s disciples again heard their teacher point to Jesus confessing, “Behold! The Lamb of God!” They left the Baptizer to follow Jesus. Andrew and John hearing and seeing became Jesus’ first disciples. The day after Andrew would bring his brother Simon Peter to hear and see Jesus.
    John the Baptizer also preached the truth of God’s Law to King Herod Antipas. John rebuked Herod for divorcing his wife, breaking up the marriage of his brother Philip and marrying his niece Herodias. Herod had broken the Levitical Law of God’s people. Instead of repenting Herod silenced John by having him thrown into prison. After a drunken feast and oath - Herodias persuaded her daughter Salome to ask for the head of the Baptizer on a platter. According to our calendar, it was on August 29th, that John was beheaded for preaching the Truth of God’s Word. The Gospel in its sweetness and the Law in its severity.
    What the Holy Spirit testified of the martyrdom of Abel could be said of John and all executed for speaking the Truth of God’s Holy Word - Heb 11:4 By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. By Holy Spirit given faith through God’s Promise - Abel’s sacrifice pointed to Jesus - confessing “Behold the Lamb of God!” Cain’s murder of his own brother could not silence the preaching of God’s Promise.
     Learn in these last evil dark days of human history to - “Open Your Ears To See!” I. Hear The Apostles See The Kingdom of God Come! (Vs.23-24) II. Hear The Law See Your Sin!(vs.25-29) III. Hear Jesus See Your Rescue! (Vs.30-35). IV. Hear Mercy Serve Your Neighbor! (Vs.36-37)
I. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the message of Christ! The Holy Spirit testifies Rom 10:12-15 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. (13) For "WHOEVER CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED." (14) How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? (15) And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF PEACE, WHO BRING GLAD TIDINGS OF GOOD THINGS!" At the beginning of Luke 10 Jesus sends out 70 disciples two by two to preach in every place and city where He was about to go, “The Kingdom of God has come near to you!” These men, called and sent to be preachers by Jesus, return with great joy that even the demons were subject to Jesus’ Name. Jesus tells them, Luk 10:18-20 ..., "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. (19) Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. (20) Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."  
    God the Father’s good and gracious will is to reveal His Son to those whom He chooses - to babes not to the wise. Listen (vs.23-24) Many of us as babes heard the apostolic Word of Jesus recorded by St. Matthew, “I baptize you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Hearing their word we saw the Kingdom of God come into our infant body and soul. We were brought from death to life. Not because we had a feeling, or an experience - but because we heard the living Word of Jesus recorded by the apostles and evangelists of the New Testament.
      Cling to their Word - it is more certain than all the thoughts and feelings of your sinful heart. We live in the time of fulfillment. God’s Promise made to Adam and passed on down to Abraham is fulfilled. Gal 3:16-18 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "AND TO YOUR SEED," who is Christ. (17) And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. (18) For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise. Hear the Apostles - see the Kingdom of God comes! “God's kingdom comes when our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and lead godly lives here in time and there in eternity.”
II. Hear the Law and see your sin! From fallen Adam gathering fig leaves to cover his nakedness - we think we can make things right with God by our own scheming and works. We follow the lie, whispered by the fallen angel the devil - “you can be your own gods - you can choose your own pathway to God the Father - forget listening to His Word - follow your own spiritual feelings.”
       An expert in God’s Law recorded by Moses and carefully passed down through every generation, takes offense of Jesus preaching that we are blessed by hearing and seeing - there has to be something more - something we have to do! (Vs.25-27) The Lawyer is well catechized. He knows the Law of God and summarizes it perfectly. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.  
      The lawyer didn’t want to hear Jesus. He didn’t want the Holy Spirit to bring him into God’s kingdom of grace - he thought he had already earned a spot. Here is why he asks the strange question of what must we do to inherit eternal life?
    St. Paul was also an expert of the Law, schooled and raised a Pharisee. He knew that even a human covenant, once ratified cannot be changed. Inheritance is a free gift that comes to you by birth, not by your doing. It goes into effect when the Testator dies and His promise written in His Word is carried out and delivered to you.
     The lawyer knew of God’s gracious promise to Abraham of the Christ - but he was certain there must be something more for him to do to earn eternal life. This is the false preaching of many American Christian denominations who preach the Law, then the Gospel, then club their members over the head with more law - principles to live to be really good.
    Repent! Listen! (Vs.28-29) Like the lawyer when we hear the Law of God - the Ten Commandments - we want to justify ourselves. Instead of standing before God’s Word chiseled into stone by His own Hand - we want to make it silly putty. Like children pressing silly putty on the comics in the Sunday paper - then distorting the image to fit their own imagination. We want to redefine the law, so that it approves our sin, or narrow its focus so we can foolishly think - it doesn’t apply to me - not in 2026.  
    The Law exposes our sin. The lawyer who wanted to do something to inherit eternal life - now confesses that he doesn’t even know who his neighbor is....The Spirit of Truth testifies, 1Jn 4:19-21 We love Him because He first loved us. (20) If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? (21) And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. Hear God’s Holy Ten Commandments daily - see your sin! Confess the truth - you are a poor miserable beaten up, robbed sinner, left for dead by the false spirituality of the world by the side of the road to die.
III. Hear Jesus and see your only rescuer! (Vs.30) It is dangerous to walk lives roads alone. A certain man leaves Jerusalem to journey down to Jericho. It is a road full of danger for a single traveler. He falls among thieves. They strip him naked, beat him to a pulp, and leave him dying on the road side. Here is our condition from the day of Adam’s rebellion - all of are conceived and born spiritually dead - the walking dead, beset a gang of thieves - the devil, the world, and yes our own sinful flesh. We are dying by the side of the road with no hope of rescue in ourselves.
     Then we hear footsteps! Hope? (Vs.31) A man of God - a priest of the Temple is coming our way. Surely he loves God and will take pity on his fellow flesh and blood human being. He passes by - he had done his time in the Temple - now he wanted to get home - touching a dying and dead man would only make him unclean - he’d have to wash and isolate for a week. No he has no pity, maybe he whispers, “Lord, have mercy” but he shows no mercy.
      Despairing you again hear footsteps - perhaps the traveling partner of the holy priest who wouldn’t dirty his hands to care for you. (Vs.32) This man is a Levite, a worker in the Temple who tended to keeping it clean and repaired. Certainly a man who labored in God’s House would use some of his strength to help a fellow Jew. He stops, gawks, then walks by on the other side of the road - never near enough to hear your weak groaning and agonal breaths.
      All hope seems lost - you will die - the vultures will feast on your rotting corpse. Then you hear a donkey trotting by on the road. (Vs.33) You open your eye to see your sworn enemy - a Samaritan. A man that you openly mocked as a half-bred and not of the true people of Abraham. If any, this man should spit in your face for the hate you continued to show him and his people. But he stops. His heart goes out to his enemy. He will not pass by a fellow hurting man - even an enemy. (Vs. 34) His compassionate mercy acts. He dirties his hands with the blood and grime of your bloody wounds. He uses his own goods to wash your wounds, cleansing with wine, and then healing with oil. Tenderly he bandages all your wounds, covers your nakedness, then lifts you from death and sets you on his own animal bringing you to an inn. He loses a night of sleep caring for your beaten body - making certain that a concussion doesn’t end your life.
    His compassion fails not! (Vs.35) He asks for no reimbursement. Seeing you through the danger. He pays the inn keeper to keep you up to two months. If you incur any more expense it is on his bill alone.
     The Good Samaritan is Christ Jesus! He does all that is needed to rescue us from death now and eternally. He takes our uncleanness into Himself. Though we hated God and Him - He has compassion. He comes to us when we are a bloody dying mess. He applies the healing oil of baptism, washing our sins away with the wine of His living blood. He brings us into the inn of His Holy Christian Church - a local congregation and entrusts our care to the innkeeper - the man called and ordained to be our pastor. He cares for you here until He returns again! Hear and see your rescue and rejoice in the ongoing compassion of your Rescuer.
IV.   Rescued from death by mercy - we live our lives in mercy towards our fellow beaten, bloodied, and dying travelers on the road of life. (Vs.36-37) The lawyer wouldn’t speak the word “Samaritan”, but called him, “He who showed mercy.” This man truly was a neighbor to the dying Jewish man.  Jesus tells him, “Go and do likewise.” Not to inherit eternal life, but because eternally life is mercifully showered upon us sinners through God the Father sending His Son to become our Brother - to bear our burden in His own sinless flesh - rescuing us from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil.
        Forgiven daily and richly by the Holy Spirit within Christ’s Church by the gracious gift of Gospel given and sustained faith - we are freed - freed to serve our fellow sinners - to have mercy on all. Just as the Samaritans had mercy on their estranged relatives in Judah - instead of enslaving them, they clothed, fed, bore their burdens to take them back home.  May we say with St. John the Baptizer - “Christ Jesus’ mercy must increase in my words and actions - I must decrease!” Amen.