Sermon Text

(James 3:16-4:6 ESV) For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in

us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

John 5:5-18

5 Now a certain man wasthere who had an infirmity thirty–eight years.

6 When Jesus saw him lyingthere, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time,He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?"

7 The sick man answeredHim, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirredup; but while I am coming, another steps down before me."

8 Jesus said to him,"Rise, take up your bed and walk."

9 And immediately the manwas made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.

10 The Jews therefore saidto him who was cured, "It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you tocarry your bed."

11 He answered them,"He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’"

12 Then they asked him,"Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?"

13 But the one who washealed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in thatplace.

14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, andsaid to him, "See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worsething come upon you."

15 The man departed andtold the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

16 For this reason the Jewspersecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things onthe Sabbath.

17¶ But Jesus answered them, "MyFather has been working until now, and I have been working."

18 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not onlybroke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equalwith God.

(Luke 10:25-37 ESV) "And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying,"Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" 26 He said to him, "What is written in theLaw? How do you read it?" 27 And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with allyour heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and yourneighbor as yourself." 28 And he said to him, "You have answered correctly; do this, and youwill live." 29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" 30Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers,who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance apriest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 Solikewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he hadcompassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then heset him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the nextday he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him, andwhatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.' 36 Which of these three, doyou think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" 37 He said, "Theone who showed him mercy." And Jesus said to him, "You go, and do likewise.""