Preparing for Worship - February 1, 2026

The Scripture readings for this Sunday follow the One Year Series, which some of our local churches and others are now following. This differs from the Three Year Series, where the Epiphany season continues for three more weeks. The One Year Series has three weeks of Pre-Lenten services, leading up to Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent on February 18th. The first of these, on Feb. 1st, is called Septuagesima Sunday, from the Latin word for “seven,” and marks the Third Sunday before Lent. One commentator, Fred Lindemann (CPH, 1958, p. 20), says that this week involves the “call” to get ready for the serious, penitential season of Lent.

The Old Testament lesson is Exodus 17:1-7. God’s Old Testament people were not ready for the challenges of traveling through the wilderness from Egypt to the promised land. God had just provided the gift of manna, daily bread from Him for them, but then they came to a place where there was no water. They quarreled with Moses and accused him and God of bringing them into the wilderness to die of thirst. Moses pleaded with God for help, and the Lord had Moses and some of the elders of Israel go to a rock. The Lord would be at the rock, and Moses was to strike the rock with the staff he had used to turn the water of the Nile River into blood (Exodus 7:14-25). From the rock flowed abundant water for all the people. This was a “call” from the Lord to trust Him, even in difficult circumstances in the wilderness wanderings. Moses called this place “Massah” (testing) and “Meribah” (quarreling), because the people were asking whether the Lord was among them. This is a call for us to trust the Lord, too, even in difficult times. He will be there and provide, as He knows best.

The Psalm is Psalm 95. It is a “call” to come and sing to the Lord and praise Him as the Rock of our salvation, with thanksgiving and joy. He is the one true God, the Creator, the Maker of all things, their Good Shepherd, in contrast with other “gods,” which are only “worthless idols” (Psalm 96:5). Parts of this psalm are used in the Matins and Morning Service in our current hymnal, in the song called the Venite (Oh Come). This psalm then ends with a warning not to harden hearts against the Lord and His voice and Words, as the people did in our Old Testament lesson (Exodus 17:1-7 and again in Numbers 20:1-3 and warned about in Deuteronomy 6:16): “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested Him at Massah.” There was the danger of going astray from the Lord and losing out on the “rest” in the Promised Land and the eternal rest and peace in heaven. (See a longer discussion of this in Hebrews 3:7-4:10.

The Epistle lesson is from 1 Corinthians 9:24-10:6. Paul uses the image of athletes in training for a race. Olympic athletes and others competing in sports know the importance of “disciplined” and not “aimless” training. As Christians, we need that “self-control” in our lives, too, for our goal is the “imperishable” crown of eternal life with our Lord in Heaven. Paul uses the story of God’s Old Testament people in the wilderness that we have been hearing about in these readings. They had so many blessings from the Lord. They went through the waters of the Red Sea (a pre-figuring of baptism), and they had spiritual food and drink from the Lord. The pre-incarnate Christ, God the Son, was with them, as their spiritual rock. Yet, as Paul says, many of them rebelled against God and desired evil and were “disqualified” and “overthrown in the wilderness.” They are examples for us, so that we stay with Christ as the Rock of our Salvation, by God’s power and grace. The Lenten season coming up is a great time for us to be strengthened and encouraged in our own faith through Christ and His gifts for us, in His Word and Sacraments. (This is not to say that we can save ourselves by our own efforts. See other Scriptures that describe our Lord as “the Rock of our salvation”: Psalm 18:1-2, Psalm 19:14, etc. Jesus is our Good Shepherd as we listen to His voice. He leads and guides us. See Jesus in John 10:1-11. See the promises of “the crown of eternal life” that the Lord promises to those who continue in Christ: 2 Timothy 4:8, James 1:12, 1 Peter 5:4, Revelation 2:10, 3:11, 4:10-11, etc.)

Above all, listen to our Gospel lesson for today, Matthew 20:1-16. Jesus tells the parable of the workers in the vineyard. People are called and hired by the master to go and work in his vineyard at various times of the day. Some work all day, and others only for a short time, at the end of the day. Yet all receive the same wage - the gift of eternal life. They are only in trouble if they think they have earned this gift by doing something more or better, or deserve something more than others, by their efforts, focusing on themselves and what they have done, in comparison with others. instead of simply trusting God’s grace, in calling them to faith and keeping them in that grace and faith. Just before this parable of Jesus, the disciples are surprised by what Jesus has been saying and teaching about rich people, who seem so blessed in this life but may not be in the Kingdom of God. They asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and then said, “With man this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible.”

By the grace of God, anyone could be brought to faith in Christ Jesus - but not by their own power and efforts and work. Paul writes about himself: “Of this Gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of His power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:7-8). Jesus said, on another occasion, “People will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the Kingdom of God. And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last” (Luke 13:28-30). Jesus used almost the same words before and after our Gospel lesson for today (Matthew 19:30 and 20:16). We trust not in ourselves or in what we have done and accomplished, but in Christ alone and His saving work for us: His life, death, and resurrection. And we should not “begrudge His generosity” for others or for us. Stay close to Christ in faith through His Word. As John wrote (2 John 9), “Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teachings of Christ does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.” The coming weeks and the Lenten season will help you with all of that and keep the faith.