Catechesis Notes for the Week — Faith in the Grace of God in Christ (This week’s Bible Stories from the Gospel of Luke). Monday celebrates St. James, the Elder, who was the brother of John. James was the first of the Apostles to be martyred for his confession of faith in Christ. By the sufficiency of God’s grace, he remained steadfast and faithful unto death.  The narrative from Luke resumes on Tuesday. In the Parable of the Unjust Steward “the Lord Jesus is compared to an unethical man who alters the accounts of his master’s creditors, so that their debt is reduced, and he is received by them into their home when the master casts him out.  In the Lord’s atonement for sin, He took the debt that we were responsible for paying and canceled it, so that we might receive Him for our eternal good.  The axiom is true: it is beneficial to show mercy.  This parable teaches that the unbeliever is often quicker than the believer to understand the potential benefits of showing mercy to others with one’s material goods.  Jesus commends this understanding.” The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus raises the questions: “Who is your god? What do you worship? Is God’s judgment at death final?  How does God warn me of the judgment of hell?  What brings me to repentance and true faith? … Each received what he believed in: the rich man received the comforts of this life and of his own achievements, which did not last, and the beggar received the comfort of God’s salvation through the faith of Abraham, which endures to eternal life…”  In Faith as a Mustard Seed, Jesus warns of the offense of works righteousness which destroys faith and extols the gift of saving faith in the Gospel of God’s forgiveness.  In the Ten Lepers Are Cleansed “Jesus shows that His grace and salvation is intended for all sinners, even those who would not return to Him in faith, and that fellowship with God is restored to us sinners only through the cleansing afforded us by Him who has fulfilled the Law’s requirements on our behalf.”  (Excerpts from New Testament Catechesis in the Lutheran Catechesis Series).CP220724