May 22, 2026

Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost - Psalm 68:1, 4a, c, 11a, 33b, 35a; antiphon: Liturgical Text; Psalm 68:3

Daily Lectionary: Numbers 20:1-21; Luke 20:19-44

“God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered; and those who hate him shall flee before him!” (Psalm 68:1)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Have you ever done one of those eating challenges? “Finish this 144oz steak in 5 minutes and your whole bill is free!” If you can eat this 44lb burrito in 15 minutes, we’ll put a small Polaroid of you on the wall with your name in Sharpie underneath!” At first, it’s delicious. After a few bites, the deliciousness wears off. Suddenly, what might have once been your favorite food now evokes revulsion at every bite.

Who can endure 50 days of Alleluias? We gave up our Alleluias, the joyful “Praise the Lord” for 40 days of Lent (plus three extra weeks if your congregation observed Pre-Lent!). And it was nice when it came back at Easter. But sometimes the joy feels a little forced. What once felt like pure joy in the octave of Easter now sometimes feels forced.

But now we’re on the cusp of a transition. We’ve had 48 days of Alleluias, and we’re just 2 days before the Church Year returns to normal, but still the Psalm with its Easter Alleluias beckons us, “The righteous shall be glad. They shall exult before God; they shall be jubilant with joy! Alleluia.”

That’s not an imperative, not a command. It doesn’t compel our rejoicing or force us to put on an Alleluia face. Sometimes in this Christian life, our alleluias feel more scripted than spontaneous. And that’s ok.

Even the Psalmist acknowledges that not everything goes according to the Divine ideal. “Shall” implies a “not yet”. “Shall be glad.” “Shall exult before God.” “Shall be jubilant with joy.” And then in the middle of the psalm, “God shall arise.” “His enemies shall be scattered.” “And those who hate him shall flee before him!” But those aren’t fully realized yet. 

Sometimes we have to wait for the fulfillment of the “shall.” But in the Church, shall is certain. The future is guaranteed. God made a promise to you in Baptism that he cannot and will not break. You have been joined to Christ’s death and resurrection. All your enemies–sin, death, and Satan–have been scattered. Their future is also certain. They will flee before the Lord on the Day of His return. 

You, the righteous, shall be eternally glad. And on that day, no one will need to script the Alleluias.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Scatter the darkness, break the gloom; Sun, reveal an empty tomb Shining with joy for all our sorrows, Hope and peace for all tomorrows, Life uneclipsed by doubt and dread: Christ has risen from the dead! (LSB 481:1)

Rev. Jeffrey Hemmer, pastor of Bethany Evangelical Lutheran Church in Fairview Heights, IL and Signal Hill Lutheran Church in Belleville, IL