SEXAGESIMA - MONDAY

LESSON: 2 TIMOTHY 3:10-17

Give no opportunity to the devil. Ephesians 4:27

Heretics, factionaries, and fanatics understand the Gospel carnally and interpret it in whatever way they wish, according to the liking. All these people hear the Gospel but bring forth no fruit; they are ruled by the devil and are more under the domination of the ordinances of men than they were before they heard the Gospel.

It is really a horrifying statement which Christ makes in the Gospel (Luke 8:4-15) that the devil takes the Word out of their hearts. He thereby testifies that the devil rules mightily over their hearts, despite the fact that they are called Christians and hear the Word.

Likewise, it sounds pitiable that they should be trodden underfoot and be subjected to the doctrines of men, through which also, under the semblance and name of the Gospel, the devil cunningly takes the Word from them so that they never understand it to their salvation but are lost forever.

This is how fanatics operate today in all countries. For where this Word does not remain, there is no salvation; not even great works and holy lives will help them here. When Jesus says that they will not be saved because the Word has been taken from them, He clearly demonstrates that not works, but faith, saves through the Word alone, as Paul also declares (Romans 1:16).

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PRAYER: Grant us true steadfastness and firmness of faith, O Lord, that we both know what we believe and continue therein, walking as closely as possible to the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, in whose name we also ask this. Amen.

THE WEEK OF SEPTUAGESIMA - FRIDAY

LESSON: PSALM 25:1-10

He has put down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of low degree. Luke 1:52

No one is so high, or will ever reach such a height, of whom it is not to be feared that he could become the lowliest. On the other hand, no one has ever fallen so deeply, or will fall so deeply, that he cannot entertain hopes of becoming the highest.

The reason for these paradoxes is that all merits are set aside, and God’s goodness alone is praised. The first will be last, and the last first.

When God declares that “the first will be last,” He takes away all your presumptions and forbids you to exalt yourself, even above a whore, even if you were Abraham, David, Peter, or Paul. But when He says, “The last will be first,” He bids you cast off all despair and not to regard yourself unfavorably even in comparison with the saints, even though you were Pilate, Herod, or Sodom and Gomorrah.

For just as we have no reason at all for presumption, so also have we no reason for despair.

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PRAYER: Heavenly Father, in your Son and His work of salvation, we have all that we need for our faith and life as your children. Keep far from us all presumption and pride, that we always trust in your mercy and grace alone, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE WEEK OF SEPTUAGESIMA - THURSDAY

LESSON: MICAH 6:6-8

A man’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor. Proverbs 29:23

It is very necessary that this Gospel (Matthew 20:1-16) should be preached to those in our time who know that Gospel, like me and others like me, who are teachers of the whole world and become its masters. We are very prone to develop the idea that we are closer to God than others, and that we have devoured God’s Spirit with feathers and legs.

How does it come to pass that so many sects have arisen, the one undertaking this, the other that, in connection with the Gospel? Without a doubt, the reason is that more of these really think that the statement applies to them, “The first will be last,” or, if it does apply to them, they are secure and without fear and regard themselves as “the first.”

Their experience will have to tally with this statement; they must become “the last.” They simply go ahead and set up much disgraceful doctrine and blasphemy against God and the Word.

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PRAYER: Open our eyes, O God, that we always recognize that we are paupers in your sight, absolutely dependent on your grace for all that we need as your children, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

THE WEEK OF SEPTUAGESIMA - WEDNESDAY

LESSON: PSALM 138:1-6

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. 1 Peter 5:5

The Gospel (Matthew 20:1-16) does not simply speak of those who are “first” and “last” in an ordinary sense as, for example, the mighty ones of this world, who are heathen and know nothing of God, are nothing in God’s sight. It speaks of those who have persuaded themselves that they are the “first” or “last” before God.

There it aims very high and hits some very important people; indeed, it is most disturbing for the greatest of the saints.

This is why Jesus told this parable to His apostles. For it can happen that one who is quite poverty-stricken in the eyes of the world, weak and despised, who has even suffered something for God’s sake and gives no appearance at all of amounting to anything, still nurtures secret ideas of self-satisfaction and begins to think that he is the “first” before God when he is actually the “last.”

On the other hand, even if anyone is so despondent and weak that he regards himself as the “last” before God, despite the fact that in the world he enjoys money, honor, and good things, he is the “first.”

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PRAYER: Empty us, O Lord, of all false pride and self-righteousness that, firmly trusting in your grace and mercy, we may always rank as those who are “first” in your sight, in and through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE WEEK OF EPIPHANY V - FRIDAY

LESSON: MATTHEW 18:15-20

If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained. John 20:23

In confession, you have the advantage that the Word is applied to you personally, as is also the case in the Sacrament. In the sermon, the Word is proclaimed to the whole congregation, and although it may have impressed you in various ways, it may not have struck you in its full import. But in confession the Word is directed to you alone; it cannot miss you.

Should you not be very happy to discover a place where God speaks to you individually? If we could actually receive a message directly from an angel, we would all probably be prepared to rush to the very ends of the earth.

Are we not crazy, wretched, and ungrateful for closing our ears to the message that is always so readily available to us? We have the Scriptures which attest that God speaks through us, and that, when God speaks to us through men in the Scriptures, it is just as though God Himself were speaking to us from His own mouth. Christ declares: “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). He has also given us the assurance: “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (John 20:23). It is God Himself who pronounces the absolution, just as it is God who baptizes a child.

Will you claim that you have no need for confession? Even though you receive the assurance of forgiveness in the Sacrament, you should nevertheless still practice confession, because here God is dealing with you personally.

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PRAYER: We thank you, Lord Jesus, for the personal comfort of forgiveness which you have made so readily available to us in the words of absolution, both collectively and individually, for your mercy’s sake. Amen.

THE WEEK OF EPIPHANY V - THURSDAY

LESSON: MATTHEW 18:23-35

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

As stated above, no one should ever be forced to private confession, but for various reasons it is still good and advisable. You should never despise the Word of God, no matter how often you hear it, but be eager at all times to receive and accept it. God has brought it about that His Word has gone forth into all the world, filling all corners, so that wherever you may go you will find God’s Word everywhere. Whenever I proclaim the forgiveness of sins, I am proclaiming the true Gospel. For the sum and substance of the Gospel is that he who believes in Christ will obtain the forgiveness of sins.

Every time a Christian preacher opens his mouth, he is bound to speak a word of absolution. We should always be eager to accept this proclamation with joy wherever and whenever we hear it and thank God from the bottom of our hearts that we can hear this proclamation in so many places.

This is also the important factor in private confession. It is not your act that is the important thing here, but what the pastor proclaims to you in this act; his declaration that our sins have been forgiven, his absolution. It does not matter whether this absolution comes from a pastor in the course of his duties or from any other Christian. The Word which is proclaimed to you here is not man’s word but God’s Word. Here, in the context of absolution, it is just as though God Himself were speaking to you through your pastor or your Christian brother.

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PRAYER: Awake in us such reverence and respect for your saving Word, O God, that we value it wherever and whenever it is offered, especially also in the simple world of absolution heard from a Christian brother, for Christ our Savior’s sake. Amen.

THE WEEK OF EPIPHANY V - WEDNESDAY

LESSON: EPHESIANS 4:25-32

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to a to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

Private or auricular confession has become established in the church without any direct command in the Word of God. In enforcing this upon all members of the Church, the leaders of the Church have at times imposed heavy burdens on the consciences of men and caused much spiritual harm.

No one should be forced or compelled to private confession, and no man should be prevented from confessing his sins privately, if he so desires. If you confess your sins privately because you have been forced into it by threats or routine procedures, this cannot possibly be pleasing to God.

If you cannot practice private confession of your own free will and without compulsion, you are better off without it. If you do this in compliance with regulations or any other human directions, you are not acting correctly. The whole world flocks to this confession during Easter week because it has been commanded under various ecclesiastical penalties. This week would be more correctly called a week of ordeals and torments in which the conscience of men is plagued and tormented, with much spiritual damage and ruin resulting, and in which Christ Himself is plagued and tormented much more disgracefully than when He hung upon the cross.

We should raise our hands in thankfulness to God that He has enlightened us in this connection. For although the fruits of our faith may be limited, and we are still far from perfect, we have nevertheless received a correct understanding of matters. It is much better for us to stay away from confession and the Sacrament than to be forced to take part in them under compulsion and threats.

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PRAYER: O God, our heavenly Father, help us to stand fast at all times in the freedom wherewith Christ has made us free, so that we always act in your presence as free men redeemed by the blood of Christ. Amen.

THE WEEK OF EPIPHANY V - TUESDAY

LESSON: MATTHEW 12:1-8

Confess your sins to one another. James 5:16

As Christians we confess our sins not only to God but also to our neighbor. This is a confession of love as the first is a confession of faith. James writes of this confession to our neighbor when he says, “Confess our sins one to another.” In this confession, you acknowledge the wrongs you have done to your neighbor. Christ has outlined the procedure which we are to follow in His Sermon on the Mount: “If you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to our brother, and then come and offer your gift. Make friends quickly with your accuser, while you are going with him to court” (Matthew 5:23-25).

Christ here gives instructions to both parties. The one who has given offense should ask for forgiveness; that one who has been offended should be ready to forgive. This confession is necessary and commanded like confession to God. God will not bestow His grace on anyone and forgive him his sins if he is not prepared to forgive his neighbor. Our faith is not right if it does not produce this fruit, namely, forgiving the neighbor and requesting his forgiveness. Otherwise, we must not come before God. If this is not a fruit of your faith, your faith, as well as your confession to God, is not in order.

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PRAYER: Bestow your grace upon us in such measure, O God, that we are duly humbled and readily confess our sins to our neighbor, forgiving him his sins against us, in and through our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

THE WEEK OF EPIPHANY V - MONDAY

LESSON: PSALM 145:13-21

Let both grow together until the harvest. Matthew 13:30

The Gospel (of the weeds among the wheat) shows us what action we should take against heretics and false teachers. It is not always possible to eradicate them and destroy them. Christ expressly declares that we must allow the weeds and the wheat to grow together.

We must base our whole action here on the Word of God alone. In this connection it is possible that the one who is in error today may be right tomorrow. Who knows when God’s Word will touch a man’s heart? If he is burnt or otherwise dispatched, it becomes quite impossible for him to be corrected; he is removed from all influence of the Word of God, and a man is lost who might otherwise have been saved.

This is the reason why the Lord says that precautions should be taken, so that when the weeds are gathered the wheat should not be rooted out with them. This would, indeed, be a horrible thing for which we could not answer before God.

What foolish people we were for so long for believing that we could force the Turks to believe with the sword, the heretics with the fire, and the Jews with death, trying to root out the weeds with our own strength and power! We acted just as if we were empowered to control men’s hearts and spirits and make them godly and orthodox when God’s Word alone can do this.

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PRAYER: Grant us both knowledge and grace, O Lord, that we may never presume to interpose ourselves in any context where your Word alone should be the one and only factor that can help our fellowmen and your kingdom, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

THE WEEK OF EPIPHANY V - SUNDAY

LESSON: MATTHEW 13:24-30

The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. Matthew 13:24,25

This Gospel teaches us how the kingdom of God, or Christianity, fares in this world, especially with respect to its doctrine. It must never be our hope and expectation that there will be nothing but orthodox Christians and the pure doctrine of God’s Word on this earth.

There must also be false Christians and heretics so that the genuine Christians may be proved, as Paul reminds us when he says to the Corinthians, “There must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized” (1 Corinthians 11:19).

This parable does not speak of the false Christians who are failures as Christians only outwardly in their lives. He is speaking of those who are false to Christianity in their doctrine and faith, who go under the name of Christians, who make a fine show in playing the hypocrite and are really injurious. It is a question of conscience, not just of outward action. The servants who can recognize the weeds among the wheat must be enlightened by the Holy Spirit.

The whole point here is that we should not be surprised or dismayed if false doctrine and wrong faith of various kinds make their appearance in our midst. The devil is always present in some way or other among the sons of God (Job 1:6).

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PRAYER: Sanctify our hearts and lives in such a way, O Lord, that we may not harm your kingdom in any way by hypocrisy, but in all things prove ourselves good seed, for Christ the Savior’s sake. Amen.