Reflections

Today's Reading: Introit for Trinity 6 (Psalm 28:1-2, 7; antiphon: v. 8-9)

Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 1:21-2:17; Galatians 6:1-18

The LORD is my strength and my shield. (From the Introit for the Sixth Sunday after Trinity)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Lord is everything. He is the strength of His people. He is our strength. He is our shield. The Lord is the source of our life and our defense against all that would harm us. David prays these things through Psalm 28 after having come close to death himself. It was not a rare thing for him to be near death! People were trying to kill David for much of his life. He knew that to be near death was to rely on nothing but the Lord's grace and mercy.

There are times when we feel like we can't keep going. It is precisely in these times that we stop and pray that the Lord would listen. He has promised to hear the prayers of His people. We see the Lord's strength in our weakness. The ability to be brought low is a great skill which we learn throughout our lives (Philippians 4:12). We are filled with Christ when we are emptied. He called you as His living child in Holy Baptism, and continues to fill you with life through His Word. He is your everything, and sometimes, you realize this!

There is nothing shameful about being brought low. You do not need to be embarrassed of being empty. Rather, we rejoice in our own weakness, and celebrate the strength of Christ, who was emptied on the Cross, and raised from the dead by the glory of the Father so that we would walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4).

We have nothing to be frightened of if He is our strength and our shield. Nothing can harm Him, and so nothing can harm us, who are protected and enlivened by Christ. Do you sometimes feel that you can't even begin to stand and walk? That's okay. He is our shepherd and carries us forever! In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Lord, support us all day long, guide and strengthen. Evening comes, the world is hushed, Shadows lengthen, Work is done, life's fevered pace now has ended; Christ, to You, our final rest is commended.

Be our light in darkness, Lord, our defender; In Your presence perils all must surrender. Drive all dark satanic snares from each dwelling; Then, at peace, our hearts Your praise will be telling. ("Lord, Support Us All Day Long" LSB 884, st.1-2)

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor René Castillero

Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 1:1-20; Galatians 5:1-26

Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. (Luke 24:45)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The opening chapter of Samuel belongs in a category all its own. It is nearly comedic. Hannah, who has not been able to bear children, is surrounded by men who can't understand her. She has rivals who irritate her because of her sad circumstances. She deals with these people year after year. Her husband doesn't understand her. Her priest doesn't understand her. The people who are supposed to be her friends do not understand her.

The story would be cruel if the author did not know the ending. But he does, for Samuel himself seems to be the author of the first 25 chapters of this book. He is telling the story of his own birth, before which his mother was surrounded by fools who failed to understand her. She piously desired children, but no one offered any sympathy. This is the stuff of comedy, for it all ends well. Otherwise, it would just be another sad story.

I have a hunch that most of us think that the Bible is sad and boring because we've somehow been told that the Bible is sad and boring. But it's exactly the opposite. Not only is it fascinating, it is life-giving. It will restore and refresh your soul, for it is the very living Word of God. If we have eyes to see, and ears to hear, these stories are full of life, and even laughter. The Lord is known to laugh from time to time! (Psalm 2)

How many people see Jesus as a dour bringer of punishment rather than the giver of life? See, He has set us free! He does not desire your eternal misery, but perpetual joy and life! We should not be surprised when the Holy Scriptures, the very Word of God which testify to Christ (Luke 24:27) turn out to inspire joy within us.

Hannah was given a child by the Lord, even in the midst of those who did not understand. How often are we surrounded by people who don't understand us? Do not lose hope! The Lord controls all things. Feel free to laugh! In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Almighty God, grant us a steadfast faith in Jesus Christ, a cheerful hope in Your mercy, and a sincere love for You and one another; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen!

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor René Castillero

Daily Lectionary: Judges 16:4-30; Galatians 4:12-31

Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. (Ruth 1:16)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The book of Ruth sits in between Judges and 1 Samuel as a wonderful little story about life during the time of the judges. Before Israel had a king, they had judges, people who were sent by the Lord every so often to restore them to faithfulness. The book of Judges has a poetic refrain: "Everyone did what was right in his own eyes." The Lord had taken the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt and brought them into the Promised Land. Yet they continually turned away from the Lord and towards the idols of the people in the surrounding countries.

Who belongs to the Lord? Does it matter where you were born or who your parents are? What if you were born to a family who knows nothing of Jesus? The book of Ruth gives us these answers. The Lord brings His people to His truth, regardless of who they are. The people of Israel had a sort of dangerous security because of their bloodline. They thought that they were safe because they were children of Abraham! Children of Abraham who worship idols no longer follow the God of Abraham who led them out of slavery.

Ruth, however, was from Moab. She was born an enemy of God, as we all are. Yet, the Lord brought her to Himself through a rather unpredictable path of famine, death, and marriage. She was adopted into God's family, the Church. So it goes for all of us! The Lord calls to all people, regardless of their lineage or nationality. Baptized into Christ, we who were foreigners and aliens are brought in and given a new home with the Lord's people in the Church.

Ruth's story is given to us at the perfect place in the Bible. The end of Judges is bleak, and one might think that there is no hope for anyone. Yet Ruth shows us that the Lord gathers His Church, from unexpected places with unexpected people! In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Heavenly Father, Your children come from the four corners of the earth, and from every nation under heaven. As you have adopted us into Your family, we pray that You would continue to draw us together from all peoples. We give thanks for Your daughter, Ruth, in whom Your mercy and love has been shown; in the Name of Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor René Castillero

Today's Reading: Small Catechism: Lord's Prayer, Conclusion

Daily Lectionary: Judges 15:1-16:3; Galatians 3:23-4:11

He Himself has commanded us to pray in this way and has promised to hear us. (Small Catechism: The Lord's Prayer, Conclusion)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Prayer can be a strange thing. I don't know many Christians who are satisfied with their prayer lives. Either they pray and don't hear anything back, or they have trouble praying at all. It can be very difficult to pray if you're not sure that God will listen to you. So, we are tempted to neglect prayer. Why bother?

We bother with prayer because Jesus has promised to hear us! He has even told us what to pray! Prayer from the heart, with words that you've come up with are good, but sometimes, we do not know what words to pray. The disciples also struggled with prayer. They noticed that Jesus was very good at it, so they asked Him to teach them (Luke 11:1). He responded by teaching them what we now know as the Lord's Prayer.

The Lord's Prayer shapes every other prayer, and grows in meaning each time it is spoken. Jesus has given us things to pray for that we would never have come up with on our own. Daily bread? Forgiveness? That God's Name would be holy? My prayers usually fall apart and far too short of what the Lord can provide! I am so grateful that Jesus has given us this prayer, and promised to hear us. We pray the Lord's Prayer, and all prayers, with confidence that the Lord will hear, for He Himself has said so.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor who was executed by the Nazis in 1945, prayed before his death. One of the guards reported that "He prayed as if someone was listening." It is true! The Lord listens! In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Amen, that is, so shall it be. Make strong our faith in You, that we May not doubt not but with trust believe That what we ask we shall receive. Thus in Your name and at Your Word We say, "Amen, O hear us, Lord!" ("Our Father, Who from Heaven Above" LSB 766, st.9)

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor René Castillero

Today's Reading: 1 Peter 3:8-15

Daily Lectionary: Judges 14:1-20; Galatians 3:1-22

Always [be] prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. (1 Peter 3:15)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Christians can be weird. We've always been like this. From the very beginning, people noticed that we are different.

Tertullian, a Christian living in the second and third centuries, wrote to the Roman authorities, defending Christians. He says that people used to insult Christians, saying, "See how they love one another."

We gathered money for the weak and poor. We adopted children who had been abandoned. We opened hospitals to care for the sick. We weren't looking for personal wealth or great fame. People noticed that Christians looked out for the weakest people, and cared little about their own comfort.

Many of the earliest Christian writers after the New Testament era sent letters to suspicious governmental authorities. People like Justin Martyr and Augustine of Hippo engaged in this work, defending the faith to those who had asked for a reason for our hope. They noticed that we were different. We were hopeful in a world of fear.

What is the reason for our hope? Simply put, our hope is in Jesus. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was crucified, buried, and is now risen from the grave, has ascended and sits at the right hand of the Father. This is our hope. Now that Jesus Christ has conquered death, there is nothing to fear. What is stopping us from loving one another? Nothing. Death, our only real problem, has been overthrown.

Embrace the weirdness of not being afraid of death for the sake of Christ. Love one another as if there were no reason not to! We have nothing now but love. Defend it! In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Almighty Father, You have raised Your Son Jesus Christ from the dead, and united us to His resurrection in Holy Baptism. Therefore, we pray that You would take from us the fear of death in such a measure that we would be filled with nothing but faith towards You and love for our neighbor. Give us willing and noble hearts, always ready to make a defense for the hope that You have given to us, through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor René Castillero

Today's Reading: 1 Kings 19:11-21

Daily Lectionary: Judges 13:1-25; Galatians 2:1-21

After the earthquake, a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. (1 Kings 19:12)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. How often do we look or wait for some obvious and huge sign from God? Wouldn't it be easier if we just had some loud and significant indication that the Lord was real? You've heard people say things like, "I just need a sign, and then I'll believe!"

The Lord did many great works through the prophet Elijah. Elijah had witnessed amazing thing after amazing thing: miracles, endless supplies of oil and flour, resurrection, even fire called down from heaven consuming massive piles of sacrificial animals! He saw it all! Yet he runs and is afraid for his life. The Lord had shown Elijah great wonders demonstrating His power and might, but he was afraid of mere humans who wanted his death. How is it possible that someone who had seen these great signs would still flee and cower in fear?

We humans are so weak in faith! We only believe what we can see, and even then still find ourselves in fear and doubt. Elijah had substantial proof that he served the one, true God, but even then, he wasn't quite certain of God's power to save and protect. The Lord knows that you won't believe the big things.

The Lord instead speaks to you in little ways that are quite unimpressive to the world. Paul speaks of this as the foolishness of God, which is wiser than men (1 Corinthians 1:25). He has spoken to you in Holy Baptism, in Holy Absolution, and in the Holy Eucharist. The Lord has given you His sure and certain Word. These are all things which the world can easily disregard, but to you, they are the power and voice of the Lord Himself. Even while we are hidden away, the Lord continues to come to us and speak. Do not fear! In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Lord Jesus Christ, You commanded the wind and the waves, and they obeyed You. Speak peace to us, who are troubled by fear. By the power of Your Word, calm our anxious and doubting hearts and the raging storms of our spirits; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor René Castillero

Today's Reading: Luke 5:1-11

Daily Lectionary: Judges 7:1-23; Galatians 1:1-24

We toiled all night and took nothing. (Luke 5:5)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Fishing techniques have changed little over the centuries. Peter, James, and John worked all night long and had nothing to show for it. Anyone who has fished knows exactly what that means! Your hard work does not necessarily correspond with any sort of result. The hardest physical work I've ever done was on a fishing boat. Whether I worked hard or took a nap mattered little to the fish in the sea. They either swam into the net or didn't. My work had little to do with that. They were either there or they weren't.

This is exactly how it goes in the Kingdom of God. Have you toiled all night, all day, or for your whole life, and feel like you've got nothing to show for it? Your friends and family see your work, and still don't care about Jesus? Worse yet, do you feel that perhaps you aren't as solid in your faith as you'd like to be? Are you worried about yourself and those around you, and where they stand with the Lord?

Stop worrying. The rules don't change. The disciples toiled all night long, yet took nothing. Their nets were empty with their own work, even though they'd exerted a titanic amount of force and skill in their craft. "What does man gain by all his toil under the sun?" (Ecclesiastes 1:3) Sometimes we gain nothing by our own work, and that is just fine.

Jesus appears, commands the fish to swim into the net, and so they go! We are all lost if salvation and faith are up to us, and our work. We'll never find enough, and we'll never be able to convince anyone else, either. What fish willingly swims into a net? Salvation and faith are gifts of Christ! As He swam the fish into the net, so He gives these gifts of life and salvation to you. Rejoice in the giving of the gifts! You've been swept up into the net of Christ's Church, and His work continues even today. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O God, You have prepared for those who love You good things that surpass all understanding. Pour into our hearts such love towards You that we, loving You above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Collect for the Fifth Sunday after Trinity)

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor René Castillero

Today's Reading: Introit for Fifth Sunday after Trinity (Psalm 27:1a, 11-12, 14; antiphon: v. 7, 9b)

Daily Lectionary: Judges 6:25-40; Acts 15:6-21

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! (From the Introit for the Fifth Sunday after Trinity)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. This Introit encourages us to wait for the Lord. When the wicked are causing mischief, don't punish them yourself. Wait for the Lord. When you see sickness and suffering, and when you feel death looming near, don't despair. Wait for the Lord. Whatever the problem is, wait for the Lord.

Waiting can be difficult. The wait is not fun. One of the reasons we struggle with waiting is that we lack faith. When the Introit tells us to wait on the Lord, it is inviting us to trust God, to believe that He will show up and help us. But that's just the problem. I find myself doubting God's promises – I doubt that He will answer my prayers, that He will provide for me, and that He will rescue me.

Jesus had to wait for His Father. He had to endure the scorn of men, the pain of the Cross, and even death itself. He suffered much, but He never despaired. With His last breath He put His life into His Father's hands. His waiting was not in vain, for the Father raised Jesus from the dead and vindicated Him.

Jesus gives you His Body and Blood in the Sacrament as a reminder that God will do the same for you. This Sacrament will give you the strength to wait and to endure. It is God's promise that, even if you must bear a most awful cross, God will rescue you in His own time and in His own way.

This Body of God's Son was crucified and this Blood was shed. Likewise, all of God's children might bear an awful cross. However, just as the Body of Christ which you ingest was raised and glorified, so, too, your body will be raised and glorified. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Be patient and await His leisure In cheerful hope, with heart content To take whate'er thy Father's pleasure And His discerning love hath sent, Nor doubt our inmost wants are known To Him who chose us for His own. ("If Thou But Trust in God to Guide Thee" LSB 750, st. 3)

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor René Castillero

Daily Lectionary: Judges 6:1-24; Acts 14:19-15:4

And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. (Acts 14:23)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Many today think that having a pastor is optional. Some even think that it isn't even a very good option. I mean, I can pray and read my Bible without someone fresh out of seminary poking his nose into my business, and those pastors are such a strain on the budget anyway.

The apostles didn't think pastors were optional or that they were a burden. After Paul and his fellow missionaries established a congregation, they appointed elders or presbyters. That's what they called pastors back then, and this wasn't just an idea the apostles came up with. According to Paul, Jesus gave pastors to His Church (Ephesians 4:11). Jesus trained the very first pastors – the Twelve.

Your pastor is a gift. Yes, you have a Bible, but your pastor can help you interpret it. He can warn you about false and dangerous interpretations of the Bible. More importantly, he can apply it to you. He can preach Law and Gospel.

Let's talk about that Gospel. Jesus died for the sins of the world, but not everyone will be saved. How do you receive forgiveness? Well, your Lord gave you a pastor to make sure that you get that forgiveness. Your pastor is there to immerse you in forgiveness at the baptismal font, to speak that Absolution into your ears, and to place Christ's Body and Blood, which communicates God's "not guilty" for you, right into your mouth.

Yes, your pastor is a gift. Cherish him. Show him kindness, pray for him, and make sure he is well paid. Cherish your pastor, so that he is always there to proclaim the Gospel. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Send, O Lord, Your Holy Spirit On Your servant now, we pray; Let him prove a faithful shepherd That no lamb be led astray. Your pure teaching to proclaim, To extol Your holy name, And to feed Your lambs, dear Savior, Make his aim and sole endeavor. ("Send, O Lord, Your Holy Spirit" LSB 681, st. 1)

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor René Castillero

Daily Lectionary: Judges 4:1-24; Acts 14:1-18

Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness. (Acts 14:17)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Bible tells us that God reveals Himself to all humans through nature. For example, God testifies to His existence and power through the existence of the universe and the complexity of all things. God testifies to His goodness by giving people rain and good harvests.

This natural revelation is good, but sinful hearts are not. Natural revelation makes us inclined to acknowledge something transcendent and to worship. What do sinners do with such revelation? They worship idols.

God testifies to His goodness through His temporal gifts, but Adam's sin brought sickness, natural disasters, and death into the world. Sinful hearts are always skeptical about God. Sinners conclude that God is good to some people, but cruel to others. You'd better get on God's good side. Natural revelation doesn't only produce idolatry, but works-righteousness as well.

Paul freely appealed to God's revelation in nature, but his main message was the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Only God's self-disclosure in His incarnate Son can produce true fear of God and trust in His grace.

In the crucified Christ we see the Father's face and come to know Him. All who honor the Son honor the Father. At the Cross we come to know the height, depth, and breadth of God's love. Since we know that our Lord laid down His life for us that we might live, we can give up all attempts to get on God's good side.

When you talk to your unbelieving friends, feel free to appeal to God's revelation in nature. That can be helpful. However, don't forget to share the Good News about Jesus. Only the Gospel can reconcile sinners to God. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation! O my soul, praise Him, for He is your health and salvation! Let all who hear Now to His temple draw near, Joining in glad adoration! ("Praise to the Lord, the Almighty" LSB 790, st. 1)

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor René Castillero