Reflections

Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 2:1-3:11; Romans 1:18-32

 

…call upon it in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks. (The Small Catechism: Second Commandment)

 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The more powerful a thing is, the more rules there are about it. There aren’t actually a lot of laws about feathers. Guns, though, have many.  It isn’t because they are evil. Guns and feathers are just things. But one is powerful. When a gun is used for good, great good can come. When a gun is used for evil, tragedy follows.

Now see the gift God gives you in His Name. It’s yours to use. It’s so powerful that it needs a Law. When His Name is used for good, great blessings come. When it’s used for evil, great pain results. Did you catch that? God doesn’t give us the Second Commandment so we know what not to say when we stub our toe.  Misusing God’s Name causes pain. The Second Commandment is about more than typing “omg” or saying the word “damn” when you get hurt. The Second Commandment is about a God who gives you a gift for when you’re in trouble.

Pray, praise, and give thanks. Remember who your God is. Remember the truth about Him. Find comfort in Him. Hope. To break the Second Commandment in the most fundamental way is to lie about who God is. More pain comes from false doctrine than from saying “damn” when your toe is already hurting. How you use God’s Name matters, because it’s so powerful that it can comfort sinners with the promise of the Gospel, and can cause great pain when the desperate and penitent find only a vengeful god. Remember who your God is. Use His Name in accordance with His character. Tell the truth about Him. Great comfort is found in this truth. It’s the way. It’s the life. It’s Jesus, and we are given the Name of Jesus as a gift. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. –Rev. Harrison Goodman

 

Your name be hallowed. Help us, Lord, In purity to keep Your Word, That to the glory of Your name We walk before You free from blame. Let no false teaching us pervert; All poor deluded souls convert. (Our Father, Who from Heaven Above, LSB 766:2)

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 60:1-6

Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 1:1-14, 22-28; Romans 1:1-17

 

For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. (Isaiah 60:2)

 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The nations agree: It’s dark down here. Everyone thinks they can fix it. The real reason we cloak our politics in religion isn’t just for votes. It’s because we think we can fulfill the prophecies. We think we can be what the Scriptures promise: the ultimate hope for a better world.

Nobody ever brought you gold, frankincense, and myrrh. That was reserved for the true source of hope and the light of the world: Jesus.

It’s dark down here, but hope isn’t found in changing that fact. It’s found in the light that shines in darkness, so that darkness could not overcome it. The grave could not overcome it. That light is Jesus. The whole of the Bible points to Him. Lift up your eyes and see. We don’t need to create a utopia in order for Christ to conquer death on the cross and rise from the dead. All the nations gather because whether the kingdom is growing or crumbling, God wants to be present to save in a way that kingdoms never could. The wonderful part is that in Christ, they never had to do the saving. The Christ Child was born. He is the Savior of the nations, come in the flesh. The glory of the Lord has come to earth. There is hope that rests on Him, given not just to the nation that figures out the right system, but to all. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

–Rev. Harrison Goodman

 

Come, heav’nly Bridegroom, Light divine, And deep within our hearts now shine; There light a flame undying! In Your one body let us be As living branches of a tree, Your life our lives supplying. Now, though daily Earth’s deep sadness May perplex us And distress us, Yet with heav’nly joy You bless us. (O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright, LSB 395:2)

Today’s Reading: Matthew 2:1-12

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 66:1-20; Luke 3:21-38

 

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. (Matthew 2:3)

 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Being on the defensive all the time is exhausting. It feels like our Christian faith is always on trial. Explain the unexplainable. Find a loving God in the midst of an evil world. Love sinners while calling sin what it is. Answer, while you endure being called small-minded, backward bigots who would rather cling to a myth than face reality, and who use an imaginary God as an excuse for all of it.

It leaves us looking for a Herod long before we’re willing to look for a Jesus. It sounds terrible, but it’s what the Theology of Glory suggests. If someone has to bleed, we’d rather it not be us. If someone threatens to make us less, we’d rather fight back. We have too much to lose. It shifts our focus from God to the temporal.

It was this same sentiment that led to Herod’s slaughter of the innocents. Herod would pay anything to keep health, wealth, and luxury. I get why he’d want those things. I want them, too. I want to fight back. Find a God who protects me by smiting the evil idolaters, and lets me have everything I make an idol out of. I understand Herod better than I want to. He was afraid. It drove him even deeper into sin and unbelief. This is the damage of idolatry. Herod wasn’t content to seek his daily bread apart from God. He would try to replace God or kill Him.

When God took on flesh to join a hostile world, however, it was to be Herod’s opposite. Jesus did not fight back. He gave Himself over to sinners. The magi worshipped their God by giving Him burial spices to go with the gold and incense that was due His divinity. The Lord has revealed what kind of God He is. He is the suffering servant. He is the crucified Jesus. He bled and died so that you would live, because God agrees with Herod and with us: Someone has to bleed for all this sin, and He, too, would rather it not be us. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. –Rev. Harrison Goodman

 

Almighty Father, in Your Son You loved us when not yet begun Was this old earth’s foundation! Your Son has ransomed us in love To live in Him here and above: This is Your great salvation. Alleluia! Christ the living, To us giving Life forever, Keeps us Yours and fails us never! (O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright, LSB 395:4)

Today’s Reading: John 12:20-33

Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 33:1-25; Colossians 1:24-2:7

Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.” (John 12:24)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Son of God came to die. Never forget that. Jesus did lots of amazing things, such as healing the blind and deaf and sick, walking on water, feeding thousands with just a little food, raising the dead, and so on. But the thing He came to do most was to give His life on the cross for sinners.

As He approached the day of His suffering and death, some people came along who wanted to meet Him. But He told His disciples that His job was not to preach and teach to everybody. He did do that, but not at this time. Now it was no longer time for people to meet and greet Jesus. Now it was time for Him to go and suffer and take away the sins of the world by His death.

So what about those Greeks who wanted to meet Jesus? Were they out of luck? Too bad they didn’t come earlier or come with a backstage pass! No, they would meet Jesus, but now it would be in His Church, where His saving death and death-conquering resurrection were preached as the basis for repentance and the forgiveness of sins.

Jesus came to accomplish our salvation and He did that. But He did not come to deliver it. That work is done by Jesus along with His preachers in His Church to the ends of the earth. Jesus died for you. But because you haven’t seen Him with your eyes it doesn’t mean that it’s not for you! On the contrary, that salvation is entirely yours by the waters of Holy Baptism, the preaching of the Word and the Supper of His Body and Blood.

The cross is the center of our faith, not in itself, but because what happened upon it is our salvation. Its fruits flow forth, in the blood and water from Jesus’ side, to the font and cup which save you. And that death of Jesus, on a cross, means that much grain grows up. He dies on the cross and now you have life! In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Ev’ry wound that pains or grieves me By Your wounds, Lord is made whole; When I’m faint, Your cross revives me, Granting new life to my soul. Yes, Your comfort renders sweet Ev’ry bitter cup I meet; For Your all atoning passion Has procured my soul’s salvation. (Jesus, Grant That Balm and Healing, LSB 421:4)

Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 32:1-22; Colossians 1:1-23

Then Hezekiah the king and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed because of this and cried to heaven. And the Lord sent an angel, who cut off all the mighty warriors and commanders and officers in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he came into the house of his god, some of his own sons struck him down there with the sword. So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all his enemies, and he provided for them on every side. (2 Chronicles 32:20-22)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. We are all the more blessed on earth and in heaven when we are weak and suffer for God’s sake. In fact, we are to consider weakness and suffering as reason to praise and thank God. It’s the highest blessing to suffer in weakness for God’s sake. As Christ Himself says in Matthew 5:11-12, “Blessed are you when men will insult you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad: for great is your reward in heaven.” Listen, too, to the words of the prophet Isaiah (51:7), who urges us not to be terrified by the anger and threats of men, but to trust in God: “Do not fear the insults of men, neither be dismayed when they revile you.”

Don’t be upset then by the strength and power of men. You are blessed and satisfied by God. What is the power of all men compared to this God who suffered, died, was buried, went to hell, and rose from death FOR YOU? If they couldn’t bury our God what can they do to us? This is why their threats, angry looks, and insults are harmless. We have Jesus, our Immanuel, the God-who-is-with-us. Therefore, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7), today and forever. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The Lord my life arranges; Who can His work destroy? In His good time He changes All sorrow into joy. So let me then be still: My body, soul, and spirit His tender care inherit According to His will. (From God Can Nothing Move Me, LSB 713:3)

Today’s Reading: Romans 10:9-17

Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 31:1-21; Philippians 4:1-23

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? (Romans 10:14)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. You can’t be a Christian without a pastor. That’s right. That’s what St. Paul says. How can you believe in Christ if He is not preached to you? Many of your friends may go to churches where the exact opposite is taught. “Faith is something personal that you discover on your own. It’s between you and Jesus.”

But that’s not how the Lord does things. He doesn’t give you life by spawning you in a forest and letting you grow up on your own. He gives you parents who provide for you. He doesn’t shower money on you out of the sky. He gives you a job and a boss so that you have what you need .

Just so, Christ does not expect us to fend for ourselves, figure Him out on our own and get some faith that way. No, He gives us a pastor, whose job is to preach and teach God’s Word. To put God’s Word into your ears. To baptize you and absolve you and feed you with Christ’s Body and Blood. You can’t get those things for yourself. The Lord provides them for you through the man He has called to give those gifts to you.

This is for your comfort. When your sins trouble you, that pastor whom Jesus has called will remind you of your Savior’s death on the cross, which takes away your sins. When you are troubled and need guidance, more than just “advice” the world would give, your pastor is there to counsel you and teach you what the Lord’s Word says, to strengthen you against the devil and your enemies. Indeed, your pastor, like your parents who gave you life and take care of you, is given to you by God to give you eternal life by giving you Jesus.

Most churches don’t make much of preachers. But preachers are the means by which the Lord comes to us with His gifts. They aren’t anything in themselves, but as they deliver Jesus faithfully and give out His forgiveness, pastors are essential—a gift from God for our salvation. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The words which absolution give Are His who died that we might live; The minister whom Christ has sent Is but His humble instrument. (“As Surely as I Live,” God Said, LSB 614:5)

Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 29:1-24; Philippians 3:1-21

[A bishop must…] hold fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. (Small Catechism: The Table of Duties: To Bishops, Pastors, and Preachers)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In the Small Catechism, you’ll find some pages called “The Table of Duties.” This is a set of Scripture passages that describes the responsibilities that the Lord gives to people in various callings. The first entry is for pastors. Pastors are supposed to be faithful, to use sound teaching, to comfort you and encourage you, while at the same time shutting down those who contradict God’s Word.

You are probably not a pastor, so what good are these words to you? They are life! Christ forgives your sins and makes you a Christian through the Word and Sacraments your pastor administers. It is by His Word, given through your pastor, that the Holy Spirit gives you life, gives you faith, and saves you. It is the message of the cross—Jesus crucified for your sins—that your pastor preaches, by which the Holy Spirit calls, gathers, enlightens, and makes holy the whole Church on earth.

The devil desires only that no one would believe in Christ, trust in His forgiveness, and have peace. So he stirs up all kinds of false doctrine, fake preachers, and crazy ideas that sound almost Christian, but ultimately are not. That’s why the Lord gives you a pastor: to defend you and protect you from any teaching that would lead you astray and tear you away from Christ!

What joy that the Lord delivers His salvation to you in the means of grace, which your pastor gives out. What joy that the salvation won for you by Christ the crucified is bestowed upon you through this pastor. And what a comfort and relief that your pastor works hard, by God’s grace, to protect you from what is false and deadly. The Table of Duties teaches us what a pastor should do. And we learn, as is always the case with Jesus, that this is all given and done for you! 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 681:1)

Today’s Reading: 2 Corinthians 3:4-11

Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 9:1-13; 10:18-29; Philippians 2:12-30

Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God. (2 Corinthians 3:5)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. What makes you sufficient to pass your test? Did you study hard enough? Did you review enough flashcards? Take enough notes? Read and highlight enough in the textbook? What makes you sufficient to play on the team? Have you worked out enough? Practiced enough? Drilled enough? When it comes to the things of this world, hard work and practice make us sufficient and ready for the task.

But when it comes to the things of faith and eternal life, we’ll never be sufficient. Have you loved God with your whole heart? Really? Except for despising His Word and not praying. Do you really love others as yourself? When there’s something in return, perhaps. If we are to be sufficient before God, we need to measure up to the perfection of the Law. Have you kept all the Ten Commandments on your own? That will never happen.

We need a sufficiency not from ourselves and not inside of us. That’s Jesus. His perfect life and His atoning death for your sins mean that your sufficiency is from Him. Baptism, Word, Body and Blood—all gifts of Jesus—mean that you have all you need. It’s sufficient. It’s enough. It’s more than you need!

St. Paul knew that he could not be a pastor on his own. He didn’t have the wisdom and strength and all the other things people think would make a good preacher. Yet He had Christ. His sufficiency was from God. So is yours. Whenever you think you don’t have much to offer God, rejoice! That’s true! But what the Lord offers you is Himself and that is not only sufficient, but way more than enough for whatever you’ll need in this life and the life to come. Jesus is sufficient for you. He is everything. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Thy righteousness, O Christ, Alone can cover me; No righteousness avails Save that which is of Thee. To whom save Thee, Who canst alone for sin atone, Lord, shall I flee? (Thy Works, Not Mine, O Christ, LSB 565:5)

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 29:17-24

Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 6:1-23; Philippians 1:21-2:11

The humble also shall increase their joy in the LORD, And the poor among men shall rejoice In the Holy One of Israel. (Isaiah 29:19)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Most religious people aren’t very humble. Most religious people think they’re pretty good people because, after all, they’ve got God figured out and they know that they do what He wants. These are the people who always seem to think that because they go to church and know some stuff about religion, they’re better than others. How about you? Do you ever think that way? Of course you do. It’s easy to think you’re better than that kid over there who doesn’t go to church, but instead just gets into trouble all the time.

Isaiah doesn’t say the proud and righteous will rejoice in the Holy One. He says the humble will. The Holy One of Israel is Jesus. Jesus comes not to be proud and haughty. He could. He’s the Son of God, after all. If anyone has a reason to look down on others, it should be Him. But instead He humbles Himself. He is born of poor parents. He comes to serve and to give His life and die on the cross to take away our sins. Jesus is our Savior by being our servant. All true humility there.

Therefore, abandon your pride and thinking you’re “all that” just because you are a Christian. Rather, learn true repentance again, which says, “I really am an awful sinner and deserve nothing from God. Yet by Christ’s death and resurrection, He rescues me and saves me.” When you are nothing but a low down, dirty, rotten sinner, then your joy will increase as you see what sort of a Savior you have. The more sins you’ve got, the bigger a Savior Jesus is!

So rejoice in the Holy One of Israel! He saves you not because of you, but because that’s what He does. His water, Word, Body and Blood are gifts so humble, and yet so powerful, that they rescue you from sin, death, devil, hell, and even your pride! The Holy One of Israel, Jesus Christ your Lord, came to save you. Having heard that with your open ears, now let your tongue loose to rejoice and sing! In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Not unto us, not unto us be glory, Lord; Not unto us but to Your name be praise; Not unto us but to Your name all honor be giv’n For matchless mercy, forgiveness, and grace. (Not unto Us, LSB 558:1)

Today’s Reading: Mark 7:31-37

Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 5:9-27; Philippians 1:1-20

And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue. (Mark 7:33)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Gross! Spitting. Touching tongues. Putting your fingers in somebody else’s ears! It doesn’t sound very pleasant. But Jesus doesn’t do squeamish. He takes this deaf man aside, spits, touches his tongue and sticks his fingers in His ears. What’s going on? What saves this man? He’s got the Word of God—literally, Jesus—in his ears and on his tongue!

His problem is our problem. Even if we can hear, we are deaf to God’s Word. Even if we can talk, we use our mouths to curse instead of bless, to say worthless things instead of speaking God’s Word. So how is this man saved? How are we saved? By the Word of God going into our ears and the Word of God going onto our tongues.

Jesus isn’t squeamish about coming amongst us sinners. In the beginning, the Lord Himself came down and made man out of mud. In the fullness of time, He sent His Son, who was not afraid to actually take on a human nature, become a man, be born, suffer, die, and rise for your sins. Jesus gets in the mud pit with us sinners to be like us, to carry our sins, and to suffer and die for them.

Now He does the same thing to you to rescue you from spiritual blindness and dumbness. He puts the Word in your ears in the preaching and teaching of the Gospel and puts the Word on your tongue, His own true Body and Blood, given for you to eat and drink. And not with spit now, but with baptismal water, the Lord gives you Himself and rescues you from sin and death.

We suffer the very same problem as this poor man: We are deaf and dumb, unable to hear God’s Word and speak and sing His praises. But the Lord has opened your ears and loosed your tongue by His saving gifts so that now you can rejoice to hear Christ and confess Him, to hear the Good News that your sins are forgiven and to praise Him with your tongue. He has done all things well for you! In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Almighty and merciful God, whose gift it is that Your faithful possess all things pertaining to faith and life, we implore You that we may so faithfully cling to Your promises in this life that we fail not finally to attain to Your heavenly glory; 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 Trinity 12)