Reflections

September 3, 2023

Today's Reading: Matthew 16:13-20

Daily Lectionary: 2 Samuel 6:1-19, 1 Corinthians 9:1-23

“But who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. “Who do you say that I am?” That’s the question, isn’t it? When Jesus asks the disciples about who people say that He is, the disciples respond with the various answers they have heard: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or another one of the prophets (16:14). 

People today have other answers: a good teacher; or the founder of a religion; or a revolutionary, standing bravely against oppression and injustice. Perhaps none of those answers are entirely wrong. But the real question is, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter, as always, is ready to answer on behalf of the other apostles: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (16:16).  And Jesus responds: “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah [“son of Jonah”]! For flesh and blood have not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven” (16:17). 

Peter makes this good confession, but it did not originate in Peter’s mind or heart or mouth. He didn’t figure it out by himself based on the evidence.  God put those words there. “Confession” means to say the same thing. And so Peter says the same thing that God has revealed to him: that Jesus is the Christ (Anointed One) whom God has sent to bring life to the world. Only God the Father draws people to the Son by His Spirit. And this is the blessing of God: to believe in one’s heart that God raised Jesus from the dead and to confess with one’s mouth that Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9). 

The first question is not what we say about Jesus, but what God says about Jesus. The answer is the comforting truth that the Son of the living God entered our flesh in order to reveal Himself to us. In His healing of the sick, feeding of the hungry, raising the dead, and casting out demons; in His suffering and death; and in His resurrection, He reveals to you that He is the one whom God has sent to undo sin, death, and the evil that is so prevalent in our world. That we believe and confess this is a great, undeserved blessing. Jesus builds His Church on the truth of this confession, so that no matter what people may say about Jesus, He remains the Lord who destroys the power of death and hell for you. You belong to Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and not to your sin, or to death, or to the devil. Blessed are you! In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Almighty God, Your Son willingly endured the agony and shame of the cross for our redemption. Grant us courage to take up our cross daily and follow Him wherever He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

- Pastor Timothy Winterstein is pastor at Faith Lutheran Church, East Wenatchee, Washington.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.

Study Christ's words on the cross to see how you can show more Christlike grace in your life. Perfect for group or individual study, each chapter has a Q&A at the end, and the back of the book includes a leader guide. Available now from Concordia Publishing House.

September 2, 2023

Today's Reading: 

Daily Lectionary:2 Samuel 5:1-25, 1 Corinthians 8:1-13

But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. (1 Corinthians 8:9)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Knowledge is a gift, until it becomes a weapon. Freedom is a gift, until it too is used as a weapon. You might be wondering, though, how can knowledge or freedom become weapons? Learning stuff is good! Being free is good! Agreed. However, we (sinners) take that which is good and mess it up. We who still struggle (daily) with our sinful nature take gifts and often make them into clubs (to use against our neighbor). 

In 1 Corinthians, Paul is writing about food offered to idols. He acknowledges that of course idols are not real deities; they aren’t God and have no power over anything. That knowledge is good; that knowledge comes from being taught the Law (in specific, the First Commandment). However, when that knowledge  is used to belittle or cause one of our neighbor’s to sin, that knowledge has now become a weapon. Paul is instructing the believers in Corinth to not let their knowledge outweigh their love for their neighbors - especially over something as short-lived as food! In love, we share what we have been taught with our neighbors. But then, also in love, we sacrifice ‘knowing it all,’ for the sake of one who is struggling. We deny our ‘right knowledge,’ in favor of walking alongside an unsteady neighbor. 

In the same way, freedom in Christ is a gift! We are freed from sin; death and the devil are conquered enemies. However, freedom used against our neighbor is no longer Christian freedom; now our freedom has become a tether to a false god: pride. True Christian freedom is always understood in relationship to your neighbor and their needs. We are not free to cause hurt, harm, or discourse for someone else. We are not free to tempt or hurt another’s conscience. 

Knowledge and freedom are gifts from God and rightly understood in Jesus. Our sinful minds like to take gifts and make them into weapons. Repent of this. Humbly remember that, before God, we are all beggars. You and your weaker neighbor are both in desperate need of forgiveness and mercy. You and your weaker neighbor are both receivers of God’s gifts:  Baptism, the preaching of His Word, and the Lord’s Supper. Learn and be free - in the Gospel. Learn with your neighbor. Be free in your service of your neighbor. Rejoice that God saw you in your weakness and sent His Son to pay for your sins! You (and your neighbor) are loved and forgiven.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Love in Christ is strong and living,  Binding faithful hearts in one;  Love in CHrist is true and giving.  May His will in us be done.  (LSB 706:1) 

-Deaconess Sarah Longmire is the bible study editor for Higher Things.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.

Study Christ's words on the cross to see how you can show more Christlike grace in your life. Perfect for group or individual study, each chapter has a Q&A at the end, and the back of the book includes a leader guide. Available now from Concordia Publishing House.

September 1, 2023

Today's Reading: 

Daily Lectionary: 2 Samuel 1:1-27, 1 Corinthians 7:25-40

So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better. (1 Corinthians 7:38)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. We love when things are straight-forward and are logical. Opposites make sense. You are hot or cold. There is up or down. You turn left or right. We like to think in absolutes, put everything in its proper box, and usually give it a label. We do this with our neighbors too. ‘Those sinners’ and us, the good people. ‘Those making all the wrong choices,’ and us, making all the right ones. ‘Those who keep voting wrongly and us,’ who have our politics in order. It can be quite easy to fall into the temptation to group ‘others’ in relation to us. 

In the 1 Corinthians reading, it might seem like Paul is trying to create a logical ‘either or’ statement. However, he also seems to be getting things mixed up. He says marriage is a gift. But he also says that singleness is a gift. He says that getting married is not a sin, but also speaks very highly about remaining single. What’s the deal, Paul? Why can’t you make up your mind? 

In our desire for logic and reason, we usually see options in contrast to other options. For example, you can’t be married and also stay single. However, what if God has given us two good options? What if God, in His bountiful goodness, allows for marriage and singleness to both be good gifts? What if, instead of pitting the gifts against one another, we rejoice in the ways in which God has given us to love our neighbor? 

The Law is good. It shows us right from wrong, good from evil. However, when we apply the Law to situations in which it doesn’t speak, we create division that is not good or helpful. Marriage is a gift from God; from the beginning of time, God created Eve for Adam and gave them, one to another, in marriage. Singleness, though, is also a gift. The single person is able to devote time and energy to caring for other neighbors in their life. Both of these vocations are good! God gives good options for His people. 

Whether single or married, your identity is as a Baptized child of God. You are part of God’s family through Jesus’ death and resurrection; that is what sticks for eternity. Rejoice in the opportunities you are given to love your neighbors - either as a married person or a single person - knowing that both vocations are good. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Hear us, dear Father, when we pray  For needed help from day to day That as your children we may live, Whom You baptized and so received.  (LSB 865:3) 

-Deaconess Sarah Longmire is the bible study editor for Higher Things.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.

Study Christ's words on the cross to see how you can show more Christlike grace in your life. Perfect for group or individual study, each chapter has a Q&A at the end, and the back of the book includes a leader guide. Available now from Concordia Publishing House.

August 31, 2023

Today's Reading: Romans 11:33-12:8

Daily Lectionary:1 Samuel 31:1-13, 1 Corinthians 7:1-24

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:36)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. God’s Word often describes the Body of believers as, well, a body. It talks about each of us making up one united being with Christ as the Head. This is a beautiful picture of who we are! We are joined with all other believers; we are included and precious. However, our sinful nature has a way of taking that which is wonderful and creating disharmony. We become obstinate about our own abilities and importance. We seek to be bodies of one, completely independent, and often try to disconnect from others (usually because they sin differently than we do, so clearly we would be better off without them). 

Reread Romans 11:36: For from him and through him and to him are all things. Hmmm… ‘All things.’ From God, through God, and to God, are ALL things. What does that mean about our own ‘independent’ abilities? What does that mean for our insistence that we are better than another part of the body? What does that mean for our judgment of another’s gifts? 

In the words of today’s reading, we are reminded that we are not alone and cannot survive alone. We are told that it is all from, through, and to God. We have been uniquely created and given all that we have. Our gifts were not given to lord over someone else or to be used in competition. Instead, God created each part of the body as a gift to and for one another. 

Do we have different gifts than our neighbor? Yep. Thanks be to God! If a body was all an elbow, how would we see or eat or walk? If the foot overpowered the ear, how could we hear? All things are in God. All things are completed by Jesus’ death and resurrection on the cross. Your sins of worry, comparison, coveting, and self-seeking glory are paid and gone. In their place, there is peace, unity, and forgiveness. You are part of the Body. You are needed by your neighbor. Rest in your Baptism. Rejoice that all things are from God, through God, and in God. You don’t have to fight for a place in God’s family. You don’t have to earn God’s acceptance. The work has been done by Jesus; we now *get* to love and serve our neighbor using our unique and specific gifts. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Know that the Lord is God indeed;  Without our aid He did us make. We are His folk, 

He doth us feed,  And for His sheep He doth us take.  (LSB: 791:2)

-Deaconess Sarah Longmire is the bible study editor for Higher Things.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.

Study Christ's words on the cross to see how you can show more Christlike grace in your life. Perfect for group or individual study, each chapter has a Q&A at the end, and the back of the book includes a leader guide. Available now from Concordia Publishing House.

August 30, 2023

Today's Reading: Luther's Small Catechism, Lords Prayer: Third Petition

Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 28:3-25, 1 Corinthians 6:1-20

And when He strengthens and keeps us firm in His Word and faith until we die. (How is God’s will done?) 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Have you heard the phrase, ‘battle of wills?’ It means that two (or more) people have their own ideas or plans that are not matching up with others’ plans or ideas. Each person wants their will to be followed and is unable or unwilling to make room for someone else’s needs or will to be done. When this happens, there is, well, a battle. When engaged in a battle of wills, we fight for OUR wants. We desire to win, dominate, and succeed over others. In actuality, though, after a battle of wills, there is usually angst, sadness, resentment, and pain. Often, even the person who wins is left feeling hollow; their victory came at the expense of someone else’s pain or failure. 

The Third Petition of the Lord’s Prayer is ‘Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’ The sinner in us may become immediately suspicious: what is God’s will? How will it (negatively) affect ME? What will it cost me? What might I have to give up? How can I get around it or battle it and win? 

Our sinful nature immediately reacts to this prayer, realizing that it is about God’s will; this means that it isn’t our will. Furthermore, we realize that none of us are God and that we don’t have control. In fact, God’s will is going to crush my will because His is perfect and mine is sinful. Do I want God’s will to be done? 

Yes! God’s will is that all people are saved. God’s will is that sin, death, and the devil be defeated. God’s will is Jesus paying for the sins of the whole world, defying death, and giving life to all believers. God’s will is to claim YOU as His own through Baptism; He continually strengthens and feeds you through His Word and with Jesus’ Body and Blood. God’s will is done apart from our prayers and works; God’s will is done for us. God’s will won the battle on the cross and gives us victory, life, and salvation. Yes, God’s will is good and holy. God’s will is for you: that you are washed, revived, forgiven, loved, and kept secure with Him forever.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Your gracious will on earth be done  As it is done before Your throne, That patiently we may obey   Throughout our lives all that You say.  Curb flesh and blood and ev’ry ill  That sets itself against Your will.  (LSB 766:4) 

-Deaconess Sarah Longmire is the bible study editor for Higher Things.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.

Study Christ's words on the cross to see how you can show more Christlike grace in your life. Perfect for group or individual study, each chapter has a Q&A at the end, and the back of the book includes a leader guide. Available now from Concordia Publishing House.

August 29, 2023

Today's Reading: Mark 6:14-29

Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 26:1-25, 1 Corinthians 5:1-13

And the king was exceedingly sorry. (Mark 6:26a)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. John the Baptist’s executioner was exceedingly sorry that he would put John to death. But, punishments follow crimes committed, right? Why would King Herod feel sorry?  

In fact, Herod’s interactions with John are confusing. First, Herod sends John to prison because he doesn’t like what John said about his marriage. But, we also read that Herod, ‘feared John…and kept him safe’ (v. 20). Even more puzzling, though, was that when King Herod heard John speak, ‘he was greatly perplexed, and yet…heard him gladly’ (v. 20). Wait, what? Herod puts John in prison for what John said about his marriage. But then, we read that Herod (the KING) fears John, protects John, and is glad to hear John speak. So, John is punished for speaking, protected for speaking, gladly heard when speaking, but then ultimately put to death for speaking. This is weird, right? 

Perhaps it’s because John had a dynamic and inviting personality. He must have been relevant and very popular. But…that’s not what Scripture says. John was the ‘weird guy’ who ate bugs and lived out in the wilderness. John was the guy who kept talking about someone else coming, about God’s Law, and the need for repentance. It wasn’t his personality that caused Herod’s sorrow. 

John the Baptist faithfully preached God’s Word. He reminded sinners that they couldn’t do anything they wanted (like marry their brother’s wife, for example), that they needed to repent, and that the Savior was coming. John pointed to Jesus. 

God’s Word promises to never return empty, but to always accomplish God’s work (Isaiah 55:10-11). The Law is good and necessary; it shows us our sinfulness and our desperate need for a Savior. John was faithfully preaching God’s Law. Herod’s confusing reaction to John makes sense; he was struck by the truth of John’s teaching even as he recoiled that the Law was for him too. 

We are often like King Herod; we react to God’s Law with anger or reluctance. (I hope, though, that you aren’t throwing your pastor into prison when he preaches it to you!) Like John the Baptist, God sends us faithful pastors to preach God’s Truth in its purity. Your pastor reminds you of your sins and your deadness on your own. But then, he points to Jesus. He comforts you with God’s grace and mercy through Jesus’ death and resurrection. You are declared forgiven. 

Today, we remember the faithfulness of John the Baptist; we give thanks for faithful pastors. We rejoice that we have a loving and merciful God who gives us His Word, both Law and Gospel, for our eternal good. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Our thanks for John the Baptist  Who, till his dying day,  Made straight paths for the Savior

And heralded His way!  In witnessing to Jesus  Through times of threat or shame

May we with faith and courage  The Lamb of God proclaim. (LSB 517:24)

-Deaconess Sarah Longmire is the bible study editor for Higher Things.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the Pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.

Study Christ's words on the cross to see how you can show more Christlike grace in your life. Perfect for group or individual study, each chapter has a Q&A at the end, and the back of the book includes a leader guide. Available now from Concordia Publishing House.

August 28, 2023

Today's Reading: Isaiah 51:1-6

Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 25:23-44, 1 Corinthians 4:1-21

My salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will never be dismayed. Isaiah 51:6b

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Disaster. War. Murder. Slander. Cursed. Defiled. Ugly. These are heavy words. These are words we use to describe horrible things that happen to us or around us. These are words that cause a pit to form in your stomach, tears to fall from your cheeks, and cries of despair to leave your lips. Life in a sinful world is hard. Living as a sinner, with other sinners, often hurts. Our bodies break. Our minds are overwhelmed. Our communities suffer. Our world is ugly. 

God’s people throughout history viscerally understood these struggles. Isaiah is writing to people who knew the kingdom of Israel had split into two nations: Israel and Judah. In fact, they knew that the ‘other’ kingdom was their enemy. They had experienced the roller coaster of bad kings and *not as bad* kings. They had been in war; they had suffered through battles and saw death. 

And yet, in today’s reading there is hope. God has not abandoned His people. He promises comfort. He promises salvation forever! He reminds the people (and us) that this world, riddled with sin, is not going to last forever. The heavens and earth will wear out and perish; we see the decay around us every day. And yet, we are reminded, just like the people to whom Isaiah is writing, that God’s righteousness will never be dismayed (v. 6). 

There is hope in the midst of our hurt. There is promise in the midst of disaster. Jesus is with us within and through every trial and trouble. God sent His Son to be our Savior; He sent the only One who could enter a broken and dying world and give it new life. In your Baptism, you are made clean and holy. You are given life eternal. You will live forever with Jesus! Take heart and cling to the promises of God: we who are in Christ will not be dismayed. Life in a sinful world hurts now, but the hope for tomorrow is found in Christ. You are not alone, forgotten, or left behind; in your Baptism you are part of God’s family forever; God has declared you as His own. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

All who believe and are baptized  Shall see the Lord’s salvation;  Baptized into the death of Christ,  They are a new creation.  Through Christ’s redemption they shall stand  Among the glorious, heav’nly band  Of every tribe and nation.   (All Who Believe and Are Baptized, LSB 601:1)

-Deaconess Sarah Longmire is the bible study editor for Higher Things.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the Pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.

Study Christ's words on the cross to see how you can show more Christlike grace in your life. Perfect for group or individual study, each chapter has a Q&A at the end, and the back of the book includes a leader guide. Available now from Concordia Publishing House.

August 27, 2023

Today's Reading: Matthew 16:13-20

Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 25:1-22, 1 Corinthians 3:1-23

‘For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.’ Matthew 16:17b

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In today’s reading, Jesus asks a question to His disciples: ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ The disciples respond with what they have heard: some say this person, some say that person. The answers seem to make logical sense; they  include: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or another prophet. These responses are reasonable and understandable; the Son of Man must certainly be a teacher or someone who is well educated about the Scriptures. 

We hear these same types of explanations today: Jesus was a good teacher. Jesus is one way to heaven. Jesus taught the people to love everyone. Jesus is a great example of how to treat others. In our flawed human thinking, we try to make sense of all that is unbelievable. And, we like to control the message; if we put Jesus in the ‘one option’ category or as a ‘decent teacher,’ then we can pick and choose what we believe. We can justify our own choices and actions because, afterall, we are being logical and reasonable. 

After the disciples answer Jesus, He asks a follow-up question: Who do you say that I am? Peter answers with a statement of faith: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God (v. 16). This answer doesn’t make logical or reasonable sense: the Son of the living God? How? Why? But, what about me as god? And Jesus responds to Peter: Blessed are you! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven (v. 17). Peter has been given faith and confesses who Jesus truly is. It doesn’t make sense that God would send His perfect Son to be the Savior of a sinful world. And yet, that is exactly what happens. 

In your Baptism, you received the Holy Spirit. In God’s Word, you hear and are reminded of whose you are and who God is. Jesus is our merciful Savior. Jesus is the Son of God and Son of Man. Jesus loves, forgives, renews, and revives us. Jesus gives us His Body and Blood in the Lord’s Supper. This doesn’t make sense. This isn’t easily explained. And yet, this is the Truth. This is your faith. This is your reality. Thanks be to God for all that does not make sense, and yet is ours completely. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Almighty God, whom to know is everlasting life, grant us to know Your Son, Jesus, to be the way, the truth, and the life that we may boldly confess Him to be the Christ and steadfastly walk in the way that leads to life eternal; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Collect of the Day) 

-Deaconess Sarah Longmire is the bible study editor for Higher Things.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.

Study Christ's words on the cross to see how you can show more Christlike grace in your life. Perfect for group or individual study, each chapter has a Q&A at the end, and the back of the book includes a leader guide. Available now from Concordia Publishing House.

August 26, 2023

Today's Reading: Introit to Pentecost 13: Psalm 28:1-2, 6-7

Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 24:1-22, 1 Corinthians 1:26-2:16

Blessed be the LORD! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy. (Psalm 28:6)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. It’s been a long week. It seems as though attending the Divine Service last Sunday was longer than 6 days ago. Maybe a particularly difficult day this week is still replaying in your head. Maybe a committed sin keeps coming up in your thoughts (and stealing your sleep). Maybe a hurt caused by someone else has made its home in your heart. Life is hard down here; living in and with sin hurts. 

Today’s Psalm speaks about the weight of our need as sinners. We try and try, but we fail. And then, someone fails us. Usually, both happen frequently. We try again, and fail again. We try to fix what is broken, but make the mess messier. We cannot make it better and often feel beaten up by the end of the day, and certainly by the end of the week. We cry out to God in frustration, pain, and sorrow. We cannot carry the burdens of our sins and our hurts. It is heavy. It hurts. It is too much. 

Friend, your prayers have been heard. You are not alone in your pain and suffering. You have a loving God who has heard your cries and answers them. He meets our sin with forgiveness. He meets our pain with relief. He meets our deadness with new life. He does not leave us to wallow in our failures, but gives us victory. 

In our Baptism, we are made new. We are breathed to life and given Jesus’ life as our own. We are washed clean, renewed, loved, and mercied. In the Divine Service, we hear God’s Word preached. We hear our sins forgiven. We hear our neighbors’ sins forgiven. We receive Jesus’ Body and Blood. We are filled with the truth of whose we are and what we have been given. We are reminded of God’s grace and His mercy. 

The week has been long. But tomorrow, the table has been prepared for you. Your pastor will, in the stead of Christ, forgive your sins. He has prepared the Word to point you to your Savior. Carry your worries, burdens, hurts, and sins to church. Receive God’s promises, love, forgiveness, and hope. Blessed be the Lord! He has heard our cries for mercy!  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Be still, my soul, before the Lord,  For God is always near.  Before your mind is moved to pray,   God listens and will hear.   (Be Still, My Soul, before the Lord, LSB 771:1)

-Deaconess Sarah Longmire is the bible study editor for Higher Things.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the Pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.

Study Christ's words on the cross to see how you can show more Christlike grace in your life. Perfect for group or individual study, each chapter has a Q&A at the end, and the back of the book includes a leader guide. Available now from Concordia Publishing House.

August 25, 2023

Today's Reading: 

Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 20:24-42, 1 Corinthians 1:1-25

‘Not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.’ (1 Corinthians 1:17b)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Paul, inspired by God, wrote  to the Corinthians. Paul, also known as Saul, had been well educated and had been a high ranking Jew. He studied with great teachers and had been given great authority (think about the permission he had been granted to travel, find followers of Jesus, and arrest them). And yet, did you hear how he would refer to himself and his teaching? He wrote that he was preaching the Gospel, ‘not with words of eloquent wisdom.’ Wait a minute. He was a big deal, right? Even after he was converted, he was well-known. And yet, he is rebuking the Corinthians for claiming him, or other prophets and teachers, and causing division among themselves. 

How often do we stumble over our words when trying to speak about our faith? Or, in frustration with the world and the horrible sinners in it, we discuss Jesus in a way that sounds more like an argument - one which we will certainly win. We use our churchiest words and our fanciest terms and, well, we witness…about ourselves. We make the conversation about how much better we are than our neighbor and how great life with be if only *they* were like us. We decide to be god and attempt to convert others to ourselves. 

Paul knew he had nothing to offer to God. He knew that anything he said, attempted, or tried would fail. He lamented about his inability to just do what was right (Romans 7). And, in the first letter to the Corinthians, he reminds them that the power of God, true wisdom, is found in the most illogical place of all: the Cross. True wisdom is not found in the best argument or the greatest speech. It is not found in well-formed discourse  or strongly defended debates. Instead, true wisdom is Jesus crucified for you. True wisdom is in the all-encompassing mercy given to sinners through Jesus’ death and resurrection. 

Remember your Baptism. Rest in the folly that is freedom through Jesus’ Work, not your own. When you are talking to your neighbor, don’t worry about winning. Share the joy you know as a redeemed sinner. Point to the true and only God who, when you were dead in your sins, saved you, washed you in His blood, named you, and gave you salvation. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Good Christian friends, rejoice and sing! Now is the triumph of our King!  To all the world glad news we bring:  Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!   (Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing, LSB 475:1)

-Deaconess Sarah Longmire is the bible study editor for Higher Things.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.

Study Christ's words on the cross to see how you can show more Christlike grace in your life. Perfect for group or individual study, each chapter has a Q&A at the end, and the back of the book includes a leader guide. Available now from Concordia Publishing House.