Reflections

Today's Reading: Introit for the Sixth Sunday of Easter

     (Psalm 66:1-2a, 17, 19-20; antiphon: Isaiah 48:20b)

Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 26:21-33, 39-44; Luke 14:1-24

Send it out to the end of the earth; say, "The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob!" (Isaiah 48:20b)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. You can almost taste it! Freedom is right around the corner. Summer is coming and the chains of school requirements are about to be cast off. You are ready for whatever the summer has in store for you. Your emotions are running high. The final exams are almost here, or maybe they have already passed and now it is just a matter of biding your time until that final bell rings. In the end, freedom is close at hand.

As Isaiah writes to the people of God, he reminds them that freedom approaches for them as well. The shackles of slavery are about to be removed and their shouts of freedom will abound. The one doing the freeing is the one true God. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the God who will deliver them. He will redeem them from the bondage of the Babylonians. No longer will they be subject to the godless people who have held them captive, but instead they will return to their land, a land flowing with milk and honey. A land given to them by their God. Redemption is at hand.

In sin we are held captive to the requirements of the Law. The Law requires us to be perfect in every aspect. On account of our sinful condition it is impossible for us to keep the Law. We are in need of being redeemed. We are in need of being freed from the righteous requirements of the law for our salvation. In Christ we are set free. In Christ the shackles of the righteous requirement of the Law have been taken off. Christ has fulfilled the Law for us. We shout for joy and sing His praises as He has given to us our freedom.

In Christ we look to the day of His glorious return. We are prepared for His return in the waters of Baptism. In the Sacrament of the Altar we look back and proclaim His death while at the same time we look forward to His glorious return on the Last Day. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Our hope and expectation, O Jesus, now appear; Arise, O Sun so longed for, O'er this benighted sphere. With hearts and hands uplifted, We plead, O Lord, to see The day of earth's redemption That sets Your people free! ("Rejoice, Rejoice, Believers" LSB 515, st.4)

-Rev. Timothy Davis is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Athens, GA.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Duane Bamsch

Over eight sessions, The Messiah: Revealing Jesus in the Old Testament will lead you through the entirety of the Old Testament with daily readings, questions, and discussion prompts. After a brief introduction that reviews Christ's earthly ministry, you will dive into the heart of the Holy Books that have spiritually nourished God's people from creation to today! Now available from Concordia Publishing House.

Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 26:1-20; Luke 13:18-35 

"When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,' then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.'" (Luke 13:25) 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In the 1970's, American Express advertised that its card was for important people. People who mattered carried their exclusive card. The movie star or famous athlete would conclude, "Do you know me?" then the ad would flash to an American Express card with his name on it while the person would say, "That's why I carry American Express." The idea was that if you could present your American Express card, you were important.

As Christ speaks of the kingdom of heaven, He reminds His hearers that salvation is not about how important they are in this world. Your salvation is hinged upon your faith in Christ. The master of the house denies entrance to the foreigners. Who are you? Where do you come from? He does not know the strangers knocking on the door. It is an eerie narrative that Christ delivers. He identifies that there are some who are going to heaven and some who are not. 

Those who are brought into heaven are known by the master of the house. The Lord knows them. They come from the four corners of the world. As Christ speaks to the people of Jerusalem, He warns them about the dangers of their unbelief and rejection of the son of man. He teaches them that salvation is for the four corners of the world.

In your Baptism you are known by your Father in heaven. You are connected to Jesus Christ and it is He who presents you to His Father in heaven. Your salvation is delivered to you through the work of Christ. His works are for You. On the Last Day, in the resurrection, you can be sure that salvation is yours because Christ is known by His Father and Christ knows you. As He knows you, so also the Father knows you. The narrow door is opened wide for you to enter and live in a new, restored earth for all eternity. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

O Lord, You have called us to enter Your kingdom through the narrow door. Guide us by Your Word and Spirit, and lead us now and always into the feast of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Treasury of Daily Prayer, p.283)

-Rev. Timothy Davis is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Athens, GA.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Duane Bamsch

Over eight sessions, The Messiah: Revealing Jesus in the Old Testament will lead you through the entirety of the Old Testament with daily readings, questions, and discussion prompts. After a brief introduction that reviews Christ's earthly ministry, you will dive into the heart of the Holy Books that have spiritually nourished God's people from creation to today! Now available from Concordia Publishing House.

Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 24:1-23; Luke 12:54-13:17

"And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?" (Luke 13:16) 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The great reversal of Luke takes place again. Jesus heals on the Sabbath and is reprimanded for breaking the laws. He just cannot win with these picky church leaders. Nothing is ever right for them. Christ reads Scriptures and explains it, and the leadership wants to stone Him. He shows up at the temple and heals a man with a withered hand, and they accuse Him of Sabbath violations. He heals a woman on the Sabbath and again He is chastised for violating God's ceremonial laws. Christ heals on the Sabbath.

The work laws for the historic Jew were strict. No work on the Sabbath was a primary one. Yet there were all kinds of exceptions that could be invoked so that you would not be accused of violating the law. 

When Christ heals on the Sabbath, it is because that's His day to work. The whole concept of resting is reversed when it comes to Christ. At creation God worked for six days and then rested on the seventh. He declared the seventh day to be a holy day. A day of rest. The Sabbath Day connected God's people to His work and rest cycle. 

As Christ comes into the temple and synagogues on the Sabbath, a reversal takes place. He is the one working now. Today, Christ works on our Sabbath. As we gather in His Holy sanctuaries on Sunday, the eighth day of the week as well as the day He rose from the dead, we rest while He works. His Holy Word is spoken to us. He absolves us through the work of the Office of the Holy Ministry. He places in our ears His comforting words of reconciliation and forgiveness. He points us back to our Baptisms and gives us comfort in knowing that we belong to Him. He comes to us in His precious Body and Blood in the Sacrament of the Altar for the forgiveness of our sins and strengthening of our faith. He is doing all the work and we are merely resting and receiving. Sunday is the day of our rest and the day that Christ conquers sin, death, and the devil. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Now have I found consolation, Comfort in my tribulation, Balm to heal the troubled soul. God, my shield from ev'ry terror, Cleanses me from sin and error, Makes my wounded spirit whole. ("Jesus Comes Today with Healing" LSB 620, st.6)

-Rev. Timothy Davis is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Athens, GA.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Duane Bamsch

Over eight sessions, The Messiah: Revealing Jesus in the Old Testament will lead you through the entirety of the Old Testament with daily readings, questions, and discussion prompts. After a brief introduction that reviews Christ's earthly ministry, you will dive into the heart of the Holy Books that have spiritually nourished God's people from creation to today! Now available from Concordia Publishing House.

Today's Reading: Small Catechism: Apostles' Creed, First Article part 1

Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 23:23-44; Luke 12:35-53

"I believe that God has made me and all creatures. . . "(Small Catechism: Apostles' Creed, First Article)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. "Rome was not built in a day!" If you try to claim that Rome was built in a day you would be ridiculed for being ignorant and foolish. Rome could not possibly have been built in a day. The secular world laughs at us when we say that the world was created in six days. "How could that possibly be?" they say. Six days to put all of this together from the simplest organism to the complexities of human life? Impossible! It is inconceivable that the entire creation could come about in 144 hours.

The book of Genesis opens up with the simple phrase, "In the beginning God created. . . ." Those simple words leave no doubt that the start of everything, including time, comes from God. He is the source of all that exists. Understanding God as the source of everything is very humbling for mankind. We like to think of ourselves as the creator, not the creation. We work hard to demonstrate how much we have discovered in all of our sciences. We define life's origins in billions of years. We capture light and attempt to determine the origins of the universe. We try to develop life on our own apart from the natural process that God gave us in creation. We take from God's creation and claim it as our own. We use His subatomic particles, His atoms, His molecules, His cells and say, "Look at what WE have created!" In the end it is all God's, and His creation. We have done nothing new.

In spite of our desire to lay claim to creation, God still takes care of us. He provides all that we need to sustain this life from day to day. We pray in the Lord's Prayer, "Give us this day our daily bread." He places homes over our heads, parents to raise us, food to feed us, churches for worship, and clothes to cover us. He never stops taking care of us. He not only created you, He also sustains you in all your needs. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The world seeks after wealth And all that mammon offers Yet never is content Though gold should fill its coffers. I have a higher good, Content with it I'll be: My Jesus is my wealth. What is the world to me! ("What Is the World to Me" LSB 730, st.3)

-Rev. Timothy Davis is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Athens, GA.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Duane Bamsch

Over eight sessions, The Messiah: Revealing Jesus in the Old Testament will lead you through the entirety of the Old Testament with daily readings, questions, and discussion prompts. After a brief introduction that reviews Christ's earthly ministry, you will dive into the heart of the Holy Books that have spiritually nourished God's people from creation to today! Now available from Concordia Publishing House.

Today's Reading: James 1:16-21

Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 23:1-22; Luke 12:13-34

Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:21)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. God's people are to be holy people. It is how God designed it. Holiness reflects God's holiness. In the Garden of Eden man was created in the holy image of God. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they lost that holiness. The inclination of the heart is opposed to the will of God. Left to ourselves, we want nothing to do with God's desire for us to be holy. Our condition is that we are dead in our transgressions with no ability whatsoever to come to God or to be holy as He is holy. 

James uses language that reflects the passive nature of our salvation. On account of our sinful condition, we cannot come to God by our own power. Rather, it is God who comes to us. James' words are very specific. He says to "receive" the implanted Word. We do not accept the Word, but rather receive the Word. The doingness is through the work of the Holy Spirit and God's Holy Word is brought to us. 

Often we will hear someone say that you need to "accept" the Word of God as truth. Unfortunately, that is the wrong language to use when we speak about our relationship with God. We "receive" His Holy Word. The burden is not on us, it cannot be on us, because we are spiritually dead in our sin. James does not stop with just conversion. He reminds his hearers about their new life in Christ. As children of God, we live in a constant tension between the Old Adam and the New Man in Christ. The Old Adam desires to pursue the wants of the flesh and live in filthiness and rampant wickedness. The New Man in Christ desires to live as a holy being, in the image of a holy God. In your Baptism you have put on Christ. Daily, the Old Adam is drowned and the New Man in Christ is resurrected. In that resurrection you live with the robe of Christ's righteousness over you. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Hope of the world, afoot on dusty highways, Showing to wand'ring souls the path of light, Walk Thou beside us Lest the tempting byways Lure us away from Thee to endless night. ("Hope of the World" LSB 690, st.3)

-Rev. Timothy Davis is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Athens, GA.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Duane Bamsch

Over eight sessions, The Messiah: Revealing Jesus in the Old Testament will lead you through the entirety of the Old Testament with daily readings, questions, and discussion prompts. After a brief introduction that reviews Christ's earthly ministry, you will dive into the heart of the Holy Books that have spiritually nourished God's people from creation to today! Now available from Concordia Publishing House.

Today's Reading: Isaiah 12:1-6

Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 21:1-24; Luke 12:1-12

For though you were angry with me, your anger turned away that you might comfort me. (Isaiah 12:1b) 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Approaching the end of a school year can be very stressful. The last days, weeks, and months remind us that a chapter of our life is about to end, and a new one is about to begin. The summer months are pressing in on us and plans for travel, vacations, or other summer activities are well underway. It is understandable that there may be some anxiety resting upon our hearts as these times of transition take place. We reflect on the things to come and the things that have transpired. In those reflections, memories of unresolved conflict may arise.

It is that unresolved conflict that Satan and sin use to keep us from the comfort of our Father in heaven. Our lives in sin create that chasm between us and Him. He wants nothing more than to draw us back to Him. As God the Father walks in the Garden of Eden, after the Fall, He wants to be with Adam and Eve. They have disobeyed God and have hidden themselves, for they were afraid. The image of God is lost and His wrath is kindled. He curses the serpent, the woman, the man, and even the ground is cursed. God's wrath is finally delivered to His Son Jesus Christ in His death on the Cross. God delivers the punishment of our sin to His Son. His wrath is turned away from us. 

In His wrathful punishment of His Son on the Cross, our salvation is won. No longer do we fear His wrath, but rather we are covered in the comfort of His unfailing mercy, where the forgiveness of sins and reconciliation have taken place. Joy and comfort are delivered in the message that on the Last Day we will rise from the dead. We will walk upon a restored earth and under a new heaven. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

Lord Jesus, by Your Spirit, You give us faith to cast out all fear of confessing the true faith; for we are helpless to save ourselves, and we must trust in You and You alone for our salvation. Keep us faithful to the end, that You will not be ashamed of us when You come in Your glory with Your Father and the holy angels; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

-Rev. Timothy Davis is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Athens, GA.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Duane Bamsch

Over eight sessions, The Messiah: Revealing Jesus in the Old Testament will lead you through the entirety of the Old Testament with daily readings, questions, and discussion prompts. After a brief introduction that reviews Christ's earthly ministry, you will dive into the heart of the Holy Books that have spiritually nourished God's people from creation to today! Now available from Concordia Publishing House.

Today's Reading: John 16:5-15

Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 20:1-16, 22-27; Luke 11:37-54

"Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you." (John 16:7)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The disciples' plan of salvation was not going in the direction they had hoped. Jesus has been doing miracles, teaching in the synagogues, preparing the people for the kingdom to come and now He was talking about leaving and sending a helper. This was not what they had in mind. Jesus cannot leave. The language of death and resurrection was contrary to the way freedom was usually brought to a nation. Now He is speaking of leaving and sending someone else, and this is to our advantage?

Christ's words of departure and promise to send the "Helper" were foreign to the disciples. He was promising the sending of the Holy Spirit to equip and enable them to proclaim the Good News of salvation. God's plan of salvation was completely different from what the disciples had in mind. The disciples sought temporal freedom from the Roman Empire. Christ brought to them eternal freedom through His actions and deeds.

In our lives we, too, have our own plans. We want our lives to go as we desire. We fail to see or do not want to see God's work in our lives through Christ. Our sinfulness pulls us back from what Christ has delivered to us and points us to the temporal activities in our own situation. The Holy Spirit works in our lives, waging war against the sinful man and pointing us back to the eternal things of God. He delivers to us the Gift of salvation won for us on the Cross. Through the coming of the Holy Spirit, the disciples proclaimed the message of hope and reconciliation to the churches. It is the same message that is proclaimed today: that Christ delivered us through His life, death, and resurrection. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Come, Holy Light, guide divine, Now cause the Word of life to shine. Teach us to know our God aright

And call Him Father with delight. From ev'ry error keep us free; Let none but Christ our master be

That we in living faith abide, In Him, our Lord, with all our might confide. Alleluia, alleluia! ("Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord" LSB 497, st.2)

-Rev. Timothy Davis is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Athens, GA.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Duane Bamsch

Over eight sessions, The Messiah: Revealing Jesus in the Old Testament will lead you through the entirety of the Old Testament with daily readings, questions, and discussion prompts. After a brief introduction that reviews Christ's earthly ministry, you will dive into the heart of the Holy Books that have spiritually nourished God's people from creation to today! Now available from Concordia Publishing House.

Today's Reading: Introit for the Fifth Sunday of Easter

          (Psalm 98:1b, 3-4; antiphon: v.1a, 2b)

Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 9:9-18, 26-37; Luke 11:14-36 

Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things. (From the Introit for the Fifth Sunday of Easter) 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. "God works in mysterious ways!" We hear that phrase frequently in our lives. We attribute the unexplainable to God's mysterious way of interceding in our lives. We reduce His marvelous work to some form of mysticism or magical event taking place. 

In our sinful, temporal lives we look only at the current activities that surround us. We invoke the Name of God in the hope that He'll be a "fix it" god who resolves our current struggles. We use Him as a handyman to get us through the times that we see as difficult and then we ignore Him when we are comfortable. When tragedy strikes, then we call upon Him again. In sin, our focus is only on the right now. In sin we dictate to God what we believe He needs to do in our lives so that our lives can be comfortable by our standards. We do not want to experience any discomforts that may lead to strengthening of faith and growth in our trust in Him.

The psalmist reminds his hearers to sing a new song to the LORD. No longer are they to sing a song of lament and sorrow, but rather a song of joy and comfort. The LORD has done marvelous things in the redemption of His people. No longer are they bound in slavery but they are set free from their enemies. The twofold meaning of the opening stanza of the psalm draws the reader to the immediate temporal lives that the LORD redeemed from earthly slavery and points them to the coming Messiah and His work of redemption. In our lives, God bestows upon us our daily bread of sustenance. We are also reminded of the marvelous work the LORD did through the Gift of redemption. He has redeemed us through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. A new song is sung, proclaiming that we have been set free through the blood of the Lamb. We sing a new song because He has done marvelous things. He has given us eternal life through Christ. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

Dear Christians, one and all, rejoice, With exultation springing, And with united heart and voice And holy rapture singing, Proclaim the wonders God has done, How His right arm the vict'ry won. What price our ransom cost Him! ("Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice" LSB 556, st.1)

-Rev. Timothy Davis is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Athens, GA.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Duane Bamsch

Over eight sessions, The Messiah: Revealing Jesus in the Old Testament will lead you through the entirety of the Old Testament with daily readings, questions, and discussion prompts. After a brief introduction that reviews Christ's earthly ministry, you will dive into the heart of the Holy Books that have spiritually nourished God's people from creation to today! Now available from Concordia Publishing House.

Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 18:1-7, 20-19:8; Luke 11:1-13

"Father, hallowed be your name. . . " (Luke 11:2b)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. God gives His Holy Name to us. A Name that is above all names. A Name that is more than just an identification. His Name is set apart from all other names and clarifies who He is and what He has done. 

In our world today, names bring identity to individuals and have become symbols of success. Families have names that are passed down from generation to generation. Companies have names, and with those names come branding and marketing logos. Schools are given names and mascots of those schools are given names, too. Everything has a name.

God's Name is unique. His Name brings comfort that no other name on earth can bring. His Name is holy, not because we make it holy but because He declares it to be holy. In our sinfulness we loathe His Holy Name. We use it frivolously and toss it around as some insignificant name. We use His Name to deride, to curse, to swear, to lie, to deceive. We take His Holy Name and cast it among the names of other false gods and equate the value of His Name with their names. In the end, we really want nothing to do with His Name.

It is God who wants something to do with you. In His unfathomable love for you, He has called you by name. In your Baptism, the Name of the Triune God was given to you. In His Name and with the waters of Baptism you were washed and cleansed with the forgiveness of sins. You received the sign of the cross both upon your forehead and upon your heart to mark you as one redeemed by Christ the crucified. The benefits of His death and resurrection are yours through Baptism. As you are sent into this world you carry His Name upon you. He takes you and equips and enables you to serve in the vocations that He has created. He has prepared you for His glorious return when every knee shall bow and every mouth confess His Holy Name. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

At the name of Jesus Ev'ry knee shall bow Ev'ry tongue confess Him King of glory now, 'Tis the Father's pleasure We should call Him Lord, Who from the beginning Was the mighty word. ("At the Name of Jesus" LSB 512, st.1)

-Rev. Timothy Davis is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Athens, GA.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Duane Bamsch

Over eight sessions, The Messiah: Revealing Jesus in the Old Testament will lead you through the entirety of the Old Testament with daily readings, questions, and discussion prompts. After a brief introduction that reviews Christ's earthly ministry, you will dive into the heart of the Holy Books that have spiritually nourished God's people from creation to today! Now available from Concordia Publishing House.

Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 17:1-16; Luke 10:23-42

But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" (Luke 10:29)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The lawyer was really pressing Jesus in order to justify himself. "So tell me Jesus, who really is my neighbor?" The ambiguity of the word "neighbor" was working on the heart of the lawyer. The reality that all people could be the lawyer's neighbors did not sit well with him. The lawyer was only looking at himself to fulfill the Law. His original question regarding what he must do to inherit eternal life showed that he was a man who was all about the Law. His salvation was up to him.

Jesus delivers to him the parable of the Good Samaritan. It's a parable that many of us are familiar with and have heard throughout our lives. Often we are placed in the parable as the one who is helping and assisting. We are the ones working to demonstrate our validity before others. We see ourselves as the "Good Samaritan." 

Unfortunately, when we insert ourselves as the one doing the action, we usurp the work of Christ. The lawyer wants to know two things: What must I do to inherit eternal life, and who is my neighbor? With both of these questions he is seeking justification. It is the latter question that answers the first question. The Good Samaritan is not him! It is not us! Reading the text through the work of Christ we see that Christ is the Good Samaritan and we are the person lying in the road (half) dead because of our sins. We have been beaten down and left for dead by the world.

Christ comes as the person least likely to help us. In our sinfulness we despise Christ just as the Samaritans were loathed by the Jewish people. He is the neighbor who serves us and restores us to life. He pays for all our needs and then He is coming again to claim us. No longer are we left dead along the road. The Good Samaritan has washed your wounds in the waters of Baptism. He has restored you with the nurturing strengthening of faith in the Eucharist. You are in His everlasting care until He returns in the resurrection of the dead. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Christ has our host surrounded With clouds of martyrs bright, Who wave their palms in triumph And fire us for the fight. Then Christ the cross ascended To save a world undone And, suffering for the sinful, Our full redemption won. ("Christ Is the World's Redeemer" LSB 539, st.2)

-Rev. Timothy Davis is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Athens, GA.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Duane Bamsch

Over eight sessions, The Messiah: Revealing Jesus in the Old Testament will lead you through the entirety of the Old Testament with daily readings, questions, and discussion prompts. After a brief introduction that reviews Christ's earthly ministry, you will dive into the heart of the Holy Books that have spiritually nourished God's people from creation to today! Now available from Concordia Publishing House.