Reflections

Today's Reading: Matthew 11:2-11

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 29:1-14; Jude 1-25

Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?" And Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see:  the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them."  (Matthew 11:2-6)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Why did John send his disciples to Jesus? Some say he did what any great teacher would do, he sent his students to find the truth. He sent them to be catechized by Jesus. Others say that John was struggling himself. He had been in jail for a year. He was almost certain his life would end there in prison. He had questions, questions for Jesus. 

A lot of ink has been spilled trying to answer the question of why John sent his disciples. The answer is probably a combination of both. The important thing is not why John did what he did, but what did Jesus do in response? 

Jesus directed John's disciples, and John and us to look at the evidence. "The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them." Jesus did not direct them to look into their hearts, or at their own emotions. He directed them to see Jesus' authority over disease, dysfunction, doubt, and death. 

If we are honest with ourselves, we have to admit that we vacillate, daily, between a sure and certain hope in Jesus' atoning death on the Cross and saying, "Are you the one to come, or shall we look for another?" 

Daily we find our hope in what Jesus has done. Our blind eyes read His "Good News" and see His Cross and empty grave. That gives us His peace. Daily our old deaf Adam is drowned when we make the sign of the cross. Through our Baptism our ears are opened by His Spirit to hear His life-giving words of forgiveness for all our sins, including sins of doubt, worry, and fear. Daily our future death would try to rob us of our sure and certain hope. Jesus was in the grave first. It could not hold Him. It cannot hold you.  

 Your hope is not in "why." It is in what Jesus has done for you! In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

Lord Jesus Christ, we implore You to hear our prayers and to lighten the darkness of our hearts by Your gracious visitation; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Collect for the Third Sunday in Advent)

-Rev. Randy Sturzenbecher is pastor of Divine Shepherd Lutheran Church, Black Hawk, SD. He is also the vice president of Higher Things.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch

Today's Reading: Introit for the Third Sunday in Advent (Psalm 80:1, 3, 14, 17; antiphon: Isaiah 62:11b; 30:30, 29)

Daily Lectionary:  Isaiah 28:14-29; 1 John 5:1-21

Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved! (From the Introit for the Third Sunday In Advent)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Have you ever restored anything, maybe an old car or a house or even a piece of furniture that has seen better days? If so, you know the hours that it can take. Restoring old furniture can be a lot of work. Scraping off layers upon layers of old paint. Sanding creases, grooves, and scratches. Smoothing out the finish and finally whipping on a new coat of finish. Yes, time and effort are needed in order to make that which is old, dirty, and broken into a revived thing of beauty. 

Restoring things takes effort and dedication, and throughout the process, the item in question does nothing to help. Wood and metal just stand there dead and lifeless, waiting on the hands and the keen eye of the one who restores in order to bring them to life again. 

The writer of Psalm 80 knew that only God can restore the brokenness of mankind. This is the cry of the psalmist in the Introit for today. The writer wants the Lord God to restore His people. He wants the rough edges sanded down, the old crackled paint to be removed, the scratches and blemishes to be made like new, and finally for a new finish to be put on the people. 

Sinners always need to be restored, and it is only God who can do these things. The Lord delights in His chosen people; they are His creation. It is the desire of the Lord to shine forth with a face filled with grace and mercy. He wants His people to be made new. It is only by the work of God that we who are dead, lifeless pieces are brought to life once again. Jesus brings us to life. His atonement has brought us salvation. In Baptism we are covered with Christ's righteousness, and the old, sinful stain is removed so that we are made right with God. 

What a great gift we receive all the days of our lives! Now, because of Christ, God's face shines upon us. He looks down from heaven and sees Jesus, and we are restored saints, children of God, waiting for the coming of Christ. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the restoration that you give to us each and every day in the waters of Baptism. Help us always to be mindful of the gifts we receive from your bountiful hand and continue to order our lives to your praise and glory. Through Jesus's Name we pray. Amen.

-Rev. William K. Stottlemyer is the pastor of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hancock, MD.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 26:20-27:13; 1 John 4:1-21

In this the love of God has made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the World, so that we might live through him. (1 John 4:9)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The love of God is made known to us by the coming of Jesus. During the season of Advent, we prepare for the coming of the Messiah. In John's first epistle, we read about true love, the love that your Father in heaven has for you. God loved you in that He sent His only Son into this world of sin. Jesus is the clearest picture of love that we will ever see. His life, His actions, His words, His miracles--everything that He did on earth proclaimed the love that He has for us men even though we did not deserve this love.

All of us were dead in our sins and enemies of God. We were the most unlovable people you could ever imagine. Our nature is selfish and filled with sin. As children of wrath, we love ourselves first. We hate one another, and we most certainly do not love God. Without a Savior we could never be right with God. Our sins have condemned us, and left on our own, we would be in hell.

Jesus knew that without His love we would never love one another and we would never love God. So He willingly gave up His throne and came to earth. Born of the Virgin Mary, Christ came out of the womb, born in the same way as all men. Yet He was unique, for He came into this world without sin. Loved by His Father, He loved perfectly in return. Doing the will of Father, He set out to fulfill the Law by loving the Lord His God with all His heart, soul, mind, and strength and by loving His neighbor as Himself. Jesus went to the Cross, suffering all shame and facing the divine wrath of His Father on account of sin. Jesus suffered in our place and paid our price. Jesus died for you. Jesus' love flowed down in the blood and the water. His love brought forth life and salvation to all who believe. The love Christ had for you kept Him on the Cross, and His sacrifice was accepted. 

Jesus died. However, the grave could not hold Him, and because of His love for you, the grave will not hold you either. This is the love of God--sinners receiving life and salvation. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Heavenly Father, thank you for making known to us true love in the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross. Amen.

-Rev. William K. Stottlemyer is the pastor of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hancock, MD.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch

Today's Reading: Romans 15:4-13

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 26:1-19; 1 John 3:1-24 

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. (Romans 15:4) 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Have you ever wondered why the Old Testament was written? All those pages of names and actions of people who rebelled against God? Now once in a while, we read about a fairly good guy--maybe an Abraham, Moses, or David--but more often we read about a Cain, Samson, or Ahab. Books of the Old Testament are filled with life stories of men and women who knew the truth. They heard the voice of God in the wilderness. They saw the pillar of fire. They had eaten the bread of heaven. The prophet of God had come and had spoken to them, yet they kept right on falling into sin. 

Why were all these sinners written about in the Old Testament? Why did God choose to share with us the stories of all these imperfect people? Well, in the book of Romans, Paul tells us that Scripture was written so that we might have instruction, encouragement, and hope. 

The Bible has pages upon pages of instruction so that we might see what God requires of us. The Bible is filled with the stories of men and women who failed to listen to God so that you and I might see that we are in good company because we, too, fail to listen to the Lord. The pages of Holy Scripture are filled with the encouragement of the grace, mercy, and long-suffering love of God. For God so loved the world that even before the fall into sin, He planned to send His Son to redeem us from all our sin.

The pages of Holy Scripture are written so that we might have hope. In the Bible we receive the glorious message of salvation. We learn that Christ came, took our place, and suffered our punishment. Jesus died on the Cross to forgive us and all those sinners in the Old Testament who had faith and trusted in the Lord. Instruction, encouragement, and hope--these are the reasons that the Holy Spirit caused the men of God to write the Bible. What a great gift we have received by the hand of God! In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O Holy and most merciful God, who by your Word has taught us the truth of who we are and what we need. Continue to pour out your grace and mercy upon us so that we might live for you. In Jesus's Name we pray. Amen.

-Rev. William K. Stottlemyer is the pastor of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hancock, MD.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch

Today's Reading: Small Catechism: Table of Duties, to Wives

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 24:14-25:12; 1 John 2:15-29 

Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:22)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In the Small Catechism, Martin Luther continues to list out the duties that those who are in Christ are called by God to do. Under the category of wives, Luther simply points to Paul's letter to the Ephesians where Paul writes that wives are to submit to their husbands.

When many people hear the word "submit," they immediately get upset. How dare someone tell a wife that she should yield her power and authority to her husband! However, the Greek word that is translated "submit" means that the wife, through the working of the Holy Spirit, will put herself under obedience to her husband in the same way that she is under obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. For just as Jesus is the Head of the Church, and His Bride put Herself under His leadership, so the wife does for her husband.

Now the idea of placing oneself under the authority of someone else is hard for our sinful flesh. All of us want to be the boss. We want to be god and do what we desire. There are many times in the life of the Christian that we do not want to submit to Jesus and what He has written in His Holy Word. Instead we struggle and fight, trying to find a way to ignore the parts of Scripture we don't like. However, Scripture cannot be broken, and we all must repent of this sin. We must turn away from our failings and learn to submit ourselves to Christ, the Head, and to ask His forgiveness. Humbling ourselves, we confess our sins, and Christ forgives our sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

In order for marriage to work in a God-pleasing manner, the wife is called by God to submit to her husband. In doing so, she is simply doing the task that God has given to her. So also, all Christians are called by God to submit to Christ, to place ourselves under His authority, and to listen to all that He has spoken to us. When we do this, we are living as God has called us to live, and this is good and pleasing to Him.  For as we submit to Christ through faith, we are freely given His grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

 Lord, help us all to submit to the authority that you have placed over us. Forgive us when we fail and continue to guide us into the way of all truth. In Jesus's Name we pray. Amen.

-Rev. William K. Stottlemyer is the pastor of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hancock, MD.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch

Today's Reading: Malachi 4:1-6

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 24:1-13; 1 John 1:1-2:14

"But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings." (Malachi 4:2a)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The prophet Malachi was told by God to proclaim the coming judgment of the Lord. On that day, the Lord would come with great glory and might, and the arrogant and all evil doers would be set ablaze. The day of the Lord was a day of judgment for the sins of the people. This day of the Lord came to the nation of Israel when the holy city Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed. 

This day will also come on the final day when Christ returns to judge the living and the dead. On that day all people who have lived on this earth will have to stand before the Judge and give an account of all that they have done. Can you imagine the feeling of dread and fear that will arise as the sins of a whole life are laid before the unrelenting gaze of the perfect Son of God? For those without Christ, it will be a day of great sadness. Their sins will condemn them. They will be judged and cast into the fires of hell to spend eternity under the wrath of God. 

However, for all those in Christ, this will be a day of great healing. Malachi tells us that the sun of righteousness will arise with healing. Our sins will be no more because the blood of Jesus will cleanse us. This healing was bought for you on the Cross when Jesus, the true Son of righteousness, gave up His life willingly. He died so that you might be forgiven. You and I need never fear the Day of Judgment because on that day we will stand before the judge and hear that we are forgiven. Then we will be welcomed into heaven along with all believers because of Jesus's sacrifice. What a great gift that has been given to us through faith! In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O Lord, I do not deserve a glimpse of heaven, and I am unable with my works to redeem myself from sin, death, the devil, and hell. Nevertheless, you have given me your Son, Jesus Christ, who is far more precious and dear than heaven, and much stronger than sin, death, the devil, and hell. For this I rejoice, praise, and thank you, O God. Without cost and out of pure grace you have given me this boundless blessing in your dear Son. Through Him you take sin, death and hell from me, and do grant me all that belongs to him. Amen. (Luther's Prayers)

-Rev. William K. Stottlemyer is the pastor of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hancock, MD.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 14:1-23; 2 Peter 3:1-18

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. (2 Peter 3:18)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. If you were to look at the stories that surround the birth and life of Nicholas of Myra, you will very quickly begin to think, "What a great man!" If one can believe the tales, during his Baptism as an infant, he stood in the baptismal font for three hours on his own in reverence to the Holy Trinity. Then he refused to drink milk from his mother on Wednesdays and Fridays until after evening prayers so as to begin a life of fasting in honor of God. Later on, Nicholas cast purses down chimneys so that a poor man's daughters might have dowries. According to the legends, Nicholas was a saint his whole life. So it should not surprise us that he eventually became modeled into Santa Claus because of all the gifts he would give to those in need.

Nicholas's life story seems a bit far fetched, and perhaps not all of the stories are true. But what is true is that Nicholas, the archbishop of Myrna, was a child of God, and throughout his life he grew in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. His life and all the great things he did were not for his own glory. Instead, all that he accomplished pointed to the faith that he had received from the Holy Spirit. Nicholas was a sinner just like you and I. He died, and his death testified to the fact that he failed to perfectly keep the Law. Nicholas needed Jesus and the gift that He purchased by His innocent suffering and death on the Cross. Nicholas needed Christ to forgive him of all his sins.

Now years later we celebrate the life of Nicholas not because of who he was, but because of what the Holy Spirit led him to do. This man is a saint just as you and I are saints, but not because of our works, not because of all the great things we accomplish, but because of Christ our Savior. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Father in Heaven, we give thanks for the examples that you have given to us in the saints who have gone before. We ask that you continue to lead us to do good works so that we might also reflect Your glory and share the message of Christ with those around us. Amen.

-Rev. William K. Stottlemyer is the pastor of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hancock, MD.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch

Today's Reading: Luke 21:25-36

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 11:1-12:6; 2 Peter 2:1-22

"Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." (Luke 21:28)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. As the Day of Judgment draws near, the world in which we live will become even more chaotic. There will be signs and wonders. We will have wars. There will be storms and plagues. The earth will quake, and the whole world will be in turmoil. At this time, there will be many people in this world who will be terrified. The life they once knew will be coming quickly to an end, and even the heavens will be shaken. During a situation like this it would be easy for us to run around in a panic, to throw our hands in the air and give in to fear for what is about to happen. It would be a natural thing to do because deep down, we know that all this is happening because of us and our sin. Sinners will always face judgment, and, as we have learned, the wages of sin is always death.

However, Jesus tells us that on that day when the Son of Man comes in a cloud and with great power and glory, we are not to fear. Instead of being sinners terrified by what we have done, you and I are to lift up our heads and look to the heavens because on that cloud comes our redemption. What a great comfort this is for us! You see, the great Judge who is coming on that day into this world is Jesus, our redemption. He alone paid the price necessary to save us from our sins. His blood shed on the Cross has brought us forgiveness, peace, salvation, and everlasting life.

No longer do we need to fear the Day of Judgment. On that day we will not see an angry judge; instead you and I will see and hear the voice of our dear Shepherd. He will say on that day, "Come to me all you who are weary and I will give you rest."

So we watch and wait, gathering together as the Body of Christ, encouraging one another through songs, prayers, and by the Word of God. We're staying awake until Jesus returns, and He will come soon. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to make ready the way of Your only-begotten Son, that by His coming we may be enabled to serve You with pure minds; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen. (Collect for the Second Sunday of Advent) 

-Rev. William K. Stottlemyer is the pastor of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hancock, MD.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch

Today's Reading: Introit for the Second Sunday in Advent (Psalm 25:4–5, 21–22; antiphon: v.25:1–3a)
Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 10:12-27, 33-34; 2 Peter 1:1-21

Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. (From the Introit for the Second Sunday in Advent)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. If you are out walking in the woods, you want to find a clear path. Without a path, the way can be treacherous. Branches, brambles, and loose stones cause you to stumble and will impede your progress. Tripping and sliding with every step, you are in real danger of twisting an ankle or breaking a leg. After a while, you grow weary of all the work. Then you become discouraged, and in the end, you wonder if it is really worth the effort. 

However, if you are walking through the woods on a deer trail or a man-made path, the going is much easier. A path that has been traveled over and over is smoother. The branches are pushed back, and loose stones are not in the road. As a young boy, King David was a shepherd, so he knew the importance of a good path in the wilderness of this world. In the psalms, David tells us that there is one path that will lead us out of every trouble.

The path that we need to follow is the path of the Lord. Only God can teach us His path. In the pages of Holy Scripture, we have a path that leads us through the wilderness of this land. On this path there is truth, life, and salvation. By following this path, we walk through the valley of the shadow of death and into the true light of heaven. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, you have been brought to this path. All who believe in Christ and who have received by faith the sacrifice that He offered by His death on the Cross have received the salvation of the Lord. Because of Jesus we will never be put to shame, for He leads us into the way of His truth and onto the path of life everlasting. 

David asks that the Lord would make known to him His ways and to teach him His paths. We also need to make this request each day to the Lord. God promises to lead us on His path, and this path can be found in the pages of Holy Scripture and in church where we hear and receive all the Gifts God has for us. In the preaching, in Absolution, and in the Lord's Supper, we receive all that we need to support us as we walk on the path of God. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Help us, dear Lord, to continue to walk on your path. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

-Rev. William K. Stottlemyer is the pastor of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hancock, MD.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch

Today's Reading: Romans 13:11-14
Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 9:8-10:11; 1 Peter 5:1-14

For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. (Romans 13:11)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Wake up! He is coming! He will be here soon! Get ready! The days of Advent pass quickly, and soon Jesus will be here. Christmas is in 21 days; will you be ready? The Church is always in a state of tension. Eagerly awaiting the coming of the Savior, we recognize that "salvation is nearer to us now" than ever before. Each day that passes on this earth is a day closer to when Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead. It is on that day that we will see our salvation face to face.

What a day of great joy that will be, for no longer will we live in a land of darkness, a land filled with sin and death. Given a new heavenly body perfect in every way, all who are baptized and believe in Christ will receive everlasting peace because of His death on the Cross. Living in the new heavens and earth, we will no longer struggle with the things of this world. 

Until that time, however, we will daily continue to struggle against our own sinful flesh. Because of the faith we have been given by the Holy Spirit, we are called by God to walk properly and live as forgiven sinners. Children of God, you and I must fight against the passions of the flesh. We cannot do it on our own, so we return each and every day to our Baptism. There we drown the old Adam and put on the new man in Christ. Then we go forth speaking and acting as God intends us to, keeping the commandments of God, living in the forgiveness we have been given.

This time of waiting passes quickly, but we have preparations to make. Things must be done. Putting on the Lord Jesus Christ means we must return each day to the pages of Holy Scripture. It is there that we read, mark, learn, and take all the things God wants us to know and to do to heart so that we might live in the light of Christ while we await His return. Our salvation is near. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Lord Jesus Christ, Hurry. Do not delay in bringing the blessed day when the hope of happy redemption will be fulfilled. For this reason you have ask us to pray: Your kingdom come. Since you have so commanded us to pray, give us grace and help to pray diligently, firmly believing that we shall finally come to such glory. Amen. (Luther's Prayers)

-Rev. William K. Stottlemyer is the pastor of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hancock, MD.