Reflections

Today's Reading: Ephesians 3:13-21

Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 9:1-21; 1 Timothy 5:17-6:2

[Give] thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 3:20)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Well, that's a pretty big request, isn't it? We're really supposed to give thanks always and for everything? There's nothing that we shouldn't be giving thanks for? This is hard to believe, and perhaps even harder to practice. Think about all the awful things in the world! Are we really supposed to give thanks for suffering and hardship? It is easy to give thanks for money and nice stuff. But what about the difficult things?

St. Polycarp, as he was being burned at the stake in the year 155, blessed the Lord and thanked Him that he was found worthy to share in the cup of Christ. He did not pray for immediate deliverance from his afflictions, but gave thanks that the Lord had already provided the escape. Quite simply, nothing can harm you if you are in Christ, not even persecution. You can give thanks for everything all the time in the Name of Jesus Christ.

The key here is to give thanks in the Name of Jesus. Apart from Jesus, life is meaningless and full of suffering. Without Jesus, your life ends in death and that is that. But your life is lived in the Name of Jesus Christ. This Name was placed upon you in Holy Baptism, and Jesus goes where His Name is placed. Think about the life of Christ. His family rejected Him. He was stricken, smitten, and afflicted. He was betrayed by His friend and abandoned by His disciples. He was put to death in His early 30s in the worst way possible. If that were all, it would have been a meaningless waste.

But Jesus did not stay on a Cross or in a grave. He was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father! So yes, you can give thanks for everything all the time, no matter what. Try it. You cannot die and you cannot be harmed. The Cross of Jesus has been given to you, and with His Cross comes resurrection. This is a difficult teaching, but so is the Cross. Yet, this is all we've been given. Give thanks. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O God, by the patient endurance of Your only-begotten Son You beat down the pride of the old enemy. Help us to treasure rightly in our hearts what our Lord has borne for our sakes that, after His example, we may bear with patience those things that are adverse to us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch

Today's Reading: Small Catechism: Office of the Keys

Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 7:1-4; 8:1-18; 1 Timothy 5:1-16

Confession has two parts. (Small Catechism: Office of the Keys)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The entirety of the Christian life, and life in general, is summed up in this little phrase: Confession has two parts. That's it! I bring my sins to Jesus and Jesus forgives me. I contribute nothing to my salvation except my sins, which are forgiven in the Name of Jesus. I bring death and Jesus brings life. We often make the mistake of thinking that our life should be lived perfectly, when really it is meant to be lived in forgiveness. I am not perfect, but Jesus Christ is, and His perfection is given to me.

The Church practiced confession in a very different way prior to the Reformation. There used to be three parts to confession: contrition, confession, and penance. It was believed that you had to feel really bad about your sins, and then do something in order to earn the Absolution. Most often you would just have to say a bunch of prayers or go to church. It is even taught in some places today that you can earn Absolution simply by walking through a particular door at a particular time. We humans are very good at inventing ways to get rid of our sins, but these methods look past and away from Jesus.

If my forgiveness depends on my level of feeling bad about my sins or how many prayers I can say in order to earn Absolution, I'll never feel bad enough or say enough prayers. My sins are much worse than I think they are, and the mercy of Christ is much more than I will ever truly know it to be.

Make no mistake, your sins are taken away from you by Jesus. He forgives you all your sins. This is why you have a pastor. Jesus Christ wants you, personally, to know and to receive the gifts that were won on the Cross. And so He has sent you a pastor to speak for Him. When you hear your pastor pronounce forgiveness, it is as if Jesus Christ is speaking to you. Pastors aren't God, they just speak for Him. What Jesus says goes, and He says that you are forgiven. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Though great our sins, yet greater still is God's abundant favor; His hand of mercy never will abandon us, nor waver. Our shepherd good and true is He, Who will at last His Israel free from all their sin and sorrow. ("From Depths of Woe I Cry to Thee" LSB 607, st.5)

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch

Today's Reading: Matthew 9:9-13

Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 5:1-16; 6:1-9, 15-16; 1 Timothy 4:1-16

"Follow me." (Matthew 9:9)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. "Follow me." Two words. That's all Jesus said to Matthew. There's no complicated plan. There aren't twelve steps or even six chief parts. I've seen some schemes for salvation that seem very difficult to even interpret, what with all of the steps, stairs, and degrees. I'm fascinated by the fact that Jesus just says these two words. He doesn't explain much.

The same sort of thing happened with the other disciples, too. Jesus just called them. He did tell Peter that he will be fishing for men, but even that did not reveal very much. I don't think they knew what they were getting into when Jesus called them. He just called them, and they followed.

Did you know what you were getting into when Jesus called you to follow Him? Who could have known, when the water was splashed upon you and the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit placed upon your head, where this would all lead? Following Jesus might lead to persecution, trials, tribulations, and all sorts of seemingly nasty things. Following Jesus also might lead to an incredibly satisfying life lived with faithful people and family surrounding you. Or both. You really can't know. All you can know for sure is that if you follow Jesus, you will go where He has gone, and He will not leave you behind.

Ultimately this means that you will follow Jesus into death and resurrection, for this is where He has already gone. You cannot be defeated. You have been called to live.

Matthew got up from his tax collection booth and began to live, following Jesus. You have been called to truly live and follow Jesus, too. Who knows where it will take you? Matthew could not have known then what we know now; that he would follow Jesus, compose the first account of the life of Christ, and that millions of people would come to salvation through these words. Wherever your life in Christ takes you, it is all lived in Christ, so it will be good. Let the adventure begin! In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O Son of God, our blessed Savior Jesus Christ, You called Matthew the tax collector to be an apostle and evangelist. Through his faithful and inspired witness, grant that we may also follow You, leaving behind all covetous desires and love of riches; for You live and reign with the Father and the Son, one God now and forever. Amen.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch

Today's Reading: 1 Kings 17:17-24

Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 4:7-23; 1 Timothy 3:1-16

Then [Elijah] stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the Lord, "O Lord my God, let this child's life come into him again." (1 Kings 17:21)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Lord's business is resurrection. A prayer to the Lord for a resurrection is sure to be heard, for this is what He has shown that He is about. Elijah doesn't try to comfort the mother with empty words. There's no "He's in a better place" or "At least you had him for these years." She is angry, and rightly so. Death can indeed cause us to be angry. It just isn't right. You were not created to die. Mothers should not have to bury their children. No one should have to bury anyone. You were created to live.

And so, the Lord's business is resurrection. We brought death upon ourselves, and the Lord has seen fit to reverse our foolish and tragic actions. Our addiction to sin has earned death for all of us. Each and every single last one of us will die because we are all sinners. Sometimes the Lord gives us a taste of the world to come a little bit early. Elijah knew that the Lord would raise the dead, and so he stretched himself upon the child three times while crying out to the Lord.

This seems bizarre, but it is not so different from what has happened to you. The Lord has touched you in Holy Baptism, stretching Himself over you, marking you as one ready to receive resurrection when the time comes. The Lord touches you in Holy Absolution, again marking you as a pre-resurrected saint. Sometimes your pastor may even lay his stole over your head when Absolution is given. The Lord comes to you, and gives His Body and Blood to you in the Holy Eucharist.

This may all look as strange as if old Elijah had stretched himself over us. And yet, touch is how the Lord has come to us. He has touched you, and set you aside to receive your life again. It has been given back to you already, and one day, you will sit up from a grave, and be given back to your Mother, the Church. That's the Lord's business. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Lord, let at last Thine angels come, to Abr'ham's bosom bear me home, that I may die unfearing; and in its narrow chamber keep my body safe in peaceful sleep until Thy reappearing. And then from death awaken me, that these mine eyes with joy may see, O Son of God, Thy glorious face, my Savior and my fount of grace. Lord Jesus Christ, my prayer attend, my prayer attend, and I will praise Thee without end. ("Lord, Thee I Love with All My Heart" LSB 708, st.3)

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch

Today's Reading: Luke 7:11-17

Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 2:11-20; 4:1-6; 1 Timothy 2:1-15

And when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep." … And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise." (Luke 7:13)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. People sometimes say silly things at funerals. We don't often have the right words to say when someone dies. Death is too big of an event and our language fails. How can we properly express our sympathy and grief to the bereaved?

I've buried dozens of people during my several years as a pastor, so I've heard people say all sorts of foolish things. I'm still not sure what we should say at funerals, but I know a bit about what we should not say. "Don't cry" is probably the worst thing that you could say. Death is the enemy! How could we not cry and feel sad when someone we love has died? Jesus Himself weeps at the tomb of His friend Lazarus! Sorrow is natural and grief is actually quite healthy, so long as it is not given over to despair. You do not need to deny the tragedy that has occurred when someone dies.

What shall we do with our friend Jesus then? Was He wrong? I do not advise any of you to use His words at a funeral unless you can do what Jesus can do. He comes to the saddest woman in the world, and tells her to stop weeping. This seems ridiculous.

This is how things will go with Jesus. It is nearly unbelievable. Not only does He command the sad mother to not weep, He then speaks to the dead son. "Arise!" Jesus does uncommon and seemingly foolish things all the time because He can follow through on them. The dead young man hears the words of Jesus, sits up, and begins to speak! Jesus tells the mother to stop weeping because He is going to raise her son from death.

Our world will be filled with weeping on account of death until Jesus comes again, touches us, and speaks to us. Be assured that this will indeed happen. Your ears will hear the voice of Jesus, as clearly as you already have in Holy Baptism and in the preaching of the Word, and you will be raised from the dead. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O Lord, we pray that Your grace may always go before and follow after us, that we may continually be given to all good works; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Collect for the 16th Sunday after Trinity)

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch

Today's Reading: Introit for the 16th Sunday after Trinity (Psalm 86:1, 7, 12-13; antiphon: vs.3, 5)

Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 1:1-2:10; 1 Timothy 1:1-20

I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. (Psalm 86:12)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. When you imagine that the words of the psalms come out of Christ's mouth, you might hear the words in a different way. For instance, Psalm 86:1 becomes a reminder that our God in the flesh identifies with all who are poor and needy in this world, even as in Luke 7 He will sympathize with the grieving widow at Nain and His compassion will restore her son to life. (But more about that tomorrow.) The King of the universe and Son of David could have chosen to be born in a palace. Instead He was born to a poor newlywed couple in a lowly manger. As an adult, He would say, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head," (Luke 9:58).

Why did He suffer through being poor and needy? For you. "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9).

Yet He knew His suffering would be only temporary. Even though insolent men rose up against Jesus to end His life, as David wrote prophetically of Christ in Psalm 86:14, the Son was confident that He will glorify God the Father's name forever. And because the dead cannot praise the Lord (so it would be impossible for Him to do that forever if death ended Him), the Son of God went into Good Friday trusting that God would deliver His "soul from the depths of Sheol" (Psalm 86:13), raising Him from the dead on the Third Day.

God has baptismally put you into Christ, and so He puts these same words into your mouth. He who gave David the confidence to know that he would glorify God forever in the resurrection even after David died now puts that confidence into you. On that great Day, you will no longer suffer the weakness of divided loyalties as you do now when your sin messes up your faith. The Lord will raise you, body and soul, to be perfect and whole. And then you shall mean it when you say, "I give thanks to you, O Lord, my God, with my whole heart." In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Thou hast died for my transgression, All my sins on Thee were laid; Thou hast won for me salvation, On the cross my debt was paid. From the grave I shall arise And shall meet Thee in the skies. Death itself is transitory; I shall lift my head in glory. ("Thanks to Thee, O Christ, Victorious" LSB 548, st.2)

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch

Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 36:1-23; Colossians 4:1-18

That the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia. (2 Chronicles 36:22)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jerusalem is no more. God had tried to get through to His people. "But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising His words and scoffing at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD rose against His people" (verse 16). God knew that the only thing that would work was to bring the Chaldean King and his army to Jerusalem for war and destroy it in 586 BC. When other kingdoms suffered a defeat like this, they were gone. Game over.

However, God still had plans for His people. He promised that the Savior of all nations would be born from this nation. And so, by grace, He raised this nation from death back to life again after their Babylonian captivity, just as He promised in Jeremiah 29:10: "I will fulfill to you My promise and bring you back to this place."

The prophecy from Isaiah 45:1-7 about this time is very amazing. Not only does the Lord name Cyrus specifically as the restorer of His people over a century before the Persian King was born, He also refers to Cyrus as being God's anointed, despite the fact that the man was a foreign pagan. Remember, God commanded His priests to anoint prophets, priests, and kings. And there are also the prophesies of the Anointed One, which in Greek is Christos, or Christ.

Just as 2 Chronicles 36:22 reports to us, God fulfilled His promises in Isaiah 45 to give military success and political power to King Cyrus for the sake of God's chosen people Israel--and for your sake! As God says prophetically to Cyrus in Isaiah 45:5-6, "I equip you, though you do not know Me, that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides Me; I am the LORD, and there is no other." For among those who returned to the Promised Land with the help of Cyrus were ancestors of Jesus, to whom all authority in heaven and on earth has been given. While guiding world history, Christ directed the servants of His Church to go out into all the world and find you, teaching you to know Him as the only God, so that by the forgiveness of your sins, you could live in His kingdom in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O God, the protector of all who trust in You, have mercy on us that with You as our ruler and guide we may so pass through things temporal that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch

Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 35:1-7, 16-25; Colossians 3:1-25

Josiah died and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. (2 Chronicles 35:24)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. O King Josiah, what have you done? You just displayed wonderful devotion to the God of Israel by reforming the religion of your people. But now you are like all the other sons of David as you fell into great sin. You died because you did not listen to God. In many and various ways He commanded you not to go to battle Neco. The Lord warned all the kings of His people not to join foreign wars and alliances. The prophetess Huldah foretold that after your death, the curses of disaster would fall upon your kingdom (2 Chronicles 34:22-28). And God commanded you through Neco himself to let his troops travel from Egypt to fight the Assyrian king. But Josiah, you would not listen! You do not get to disobey God's Word just because it comes from a person you do not like. Why did you leave us to lament your death? Why did you need to prove your Descendant will be correct when He says, "All who take the sword will perish by the sword" (Matthew 26:52)?

Josiah was a great and faithful king who served God's people. Most of the time. Just like his ancestor David, he was not perfect as He broke God's commandments. Yet there will be a Son of David who comes to be our perfect King. He will never sin as He reforms and restores His people to God by forgiving all the commandments that they break.

The people of His kingdom will also grieve at the death of this Son of Josiah. On the night of the greatest Passover, unlike any other Passover ever held before or after it, when the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world gets ready to be slaughtered on the altar of the Cross, just before He is betrayed, He will say to His disciples, "You will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy" (John 16:20). He could promise what Josiah could not because Jesus knew the resurrection was coming after His death. For Him, and for you. And so what our Lord promised the disciples is now a promise Your Savior gives to you: "You have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you" (John 16:22). In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O come, Desire of nations, bind In one the hearts of all mankind; Bid Thou our sad divisions cease, and be Thyself our King of Peace. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. ("O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" LSB 357, st.7)

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch

Today's Reading: Small Catechism: Confession

Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 34:1-4, 8-11, 14-33; Colossians 2:8-23

What is Confession? Confession has two parts. First, that we confess our sins, and second, that we receive absolution, that is, forgiveness, from the pastor as from God Himself, not doubting, but firmly believing that by it our sins are forgiven before God in heaven. (Small Catechism: Confession)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In the beginning, God spoke: Let there be light. And all of creation bent itself to His will. It was good, for a little while. Not so much now. Sin breaks stuff. Maybe we can point fingers at Adam or Eve (it was Adam’s fault) and say that wasn’t your fault, even if it is your burden. The truth is, those words that sling blame don’t fix it. They can’t change creation for the better, just lament the state of it.

God still speaks with words that accomplish something, not just for Adam’s sin, but also for yours. Now He uses your pastor. "In the stead and by the command of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins." And all of creation bends itself to His will. Your sins are forgiven before God in heaven. And it is good.

With words He reshapes creation. He’s not done talking. It’s good, because you’re not done sinning. That’s not ok. Your sin breaks stuff, too. It leaves you wrecked with guilt. It leaves you alone. It leaves you set against the people you’re given to love, and the people given to love you. Understand that the words you use to sling blame, to excuse your sins, to justify yourself, and to accuse your neighbor don’t fix anything. They can’t change creation for the better, but still do plenty to make it worse.

So we hear God speak words that grant peace. He absolves your sins through your pastor. He absolves your neighbors’ sins, too. He even lets you speak the words “your sins are forgiven you” that point to the place where all sin was brought to nothing. We point to the Cross and say Jesus forgave us there. He spoke: "It is finished." Sin isn’t allowed to destroy anymore. What our sins break, He promises healing for in the resurrection. It is very good.

Today, we have to wait in the world broken by our sin, but we wait for the resurrection already started in Christ who burst from the tomb. We wait for something already begun. And while we wait, we wait with words that shape creation to what God promises it to be. And it is good. 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, st.6)

Today's Reading: John 12:20-33

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

"Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name." Then a voice came from heaven, saying, "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again." (John 12:27-28)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus could ask the Father to save Him from the hour of His suffering and death. But then you wouldn't be saved. No one would. If Jesus is spared suffering and death, you won't be. Your sins will be yours and the eternal judgment of God upon you will be just.

But Jesus didn't come to bail on us. He came to go through with it. To walk the lonely road of suffering and death for sinners. For you. For the world. If He goes the way of trial and mockery and thorns and cross and death, then you are saved. His death is your salvation.

But there is more. "Father, glorify your name." How is God's name glorified? Exalted? How is God most God? When He's saving sinners. When the Father sends His Son for you. When the Son willingly undergoes that suffering and death for you.

But the glory doesn't end on Good Friday. It's not snuffed out with the last breath of Jesus. He rises again on the Third Day. Jesus hasn't just taken care of sin. He's taken care of death. And by taking care of both of those, He's taken care of you. Taken away your sins. Given you eternal life.

Your Baptism, the Absolution, the preaching, the Body and Blood--all of these are the glorious gifts of a Savior who has put you above Himself, who has done what needed to be done in order to make you right with your Creator. Jesus accomplished it. He didn't shy away from it or run. He faced it head-on and now “it is finished.” Your salvation is a done deal. God has glorified His name when He put it upon you and called you His dear child. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

Merciful God, Your Son, Jesus Christ, was lifted high upon the cross that He might bear the sins of the world and draw all people to Himself. Grant that we who glory in His death for our redemption may faithfully heed His call to bear the cross and follow Him, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Collect for Holy Cross Day)