Reflections

September 23, 2026

Today's Reading: Ephesians 3:13-21

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

“So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.” (Ephesians 3:13)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The presence and actions of God in someone’s life are sometimes hard to understand. This is especially true during the more difficult times that everyone must face. In other words, faith can be challenged during times of suffering. This is why Paul writes the way he does in Ephesians. He is writing from prison, and the very fact that he is in trouble may have caused some Christians to have doubts about their own status before God. How could what Paul preached be true if he was suffering? How could Paul preach an all-powerful God if the authorities were able to put him into prison?

These kinds of questions are to be expected. We like to see a direct line between the circumstances of our lives and the truth of our faith. This is exactly how many present Christianity to others. They promise that once you become a Christian, all of life’s troubles will be in the rear-view mirror. Suffering is for unbelievers and sinners. Faith is the guarantee of a good life. The truth about suffering in the life of a Christian is far more complex than that, and there is no direct line between your faith and the circumstances of your life. 

This is why Paul offers up the prayer that he does in our reading. God’s presence and actions in the lives of His people, even as His people suffer, are beyond human expectations or knowledge. What this means is that you can be going through a hard time and still be one of God’s people. Difficulties in life do not mean that the gospel is not true or that God has abandoned you. Faith is not something that helps you avoid hard times; faith is what helps you to endure them. Christ dwells in you, and that does not change because things are hard. Difficult times do not change the truth of your baptismal identity. Jesus is with you in good times and bad. “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.” 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

In suff’ring be Thy love my peace, In weakness be Thy love my power; And when the storms of life shall cease, O Jesus, in that final hour, Be Thou my rod and staff and guide, And draw me safely to Thy side! (LSB 683:4)

Rev. Grant Knepper, pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Modesto, CA.

September 22, 2026

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

Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 7:1-4; 8:1-18; Ezra 1:1-10:19; 1 Timothy 5:1-16

“And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said, ‘See, your son lives.’ And the woman said to Elijah, ‘Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth.’” (1 Kings 17:23-24)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Some people think that God only pays attention to us when we do bad things. Their idea of God is that he is up in Heaven making threats and saying, “Don’t make me come down there.” For these people, God only shows up to punish. God is seen as wrathful, vengeful, and concerned only with giving people what they deserve when they sin and ignoring them when they do good. This seems to be what the widow was thinking when she said to Elijah, “What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son.” Notice that she does not think that Elijah is being unfair. She knows that she is a sinner and she acknowledges that she deserves to be punished. She expects nothing else from God. She does not truly know Him. 

Then Elijah does the unexpected and returns the woman's son to her alive. The actions of God through Elijah elicit a response from the woman, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is true.” God’s actions changed the woman. God is not as the woman believed Him to be. What she expected was a God of wrath, but what she experienced was a God of mercy. What she expected was the law, what she received was the gospel, and through God’s act of mercy, she came to know HIm as He is and to believe what Elijah said about Him.

Our God is primarily a God of mercy. What was revealed to the woman through Elijah has now been revealed even more explicitly through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The cross shows that God is a God of mercy who does not give us what we deserve because of sin. Instead, He sent His Son to take his judgment on sin in our place. The woman’s son lived because of God’s mercy. You live because of God’s mercy. In Christ, God has returned you alive. You were moved from life to death in Baptism, and someday you will rise from the grave itself because death cannot hold you. The word of the Lord is true. 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Laugh to scorn the gloomy grave And at death no longer tremble; He the Lord, who came to save Will at last His own assemble. They will go their Lord to meet. Trending death beneath their feet. (LSB 741:7)

Rev. Grant Knepper, pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Modesto, CA.

September 21, 2026

Today's Reading: Matthew 9:9-13

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

“As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he rose and followed him.” (Matthew 9:9)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Tax collectors were not the most popular people in the ancient world. They were thought of as corrupt because they collected more taxes than were owed and kept the extra for themselves. In other words, they were people with your money on their minds and their minds on your money. For Jesus to be in their company would have been to cast doubt on everything he taught. They were untrustworthy, and by association, so was he. The Pharisees believed that unrighteousness was contagious, and just being near an unrighteous person could cause their guilt to pass to them. This was even more true if food was involved, which is why they ask the disciples why Jesus eats with tax collectors and sinners. 

Tax collectors and sinners were considered by the Pharisees to be unworthy of attention. They were outside of the realm of salvation and were to be avoided or ignored. Instead, Jesus lets them know that they are precisely the kind of people that he has come to serve. This is what lies behind his language about mercy and sacrifice. The Pharisees thought that they were deserving because of what they did to fulfill the demands of the law. Jesus makes it clear that he is all about mercy. He has come to show mercy to the sinner and not to reward the righteous. The call of Jesus turns Matthew from a tax collector into an apostle and evangelist. Someone who was all about other people’s money became concerned with other people’s salvation. 

The gospel that Matthew wrote makes it clear that the mercy that he received is for all people. The call he received to follow Jesus is a call that continues to go forth today. Not everyone is a tax collector, but everyone is a sinner, and Jesus still calls people to follow him. You were born a sinner, but the mercy of Jesus is for you just as much as it was for Matthew. He wrote his gospel with you in mind. You have been invited to dinner with all the other tax collectors and sinners. There is a place at the table for you with Jesus. 

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 also may follow You, leaving behind all covetous desires and love of riches; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Rev. Grant Knepper, pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Modesto, CA.

September 20, 2026

Today's Reading: Luke 7:11-17

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

“Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, ‘A great prophet has arisen among us!’ and ‘God has visited his people!’” (Luke 7:16)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Have you ever had to clean up your room before someone comes to visit? Maybe you were told to, or even wanted to, get things ready so you could impress whoever was coming. Either way, there are things that are usually done in preparation to receive a visitor. Things get put away, things get straightened up, and the space is made ready for the visitor. What happens when the visitor is God Himself? Are the things that we do to receive family and friends worthy things to do before receiving the creator of the universe? Can you get things clean enough for God to visit?

The truth is that this kind of question is the wrong place to start when it comes to Jesus. In today’s reading, Jesus arrives at a town, and nothing has been done in preparation for his arrival. In fact, when he gets close to the gate of Nain, he finds a funeral is taking place, and the dead son of a widow is being carried out. Things had not been cleaned up for Jesus; the presence of a dead body even made things manifestly unclean. This does not bother Jesus. He immediately tells the mother not to weep, then actually touches the bier holding the body, raises the man from the dead, and gives him back to his mother. In other words, Jesus did not need things to be changed because of his presence; instead, his presence changed things. Jesus gets right in the middle of the mess and makes things better. Nothing is too unclean for Jesus.

So it is with you. There is nothing that you need to clean up for the presence of Jesus. His presence is what makes you clean. His presence is what makes you worthy for His visitation. Jesus comes into the uncleanliness of your sin and washes it away. You are dead in trespasses and sin, and He cleanses you, raises you to new life, and makes you worthy to receive Him. This happened in your Baptism and continues to happen in every Divine Service at your church. Every time you hear the Absolution, receive Communion, or remember your own Baptism, God has visited you.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Oh 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.

Rev. Grant Knepper, pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Modesto, CA.

September 19, 2026

Today's Reading: Introit for Trinity 16 - Psalm 86:1, 7, 12-13; antiphon: Psalm 86:3, 5

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

“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.

You know it is your duty to thank, praise, serve, and obey your heavenly Father for the magnificent Gifts He bestows on you—not least, your very life! Yes, God desires your heart! He even calls you “precious” (Psalm 116:15), that is, meaningful and weighty, and significant to Him. 

How wonderful it is that in Baptism, He makes your heart capable of loving Him in return. Oh, we certainly fall in moments of weakness, but we have His promise that one day, we will love Him with our whole heart! 

That day dawns at a Christian’s death. To be sure, death is an enemy—the greatest enemy of God. Yet for you, a Christian, death is a portal because Christ has overcome death. So when death draws near, we find comfort knowing that the promise of Baptism will overcome death. 

At a Christian’s death, family, friends, and siblings in Christ gather together to share their grief, remember the brevity of life on earth, and give voice to sorrow—but also to thank God for their loved one, and to entrust them into His hands. In a special rite called the Commendation of the Dying (also known as “Last Rites”), it is suggested to sing the last stanza of Lord, Thee I Love with All My Heart. That stanza describes the day when we will truly love the Lord with all our heart. Until that day, we live by the first two verses. We praise the Lord by glorying in His Gifts.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Lord, thee I love with all my heart; I pray thee, ne'er from me depart, with tender mercy cheer me. Earth has no pleasure I would share; yea, heav'n itself were void and bare if thou, Lord, wert not near me. And should my heart for sorrow break, my trust in thee can nothing shake. Thou art the portion I have sought; thy precious blood my soul has bought. Lord Jesus Christ, my God and Lord, my God and Lord, forsake me not! I trust thy word. 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.LSB 708:1, 3)

Rev. Donald Stein, pastor of Saint Andrew Lutheran Church in Rockton, IL.

September 18, 2026

Today's Reading: 1 Timothy 1:1-20

Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 1:1-2:10; Haggai 1:1-2:23; 1 Timothy 1:1-20

“To Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” (1 Timothy 1:2)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Timothy’s biological father was a pagan who apparently cared nothing for his son’s spiritual life. Timothy was nonetheless blessed to have many parents in the faith. His mother, Eunice, and grandmother, Lois, nurtured him in the faith and taught him the love of Jesus. Paul pointed them out as examples of spiritual parents in his second letter to Timothy. Here, in his first letter, however, Paul does not give explicit examples; yet, nonetheless, his language is a subtle reminder that Timothy is part of a great family—God’s family. 

This was a great comfort to Timothy. When he received each of those letters from Paul, Timothy was a young pastor going through a rough time. He felt lonely in his duties. He was separated from those who once cared for him—at least emotionally, and possibly geographically, too. Timothy served in Ephesus. That is at least a week-long walk from his hometown in Lystra, where Paul met him in Acts 16. For all we know, Eunice and Lois were asleep in Christ by this point in history. Paul himself was in and out of prison and often facing trial. It would have been easy for Timothy to feel disheartened and lonely.

But being part of God’s family means we are never alone. We have an omnipresent God who desires to be called “Father.” He wants to hear your worries and cares—not because of any special merit or worthiness in you, but simply out of a fatherly, divine goodness and mercy. So Paul shared God’s “grace, mercy, and peace” as a true spiritual father does to a true spiritual son. We enjoy these same Gifts today.

Your heavenly Father has granted you siblings more numerous than the stars in the sky! They gather together weekly to receive His greatest gifts: freely-given grace, entirely undeserved mercy, and an everlasting peace that the world could never shake or destroy. God’s only-begotten Son, Jesus, raises you into His family. 

You now have the joy to raise up your fellow family members to know that same “grace, mercy, and peace.” No matter what sort of biological family we may or may not have, we always get to share the love of God with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. We get to smile at the screeching baby in the pew ahead, offer a hand to the parent struggling to juggle diapers, bottles, and blankets. We get to volunteer to help with Sunday School or bring a dish to the potluck. Even simple things like singing in worship help our brothers and sisters know that they are not alone! So, too, is the way we refer to one another: as “brother” and “sister.”

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Lord, teach me to treasure the true family You have given me in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Rev. Donald Stein, pastor of Saint Andrew Lutheran Church in Rockton, IL.

September 17, 2026

Today's Reading: Small Catechism: Who receives this sacrament worthily?

Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 36:1-23; Philemon 1-25; Colossians 4:1-18

Who receives this sacrament worthily? Fasting and bodily preparation are certainly fine outward training. But that person is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words: “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.”But anyone who does not believe these words or doubts them is unworthy and unprepared, for the words “for you” require all hearts to believe. (Small Catechism- The Sacrament of the Altar)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Our churches practice “closed Communion,” in keeping with our confessional understanding of fellowship and the danger of receiving the sacrament without proper spiritual preparation. Out of love for our neighbors, only those who are properly prepared should commune. St. Paul warns us: “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the Body and Blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning, the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.” (1 Corinthians 11:27-29)

These words are serious business! It is understandable that over the years, various churches developed human practices to help Christians examine themselves and discern that Christ is truly present in, with, and under the forms of Bread and Wine. For example, some recommend fasting prior to Communion. Such practices are good and can certainly help us appreciate God’s great Gift. But it is the spiritual preparation that truly matters.

So, how is one spiritually prepared? By being properly catechized to have faith in the words “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins,” and all the true doctrine and practice implied with them. Those who do not share our confession may or may not be properly spiritually prepared, so out of love, we do not commune them. Spiritual preparation means sorrow for your sins, trust in Jesus Christ as your sole Savior from sin, believing His words that He truly gives you His Body and Blood in the Sacrament, and desiring, with the Spirit’s aid, to amend the sin in your life. All this is only possible through the working of Jesus in your heart; He is the one who makes us worthy to receive. Praise be to Him for this most wonderful Gift!

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Dear Savior, at Your gracious invitation I come to Your table to eat and drink Your holy body and blood. Let me find favor in Your eyes to receive this holy Sacrament in faith for the salvation of my soul and to the glory of Your holy name; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, on God, now and forever. Amen. (“Before communing,” LSB Prayers for Worship, inside cover)

Rev. Donald Stein, pastor of Saint Andrew Lutheran Church in Rockton, IL.

September 16, 2026

Today's Reading: Galatians 5:25-6:10

Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 35:1-7, 16-25; Zephaniah 1:1-3:20; Colossians 3:1-25

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The Holy Spirit encourages us to do good to one another.

It sounds so simple. Yet doing good can be downright exhausting. In this sin-broken world, doing the right thing the right way is not always the quickest, most efficient, most convenient, or most enjoyable. So some set aside doing good altogether. 

Take the working world, for example. It is dominated by corporate espionage and get-ahead-quick schemes. The goal is to come out ahead of one’s competitors. The question of ‘good’ is sometimes replaced with the question of ‘legality.’ Think about it: many companies have a legal department, but when was the last time you heard of a company with an ethics department? 

Some try to aim for a ‘reasonable’ compromise. The initial plan is always to do good, but when bearing one another’s burdens becomes too much, well… they move on to less exhausting work. 

This is not God’s desire. He would have His creatures live in a perfect world, where those who bear His image “live by the Spirit” and “keep in step with the Spirit.” This is why the Holy Spirit comes to us in Holy Baptism, to enlighten us by His Gifts and continually sanctify us—that through us, He would sow spiritual good throughout all creation! God has sown the seed of the Gospel in you! And He will reap a good harvest in time. Do not grow weary of doing good, brothers and sisters! God is working through you! 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Called by worship to Your service, Forth in Your dear name we go, To the child, the youth, the aged, Love in living deeds to show; Hope and health, goodwill and comfort, Counsel, aid, and peace we give, That Your servants, Lord, in freedom May Your mercy know and live. (LSB 848:4)

Rev. Donald Stein, pastor of Saint Andrew Lutheran Church in Rockton, IL.

September 15, 2026

Today's Reading: 1 Kings 17:8-16

Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 34:1-4, 8-11, 14-33; Nahum 1:1-3:19; Colossians 2:8-23

“And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days.” (1 Kings 17:15)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Rewind nearly 3,000 years.

The widow of Zarephath thought she knew what was coming. It would be death, and a fate worse than any she had ever imagined. Famine was in the land, and food and drink were not to be found. She meant to enjoy one last supper before the great end of her days. She gathered some sticks—two, in the original Hebrew, to be precise—that she might prepare. 

But Elijah knew what was really coming. It would be life. God would provide what was needed for life to flourish. He prophesied: “The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.” (1 Kings 17:14) 

Having been so broken and desperate that nothing remained but to trust this in his word of promise, “she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days.” (1 Kings 17:15)

Fast forward nearly 1,000 years. The disciples thought they knew what was coming. It would be life, greater than anything they had ever imagined! After all, the Messiah had come! Jesus Himself had proclaimed: “Now the time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” (John 12:23) They enjoyed one Last Supper before the great end of the early days. “Do this,” He said. Elsewhere, pieces of wood were gathered together—two, in the typical Roman fashion—that He might prepare. 

But Jesus knew what was really coming. It would be death. God Himself had come to provide what was needed for sin to be killed. He had prophesied throughout the Scriptures, again and again, for those who had ears to hear: death would be conquered by death. 

Even when Jesus was upon the cross that next day, the disciples could not yet understand what was happening. They were broken and desperate. Nothing remained but to trust in His Word of promise, and even that seemed too much. They fell away. Then Jesus arose. 

Fast forward over 2,000 years. We know what is coming. It is both death and life, greater and more wonderful than anything we could have imagined! It has been revealed to us through the Word of the Lord: Jesus has given us death to sin and life in Him. We join Him at His Table, receiving the very Bread of Life Himself, by faith. “Do this,” he says. And His holy church? Well, “she and he and her household ate for many days,” justified by His precious sacrifice.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

For what purpose was My dying If not for your justifying? And what use this precious food If you yourself were pure and good? (LSB 627:8)

Rev. Donald Stein, pastor of Saint Andrew Lutheran Church in Rockton, IL.

September 14, 2026

Today's Reading: John 12:20-33

Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 33:1-25; Jonah 1:1-4:11; Colossians 1:24-2:7

“For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles.” (1 Corinthians 1:23)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

John’s Gospel started with a glorious light shining in the darkness, and the darkness could not overcome it. In chapter three, Nicodemus came under the cover of darkness to learn about that Light. Jesus explained, “God so loved the world…” Yes, just as a bronze snake was gloriously “high and lifted up” by Moses to heal any Hebrew who saw it, in the same way, God would hold His own Son, gloriously “high and lifted up,” to heal all people who see Him by faith.

Now, in chapter 12, Jesus has healed many! And on the outskirts of Jerusalem, in the little suburb up the hill called Bethany, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead! A crowd gathered, laying cloaks upon the road and waving palm branches. They shouted: “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”

They came because “they heard he had done this sign.” (John 12:18) Jews sought a sign-doer: “Jesus, raise my dead, too.” “Jesus, multiply more bread.” “Jesus, fill my belly and make me rich.”

Jews were not the only ones. “Sir, we wish to see Jesus,” some Greeks said. They sought worldly wisdom. “Jesus, teach me the secret to inner peace.” “Jesus, show me how to succeed in this life.” “Jesus, teach us how to outthink our enemies to have power and influence to rule the world.”

Both Jews and Greeks ultimately sought glory for themselves. Jesus did not come for his own glory. He came for all the world. Now with all the world represented in the Greeks and Jews gathered around Him, Jesus said: “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.”

It was a reminder of His talk with Nicodemus. When the Light of the World is “high and lifted up,” He is not atop a warhorse, or carried upon a grand litter, but nailed on a Cross. His glory is an emblem of suffering and shame—an instrument of torture and death. Had Jesus chosen to come into the world today, we might very well venerate an electric chair. Paul might have written “We preach Christ electrified!”

It is easy to see why the Cross is a stumbling block to those seeking glory by signs, and a folly to those who seek glory by wisdom. The Cross is salvation for sinners in need of God’s Light—Jews and Greeks, and all people. And you.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Let ev’ry race and ev’ry language tell Of Him who saves our lives from death and hell. Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim Till all the world adore His sacred name. (LSB 837:5)

Rev. Donald Stein, pastor of Saint Andrew Lutheran Church in Rockton, IL.