Reflections

March 4, 2025

Today's Reading: Hebrews 3:1-6

Daily Lectionary: Job 36:1-21; John 11:38-57

“But Christ is faithful over God’s house as a Son. And we are His house if we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in hope.” (Hebrews 3:6)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

I will spare you from asking whether or not we’re a building (The answer is yes: 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 1 Peter 2:4-5.), but there’s another way this term can be understood. The House of Israel is all the descendants of Israel. The House of David is all the family of David through the generations and their servants. That’s important. Because Moses is part of the house of God. It’s as a servant, but he is part of the house nonetheless. 

Moses is a servant. Jesus is the Son. And being the Son comes with more honor and glory. And to the people of Jesus’ day, this is big news. Because in all the Old Testament, there was no one apart from God who was worthy of more glory and honor than Moses. He was the Lord’s chosen prophet who led them out of Egypt. He was the one through whom the Lord fed His people manna in the wilderness. He was the greatest of all the prophets, and there was no one like Him.

But there was a promise that there would one day be a prophet like Moses. But Jesus was greater than Moses. Jesus didn’t have to go see God; Jesus is God. Jesus didn’t need someone else to cause the miraculous to happen; Jesus caused the miraculous to happen. Moses died, but Jesus did not stay dead. He rose on the third day. And to the people of Jesus’ day, this was a big deal. 

Then Jesus did something amazing for us. He made us His house. We’re of His household. However, Jesus didn’t make us mere servants in the house of God. Jesus adopts us as sons and daughters of God. As a baptized Christian, you’ve been given a higher rank than Moses had when he was alive. You’re a child of God, for Jesus has given you His place as heir of the kingdom of God. 

This adoption happens by Jesus’ death on the cross and His rising again on the third day. He did that for you. This adoption happens at your Baptism, where you are baptized into His death in order to have His life. This adoption happens as your every sin is forgiven by His ultimate sacrifice. This adoption happens as He speaks His saving Word into your ears. This adoption happens as He brings you to His table and sets you a place. This adoption happens as He gives you His own body and His own blood. You are a beloved child of God. You are an heir in His house. And the kingdom of heaven is made yours. 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

We are God’s house of living stones, Built for His habitation. He through baptismal grace us owns Heirs of His wondrous salvation. We we but two His name to tell, Yet He would deign with us to dwell With all His grace and His favor. (LSB 645:3)

-Rev. Eli Davis, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Grants Pass, OR.

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

Visit the timeless rhythms of the Christian life with award-winning author Harold L. Senkbeil. As he addresses the concerns and pressures of the world today, you'll discover that even while the world is dying, Christ's death brings about life. True life. One that He offers to you. Order Now!

March 3, 2025

Today's Reading: Deuteronomy 34:1-12

Daily Lectionary: Job 34:10-33; John 11:17-37

“…and for all the mighty power and all the great deeds of terror that Moses did in the sight of all Israel. (Deuteronomy 34:12)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

What is the First Commandment? You shall have no other gods. What does this mean? We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.

Sometimes, a well-meaning person will teach that fear here means respect. We should respect God, well and true, but trust means respect. Fear means fear. 

When Israel sinned against God in the wilderness, they had very good reasons to be afraid. They sinned, and God sent a plague. They sinned, and God sent poisonous snakes. They sinned, God opened up the ground, and the earth swallowed them whole. It is a fearful thing to stand before God in your sin. 

God worked these terrifying deeds through Moses. And even though, in our reading today, Moses is now dead, the Lord is still the one to be feared, even as they enter into the promised rest. 

Likewise, we need to fear the Lord in our sin. We need to know God gets angry when we hurt the people He loves. Even when that person is yourself. If He didn’t get angry, then that would show that He didn’t care. So fear is an appropriate response when we start thinking that maybe our sin is okay after all.

But how far does that fear go? If God is angry over sin, how can I possibly stand before Him when I have sinned? But remember the whole explanation of the First Commandment. We fear, love, and trust in God above all things. We fear because of our sin. We trust because Our Lord has poured out all His anger on someone else. 

The entire fiery wrath of God is poured out upon Jesus at the cross. The greatest deed of terror in all history. Everything that should have gone to you and me has instead fallen upon Christ. And He willingly went there for the forgiveness of all our sins. Remember, if God is not angry, He does not care. But if His anger falls upon us, then we are lost. God shows His great care for us by both His anger and His self-sacrifice. He gave up all to save you from your sin. We are able to love Him because of His great love for us given first. And given at His cross. 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Oh what blessing to be near You And listen to Your voice; Let me ever love and hear You, Let Your Word be now my choice! Many hardened sinners, Lord, Flee in terror at Your Word; But to all who feel sin’s burden You give words of peace and pardon. (LSB 589:2)

-Rev. Eli Davis, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Grants Pass, OR.

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

Visit the timeless rhythms of the Christian life with award-winning author Harold L. Senkbeil. As he addresses the concerns and pressures of the world today, you'll discover that even while the world is dying, Christ's death brings about life. True life. One that He offers to you. Order Now!

March 2, 2025 

Today's Reading: Luke 9:28-36

Daily Lectionary: Job 33:19-34:9; John 11:1-16

“…His clothing became dazzling white.” (Luke 9:29b)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

In the beginning, there was no need for clothes. Adam and Eve didn’t have them, and nobody seemed to mind. At least, at first. Ever since, there has been a difference between the clothes that we wear for ourselves and the clothes that our Lord provides. Rebekah clothed Jacob in Esau’s clothes. They were worn to deceive– worn in order to sin. Joseph’s brothers would dip his robe in blood in order to deceive their father. Joseph’s clothes would again be taken from him by Potiphar’s wife. She covered her own sinful desires with those clothes in order to deceive. 

When we ourselves dress up our sin, we claim that there’s nothing wrong. That we have no shame at all. It’s all lies. It’s all deception. That sin is still there. We should be shamed by the fact that we sin. We need to be clothed in something else. We need repentance.

Something different happens when God clothes us. The covering that our Lord provides doesn’t deny our sin. It acknowledges that it’s there and that it’s shameful. Yet we don’t hide it ourselves. We don’t lie about it and say it’s good. Instead, our Lord takes our shame and provides His modesty for it. After all, the clothing our Lord provides gives us the honor that rightly belongs to Him.

When Joseph was called out of prison, Pharaoh gave him the clothes he would need to enter the court, covering up the shame of Joseph’s imprisonment with pardon. After Joseph’s brothers finally found out Joseph was in charge of all Egypt, Joseph sent them back with new clothes to their father. Covering up the shame of their years of lies with forgiveness and the promise of deliverance from the famine.

The clothes that Jesus gives are His own. They cover our sin with His forgiveness. This is why the clothing of Jesus is so important. For our sake, Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. From Jesus’ clothes came power to overcome sin, as some went to touch even the hem of His garments. Jesus’ clothes shine brightly forth at the Transfiguration in today’s Gospel lesson. Jesus is clothed so that He may properly bear your sin and your shame. And that we may wear His righteousness. And in Baptism, Jesus wraps you in His clothes. He gives them away to you and takes up your clothing instead.

Jesus doesn’t always wear the clothes of the Transfiguration. It’s from here that He goes down to be crucified. What should have been our shame was His alone. He wears the sin of the entire world, including your sin and mine. All of it is taken away from us, and Jesus carries it all, bearing it before the entire world. And we are left washed, cleansed, forgiven, and clothed.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

In Baptism we now put on Christ– Our shame is fully covered With all that He once sacrificed And freely for us suffered. For here the flood of His own blood Now makes us holy, right, and good Before our heavenly Father. (LSB 596:4)

-Rev. Eli Davis, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Grants Pass, OR.

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

Visit the timeless rhythms of the Christian life with award-winning author Harold L. Senkbeil. As he addresses the concerns and pressures of the world today, you'll discover that even while the world is dying, Christ's death brings about life. True life. One that He offers to you. Order Now!

March 1, 2025

Today's Reading: Introit for Transfiguration of our Lord - Psalm 84:1-2, 9, 11; antiphon: Psalm 84:4

Daily Lectionary: Job 33:1-18; John 10:22-42

“How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of Hosts!” (Psalm 84:1)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

Tomorrow, the Church celebrates the Transfiguration of Jesus. On that mountaintop, Peter will say, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” The people weren’t the only ones with tents. The Lord had a tent. We call it by its Latin name: tabernacle. It was a very nice tent, but it was still a tent. And it’s where the Lord resided when the people made camp in the wilderness. The Lord resided in the midst of His people. 

Sometimes, we want to blame Peter for wanting to either demote Jesus to a tent with Moses and Elijah or raise Moses and Elijah to the place of God. And there are ways that idea can point us to Jesus. But perhaps the problem with Peter's suggestion, and the reason we're told that he didn’t know what he said, isn’t that he wants to make tents, but where he wants to make tents. 

“How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of Hosts!” “Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise!” (Psalm 84:1, 4 ESV) The Lord doesn’t dwell on a mountain apart from His people, or only with a select few of the greatest prophets. The tent of the Lord is pitched in the center of the camp, in the midst of the people. The Lord makes His house right where you're at. The Lord is not far off. He's right here.

That’s why we find Jesus in the midst of our sorrow: because He was betrayed for our sake. That's why we find Jesus in the midst of our loss: because He lost everything for our sake. That’s why we find Jesus in the midst of our shame: because He was stripped bare for our sake. That’s why we find Jesus in the midst of our sin; because He who knew no sin became sin for our sake so that we might have forgiveness. That’s why we find Jesus in the midst of our suffering: because He went to His cross for our sake, died for our sake, and entered the grave for our sake. All to save us. 

What makes the house of the Lord so lovely and splendid is not the decorations or the holiness. What makes it lovely and splendid is that it is near. Jesus is here. In the very places the devil wants us to think He’s not, Jesus is present for you, sets up His house for you, and invites you in. And He remains with you through all you endure in this world. His dwelling place is in His Church, which you are a part of. And He will be by your side through everything the world throws at you.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Why should cross and trial grieve me? Christ is near, With His cheer; Never will He leave me. Who can rob me of the heaven That God’s Son For me won When His life was given? (LSB 756:1)

-Rev. Eli Davis, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Grants Pass, OR.

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

What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

February 28, 2025

Today's Reading: Job 31:1-12, 33-40

Daily Lectionary: Job 31:1-12, 33-40; John 9:24-41

“Let me be weighed in a just balance, and let God know my integrity!” (Job 31:6)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

When Christians are confronted with suffering in their lives, they often read the book of Job. After all, Job suffered, and God blessed him. Maybe there’s some secret in there for us. At the end, though, most people are confused. They’re told this is how you deal with suffering. But reading it gave them no clue on how to deal with suffering. What did we just read? We know Job’s friends aren’t supposed to be any help to him. But their words are the same as found in Proverbs.

Rather, Job sounds like the problematic one. Can’t he see that God blesses the good and punishes the evil? Does Job really believe that he has no sin for which to repent? Does Job think that he is on equal footing with God to make statements like these? We come to the conclusion that Job needs to get his act together. Which isn’t what we went looking for. 

Because our lives sometimes look a lot like Job’s. We’re told to repent of doing good. Those who do wrong are prospering all around us while we suffer. We find ourselves paying the price when we do the right thing. The pain we endure feels meaningless. We cry out as Job did and wonder where God’s answer is.

Did you know that everything Job lamented was answered in Jesus? In chapter sixteen, Job laments that he is attacked by enemies on all sides. Jesus conquers all of Job’s enemies, including the devil who is behind them all. In chapter twenty-three, Job wishes that he could find God. Jesus is our God who became flesh and dwelt among us. And through it all, Job laments that the innocent suffer at God’s hand. Jesus, the one innocent man, suffers the wrath of God in order to save us all. He’s crucified, the worst death anyone can possibly imagine because that’s why He came. That's how he saved Job, you, me, and the world. 

The book of Job is about a man who suffers even though he is relatively righteous. The whole Bible is about another man who suffers, even though He has no sin of His own but to save all people. The lesson of Job is that there is no such thing as pointless suffering. The suffering we think is unjust does, in fact, serve God’s purpose.

It isn’t as though our Lord gives you no answer. It’s that the answer is always found in the death and resurrection of Jesus. All of Job’s questions are answered in Jesus. All of our pains, and regrets, and sins, and death, are answered completely in Jesus. For Jesus suffered, and we are given forgiveness, resurrection, and eternal life through Him.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

God gives me my days of gladness, And I will Trust Him still When He sends me sadness. God is good; His love attends me Day by day Come what may Guides me and defends me. (LSB 756:3)

-Rev. Eli Davis, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Grants Pass, OR.

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

What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

February 27, 2025

Today's Reading: Catechism: The Tenth Commandment

Daily Lectionary: Job 30:16-31; John 9:1-23

What is the Tenth Commandment? You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not entice or force away our neighbor’s wife, workers, or animals, or turn them against him, but urge them to stay and do their duty.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

King Herod was told by John the Baptizer that it wasn’t lawful for him to have his brother’s wife. But what law? If he’d taken his brother Philip’s wife by force, there would have been war. If Herod had acted in the legal wrong, Philip would demand Herodias back. 

But covetousness pretends that nothing was wrong. There’s nothing illegal about convincing someone of something. Perhaps Herod convinced Philip that he should simply leave Herodias. It wasn’t illegal in Rome for Herod to marry a woman who was divorced. What law did Herod break?

It was God’s Law, of course. And let’s see it in light of the Tenth Commandment. Convincing others to destroy their relationships is evil. Especially when you benefit from that relationship being destroyed. Maybe it’s difficult to prove, difficult to legislate against, but God knows the heart. 

The Gift this Commandment protects is the Gift of relationships, ours and our neighbor’s. He’s provided these relationships for us. Brothers and sisters, parents and children, husband and wife, all for our good. And so, our Lord protects these Gifts. And commands us to honor those relationships among our neighbors as well.

But, this is a sin that’s in our hearts. We want to have who we can’t. And we try to make it happen while appearing to do the right thing. Even when we hurt those who lose that relationship. Even when we hurt the one we’re after. It’s a lie by action rather than word. One we don’t plan to have found out. This is also the Commandment that convicts us, even if we convince ourselves that we’ve kept all the others. We cannot hide our hearts from God, even if we can from everyone else. 

And so we repent. We’re sorry for our sin. And we turn in hope to the one who forgives sin. We turn to the one who has kept this Commandment in our place. Jesus faced all temptation for us, even the temptations of the heart. He refused to act selfishly, in ways that only appeared right. Instead, He stood against Satan in the wilderness during those forty days. He stood against Satan while hanging on the cross. And He fought to make even our broken relationships whole again. 

Our relationship with God is restored. As we forgive one another as Christ has forgiven us, our relationships with them can be mended as well. And Christ mends our hearts. The Old Adam daily drowns in the Baptism that He has given. And we begin to desire what is good with the new creation in us.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

You shall not crave your neighbor’s house Nor covet money, goods, or spouse, Pray God He would your neighbor bless As you yourself wish success. Have mercy, Lord! (LSB 581:10)

-Rev. Eli Davis, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Grants Pass, OR.

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

What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

February 26, 2025 

Today's Reading: Genesis 45:3-15

Daily Lectionary: Job 21:1-21; Job 21:22-30:15; John 8:39-59

“I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.” (Genesis 45:4b-5)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

Until the moment Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, they were very afraid. Simeon had been taken prisoner the first time they showed up. Benjamin was about to be taken as a slave, which would kill their father. And Judah had just offered to be the sacrifice to pay for Benjamin’s sin. It was a selfless act done for the sake of a brother who was loved, for a father who was loved. 

Besides, it had been the brothers’ own sin that had caused this mess in the first place. They had acknowledged that sin on the first trip down, where Simeon was lost. To lose another brother in the same way brought that sin right back to the forefront of their thoughts. So it wasn’t solely a selfless act; it was Judah confessing his own sin and the need for him to be the sacrifice that paid for it. 

It was at this point that Joseph stepped forward and told his brother, Judah, “You’re not the sacrifice. I am.”

The one sinned against went before the brothers into Egypt. He endured slavery, prison, and becoming an Egyptian in order that they would be saved. He gave up all that they might live. 

We, too, have sinned. We sin against God. We sin against our brothers and sisters, the people God has put in our lives. And standing before God cannot help but remind us where we have done wrong and failed to do what is right. Convicted of our own sin, we know a sacrifice must be made. Sin must be paid for. And the price must come from us.

It is at this point that Jesus steps forward and tells you, “You’re not the sacrifice. I am.”

The one sinned against goes before you into this world. He endured the suffering life of this world. He was betrayed, beaten, and crucified. He shed His blood on your behalf. He bore your sin on His shoulders so that you would not have to. He entered into death, in order that it might be conquered in full before you got there. And He gave up all that you may live. 

He says to you, “I am your brother, Jesus, whom you sinned against. And now do not be distressed, for the Father has sent Me before you to preserve life.” He has preserved your life. Your sins have been forgiven. The sacrifice has already been made. And His resurrection is yours forever.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Sin disturb my soul no longer: I am baptized into Christ! I have comfort even stronger: Jesus’ cleansing sacrifice. Should a guilty conscience seize me Since my baptism did release me In a dear forgiving flood, Sprinkling me with Jesus’ blood? (LSB 594:2)

-Rev. Eli Davis, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Grants Pass, OR.

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

What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

February 25, 2025 

Today's Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:21-26, 30-42

Daily Lectionary: Job 20:1-23, 29; John 8:21-38

“The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” (1 Corinthians 15:26)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Christ has been raised from the dead. This is the act of God upon which we base our entire faith. Christ has been raised from the dead. And this is the event around which all of history revolves. Because all of a sudden, a small group of fishermen, tax collectors, and nobodies started telling us about a man who claimed to be God. And this man said that He would be killed by the religious authorities of His day and yet would stop being dead on the third day. And they killed Him, just as He said. Then He rose on the third day, just as He said. 

This small group of men proclaimed this resurrection. And when they threatened to kill them for it, they did not stop. James, they executed publicly. Pete,r they crucified upside down. Nathaniel, they flayed alive. All were killed confessing the resurrection of Jesus, save John, who lived unto old age confessing Christ. All the apostles were unafraid because that resurrection was for them, too. They willingly died to make sure everyone who heard them heard the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

People don’t always willingly die for the truth; that is a hard thing. Nobody dies for lies. The apostles confessed what they saw. They confessed the resurrection and put their hope in that resurrection. Rightly so, because Jesus did die for them. Jesus did die for you, so that when Christ was made alive, that life is for you, too. 

It’s our sin that brings death in the first place. So that’s why Jesus dies. To bear our sin in our place. To take our sin onto His shoulders so that it is not yours or mine any longer. He fights our enemies in our place. Enemies that are too strong for us to ever consider resisting. Jesus conquers death. And Jesus has conquered your death as well. It is the last enemy to be destroyed. And it’s last day is The Last Day. Jesus returns, and all the dead rise. All death’s trophies are taken away. And the faithful enter into eternal life. The same faith given to you by God Himself. 

Therefore we look forward to that day. We await the end of death. We are ready for the resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus makes us bold. For we are no different than the apostles. We face a world that does not want to hear about Christ’s resurrection. And we may even one day be asked to die for that. But our strength does not come from our own efforts. Our boldness does not come from our steadfast will. We are only able to stand for the same reason the apostles did. Because Jesus really did rise from the dead. And He has made that resurrection ours as well.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Lord, by the stripes which wounded Thee, From death dread sting Thy servants free That we may live and sing to Thee. Alleluia! (LSB 464:5)

-Rev. Eli Davis, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Grants Pass, OR.

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

What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

February 24, 2025

Today's Reading: Matthew 11:25-30

Daily Lectionary: Job 19:1-12, 21-27; John 8:1-20

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

On this day, the Church remembers Matthias, the thirteenth of the Twelve Apostles. As the book of Acts starts, the Eleven figure that they need a replacement for Judas, who betrayed Jesus and died a horrible death. But doesn’t it feel like the Gospel reading assigned for this festival doesn’t quite fit? Does replacing Judas sound like an easy yoke for Matthias? Does facing death by confessing Christ sound like a light burden? 

We might ask the same question. This world inflicts heavy burdens on us. We face rejection for confessing Christ. We face addiction, depression, loneliness, and fear. Where’s this rest that Jesus promises? When will all these things end? At our death? But what about now? What does rest look like now?

However, we first must know what rest is. Rest isn’t simply the cessation of work. Rest isn’t simply the end of doing something difficult. Rest isn’t turning off your brain or simply sleeping. Our world defines rest that way. But how do you feel after doom-scrolling for hours? How do you feel after binge-watching shows all evening? Or when you’ve done nothing at all. How do you feel after enduring work all day and waking up the next day, only to do it all over again? It’s not rest you receive, no matter what our world calls it. 

Josef Pieper, in his book Leisure, the Basis of Culture, explains it this way: The highest form of rest comes from the festival. And at the heart of every festival is worship. 

You don’t turn off your brain, or sleep, or do nothing when there’s a festival. Instead, they are often very busy. But the doing is in service to the joy, rather than because it is necessary.

Today is a festival. We celebrate St. Matthias, the apostle whom Jesus chose, that His Word would be proclaimed. There’s a feast at the festival, a feast at the center of our worship, and the feast is Christ Himself. Facing the world? Christ says, “Take and Eat; this is My body.” Facing addiction, depression, loneliness, and fear? Christ says, “Take and drink, My blood shed for your forgiveness.” Doing nothing doesn’t prepare us for fighting these battles. Christ putting Himself in us does. Because rest doesn’t come from inaction. Rest comes from the feast in worship, which brings the strength to endure the world.

Jesus Himself is who eases the yokes of this world and lightens the struggles we face. And Jesus gives you His Body and Blood in His feast for that purpose. This is why the Church has so many feasts, including the weekly feast celebrating Christ’s resurrection from the dead every Sunday. We need the festival. We need the joy it brings. We need the rest it provides. We need Jesus. And here He is.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

At the Lamb’s high feast we sing Praise to our victorious King, Who has washed us in the tide

Flowing from His pierced side. Alleluia! (LSB 633:1)

-Rev. Eli Davis, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Grants Pass, OR.

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

What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

February 23, 2025

Today's Reading: Luke 6:27-38

Daily Lectionary: Job 18:1-21; John 7:32-53

[Jesus said,] “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back.” (Luke 6:27b-30)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

Okay, time to explain away Jesus’ words. Time to find a way to make them say something different than what we just read. Surely Jesus doesn’t mean for us to literally do these things, right? We would just end up a doormat. People would walk all over us. And we would be abused. There has to be a way out of these words. A way that we would be safe from them. A way to break these Commandments without, you know, breaking these Commandments. 

But that’s not the way it works. 

We think that the more difficult something is to do, the greater the person who can do it. Loving your enemy is hard, so the love it takes to pull it off must be accomplishing a great work. But Thomas Aquinas puts it this way: “[I]f the love were so great as completely to remove all difficulty that would be a still greater love.”

For us, Jesus’ Word here is Law. Our love, apart from Christ, is not great enough to do this at all, much less with great difficulty. But in Jesus, we see the one who has the greater love, in that He loves us without it being difficult for Him. 

For it is Jesus Christ who has done good to us who have hated Him. He has blessed us with forgiveness as we cursed Him with our sin. He has prayed for us to the Father that we would be saved, even as our sin put the nails in His hands and feet. He has received our strikes by whip and cord. He has had His garments divided and His tunic taken away by lot. And for this, He has demanded none of it back. But died on a cross for our sake. 

That is the love with which Jesus loved. Not with difficulty, but with more of it than we could ever imagine. That is the love He has for you. That is the love which sacrificed Himself for your sake. That is the love that covers all your sins with His blood. And that’s the love He has for you even now. 

And now, with that love, we return to Jesus’ Word. His love in us loves our enemies, and He counts it as ours. His love in us endures, and He counts it as ours. His love gives, and He counts it as ours. And we don’t always realize we’re doing it. Jesus keeps the Law for our sake. And He also keeps it in you.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

For us by wickedness betrayed, For us, in crown of thorns arrayed, He bore the shameful cross and death; For us He gave His dying breath (LSB 544:5)

-Rev. Eli Davis, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Grants Pass, OR.

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

What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.