Today's Reading: Introit for the 18th Sunday after Trinity

 (Psalm 122:1, 6, 8–9; antiphon: Liturgical Text)

Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 13:1-18; Matthew 13:1-23

Give peace, O Lord, to those who wait for you, and let your prophets be proven faithful.” (From the Introit for the 18th Sunday after Trinity)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In our Introit for tomorrow, we ask for two things. First, we ask that the Lord would give peace to His saints, to those who wait for the Lord. Second, we ask that the prophets of the Lord would be proven faithful. These two petitions go hand-in-hand.

What is the prophet to do? A prophet speaks the message that God has given Him to speak. False prophets say that they speak for the Lord, but deliver a message of their own invention. Faithful prophets speak the Word of the Lord. Prophets proclaim the accusing Law, of course. They proclaim the Gospel, too, however. Indeed, this is their proper work: to announce the Good News to those sinners who wait for the Lord!

And what does that Good News do? It gives peace to the saints. It calms their troubled consciences and gives them hope for the future. They hear that God delights in them now and forgives their sins. And so, they do not dread the coming of the Lord. Instead, they eagerly anticipate it, for they know that he comes to give them eternal life.

What a fantastic prayer with which to open the Divine Service! We pray that our modern day prophets—our pastors—would speak the Good News that God has given them to speak. We ask that our pastors would preach about Jesus, who obeyed the Law in our place, and paid our debt in full, and then reversed death on Easter morning. And then, we ask God to use that Good News to give us that peace which surpasses all understanding. 

Is it any wonder why the saints are glad to go to the house of the Lord? They are glad, because they know what they will hear there. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Lord Jesus Christ, giver and perfecter of our faith, we thank and praise You for continuing among us the preaching of Your Gospel for our instruction and edification. Send Your blessing upon the Word, which has been spoken to us, and by Your Holy Spirit increase our saving knowledge of You, that day by day we may be strengthened in the divine truth and remain steadfast in Your grace. Give us strength to fight the good fight and by faith to overcome all temptations of Satan, the flesh, and the world, so that we may finally receive the salvation of our souls; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (For Blessing on the Word, LSB p.308)

-Pastor Alexander Lange is pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Albany, Oregon.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Duane Bamsch

Study Christ's words on the cross to see how you can show more Christlike grace in your life. Perfect for group or individual study, each chapter has a Q&A at the end, and the back of the book includes a leader guide. Available now from Concordia Publishing House.