May 18, 2024 

Today's Reading: Psalm 104:24, 27-28, 30; antiphon: Liturgical Text

Daily Lectionary: Numbers 20:22-21:9; Luke 20:45-21:19

These all look to you, to give them their food in due season. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. (Psalm 104:27-28)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Scripture begins and ends with God providing a feast for His people. In Eden, the Lord gave every tree of the garden to eat of freely, save the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. In Revelation, John sees and hears the joy of the marriage supper of the Lamb, a heavenly banquet with Christ at the center. From Genesis to Revelation, God has spread a table of His goodness and mercy. The whole Bible stretches out like a banqueting spread of God’s grace.

Psalm 104 reminds us of this in beautiful words. The Lord opens His hand, and His creatures are filled with good things. This is what God does. Where He is present, there’s a feast. Israel ate the Passover lamb as they were saved from death in Egypt. Moses and the elders ate on Mt. Sinai in the Lord’s presence. King David wrote a psalm about the Lord preparing a table in the presence of our enemies (Psalm 23). The Lord provided food for His prophet Elijah in the cave. And the list goes on. God’s Word is a long menu of his mercy, an endless buffet of His grace and steadfast love.

Psalm 104 also reminds us that without our Lord opening His hands, we would all starve. We would all go hungry. Through His goodness and mercy, He gives us our daily bread, as we pray in the Lord’s Prayer. The same is true in our life of faith before God. Apart from the goodness and mercy of God, we are spiritually dead as well. But the Psalmist knows this as well. So the Lord opens His hands, and we are filled with good things on our earthly tables and at our Lord’s table.

It’s no accident that when God becomes man, wherever He goes, there’s food and a feast. He changes water to wine. Feeds thousands. Declares Himself the Bread of Life. He takes bread and wine on the night He was betrayed and declares, “Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Take, drink; this is my blood of the new testament which is poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins.” Jesus opens His crucified and risen hand and fills you with good things, His Body and Blood for you.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Almighty God, You bless the earth to make it fruitful, bringing forth in abundance whatever is needed for the support of our lives. Prosper the work of farmers and all those who labor to bring food to our table. Grant them seasonable weather so that they may gather the fruits of the earth in abundance and proclaim Your goodness with thanksgiving; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

- Pastor Samuel Schuldheisz is pastor at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Milton, WA.

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

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