October 23, 2025 

Today's Reading: Matthew 13:54-58

Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 24:10-25:10; Matthew 16:13-28

“And coming to his hometown [Jesus] taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?’” (Matthew 13:54-58) 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

The fact of James reminds us of Jesus’ humanity. 

Jesus has been going around healing the sick, restoring lame hands (Matthew 12:13), giving sight to the blind and voice to the mute (Matthew 11:27ff.), and more. Then Jesus goes into the Nazareth synagogue teaching the Gospel, astonishing people (Matthew 13:54).

Who is this Jesus? How could anyone, seeing Him and hearing Him, have failed to ask that question? But while His divine works of power and teaching astonish people, the simple fact of James, along with Jesus’ other brothers and sisters, brings home the comforting fact that Jesus is truly human: “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? Are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where did this man get all these things?” (Matthew 13:54ff.)

Jesus is fully human, along with us. He didn’t just drop out of the sky as some spirit wearing a human-flesh costume, but came as a baby from a mother (Matthew 13:55). He grew up humanly, learning to crawl, then perhaps how to use eating utensils, how to tie his shoes, just like us. Fully, completely like us in every way, except without sin (Hebrews 4:15). 

Then, human, along with us, but without sin, he took all sin upon himself (2 Corinthians 5:21). Where is your sin now? It’s not with you. It’s with Jesus. He who has no sin, took it (1 John 3:5). He carried it to the cross as the Lamb of God bearing the sin of the world (John 1:29).

Now, in your life of repentance, your confession of your sin is not a good work that makes you better. Rather, it’s your confession that Jesus Christ, true Man, is your Lord (Philippians 2:8-11) who has taken your sin upon himself and put it to death in his own Body on the cross. It is your confession that because Jesus Christ has been bodily raised up from the dead, you, too, belong to the resurrection of the body and life everlasting (Romans 6:9-11).

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

We give thanks for James, your brother, Who at Jerusalem Told of your love for Gentiles, in Your Name, welcoming them. Let us rejoice in salvation that we too, by Your grace, Extend Your invitation To all the human race. Amen. (Paraphrase from “By All Your Saints in Warfare,” LSB 518:27)

Rev. Warren Graff, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, NM.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Harrison Goodman is the Executive Director of Mission and Theology for Higher Things.

Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius’s life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.