October 18, 2025

Today's Reading: Luke 10:1-9

Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 17:1-20; Matthew 14:1-21

“Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.” (Luke 10:9-12)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

God’s promises remain the same, regardless of whether people hear them or not, whether they receive them or not, whether they reject them or not, whether they martyr the disciple or not.

For the towns that rejected these promises, the promises are still there. They just don’t get any part of them. They have heard, they have seen, and they have said “no thanks.” But they probably were not that polite about it. And notice that after the rejection, the acclamation that “the kingdom of God has come near to you” is the same. They don’t get to push away God’s kingdom because they did not like it. The promises are still there. The promises just speak against that town now. 

This was St. Luke’s lot. As one of those sent by Jesus, he would see this firsthand, not just in this account but in his whole life. Some would receive the word with joy, being overjoyed and happy that the kingdom of God had come near to them. Others would not, and this is what led to the end of Luke’s life. He is traditionally thought to have been martyred by being crucified or hanged on an olive tree. 

But you, dear Christian, can rejoice, for the Kingdom of God has come near to you. This is not in condemnation, where the dust of the feet of the 72 speaks against you. This is in consolation, where the words of your pastor (indeed, the words of Christ) testify for you that you are forgiven and redeemed, and that truly, God’s kingdom has come near to you.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Almighty God, our Father, Your blessed Son called Luke the physician to be an evangelist and physician of the soul. Grant that the healing medicine of the Gospel and the Sacraments may put to flight the diseases of our souls that with willing hearts we may ever love and serve You; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Rev. Jonathan Lackey, Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

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

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.