January 4, 2024 

Today's Reading: Luther's Small Catechism, 3rd Commandment

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 63:15-65:7; Luke 2:41-52

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it.  (Luther’s Small Catechism; Third Commandment & Meaning)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Merry Eleventh Day of Christmas!

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it.

By this point, you may have Old Adam in the back of your mind saying, “Church? Do I have to?! Coming up again, for Epiphany?!  But we went last Sunday morning, and then later that day for Christmas Eve.  And the next day for Christmas Day.  And another Sunday. And all the extra Wednesdays we have had. And…I’m just tired and don’t want to.”  (Just imagine how frequently you’d have been at your congregation if they  had Divine Services for each of the Twelve Days of Christmas!) And the New Creature that God gave birth to in Baptism responds, feeling guilty and repentant.

These Twelve Days of Christmas are not about beating up your conscience and shaming you for not wanting to be in God’s house.  Yet, Old Adam is completely wrong.  You don’t have to.  You get to!

The joy to the world is that Christ the Savior is born!  But that birth is not locked away in a “once upon a time” fairy tale, nor in a scholarly history volume in some ancient library.  It is a glorious fact, whose blessed benefits God continually delivers to you.  To celebrate that birth, we are extremely blessed with multiple opportunities to come with all the faithful and receive His saving gifts of Word and Sacrament.  Forgiven and nourished by the Newborn King, we are privileged to respond in prayer and praise.

Your Jesus is indeed the One once tucked in the lowly manger.  But He is also the One who grew to rescue and redeem you through his death and resurrection, freeing you from the sins that grieve you.  Yes, even the sins of being tired of worship, and despising – not wanting to hear God’s Word.  And now He is the One in the swaddling cloths of Communion linens, feeding you His holy Body and Blood for forgiveness, life, and salvation.  What a wonderful twelve days these are, when we have so many opportunities to get to “gladly hear and learn” His Word!  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Softly from His lowly manger  Jesus calls  One and all,  “You are safe from danger.

Children, from the sins that grieve you  You are freed; All you need  I will surely give you.”

(LSB 360:5)

-Pastor Richard Heinz is pastor at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Lowell, IN.

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

The Lutheran Reader’s Bible helps you develop a habit of devotion and Bible reading so you can slowly but intentionally understand and grow in God’s Word. Through introductions to the sixty-six books of the Bible, guided reading plans, and more, this Bible builds your confidence to study Scripture on your own.