November 23, 2023

Today's Reading: 

Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 7:1-29, Matthew 23:1-12

And she said to Elijah, “What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son!”  (1 Kings 17:1-24)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Coloring books are all over the place these days. In Christianity those color books are about happy events in the Bible.  I think we should have color pages for people like Elijah.  We could have pages and pages that we could consider in the life of Elijah.  How would you color Elijah’s struggles? How would you struggle with the boy on his deathbed? What Elijah faced was a long, arduous journey through the valley of the shadow of death.  It seems as if there was no room for light, color or beauty.  Elijah’s pictures might be at best gray, but mostly black and void.

We too walk in the valley of the shadow of death wearing the vale of tears we face.  However, we trudge through the valley of the shadow of Jesus’s death. We walk with the veil of tears with the promise.   Even in the darkest moments of despair, pain, and loss there is beauty and even color.  At the deathbed of a young boy, there is the beauty of prayers being heard and resurrection given.  The cold, gray, pale shades of death, are colored back in with the reviving life and color on his face as the boy was alive again.   

There is beauty and color for us in Jesus’ death and resurrection.  As we look at  our own lives under the cross there really is beauty in the resurrection of all flesh, the color and vivid life of the new heavens and the new earth, the new creation. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Open now thy gates of beauty,  Zion, let me enter there,  Where my soul in joyful duty  Waits for Him who answers prayer. Oh, how blessèd is this place, Filled with solace, light and grace!  (LSB 901:1)

- Pastor Kent Schaaf is pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Little Rock. AR.

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

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.