November 18, 2025

Today's Reading: 2 Thessalonians 3:(1-5) 6-13

Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 37:1-21; Revelation 17:1-18; Matthew 27:33-56

“May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ. Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. … For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies.” (2 Thessalonians 3: 6, 11)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

“Idle hands … devil’s workshop”—we don’t want to be caught being idle. 

So the Apostle instructs us to keep away from those walking in idleness. But Paul’s actual word here in the Greek addresses something more than just laziness.

In Greek, it’s disordered, the same root word as properly ordering things. Scripture uses this word for the institutions the Lord put in place for us in creation—institutions such as marriage and home, neighbor and society, possessions and property, all given in the “orders of creation.” 

Paul knows as well as we do that the Church lives in a sinfully disordered world. “Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from any brother who is walking outside of order and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. … For we hear that some among you walk in disorder, not busy at work, but busybodies.” (2 Thessalonians 3:6, 11)

In these last Sundays of the Church year, we review how the Church is given to live in these latter days while waiting for our Lord’s return to judge the living and the dead. 

In this disordered world, the Lord’s institutions (life, marriage of man and woman, life and family and home, neighbor and society, possessions and property) will remain under attack. So the Apostle encourages the Church. 

But this disordering is not just our world. It’s us, our own sinful flesh. Realizing this, we have one place to turn. 2 Thessalonians 3:5: “May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.”

Where we’re unfaithful to Christ, he’s steadfast and faithful to us. Until that day when he comes again to judge the living and the dead, as we live in this disordered world and our own disordered lives, we turn to him, for he is faithful to his promise: “But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.” (2 Thessalonians 3:3)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Lord, you remain faithful to your promise. In our disordered world, we pray for our neighbor, that your institutions of family and home, of marriage of man and woman, of possessions and wealth, may be upheld for our neighbor’s benefit. And we give you thanks that you have instituted for us your gift of Baptism. Keep us in Baptism’s forgiveness of all sins and promise of life everlasting. Amen.

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

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.

This new devotional resource by Carl Fickenscher walks you through each week’s readings, revealing thematic connections and helping you better understand what is to come in worship each Sunday.