September 27, 2023

Today's Reading: Luther’s Small Catechism, The Lord’s Prayer: Seventh Petition

Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 6:1-23, Philippians 1:21-2:11

The Lord will keep you from all evil; He will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. (Psalm 121:7-8)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. As we’ve walked together through the Lord’s Prayer, it has become more and more clear to me that each petition of the prayer Jesus taught us could offer more instruction than we could hope to learn in a lifetime—and the final petition is no exception. “Deliver us from evil” is all-encompassing. It’s praying “with a broad brush.” It’s bundling up everything that might afflict us in this life—sickness, temptation, persecution, doubt, plague, drought, hatred, flood, depression, death—maybe you’re thinking of something I haven’t listed…When God delivers us from evil, He delivers us from ALL of these. He rescues us from everything that can assault the body or soul. 

Our Father delights to hear us offer up these words because this deliverance is found solely in the cross of Christ. At the cross, we see the epitome of what evil can do. In Adam and Eve’s rebellion, they essentially told God that they wanted to be like Him—not in the image-bearing sense that He created them, but on their own terms. The full-blown rejection of God was complete when mankind nailed God’s Son to the cross. As Jesus’ hands and feet were nailed to the cross, it seemed as if God’s Kingdom would never come. As they mocked and shamed Him where He hung, the evil will of man was done. Now, the Bread of Life Himself knew hunger and thirst, and instead of daily bread, His lips touched sponge and bitter wine. He cried out, “Father, forgive them, they don’t know what they are doing,” as He met God’s righteous wrath and was Himself forsaken. On one side there hung another, not led into temptation—not mocking, not cursing. “Remember me,” was his plea—a child of paradise Christ named him. When we look at the cross of Christ, we see evil outpoured. But He went willingly. He drank the cup of judgment that we might take the cup of Salvation. When Jesus said, “It is finished,” He meant it. Evil is finished, you’ve been delivered from it. Believe it. Cling to it. Until your “last hour comes,” when we ask God to “give us a blessed end, and graciously take us from this valley of sorrow to Himself in heaven.” In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Almighty, everlasting God, Your Son has assured forgiveness of sins and deliverance from eternal death. Strengthen us by Your Holy Spirit that our faith in Christ may increase daily and that we may hold fast to the hope that on the Last Day we shall be raised in glory to eternal life; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

-Pastor Dustin Beck is pastor at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Corpus Christi, Texas.

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.