Reflections

Today's Reading: Matthew 9:1-8 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 9:1-22; Matthew 11:1-19 "For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, ‘Rise and walk'?" (Mathew 8:5) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. We need Jesus to be more than just a miracle worker, more than just some carnival barker who sells us snake oil medicine out of the trunk of his car, more than some magic genie who is rea...

Today's Reading: Introit for the 19th Sunday after Trinity (Psalm 78:1-3, 4b; antiphon: Psalm 35:3b; 34:17a, 6b; 48:14a) Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 8:1-20; Matthew 10:24-42 We will tell the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and His might, and the wonders that He has done. (From the Introit for the 19th Sunday after Trinity) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Is the idea of evangelism...

Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 7:1-19; Matthew 10:1-23  "If anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town." (Matthew 10:14)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. How often have you worried about someone you love who does not believe in Jesus? It happens all the time. Fathers worry about their children's faith. You worry about your...

Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 6:10-25; Matthew 9:18-38 Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness. (Matthew 9:35, Evangelical Heritage Version) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Matthew 9 is a whirlwind of activity. As soon as Jesus finishes healing one person, someone else is beggin...

Today's Reading: Small Catechism: Sacrament of the Altar, part 2 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 5:22-6:9; Matthew 9:1-17 Where is this written? (Small Catechism: Sacrament of the Altar) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Sacrament of the Altar is the true Body and Blood of Jesus Christ given for Christians to eat and drink. This is a strange thing to believe. It looks like mere bread and wine. All t...

Today's Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours…(1 Corinthians 1:2) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. I have a bad habit of skipping Paul's greetings. Get to the point, my friend. We can pretend I'm so pi...

Today's Reading: Deuteronomy 10:12-21 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 4:21-40; Matthew 8:1-17 For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. (Deuteronomy 10:17) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. "And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, t...

Today's Reading: Matthew 22:34-46 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 4:1-20; Matthew 7:13-29 Which is the great commandment in the Law? (Matthew 22:36) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Pharisees often tried to trick Jesus by asking Him questions that don't have good answers. Ask your dad which one of his children is his favorite. There's no good answer. So which commandment is the great one? Are there...

Today's Reading: Introit for the 18th Week after Trinity (Psalm 122:1, 6, 8-9; antiphon: Liturgical Text) Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 3:1-29; Matthew 7:1-12 Hear the prayer of Your servants, according to the blessing of Aaron upon your people. (From the Introit for the 18th Sunday after Trinity) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Apocrypha is a collection of books written during the time between...

Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 2:16-37; Matthew 6:16-34 Do not be anxious about tomorrow. (Matthew 6:34) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. What do Deuteronomy and the Sermon on the Mount have to do with one another? On the surface, it looks like these are very different writings. Our reading from Deuteronomy promises that the Israelites will defeat their enemies, while Jesus preaches that we should not...

Today's Reading: Small Catechism: Sacrament of the Altar, part 1 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 1:37-2:15; Matthew 6:1-15 It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Small Catechism: Sacrament of the Altar) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Sacrament of the Altar has many different aspects and dimensions and we speak of it using an assortment of names which all reflect these varied pur...

Today's Reading: Luke 10:17-20 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 1:19-36; Matthew 5:21-48 Nothing shall hurt you. (Luke 10:19) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus had earlier sent 72 disciples to go out and prepare His way. They were to go with very few supplies, announce the peace of God, and rely on the generosity of strangers for their wellbeing. This sort of thing seems fairly impossible before it...

Today's Reading: Ephesians 4:1-6 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 1:1-18; Matthew 5:1-20 Bearing with one another in love… (Ephesians 4:2) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. You are not alone. We are all in this together. These are not empty platitudes or meaningless slogans. This is the truth. We confess together that we believe in one holy, Christian/catholic, and apostolic Church. There are not many ch...

Today's Reading: Proverbs 25:6-14 Daily Lectionary: Malachi 3:6-4:6; Matthew 4:12-25 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. (Proverbs 25:11) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. A word fitly spoken, depending on the price of gold and the size of your apple, is worth somewhere around $10,000. The average person uses about 7,000 words in a day. If these were all fitly spoken, yo...

Today's Reading: Luke 14:1-11 Daily Lectionary: Malachi 2:1-3:5; Matthew 4:1-11 Friend, move up higher. (Luke 14:10) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Sometimes Jesus teaches us things that don't seem to have any immediate practical application. For instance, just a few verses before this parable of the wedding feast, He teaches that the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed which grows and gives a pl...

Today's Reading: Introit for the 17th Sunday after Trinity (Psalm 119:1-2, 5-6; antiphon: vs.124, 137) Daily Lectionary: Malachi 1:1-14; Matthew 3:1-17 Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love and teach me your statutes. (From the Introit for the 17th Sunday after Trinity) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Lord deals with you according to His steadfast love. This is love that does n...

Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 9:22-38; 1 Timothy 6:3-21 They ate and were filled and became fat and delighted themselves in your great goodness. Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you. (Nehemiah 9:25-26) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Nehemiah is a record of the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the Israelites' exile to Babylon. They rebuild the city and her walls, but also restore f...

Today's Reading: Ephesians 3:13-21 Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 9:1-21; 1 Timothy 5:17-6:2 [Give] thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 3:20) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Well, that's a pretty big request, isn't it? We're really supposed to give thanks always and for everything? There's nothing that we shouldn't be giving thanks for? Thi...

Today's Reading: Small Catechism: Office of the Keys Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 7:1-4; 8:1-18; 1 Timothy 5:1-16 Confession has two parts. (Small Catechism: Office of the Keys) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The entirety of the Christian life, and life in general, is summed up in this little phrase: Confession has two parts. That's it! I bring my sins to Jesus and Jesus forgives me. I contribute not...

Today's Reading: Matthew 9:9-13 Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 5:1-16; 6:1-9, 15-16; 1 Timothy 4:1-16 "Follow me." (Matthew 9:9) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. "Follow me." Two words. That's all Jesus said to Matthew. There's no complicated plan. There aren't twelve steps or even six chief parts. I've seen some schemes for salvation that seem very difficult to even interpret, what with all of the steps...

Today's Reading: 1 Kings 17:17-24 Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 4:7-23; 1 Timothy 3:1-16 Then [Elijah] stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the Lord, "O Lord my God, let this child's life come into him again." (1 Kings 17:21) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Lord's business is resurrection. A prayer to the Lord for a resurrection is sure to be heard, for this is what He has show...

Today's Reading: Luke 7:11-17 Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 2:11-20; 4:1-6; 1 Timothy 2:1-15 And when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep." … And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise." (Luke 7:13) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. People sometimes say silly things at funerals. We don't often have the right words to say when someone dies. Death is too big of an eve...

Today's Reading: Introit for the 16th Sunday after Trinity (Psalm 86:1, 7, 12-13; antiphon: vs.3, 5) Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 1:1-2:10; 1 Timothy 1:1-20 I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. (Psalm 86:12) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. When you imagine that the words of the psalms come out of Christ's mouth, you might hear the words in a d...

Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 36:1-23; Colossians 4:1-18 That the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia. (2 Chronicles 36:22) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jerusalem is no more. God had tried to get through to His people. "But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising His words and scoffing at His prophets, un...

Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 35:1-7, 16-25; Colossians 3:1-25 Josiah died and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. (2 Chronicles 35:24) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. O King Josiah, what have you done? You just displayed wonderful devotion to the God of Israel by reforming the religion of your people. But now you are like all the other sons of David...