Luther for the Busy Man

THE WEEK OF TRINITY II - TUESDAY LESSON: MATTHEW 22:1-14 “Come; for all is now ready.” Luke 14:17 The message which the servant was to convey to the invited guests to urge them to come to the banquet was: “Come; for all is now ready.” Christ died; He slaughtered sin and death in His death; He rose from the dead; the Holy Spirit was given; in short, everything that belonged to this banquet was prep...

THE WEEK OF TRINITY II - MONDAY LESSON: ISAIAH 55:1-7 “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many; and at the time for the banquet, he sent his servant.” Luke 14:16-17 Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a marriage feast for his son and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast.” Matthew 22:1-3 This i...

THE WEEK OF TRINITY II - SUNDAY LESSON: LUKE 14:16-21 “A man once gave a great banquet.” Luke 14:16 In this Gospel, as well as in the remainder of Holy Scripture, we must make an effort, to the best of our ability, to grasp the true, simple meaning of the text and to rest our heart and conscience on it. Anyone who wants to do battle with the devil must not waver to and fro or totter, but must be s...

THE WEEK OF TRINITY I - SATURDAY LESSON: HEBREWS 3:7-15 Abraham said, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them … If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.” Luke 16:29, 31 In this Gospel you see how Abraham refuses to send someone from the dead to teach the living at the request of the rich man. He reminds the rich...

THE WEEK OF TRINITY I - FRIDAY LESSON: LUKE 12:16-21 Abraham said, “Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.” Luke 16:25 The inability of Lazarus to render bodily service to his neighbor has been more than recompensed by the rich spiritual service he has been enabled to render to...

THE WEEK OF TRINITY I - THURSDAY LESSON: PHILIPPIANS 3:7-11 Without faith it is impossible to please him [God]. Hebrews 11:6 We should not form an estimate of Lazarus with his sores, poverty, and troubles only from external factors. For there are many people who suffer want and trouble without ever deriving any benefit from it. King Herod had to endure terrible sufferings, as we are reminded in th...

THE WEEK OF TRINITY I - WEDNESDAY LESSON: MATTHEW 25:31-46 Through love be servants of one another. Galatians 5:13 One sin follows another. The rich man clothed in purple and faring sumptuously every day forgot his love towards his neighbor. He let poor Lazarus lie at his door and gave him no help. Even if he was disinclined to give Lazarus some help personally, he could still have ordered his ser...

THE WEEK OF TRINITY I - TUESDAY LESSON: 1 TIMOTHY 6:6-10 If riches increase, set not your heart on them. Psalm 62:10 Where there is true Christian faith, rich attire and sumptuous food will never be major considerations. Christian faith does not look for earthly good, honor, pleasure, power, or anything outside of God Himself. It seeks, desires, and clings to nothing but God, who alone is the high...

THE WEEK OF TRINITY I - MONDAY LESSON: 2 CORINTHIANS 8:8-15 “There was a rich man … who feasted sumptuously every day.” Luke 16:19 When we measure this rich man by the fruits of faith, we shall find a heart and a tree of unbelief. The Gospel reproaches him for feasting sumptuously daily and for decking himself out in costly apparel. Reason does not regard such matters as especially great sins. It...

THE WEEK OF TRINITY I - SUNDAY LESSON: LUKE 16:19-31 “There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen.” Luke 16:19 We must not simply form an opinion on this rich man from his external conduct. He is dressed in sheep’s clothing, and his life outwardly glitters and seems beautiful, covering the wolf to perfection. The Gospel does not accuse him of adultery, murder, robbery, or violat...

THE WEEK OF TRINITY - SATURDAY LESSON: EPHESIANS 6:13-18 Be filled with the Spirit. Ephesians 5:18 In the very first chapter of the Bible we are told, “The Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2). This passage is not quite as clear as Matthew 28:19, because the Jews make it a little shaky for us when they tell us that the word for Spirit in Hebrew can also mean “wind.”...

THE WEEK OF TRINITY - FRIDAY LESSON: MATTHEW 3:13-17 “This is eternal life, that they know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou has sent.” John 17:3 You can have no more sure and certain basis for the deity of Christ than to wrap up your heart in clear passages of Scripture and, in this way, also lock up this truth in your hearts. Scripture begins in a very gentle manner and introdu...

THE WEEK OF TRINITY - THURSDAY LESSON: PSALM 8 He is Lord of lords and King of kings. Revelation 17:14 In the second psalm, God says to His Son: “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage and the ends of the earth as your possession” (Psalm 2:8). Here He is clearly appointed as the King of all things because He is God’s Son. There has never been any ordinary prince or king to whom the w...

THE WEEK OF TRINITY - WEDNESDAY LESSON: PSALM 145 We have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. Whosoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 1 John 4:14-15 Paul says in Romans that God promised the Gospel beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, “the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David...

THE WEEK OF TRINITY - TUESDAY LESSON: EPHESIANS 1:3-14 [Jesus Christ] is the true God and eternal life. 1 John 5:20 God has forbidden us to worship any strange gods. Now we are told in John that it is God’s will that His Son should be honored with the honor with which He Himself is honored. John reports Christ’s words to the Jews. “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own acco...

THE WEEK OF TRINITY - MONDAY LESSON: PSALM 110:1-4 He [Christ] reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature. Hebrews 1:3 The Old Testament sets forth many clear testimonies on the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. David says: “The Lord says to my lord: ‘Sit at my right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool.’” The “right hand” means the royal throne, and this passage indic...

THE WEEK OF TRINITY - SUNDAY LESSON: JOHN 3:1-15 The Word was God … And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. John 1:14 The Sunday after Pentecost has come to be regarded in the Church as the festival of the Holy Trinity. The word Trinity is not found in Holy Scripture; it has been devised and invented by men. That is also why it always sounds a little cold. It would be far better if we simply...

THE WEEK OF PENTECOST - SATURDAY LESSON: LUKE 24:44-49 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” John 14:25-26 If the Holy Spirit is to live up to His name, He cannot carry out His office anywhere else but where the...

THE WEEK OF PENTECOST - FRIDAY LESSON: EPHESIANS 4:25-32 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Galatians 5:25 There must always be a mixture or blending in us: we must feel both the Holy Spirit and our sin and imperfection. If there is to be improvement in us, we must resemble a sick person in the hands of a physician. Therefore, let no one conclude as follows: this person has...

THE WEEK OF PENTECOST - THURSDAY LESSON: ROMANS 7:13-20 Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words. Romans 8:26 In connection with the Holy Spirit and His work, it is always necessary to maintain a certain reserve, so that we do not approach the Holy Spirit with an importunity tha...

THE WEEK OF PENTECOST - WEDNESDAY LESSON: PHILIPPIANS 3:12-16 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Philippians 3:12 We should learn to understand that a man who has received the Holy Spirit does not necessarily become a perfect Christian immediately, experiencing no further trouble from the Law or f...

THE WEEK OF PENTECOST - TUESDAY LESSON: MATTHEW 13:44-45 “The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name … will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” John 14:26 You will know who the Holy Spirit is if you know why He was given and what His office is. He it is who applies the treasure of Christ and all that He has to us—Christ who is...

THE WEEK OF PENTECOST - MONDAY LESSON: EPHESIANS 2:19-22 “When the Counsellor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness to me.” John 15:26 In what way does the Holy Spirit change the heart and make it new? What means does He use to take hold of the heart? He does it by proclaiming and preaching the Lord Jesus Chris...

THE DAY OF PENTECOST - SUNDAY LESSON: JOHN 14:23-31 The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:2 On the day of Pentecost, when the disciples of Christ were all together in one place, the Holy Spirit came upon them and filled them. Before this joyful event, they sat in deep gloom, fear, and sorrow. The Spirit gave them cloven tongues of fir...

THE WEEK OF ASCENSION - SATURDAY LESSON: 1 THESSALONIANS 1:2-10 “And you also are witnesses, because you have been with me from the beginning.” John 15:27 “When you have become sure and certain through the Holy Spirit who has witnessed to you, then first and foremost you will bear witness to Me.” This is Christ’s conviction about His disciples. He had, of course, chosen them as His apostles; they...