Reflections

October 9, 2025 Today's Reading: Catechism: Table of Duties - Of Civil Government Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 8:1-20 ; Matthew 10:24-42 “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God...

October 8, 2025 Today's Reading: Deuteronomy 7:1-19 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 7:1-19 ; Matthew 10:1-23 “For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. (Deuteronomy 7:6) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. What does it mean to be “holy to the LORD?” In the rest of ou...

October 7, 2025 Today's Reading: 2 Timothy 1:1-14 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 6:10-25 ; Matthew 9:18-38 “who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and...

October 6, 2025 Today's Reading: Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 5:22-6:9 ; Matthew 9:1-17 “Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted.” (Habakkuk 1:3-4) In the...

October 5, 2025 Today's Reading: Luke 17:1-10 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 5:1-21 ; Matthew 8:18-34 “Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” (Luke 17:3-4) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Rebuking is the fun part. You’ve be...

October 4, 2025   Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 17 - Psalm 119:162, 164-165, 167; antiphon: Psalm 119:166 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 4:21-40 ; Matthew 8:1-17   “I hope for your salvation, O Lord, and I do your commandments. I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil. Seven times a day I praise you for your just and righteous decrees. Great peace have those who love your law;...

October 3, 2025   Today's Reading: Matthew 7:13-29 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 4:1-20 ; Matthew 7:13-29   “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tre...

October 2, 2025   Today's Reading: Catechism: Table of Duties - What Hearers Owe Their Pastors Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 3:1-29 ; Matthew 7:1-12   “We ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13) Obey your lea...

October 1, 2025   Today's Reading: Amos 6:1-7 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 2:16-37 ; Matthew 6:16-34   “So as soon as all the men of war had perished and were dead from among the people, the Lord said to me, ‘Today you are to cross the border of Moab at Ar. And when you approach the territory of the people of Ammon, do not harass them or contend with them, for I will not give you any of the land...

September 30, 2025   Today's Reading: 1 Timothy 6:6-19 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 1:37-2:15 ; Matthew 6:1-15   “But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless a...

September 29, 2025   Today's Reading: Luke 10:17-20 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 1:19-36 ; Matthew 5:21-48   “The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!’ And he said to them, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing sha...

September 28, 2025   Today's Reading: Luke 16:19-31 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 1:1-18 ; Matthew 5:1-20   “The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the...

September 27, 2025 Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 16 - Psalm 119:73-75, 77; antiphon: Psalm 119:76 Daily Lectionary: Malachi 3:6-4:6 ; Matthew 4:12-25 “I know, O Lord … that in faithfulness you have afflicted me” (Psalm 119:75) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Psalmist attributes his affliction to God’s “faithfulness” or “trustworthiness.” The Hebrew word we have here is where we get our...

September 26, 2025 Today's Reading: Matthew 4:1-11 Daily Lectionary: Malachi 2:1-3:5 ; Matthew 4:1-11 “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil” (Matthew 4:1) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Spirit that descended upon Jesus at his Baptism now leads him into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Jesus, the “anointed one,” faces the first test of his...

September 25, 2025 Today's Reading: Catechism: Table of Duties - To Bishops, Pastors and Preachers Daily Lectionary: Malachi 1:1-14 ; Matthew 3:1-17 “He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it” (Titus 1:9)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. As Lutherans, we teach that when the water of Baptism i...

September 24, 2025 Today's Reading: Luke 16:1-15 Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 9:22-38 ; Nehemiah 10:1-13:31 ; 1 Timothy 6:3-21 “And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings” (Luke 16:9) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The “sons of this world” in this parable are like the people of Amos 8. They are shre...

September 23, 2025 Today's Reading: 1 Timothy 2:1-15 Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 9:1-21 ; 1 Timothy 5:17-6:2 “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:6)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. What Paul “urges” and “desires” in this letter aren’t the kind of new and made-up laws and commandments you find wh...

September 22, 2025 Today's Reading: Amos 8:4-7 Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 7:1-4; 8:1-18 ; Ezra 1:1-10:19 ; 1 Timothy 5:1-16 “The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob: ‘Surely I will never forget any of their deeds’” (Amos 8:7)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. When Jesus says that “the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27), he reveals man’s propensity to switch everything aro...

September 21, 2025 Today's Reading: Matthew 9:9-13 Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 5:1-16; 6:1-9, 15-16 ; 1 Timothy 4:1-16 “As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he rose and followed him” (Matthew 9:9) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. If you have seen the popular TV Series, “The Chosen,” then you know that the producers us...

September 20, 2025 Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 15 - Psalm 119:137-140, 142; antiphon: Psalm 119:144 Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 4:7-23 ; 1 Timothy 3:1-16 “Righteous are you, O Lord, and right are your rules. You have appointed your testimonies in righteousness and in all faithfulness. My zeal consumes me, because my foes forget your words. Your promise is well tried, and your servant lov...

September 19, 2025 Today's Reading: 1 Timothy 2:1-6 Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 2:11-20; 4:1-6 ; 1 Timothy 2:1-15 “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of G...

September 18, 2025 Today's Reading: Catechism: Daily Prayers: Asking a Blessing & Returning Thanks Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 1:1-2:10 ; Haggai 1:1-2:23 ; 1 Timothy 1:1-20 The children and members of the household shall go to the table reverently, fold their hands, and say: The eyes of all look to You, [O LORD,] and You give them their food at the proper time. You open Your hand and satisfy th...

September 17, 2025 Today's Reading: Luke 15:1-10 Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 36:1-23 ; Philemon 1-25 ; Colossians 4:1-18 “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.’So he told them this parable: ‘What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does n...

September 16, 2025 Today's Reading: 1 Timothy 1:5-11, 12-17 Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 35:1-7, 16-25 ; Zephaniah  1:1-3:20 ; Colossians 3:1-25 “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect pati...

September 15, 2025 Today's Reading: Ezekiel 34:11-24 Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 34:1-4, 8-11, 14-33 ; Nahum 1:1-3:19 ; Colossians 2:8-23 “For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where...