Reflections

June 21, 2024  Today's Reading: John 19:1-22 Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 24:1-22 ; John 19:1-22 Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” (John 19:19) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The circumstances of this were cosmic and eternal. Jesus is at His coronation. It's not all the bells and whistles like you would see at Buckingham Pala...

June 20, 2024  Today's Reading: Catechism: The Sacrament of Holy Baptism 2 Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 22:22-23:12 ; John 18:15-40 It works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare. - Dr. Luther, SC, Baptism 2, Question 1 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. What benefits does Baptism give? Baptism...

June 19, 2024  Today's Reading: John 18:1-14 Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 22:1-21 ; John 18:1-14 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” (John 18:1-14) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. They were afraid, yet he addressed them calmly. Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek...

June 18, 2024 Today's Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 20:5-25 ; Proverbs 21:1-31 ; John 17:1-26 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. (2 Corinthians 5:4) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. We groan through the daily grind of our earth...

June 17, 2024  Today's Reading: Ezekiel 17:22-24 Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 17:1-28 ; Proverbs 18:1-20:4 ; John 16:17-33 “And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the Lord; I bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it.” (Ezekiel 17:24) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The kingdom...

June 16, 2024 Today's Reading: Mark 4:26-34 Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 16:1-24 ; John 16:1-16 And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground.” (Mark 4:26) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus spoke to them in parables. He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything. (4:34) Why did the crowd not get the full p...

June 15, 2024  Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 4 - Psalm 92:12-15; antiphon: Psalm 92:1 Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 15:1-29 ; John 15:12-27 To declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. Psalm 92:15  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. We have this predicament where the people we feel most comfortable taking shelter with are the ones who can relate to o...

June 14, 2024  Today's Reading: John 15:1-11 Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 14:1-27 ; John 15:1-11 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. To abide means to make your home somewhere. Abide in Jesus. Ask what you wish, and it will be done for you. You will bear m...

June 13, 2024  Today's Reading: Catechism: The Sacrament of Holy Baptism 1 Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 13:1-25 ; John 14:18-31 What is Baptism? Baptism is not just plain water, but it is the water included in God’s command and combined with God’s word. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In the beginning, God spoke, and stuff happened. Creation forms itself to His word. God said light. It was. And it was...

June 12, 2024  Today's Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1 Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 10:1-23 ; Proverbs 11:1-12:28 ; John 14:1-17 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Christians don’t measure hurt differently than the world. Just time. Jesus is already raised from the dead and will...

June 11, 2024  Today's Reading: Mark 6:7-13 Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 9:1-18 ; John 13:21-38 So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. Mark 6:12 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. More is assumed about Barnabas than is actually known, which is probably ok. Jesus sends out the 12 to conquer disease and demons alike in His name and warns them that it won’t get them rich, or even always...

June 10, 2024  Today's Reading: Genesis 3:8-15 Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 8:22-36 ; John 13:1-20 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel. Genesis 3:15 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Whenever the All-knowing asks a question, it’s not because He’s curious about the answer. It’s not even because...

June 9, 2024  Today's Reading: Mark 3:20-35 Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 8:1-21 ; John 12:36b-50 …but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin  Mark 3:29 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Only the wrong people worry about committing the unforgivable sin. The old saying goes, if you’re worried about committing this sin, you haven’t, because the sin...

June 8, 2024  Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 3 - Psalm 28:7-9; antiphon: Psalm 28:6 Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 5:1-23 ; Proverbs 6:1-7:27 ; John 12:20-36a The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; Psalm 28:7a  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The psalm starts with God’s identity before it ever addresses what needs doing. It isn’t just propriety that becko...

June 7, 2024  Today's Reading: John 12:1-19 Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 4:1-27 ; John 12:1-19 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.” John 12:8  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. This side of glory, the poor, you will always have with you. And for some reason, it’s used as an excuse. Ironically enough, it seems to apply even though we don’t have Jesus with us anymore the...

June 6, 2024 Today's Reading: Catechism: The Lord’s Prayer - The Conclusion Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 3:5-24 ; John 11:38-57 For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.* Amen. What does this mean? This means that I should be certain that these petitions are pleasing to our Father in heaven, and are heard by Him; for He Himself has commanded us to pray in this way and ha...

June 5, 2024  Today's Reading: John 11:17-37 Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 1:8-33 ; John 11:17-37 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. John 11:21  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. I think John made sure to get this in the story, not to leave us with a bad impression of Martha marked on one of the hardest days of her life, but I think it’s to give us the word...

June 4, 2024 Today's Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:5-12 Daily Lectionary: Ecclesiastes 12:1-14 ; John 11:1-16 Always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 2 Corinthians 4:10  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. You only have to escape the things that can beat you. Nobody runs from puppies. Unless they’re allergic, I guess. It’s hard to find s...

June 3, 2024 Today's Reading: Deuteronomy 5:12-15 Daily Lectionary: Ecclesiastes 11:1-10 ; John 10:22-42 Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. Deuteronomy 5:12 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The key word in the commandment is holy. God calls us to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy: clean, pure, holy as the LORD your God is holy. So it probably has to h...

June 2, 2024  Today's Reading: Mark 2:23-28 ( 3:1-6 ) Daily Lectionary: Ecclesiastes 10:1-20 ; John 10:1-21 And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. Mark 2:27 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Pharisees confront Jesus about the disciples eating on the Sabbath because they plucked the heads of grain themselves. That’s too much work. Arguments about doing work on...

June 1, 2024  Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 2 - Psalm 62:5-8 ; antiphon: Psalm 62:1 Daily Lectionary: Ecclesiastes 9:1-17 ; John 9:24-41 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,  for my hope is from him.  He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.  On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.  Trust in him at all times, O people...

May 31, 2024   Today's Reading: Luke 1:39-45 (46-56) Daily Lectionary: Ecclesiastes 8:1-17 ; John 9:1-23 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come...

May 30, 2024  Today's Reading: The Lord’s Prayer - Seventh Petition  Daily Lectionary: Ecclesiastes 7:11-29 ; John 8:39-59 The Seventh Petition But deliver us from evil. What does this mean? We pray in this petition, in summary, that our Father in heaven would rescue us from every evil of body and soul, possessions and reputation, and finally, when our last hour comes, give us a blessed end, and g...

May 29, 2024 Today's Reading:   Ecclesiastes 6:1-7:10 Daily Lectionary: Ecclesiastes 6:1-7:10 , John 8:21-38 All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied. For what advantage has the wise man over the fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living? Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is va...

May 28, 2024 Today's Reading: Acts 2:14a, 22-36 Daily Lectionary: Ecclesiastes 5:1-20 ; John 8:1-20 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. (Acts 2:32–33) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. This sermo...