Reflections

October 15, 2023 Today's Reading: Matthew 22:1-14 Daily Lectionary: Malachi 3:6-4:6 , Matthew 4:12-25 The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.  (Matthew 22:3) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. When you sit down to eat with your family either at home or at a restaurant, you generally eat with the people you know and love.  It would be rather odd to have some stra...

October 14, 2023 Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 20: Isaiah 61:10 ; antiphon Psalm 146:2 Daily Lectionary: Malachi 2:1-3:5 , Matthew 4:1-11 I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.  (Psalm 146:2) In the Name of Jesus, Amen. Hallelujah is Hebrew for “praise the Lord.” The Greek word is alleluia. Alleluia is an invitation to praise God. Th...

October 13, 2023 Today's Reading:   Daily Lectionary: Malachi 1:1-14 ,  Matthew 3:1-17 John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”   “…The voice of one crying in the wilderness…” (Matthew 3:1,2,3b) In the Name of Jesus, Amen. God wants you to be a happy hearer. Satan, on the other hand, wants you to despise preaching and to reluctantl...

October 12, 2023 Today's Reading:   Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 9:22-38 , 1 Timothy 6:3-21 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. (1 Timothy 6:6-8) In the Name of Jesus, Amen. Your life should reflect who you are in Christ, all of your life. Yo...

October 11, 2023 Today's Reading: Luther's Small Catechism, Baptism: Part 1 Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 9:1-21 , 1 Timothy 5:17-6:2 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19) In the Name of Jesus, Amen.  In the beginning was water. The Spirit of God hovered over the water, and the Word of God was...

October 10, 2023 Today's Reading: Philippians 3:4b-14 Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 7:1-4, 8:1-18 , 1 Timothy 5:1-16 I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ. (Philippians 3:8) It is personal. Faith is first about you and Jesus, just the two...

October 9, 2023 Today's Reading: Isaiah 5:1-7 Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 5:1-16; 6:1-9, 15-16 , 1 Timothy 4:1-16 What more was there to do for my vineyard…? (Isaiah 5:4a) In the Name of Jesus, Amen. God is a gardener. He planted the first garden in Eden out of love. It was perfect; a garden that was destined to be forever green with blooming flowers and fruitful trees. God Himself watered the gard...

October 8, 2023 Today's Reading: Matthew 21:33-46 Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 4:7-23 , 1 Timothy 3:1-16 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’  And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. (Matthew 21:38, 39) In the Name of Jesus, Amen. The master of the house who planted the vineyard is G...

October 7, 2023 Today's Reading: Introit to Pentecost 19: Psalm 118:22-24 , antiphon Psalm 118:1 Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 2:11-20, 4:1-6 , 1 Timothy 2:1-15 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24) In the Name of Jesus, Amen. You are a child of the day. Day is for light; for seeing clearly. You are not a child of any ordinary day but of an extraordi...

October 6, 2023 Today's Reading:   Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 1:1-2:10 , 1 Timothy 1:1-20 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners… (1 Timothy 1:15) In the Name of Jesus, Amen. In Jesus, God saves sinners. Jesus is God. All things were created through Him. Jesus is fully man. He became enfleshed in the womb of the Virgin Mary...

October 5, 2023 Today's Reading:   Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 36:1-23 , Colossians 4:1-18 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. (Colossians 4:5-6) In the Name of Jesus. Amen. Are you a preacher or a hearer? If you are a preacher, as you well know, you mu...

October 4, 2023 Today's Reading: Luther's Small Catechism, The Lord's Prayer: Conclusion Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 35:1-7, 16-25 , Colossians 3:1-25 For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen. In the name of Jesus, Amen. Thine means yours. Let’s be clear. Thine doesn’t mean “mine.” Thine is a form of Thy before a word beginning with a vowel. Daring to be Luthe...

October 3, 2023 Today's Reading: Philippians 2:1-18 Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 34:1-4, 8-11, 14-33 , Colossians 2:8-23 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus... (Philippians 2:4,5) In the Name of Jesus, Amen. There is only one God, the Holy Spirit. This Spirit is one with the Father...

October 2, 2023 Today's Reading: Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32 Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 33:1-25 , Colossians 1:24-2:7 For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live. (Ezekiel 18:32) In the name of Jesus, Amen. It’s not my fault! I didn’t do anything wrong! Why do I have to pay the price for what someone else did? This is what the people of Israel meant when t...

October 1, 2023 Today's Reading: Matthew 21:23-32 Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 32:1-22 , Colossians 1:1-23 For John came to you in the way of righteousness…the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. (Matthew 21:32a) In the name of Jesus, Amen. Authority is the right to do or say something within your vocations. Humans have no true authority unless it is given to them. All authority in...

September 30, 2023 Today's Reading: Introit to Pentecost 18: Psalm 147:1-5 ; antiphon Psalm 147:6 Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 31:1-21 , Philippians 4:1-23 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. (Psalm 147:3) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. When we lived in Corpus Christi, one of our unique experiences was learning what happens when a category 5 hurricane blows through the area. Cor...

September 29, 2023 Today's Reading: Matthew 18:1-11 Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 29:1-24 , Philippians 3:1-21 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 18:10) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. When I was younger (like, during the 1900s), there was this movie that came out called Angel...

September 28, 2023 Today's Reading: Revelation 12:7-12 Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 9:1-13, 10:18-29 , Philippians 2:12-30 And they conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”(Revelation 12:11) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. When was the last time you read the book of Revelation? I teach Religion at a Lutheran High School,...

September 27, 2023 Today's Reading: Luther’s Small Catechism, T he 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 P...

September 26, 2023 Today's Reading: Philippians 1:12-14, 19-30 Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 5:9-27 , Philippians 1:1-20 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Paul’s faith amazes me. I wish I could say that I’d have his attitude if I found myself in his circumstances in the book of Philippians, but I don’t have that kind of confidence in myse...

September 25, 2023 Today's Reading: Isaiah 55:6-9 Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 4:38-5:8 , Ephesians 6:1-24 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. (Isaiah 55:8) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Have you ever sought a second opinion? Usually, that’s something that happens in a medical context. A doctor might suspect a particular illness or recommend a co...

September 24, 2023 Today's Reading: Matthew 20:1-16 Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 4:8-22, 32-37 , Ephesians 5:15-33 “So the last will be first, and the first last.” (Matthew 20:16) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. This parable of Jesus, sometimes called the “Laborers in the Vineyard,” can be misapplied in two ways. The first is addressed in the parable itself. For longtime Christians, the actions of the...

September 23, 2023 Today's Reading: Introit to Pentecost 17: Psalm 116:12-1 3; antiphon Psalm 116:17 Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 2:19-25, 4:1-17 , Ephesians 4:25-5:14 What shall I render to the LORD for all His benefits to me? (Psalm 116:12) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. “How can I ever thank you?” Think of a time in your life when someone gave you some undeserved kindness. Maybe it was a gift you r...

September 22, 2023 Today's Reading: Ezekiel 2:8-3:11 (OT for St. Matthew) Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 2:1-18 , Ephesians 4:1-24 And He said to me, ‘Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them." (Ezekiel 3:4) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. How do you feel about public speaking? A hasty search on “the Google”  informed me that 77% of people have some level of anxiety about spe...

September 21, 2023 Today's Reading: Matthew 9:9-13 Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 19:1-21 , Ephesians 3:1-21 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. Jesus came for sinners...God be praised! That means that He came for you and for me. And He came for Ma...