Reflections

Today's Reading: Matthew 9:9-13 Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 5:1-16; 6:1-9, 15-16 ; 1 Timothy 4:1-16 “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” ( Matthew 9:12 ESV ) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. This spring I got sick—right before Holy Week, no less! I was coughing, blowing my nose all the time, and felt tired and weak. And that darn cold wouldn’t quit! It took three w...

Today's Reading: Galatians 5:16-24 Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 4:7-23 ; 1 Timothy 3:1-16 “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” ( Galatians 5:17 ESV ) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Once you were ruled by the flesh. Once you were a slave of sin....

Today's Reading:   Proverbs 4:10-23 Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 2:11-20; 4:1-6 ; 1 Timothy 2:1-15 “Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life.” ( Proverbs 4:13 ESV ) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. There are two roads: the Way of Wisdom and the Way of Folly. The Way of Folly is the Road of Unbelief and Sin. It is the path that leads to death. This is the path that Jesus...

Today's Reading: Luke 17:11-19 Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 1:1-2:10 ; 1 Timothy 1:1-20 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” ( Luke 17:19 ) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Our English translations have to make a couple of interpretive choices when they translate Luke 17:19. Jesus literally says, “Arise! Journey!  Your faith has saved you!” First, how do you transla...

Today's Reading:   Introit for the 14th Sunday after Trinity  (Psalm 84:1-2a, 4, 10b, 11b; antiphon: v.9-10a) Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 36:1-23; Colossians 4:1-18  Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise! (From the Introit for the 14th Sunday after Trinity)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Are you looking forward to tomorrow? Are you looking forward to entering the h...

Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 35:1-7, 16-25; Colossians 3:1-25  And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Galatians 3:17)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The world demands a lot of us. Parents, teachers, friends, bosses, and coworkers demand that we "do this" or "do that." Sometimes, the Bible seems no different...

Today's Reading: Small Catechism:  Baptism part 1 Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 34:1-4, 8-11,14-33; Colossians 2:8-23 Baptism is not just plain water, but it is the water included in God's command and combined with God's word. ( Small Catechism:  Baptism)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Why do we baptize? Why do I need to be baptized? Is it just because God said so? Don't you hate that? When your...

Today's Reading: John 12:20-33 Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 33:1-25; Colossians 1:24-2:7  "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." (John 12:20-33)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Not many people wear jewelry depicting a needle or the electric chair. I don't see many gold noose necklaces proudly disp...

Today's Reading: Galatians 3:15-22 Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 32:1-22; Colossians 1:1-23  This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. (Galatians 3:17)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. What came first: the Law or the Gospel? Does it matter? Paul seems to think so. Once a covenant is made, you c...

Today's Reading: 2 Chronicles 28:8-15 Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 31:1-21; Philippians 4:1-23  And the men who have been mentioned by name rose and took the captives, and with the spoil they clothed all who were naked among them. They clothed them, gave them sandals, provided them with food and drink, and anointed them, and carrying all the feeble among them on donkeys, they brought them to the...

Today's Reading: Luke 10:21-37 Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 29:1-24; Philippians 3:1-21  And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" (Luke 10:25)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The lawyer thinks he knows it all. He tries to test Jesus to see how smart He is, to see if Jesus is any match for him. Little does he know that he is...

Today's Reading:   Introit for the 13th Sunday after Trinity (Psalm 74:1-2, 19b, 21b; antiphon: v.20a, 21a, 22a, 23a) Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 9:1-13; 10:18-29; Philippians 2:12-30  Do not forget the life of your poor forever. Let the poor and needy praise your name. (From the Introit for the 13th Sunday after Trinity)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Psalm 74 is not full of cheerful thoughts, fluf...

Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 6:1-23; Philippians 1:21-2:11  Then Elisha prayed and said, "O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see." So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (2 Kings 6:17)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In Isaiah 6, the prophet is given a vision of heaven's throne room. The six-wi...

Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 5:9-27; Philippians 1:1-20  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The answer: No. Nei . Nope. Nada. Nein . No way J...

Today's Reading: Small Catechism:  Lord's Prayer, Conclusion Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 4:48-5:8; Ephesians 6:1-24  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 has promised t...

Today's Reading:   2 Corinthians 3:4-11 Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 4:8-22, 32-37; Ephesians 5:15-33  For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2 Corinthians 3:6b)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The letter kills. What letter? Maybe the letter "t," because it looks like a sword standing on end? No! The letter of the Law. If you try to justify yourself before God based only on your ability to...

Today's Reading:   Isaiah 29:17-24 Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 2:19-25; 4:1-7; Ephesians 4:25-5:14  Is it not yet a very little while until Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be regarded as a forest? (Isaiah 29:17) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. With the fall into sin, the world was turned upside down. The lush garden of the Lord was turned into a wilderness o...

Today's Reading: Mark 7:31-37 Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 2:1-18; Ephesians 4:1-24  And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." (Mark 7:34)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus sighed. You know this sigh. It's the one you might make when you can't believe what you are dealing with. Part frustration. Part sadness. Mix in some disappointment and anger and yo...

Today's Reading:   Introit for the 12th Sunday after Trinity  (Psalm 70:2b, 4a, 5b; antiphon: v.1-2a) Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 19:1-21; Ephesians 3:1-21  Make haste, O God, to deliver me! O Lord, make haste to help me! (From the Introit for the 12th Sunday after Trinity)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The words of our text are familiar words. They begin both Matins and Vespers. They are the praye...

Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 18:20-40; Ephesians 2:1-22  And Hannah prayed and said, "My heart exults in the Lord; my horn is exalted in the Lord. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation." (1 Samuel 2:1) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. I once heard a pastor say that God answers prayer in four ways: "Yes," "No," "Let's do it my way," "You've got to be kidding me!" Paul writes, "...

Today's Reading:   1 Corinthians 15:1-10 Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 18:1-19; Ephesians 1:1-23  For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Paul makes it very simple. T...

Today's Reading: Small Catechism:  Lord's Prayer, Seventh Petition Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 16:29-17:24; 2 Corinthians 9:1-15  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 graciously take u...

Today's Reading:   Genesis 4:1-15 Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 12:20-13:5, 33-34; 2 Corinthians 8:1-24  And the Lord said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground." (Genesis 4:10) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Lord says to Cain, "What have you done?" It echoes what the Lord said to Adam and Eve, "Where are you?" (Genesis 3:9) We all have Cain in us....

Today's Reading: Mark 6:14-29 Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 11:42-12:19; 2 Corinthians 7:1-16  When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly. (Mark 6:20b)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. John the Baptist was not out to win friends. He was sent by God to call people to confess and repent of their sins, to change their sinful ways, and return to the Lord God and His way.  Your...

Today's Reading: Luke 18:9-14 Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 11:1-26; 2 Corinthians 6:1-18 "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" (Luke 18:13b)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. You there! Do you think you are basically a good person who does good things when given the opportunity? Do you talk about yourself and your accomplishments every chance you get? Are there more selfies on your phone than pictures of...