Reflections

Today's Reading: Introit for the Fourth Sunday of Easter           (Psalm 66:3, 5, 8-9; antiphon: v.1-2) Daily Lectionary:  Exodus 40:17-38; Luke 8:40-56  Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you." (From the Introit for the Fourth Sunday of Easter) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. This psalm places into our mouth and on our lips the approp...

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 39:32-40:16; Luke 8:22-39  And they went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. (Luke 8:24)   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In our daily lectionary today we hear about one of the more famous accounts of Jesus and His disciples. They are crossing the Sea of Gali...

Today's Reading: 1 Peter 2:21-25 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 38:21-39:8; Luke 8:1-21  For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. (1 Peter 2:21) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The beginning of our reading today isn't quite clear as to what we have been called to. We need to go back to verse 20 to grasp what this...

Today's Reading: Small Catechism:  Tenth Commandment Daily Lectionary: Exodus 34:29-35:21; Luke 7:36-50  What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not entice or force away our neighbor's wife, workers, or animals, or turn them against him, but urge them to stay and do their duty. ( Small Catechism:  Tenth Commandment)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. While the Ninth Commandment...

Today's Reading: Ezekiel 34:11-16 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 34:1-28; Luke 7:18-35  " I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice." (Ezekiel 34:15-16)...

Today's Reading: John 14:1-14 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 33:1-23; Luke 7:1-17  "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it." (John 14:12-14)  In th...

Today's Reading: John 10:11-16 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 32:15-35; Luke 6:39-49 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." (John 10:11)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. "I am the good shepherd," says Jesus. That seems to mean that there are some bad shepherds, too. How do you know which shepherd is good or bad? A bad shepherd is not concerned with the well-being of...

Today's Reading: Introit for the Third Sunday of Easter       (Psalm 33:1, 18-20; antiphon: v.5b, 6a) Daily Lectionary: Exodus 32:1-14; Luke 6:20-38  Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy. (From the Introit for the Third Sunday of Easter)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Have you ever watched something so closely that you became obsessed with it? Maybe...

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 31:1-18; Luke 6:1-19  And Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?" And after looking around at them all he said to him, "Stretch out your hand." And he did so, and his hand was restored. But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus. (Luke 6:9-11)   In t...

Today's Reading: 1 John 5:4-10 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 25:1-22; Luke 5:17-39  For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 5:4-5)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. It seems as if the world can throw an awful lot at us. It se...

Today's Reading: Small Catechism:  Ninth Commandment Daily Lectionary: Exodus 24:1-18; Luke 5:1-16   You shall not covet your neighbor's house. What does this mean? We should fear and love God, so that we do not craftily seek to gain our neighbor's inheritance or home, nor get it by a show of right, but help and serve him in keeping it. ( Small Catechism:  Ninth Commandment) In the Name + of Jesus...

Today's Reading: Ezekiel 37:1-14  Daily Lectionary: Exodus 23:14-33; Luke 4:31-44  "Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the LORD." (Ezekiel 37:5-6)   In the Name + of...

Today's Reading: Mark 16:14-20 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 22:20-23:13; Luke 4:16-30  And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation." (Mark 16:15)   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Mark was one of the evangelists whom Jesus would use to proclaim the Gospel into all the world. Mark would go out after Jesus' ascension to tell that the kingdom of God was at hand...

Today's Reading: John 20:19-31 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 20:1-24; Luke 4:1-15  Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:29) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. We can certainly agree with Thomas in today's reading: "Unless I see in His hands the mark of the nails and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and...

Today's Reading: Introit for the Second Sunday of Easter        (Psalm 81:1, 71, 10, 16b; antiphon: 1 Peter 2:2a) Daily Lectionary: Exodus 19:1-25; Hebrews 13:1-21  "I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it." (From the Introit for the Second Sunday of Easter)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. As you read through various narratives i...

Today's Reading:   1 Corinthians 5:6-8 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 18:5-27; Hebrews 12:1-24  Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1 Corinthians 5:8)   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Leaven is yeast, which in baking makes dough rise. If you have ever made bread or rolls with yeast in them,...

Today's Reading: Job 19:23-37 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 17:1-16; Hebrews 11:1-29  "For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth." (Job 19:25) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. No one needs to convince you that over the last two years we have seen and experienced the sharpness of death. From the ongoing pandemic to wars being fought in Europe, we are constantly under t...

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 16:13-35; Hebrews 10:19-39  Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:22)   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In the third setting of the Divine Service, during Confession and Absolution we say, "Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins...

Today's Reading: Luke 24:36-48 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 15:19-16:12; Hebrews 10:1-18 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them. (Luke 24:41-42)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus loves to eat! This is quite remarkable! The resurrected Christ breaks bread...

Today's Reading: Luke 24:13-35 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 15:1-18; Hebrew 9:1-28  When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. (Luke 24:30-31) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Christ is risen! The resurrection is hard to believe and hold onto. We don't see people ris...

Today's Reading: Mark 16:1-8 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 14:10-31; Hebrews 7:23-8:13  And they went out and fled the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them. . .  (Mark 16:8)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Christ is risen! So shall you be! Historically Mark, who wrote this Gospel, has been recorded as the one who fled away naked from Jesus on the night of Jesus' betrayal. Imagine that fo...

Today's Reading: Matthew 27:57-66 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 13:17-14:9; Hebrews 7:1-22 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than t...

Today's Reading: John 18:1-19:42 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 12:29-32; 13:1-16; Hebrews 6:1-20 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of hi...

Today's Reading: John 13:1-15, 34-35 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 12:1-28; Hebrews 5:1-14  [Jesus said][ "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Today is all about commands. That doesn't...

Today's Reading:   Luke 22:1-23:56 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 10:21-11:10; Hebrews 4:1-16 Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of...