Reflections

Today's Reading: Genesis 3:1-21 Daily Lectionary: Genesis 6:1-7:5; Mark 3:1-19   Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them. (Genesis 1:21)   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. What's the first sacrifice in the Bible? Is it when Noah steps out of the ark onto the dry land of the new creation? Is it the animals or offerings of the field that Cain and Abel brought to th...

Today's Reading: Matthew 4:1-11 Daily Lectionary: Genesis 4:1-26; Mark 2:18-28   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. Jesus is tempted three times. Tempted to turn stones into bread instead of relying upon the sustenance of God the Father's Word. Tempted to throw Himself down to His death instead of dying...

Today's Reading: Introit for the First Sunday in Lent             (Psalm 91:1-2, 9-10, 13; antiphon: v. 15a, c, 16) Daily Lectionary: Genesis 3:1-24; Mark 2:1-17   I will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." (From the Introit for the First Sunday in Lent)   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Tomorrow, on the First Sunday in Lent, many Lutheran churches will sing Martin...

Today's Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:10 Daily Lectionary: Genesis 2:4-25; Mark 1:29-45   For he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:20)   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Even though the season of Lent has just begun, think back to Christmas. Imagine sitting around in a circle with family or friends at a Christmas white el...

Today's Reading: Joel 2:12-19 Daily Lectionary: Genesis 1:20-2:3; Mark 1:14-28   "Now, therefore," says the Lord, "Turn to me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning." (Joel 2:12)   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Repentance is one of the watch words of the Lenten season. "Turn to Me," says the Lord. In other words, repent. Repentance means to turn away from sin and return...

Today's Reading: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 Daily Lectionary: Genesis 1:1-9; Mark 1:1-13   "Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting." (Matthew 6:16)   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. It's not hard to imagine what the social media accounts of the  Pharisees would have looked like if Twitter or F...

Today's Reading:   1 Corinthians 13:1-13 Daily Lectionary: Job 32:1-22; John 10:1-21 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:7) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Love is all these things. Patient. Kind. All-bearing. It's almost a little intimidating. Because I'm not these things. I'm out at "patient." I'm not the embodiment of love. God is lo...

Today's Reading: 1 Samuel 16:1-13 Daily Lectionary: Job 31:1-12, 33-40; John 9:24-41 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah. (1 Samuel 16:13) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Lord rejected Saul from being king over Israel. He tells Samuel to stop mourni...

Today's Reading: Luke 18:31-43 Daily Lectionary: Job 30:16-31; John 9:1-23 And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" (Luke 18:39) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The crowd is so offended that someone would actually need something from the Jesus who just promised to be crucified and rise from the dead to save si...

Today's Reading:   Introit for Quinquagesima (Psalm 31:1, 5, 9, 16; antiphon: vs.2b-3) Daily Lectionary: Job 21:1-21; John 8:39-59   In you, O LORD, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me! (From the Introit for Quinquagesima) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. If God is our rock of refuge, we are refugees. It's a humbling word. It isn't just that God is our sec...

Daily Lectionary: Job 20:1-23, 29; John 8:21-38 Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin." (John 8:34) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Words of slavery are always the most optimistic. When there's no escape, you don't have to waste time hoping for something realistic. Addicts say things like, "I'm fine. It's okay. I have a plan,"  all the while l...

Today's Reading:   Acts 1:15-26 Daily Lectionary: Job 19:1-12, 21-27; John 8:1-20 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said. . .  (Acts 1:15) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Have you ever thought about going to seminary? I don't think they introduce the topic by talking about Judas in the pamphlets. That's how Matthias is introduced, thoug...

Today's Reading: Small Catechism:  Third Commandment Daily Lectionary: Job 18:1-21; John 7:32-53 Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy. ( Small Catechism:  Third Commandment) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. God wasn't tired after making everything. The Sabbath isn't a chance to parrot God's catching His breath. The focus on abstaining from work on the Sabbath Day misses the point. The point of...

Today's Reading:   2 Corinthians 11:19-12:9 Daily Lectionary: Job 17:1-16; John 7:14-31 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Paul needs to work on the art of the humble brag. This stuf...

Today's Reading: Isaiah 55:10-13 Daily Lectionary: Job 16:1-22; John 7:1-13 "So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. God speaks. Stuff happens. His Word does what He wants it to. He spoke. Let there be light. Then...

Today's Reading:   Luke 8:4-15 Daily Lectionary: Job 15:1-23, 30-35; John 6:60-71 He said, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.'" (Luke 8:10) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus told a parable. He who has ears, let him hear, but even the disciples didn't get i...

Today's Reading:   Introit for Sexagesima (Psalm 44:1-2, 7-8; antiphon: v.23, 25a, 26a) Daily Lectionary: Job 14:1-22; John 6:41-49 Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever! (From the Introit for Sexagesima) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Sometimes the absence of everything we expected from God is so profound that even the devout begin to ask questions. Where is...

Daily Lectionary: Job 13:13-28; John 6:22-40 Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." (John 6:29) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. They followed Him for miles hoping to see another miracle. They tried to make Him their king after He fed them in mercy because they were so far from home. And we mistake His compassion for His desire to prove Himself to us...

Today's Reading: 1 Corinthians 9:24-10:5 Daily Lectionary: Job 13:1-12; John 6:1-21 And all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. (1 Corinthians 10:4) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. I wish Paul didn't talk about Christianity as a race. I'm exhausted. My vocations pull against each other. Excelling at one thing only means...

Today's Reading: Small Catechism:  Second Commandment Daily Lectionary: Job 12:1-6,12-25; John 5:30-47 You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God. ( Small Catechism:  Second Commandment) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Second Commandment usually gets reduced to a rule against saying "damn" when you stub your toe or it gets twisted around into talk about ouija boards because of that littl...

Today's Reading: Exodus 17:1-7 Daily Lectionary: Job 11:1-20; John 5:19-29 "Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink." And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. (Exodus 17:6) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The people were thirsty sinners. They complained they were thirsty. Moses...

Daily Lectionary: Job 10:1-22; John 5:1-18 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, "See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you." (John 5:14) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you. It almost sounds like a threat. The man laid there paralyzed for 38 years with nobody to help him into the pool. Jes...

Today's Reading:   Matthew 20:1-16 Daily Lectionary: Job 9:1-35; John 4:46-54 "Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?" (Matthew 20:15) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Fair is the enemy of good. Nobody believes it because we're so desperate for fairness that we get tunnel vision. Fair is what looks at my sister's half of the cookie and decides...

Today's Reading: Introit for Septuagesima (Psalm 18:1-2a, 27, 32, 49; antiphon: vs.5-6a) Daily Lectionary: Job 8:1-22; John 4:27-45 The cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon the LORD. (From the Introit for Septuagesima) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Septuagesima. About 70 days until Easter. We can't stay on the mountain of Transfiguration fore...

Daily Lectionary: Job 7:1-21; John 4:7-26 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." (John 4:7) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. I tried to find Jesus comforting the sinner in this story. But I couldn't quite shake the feeling that He was heckling her the whole time. Every response she gives is biting. She comes to see He has power, but never really finds mercy for...