Reflections

February 11, 2026 Today's Reading: Job 7:1-21 Daily Lectionary: John 4:7-26 “What is man, that you make so much of him, and that you set your heart on him, visit him every morning and test him every moment?” (Job 7:17-18) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Not the most uplifting text from Job 7, is it? So much so that I almost didn’t pick it.   Job wasn’t very happy…and why should he be? His life was i...

February 10, 2026 Today's Reading: 2 Corinthians 11:19-12:9 Daily Lectionary: Job 6:14-30 ; John 3:22-4:6 “He said to me, ’My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” (2 Corinthians 12:9) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. What an excellent reminder of what we discussed on Monday, how our Lord plants the seeds of faith everywhere, even in places that seem unlikely. We al...

February 9, 2026 Today's Reading: Isaiah 55:10-13 Daily Lectionary: Job 6:1-13 ; John 3:1-21 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth… 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 55:10-11) In the Name...

Today's Reading: Luke 8:4-15 Daily Lectionary: Job 5:1-27 ; John 2:13-25 “And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable, ‘A sower went out to sow his seed.’” (Luke 8:4-5) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. It’s a strange time of year for a gardening lesson, isn’t it? As I write this, I am sitting poolside in the sunshine, watching my kids during...

February 7, 2026 Today's Reading: Introit for Sexagesima - Psalm 44:1-2, 7-8; antiphon: Psalm 44:23, 25a, 26a Daily Lectionary: Job 4:1-21 ; John 2:1-12 “But you have saved us from our foes and have put to shame those who hate us. In God we have boasted continually, and we will give thanks to your name forever.” (Psalm 44:7-8) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Almighty God has enemies. And by extensio...

February 6, 2026 Today's Reading: Job 3:11-26 Daily Lectionary: John 1:35-51 “I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, but trouble comes.” (Job 3:26) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Everyone has a bad day. Some days are worse than others. In fact, some are downright terrible. Job had one of these terrible times. He was robbed of his children, his possessions, even his health. The book of Jo...

February 5, 2026 Today's Reading: Catechism: Fourth Commandment Daily Lectionary: Job 2:1-3:10 ; John 1:19-34 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Honor your father and your mother. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise or anger our parents...

February 4, 2026 Today's Reading: 1 Corinthians 9:24-10:5 Daily Lectionary: Job 1:1-22 ; John 1:1-18 “But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” (1 Corinthians 9:27) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Christian life is a life of discipline. We do not let the passions of the flesh, our bodily desires and appetites, rule over u...

February 3, 2026 Today's Reading: Exodus 17:1-7 Daily Lectionary: Zechariah 14:1-21 ; Titus 2:7-3:15 “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. It often seems that the more we have, the more...

February 2, 2026 Today's Reading: Luke 2:22-32 (33-40) Daily Lectionary: Zechariah 12:1-13:9 ; Titus 1:1-2:6 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word” (Luke 2:29) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus’ earthly parents were devout, church-going people. Because they cared about God and His commands, they brought Jesus to the Temple to offer the sacrifice commande...

February 1, 2026 Today's Reading: Matthew 20:1-16 Daily Lectionary: Zechariah 11:4-17 ; 2 Timothy 4:1-18 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” (Matthew 20:16) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. There are situations and things in life that force us to confront issues of fairness. Group projects are a common, though often unwelcome, example of this. It seems like there is always one pe...

January 31, 2026 Today's Reading: Introit for Septuagesima - Psalm 18:1-2a, 27, 32, 49; antiphon: Psalm 18:5-6a Daily Lectionary: Zechariah 10:1-11:3 ; 2 Timothy 3:1-17 “I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer.” (Psalm 18:1-2a) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. David had once soothed Saul’s troubled soul with his music (1 Samuel 16:23). Soon, though, Saul...

January 30, 2026 Today's Reading: Catechism: Third Commandment Daily Lectionary: Zechariah 9:1-17 ; 2 Timothy 2:1-26 “But what is meant by keeping it holy?” “Nothing else than to be occupied with holy words, works, and life.” (Large Catechism I 87) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The first holy day was the seventh day of creation. “So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God r...

January 29, 2026 Today's Reading: 2 Peter 1:16-21 Daily Lectionary: Zechariah 8:1-23 ; 2 Timothy 1:1-18 “And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place.” (2 Peter 1:19a) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Transfiguration of our Lord was certainly a spectacle. Literally, it was something that Peter, James, and John...

January 28, 2026 Today's Reading: Exodus 34:29-35 or Exodus 3:1-14 Daily Lectionary: Zechariah 6:1-7:14 ; Romans 16:17-27 “Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God.” (Exodus 34:29) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In the Transfiguration of our Lord, we see the communication, or the delivery, of the divine majesty to the human nature of Jesus. This means...

January 27, 2026 Today's Reading: Matthew 17:1-9 Daily Lectionary: Zechariah 4:1-5:11 ; Romans 15:14-33 “And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.” (Matthew 17:2) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Had you encountered Jesus during His time of humiliation, that is, from His incarnation and birth through His final breath on the cross and...

January 26, 2026 Today's Reading: Luke 10:1-9 Daily Lectionary: Zechariah 2:1-3:10 ; Romans 15:1-13 “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Luke 10:2) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Church needs workers. The Lord has ordered His kingdom in such a way that people bring His Word of peace to o...

January 25, 2026 Today's Reading: Matthew 19:27-30 Daily Lectionary: Zechariah 1:1-21 ; Romans 14:1-23 “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” (Matthew 19:30) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Has anyone ever made such a complete 180-degree turn in life as St. Paul? Writing to Pastor Timothy, St. Paul confesses, “formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent” of the...

January 24, 2026 Today's Reading: Matthew 24:42-47 Daily Lectionary: Joel 3:1-21 ; Romans 12:14-13:14 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?” (Matthew 24:45) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In the space of just a couple of verses, Jesus plays the part both of a midnight thief and a delayed master. This fits...

January 23, 2026 Today's Reading: Introit for The Transfiguration of Our Lord - Psalm 84:1-2a, 4, 10-11; antiphon: Psalm 77:18b Daily Lectionary: Joel 2:18-32 ; Romans 11:25-12:13 “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts!” (Psalm 84:1) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. When Peter saw the Lord Jesus transfigured on the mountain with Moses and Elijah standing beside him, he offered to build t...

January 22, 2026 Today's Reading: Catechism: Second Commandment Daily Lectionary: Joel 2:1-17 ; Romans 11:1-24 “To confuse the devil, I say, we should always have this holy name in our mouth, so that the devil may not be able to injure us as he wishes.” (Large Catechism I 72) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Have you ever considered that the first person in the Bible to invoke the name of God was the...

January 21, 2026 Today's Reading: Ephesians 5:22-33 or Romans 12:6-16 Daily Lectionary: Joel 1:1-20 ; Romans 10:1-21 “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.” (Romans 12:9) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Love does not exist apart from those who love and those things they love. Love is intentional; that is, it is always aimed at something. Love finds delight in that which...

January 20, 2026 Today's Reading: Exodus 33:12-23 or Amos 9:11-15 Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 47:1-14, 21-23 ; Romans 9:19-33 “Moses said, ‘Please show me your glory.’” (Exodus 33:18) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Moses has a request for the Lord. “Please show me your glory.” It is an odd request, considering that Moses had already seen the Lord’s glory. In the burning bush, Moses saw the Lord’s glo...

January 19, 2026 Today's Reading: John 2:1-11 Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 44:1-16, 23-29; Romans 9:1-18 “On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee” (John 2:1a) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. “On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee…” Starting John’s Gospel at 2:1 needs a little more context. Third day of what? We need to go back a chapter. Three days before the wedding,...

January 18, 2026 Today's Reading: Mark 8:27-35 (36-9:1) Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 40:1-4; 43:1-12; Ezekiel 40:5-42:20; 43:13-27; Romans 8:18-39 “And he asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Christ.’ And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.” (Mark 8:29-30) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus must have missed the evangelism workshop. As Christians...