Reflections

Today's Reading: Luke 10:21-37 Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 12:20-13:5, 33-34; 2 Corinthians 8:1-24 Jesus said to him, "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live." (Luke 10:28) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Context is pretty important. What are the facts surrounding the situation? "Mom, can I use the car this weekend?" "What needs to happen before I let you drive?" "My room needs to be...

Today's Reading: Mark 6:14-29 Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 11:42-12:19; 2 Corinthians 7:1-16 The king sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. (Mark 6:27-28) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Poor John the Baptist was trying to do God's work of preparing the w...

Today's Reading: Introit for the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist (Psalm 31:1, 3, 5; antiphon: Rev. 7:14b) Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 11:1-26; 2 Corinthians 6:1-18 We appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. (2 Corinthians 6:1) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 2 Corinthians 5 ends with beautiful Gospel words explaining how the Father has graciously reconciled us to Himself through Chris...

Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 9:1-9; 10:1-13; 2 Corinthians 5:1-21 "God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:19) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 2 Corinthians 5 overflows with spiritual treasures! Paul begins by comparing our human bodies to tents. Tents are fun for a little while, but they aren’t a permanent home. They aren’t built to last. That is what happens to our bodies...

Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 8:22-30, 46-63; 2 Corinthians 4:1-18 "So we do not lose heart." (2 Corinthians 4:16) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Proclaiming the Good News of Christ in the first century AD wasn’t easy. Teaching God’s Word meant facing resistance, hostility, and persecution. Paul says that he and his companions were afflicted in every way. In such an environment, it would be tempting to...

Today's Reading: Small Catechism: Baptism, part 2 Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 7:51-8:21; 2 Corinthians 3:1-18 What benefits does Baptism give? (Small Catechism: Baptism) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Lutherans understand just how important Holy Baptism is. As Luther explains in the catechism, "[Baptism] works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all w...

Today's Reading: Luke 22: 24-30 Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 5:1-16; 2 Corinthians 1:23-2:17 "Let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves." (Luke 22:26) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Today the Church remembers St. Bartholomew, one of the twelve apostles. Legends abound about him, but little is known for certain, even his name! Matthew, Mark, and Luke’s Gospels...

Today's Reading: Isaiah 29:17-24 Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 3:1-15; 2 Corinthians 1:1-22 "Is it not yet a very little while. . ." (Isaiah 29:17) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. One of the great themes of the Bible is something called the Great Reversal. This idea is that one day a great transformation will take place: The low will be lifted up while the mighty and proud will be brought down. Mary’s s...

Today's Reading: Mark 7:31-37 Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 2:1-27; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 "He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak." (Mark 7:37) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. I had a friend who was born with severe hearing loss. He was totally deaf in one ear and had extremely limited hearing in the other. His first language was sign language. In his teenage years h...

Today's Reading: Introit for the 12th Sunday after Trinity (Psalm 70:2b, 4a, 5b; antiphon: vs.1-2a) Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 1:1-4, 15-35; 1 Corinthians 12:14-31 You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay! (From the Introit for the 12th Sunday after Trinity) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Psalm 70 expresses a prayer that sooner or later, every believer in God has prayed, namely: Help!...

Daily Lectionary: 2 Samuel 12:1-25; 1 Corinthians 12:1-13 Now concerning spiritual gifts. . . (1 Corinthians 12:1) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Miracles? Prophecy? Healing? Tongues? Really? Paul wrote about this subject a number of times. It seems he had to clear up a lot of confusion. His point in this passage is simple. He wants his readers to know that all Christians have gifts but not all hav...

Today's Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:1-10 Daily Lectionary: 2 Samuel 11:1-27; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved. (1 Corinthians 15:1-2) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. I imagine that in Paul’s day, if some pagan asked him, "Why are you still following that Jesus guy? Wasn’t h...

Today's Reading: Small Catechism: Baptism, part 1 Daily Lectionary: 2 Samuel 7:18-20; 1 Corinthians 10:23-11:16 What is Baptism? (Small Catechism: Baptism) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. How do you answer this question? Luther’s answer is a good start: "Baptism is not just plain water, but it is the water included in God’s command and combined with God’s word." But let’s be a bit broader. What is a...

Today's Reading: Genesis 4:1-15 Daily Lectionary: 2 Samuel 7:1-17; 1 Corinthians 9:24-10:22 So Cain was very angry. (Genesis 4:5) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. We’ve all been angry and we know we will be again. But also know this: When you are angry, "sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you but you must rule over it" (Genesis 4:7). Cain, the first murderer, killed his own broth...

Today's Reading: Luke 18:9-14 Daily Lectionary: 2 Samuel 6:1-19; 1 Corinthians 9:1-23 "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 18:14) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector illustrates the principle found throughout the Bible: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" (Proverbs 29:...

Today's Reading: Luke 1:39-55 Daily Lectionary: 2 Samuel 5:1-25; 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior" (Luke 1:46) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Yesterday we considered what it means to magnify the Lord and today we see the best known example of it. When Mary, the Mother of our Lord, met with Elizabeth, her cousin, and they shared with each othe...

Today's Reading: Introit for St. Mary, Mother of Our Lord (Psalm 34:2-5; antiphon: vs. 1) Daily Lectionary: 2 Samuel 1:1-27; 1 Corinthians 7:25-40 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together! (From the Introit for St. Mary, Mother of Our Lord) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Have you ever shared a meme with a friend? Sent them a picture or a quote or forwarded a post or a tweet?...

Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 31:1-13; 1 Corinthians 7:1-24 It is better to marry than to burn with passion. (1 Corinthians 7:9) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Because Christians are counter-cultural on sexual matters, you might be tempted to believe the lie so many people tell, namely, that Christians are uptight when it comes to sex. Maybe you’ve heard people suggest that we are a bunch of backward,...

Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 28:3-25; 1 Corinthians 6:1-20 You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 1 Corinthians 6 is so on point for our current day, that the Holy Spirit could have inspired it to have been written last week! The writer begins by talking about Christians taking each other to court. Th...

Today's Reading: Small Catechism: Lord's Prayer, Conclusion Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 26:1-25; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 Amen, Amen means, "yes, yes it shall be so." (Small Catechism: Lord’s Prayer, Conclusion) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Christians are taught from a young age to conclude prayers with this word. That isn’t required, you know. Sometimes, when the person leading the prayer has rambled...

Today's Reading: Romans 9:30-10:4 Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 25:23-44; 1 Corinthians 4:1-21 For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. (Romans 10:3) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. I used to wait tables when I was in college. Every once in a while something strange would happen: I would bring the bill to the table...

Today's Reading: Jeremiah 8:4-12 Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 25:1-22; 1 Corinthians 3:1-23 Why then has this people turned away in perpetual backsliding? (Jeremiah 8:5) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Ever hear of backsliding? It's when someone tries to get right, but keeps messing up and failing again. Maybe you’ve heard the expression, "one step forward, two steps back"? That’s backsliding. Israel...

Today's Reading: Luke 19:41-48 Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 24:1-22; 1 Corinthians 1:26-2:16 "And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it. . ." (Luke 19:41) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus is filled with love for Jerusalem. That is why He weeps. Jesus knows that in a generation, the city and its temple will be destroyed. Jesus prophesies, and every painful detail comes to pass. It ca...

Today's Reading: Introit for the Tenth Sunday after Trinity (Psalm 55: 1, 4-5, 16; antiphon: vs. 16a, 17b, 18a, 22a) Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 20:24-42; 1 Corinthians 1:1-25 I call to God, and he hears my voice; he redeems my soul in safety. (From the Introit for the Tenth Sunday after Trinity) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The psalmist says that God is near enough to you to hear your voice. He i...

Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 20:1-23; Acts 28:16-31 He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance. (Acts 28:30–31) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The end of Acts seems anticlimactic. Paul is under house arrest in his own rented house, awaiting another...