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Luke 3:15-22 - Lectionary for Epiphany 1C

1/10/2019

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1/10/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Most of us who are beyond a certain level of maturity have faced a problem of this type. There’s a mess that needs to be cleaned up. It might be physical, mental, emotional, relational, you name it. But it’s a mess. It isn’t going to go away. It might get worse if it isn’t addressed. And we hate to approach it because we fully expect it will get worse before it gets better.

In Luke chapter three the people have heard John’s preaching about righteousness and the kingdom of God. They were looking forward to God’s kingdom. Won’t it be great? He’s going to usher in peace and prosperity. But John compares the coming one, who is greater than John, to a man with a threshing floor, a farmer. What’s the farmer going to do? He’s going to take care of his harvest. It provides food for the coming year. It provides a product to sell and buy other needed things. It provides seed for planting in the future. This is a sign of prosperity. All will be well, everything will be taken care of.

What does the farmer do in verse 17? He separates the grain from all the other parts, which he considers useless. In this arid climate, the chaff and stalks won’t be of much use for composting, since there isn’t really enough water. The farmer doesn’t have the mechanical devices to spread leftovers from grain processing onto the field and plow it in again. But he does have a big pile of husks, straw, and the flammable, even explosive dust that accompanies them. Should he leave this in his barn? We think not. He sweeps it up and sets it on fire, when he wants to, where he wants to, so as to prevent it from causing any harm. It’s a mess, a big mess. But he needs to take care of it or he risks losing everything.

John the Baptist says that Jesus is the one coming to baptize in the Holy Spirit and in fire. With the comparison to the farmer, our prayer is that we will be baptized by the Holy Spirit and not by fire. The elements of this world which are not pleasing to God are destined to be burned up. But those who turn to God in repentance, who belong in God’s kingdom by grace through faith, those are baptized in the Holy Spirit. They are washed. They are redeemed. They will be kept in the storehouse, not burned in the rubbish heap.

We don’t always know our destiny as those who have turned to the Lord. Will we provide food for others? Resources? Future generations? We have no idea. But the Lord, whose sandal we are not worthy to unstrap to wash his feet, has welcomed us into his kingdom and will use us for good. This is the hope of the Christian in this world. And in the future? We know that God has promised an everlasting kingdom, where his people will dwell with him. He’s the one who is cleaning up the mess of this world so as to protect it from the danger of the worthless chaff. Our response should be similar to that of God the Father. He is “well pleased” with the Son (v. 22). May we also be well pleased with the work of God in Christ.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

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Romans 6:1-11 - Lectionary for Epiphany 1C

1/9/2019

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1/9/19 - This is an encore post. The post originally appeared 1/4/18.

Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

The Christian confesses that his life of sin is buried and dead. It’s in that order, too. While we generally think that you die first, then you are buried, in baptism, according to Romans chapter six, we die when we are buried in baptism. We live again afterward. It is a strong picture of Christ’s death and resurrection.

The life we live as Christians, then, as baptized people, is a life governed by Jesus’ resurrection. It’s a life of immortality, here and now. While this doesn’t mean that we will not become old, sick, injured, or otherwise brought to death, we receive the promise that in Christ we will live on. The slavery to sin and death has ben broken.

Why does the apostle remind us of this? It only takes a little thought to make sense of that. It’s because we are so very good at forgetting our identity. We may be dead to sin, but our sinful “old man” seems to have trouble getting the message. Martin Luther famously taught that we remember our baptism every day because, even though the our sinful nature has been drowned in the water of baptism, it still seems able to swim.

Eventually, as we look to Christ’s resurrection, we do start to find our identity. And it is a glorious identity. It’s the identity of Jesus, the Second Adam, the one without sin, the one who will live forever in glory. May the Lord continue making this plain in us.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

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Psalm 29 - Lectionary for Epiphany 1C

1/8/2019

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1/8/19 - This is an encore post. It was originally used January 2, 2017.

Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our Psalm appointed for the Sunday of the Baptism of Christ is Psalm 29. Here God is given glory due to his strength and power. The picture of his power is astounding. He is the one full of power. His voice breaks strong trees. He makes whole nations jump. His voice bursts into flames. He is mightier than a great flood.

What kind of God is this? He is certainly frightening! Yet the result of all this great power is that the Lord is “enthroned over the flood” (v. 10, ESV). This is the mighty God who is able to rule all his creation, no matter how chaotic it seems.

What does God’s rule have to do with his people? Verse 11 gives this blessing. “May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace!” (ESV).

The Bible pictures God as so mighty that he can give his people comfort and security. Even if the world should be flooded or burst into flame, he is able to control it. Even if the nations skip around in an earthquake, God is able to keep his people. What can come against the people of God? Not a thing.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

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Isaiah 43:1-7 - Lectionary for Epiphany 1C

1/7/2019

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1/7/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our Old Testament reading this week, from Isaiah 43, repeatedly speaks of a particular attitude or situation and then gives a reason. I was particularly struck by some of them.

In verse one, God tells his people not to fear. Why? Because he has redeemed them. He goes on to tell what this redemption is. He’s called them by name. They belong to God. In biblical terms, whenever someone owns something, the person has a responsibility to attend to and care for that something. We are held responsible for those things over which we have authority. Before God, being in a position of authority means we are to care for the best interests of whatever we are in authority over. This is because God, creator and sustainer of all, is the one who cares for the good of all in his hand. When he has called his people by name, they are his, to be under his protection. If they reject God’s protection, he allows that, and he allows the consequences. But God is the one who has called his people. He will care for them.

In verse two we find means of physical harm - water and fire. God’s people are promised safety. Why? Verse three describes it. He is the Lord our God. He has ransomed his people so that they will be protected from their enemies. This concept may be confusing to some. After all, people are killed for being Christians. It’s certainly been more common in the 20th and 21st centuries than in any century before. And we certainly recognize that, if we wish to be more literal with this passage, people drown and die in fires. Being a Christian doesn’t make you float any better than having any other worldview. Christians have the same physical characteristics as anybody else. If engulfed in flames, they are just as liable to death. What kind of protection is there? The idea of a ransom points the Christian immediately to the New Testament concept of Jesus suffering in the place of others, dying for their sin, and rising from the dead. Jesus’ promise is that in the last day he will raise the dead to everlasting life, that he is the firsborn from the dead. Your resurrection and my resurrection are really no more miraculous than Jesus’ resurrection. He accomplished what he said he would do. We can expect that if he has said we will be raised and will not be subject to eternal death, he is correct. We have been ransomed by God. He has purchased us. And he will care for his people.

In verse five, we are again told not to fear. Why? God is with us. He is going to bring all those called by his name together. There is no place for fear in the presence of the God who has purchased us, called us by name, given us his name, and ransomed us from all harm and evil. This is perfect love, which we are told casts out all fear (1 John 4:18). May the one true God, the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, guard his people this day and to eternity.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

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