Wittenberg Door Campus Ministry
  • Home
    • Podcast Archives
  • About
    • About Wittenberg CoMo
    • Support Us
    • Contact Us
  • Resources
    • Greek Tutorials
  • Blog
  • Calendar
    • Events
  • Sandbox

Mark 1:21-28 - Lectionary for Epiphany 4B

1/25/2018

0 Comments

 
1/25/18
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.

Jesus’ synagogue encounter in Mark 1:21-28 points to a number of problems we have in modern American Christianity. No doubt, these were issues in 1st Century Palestine as well. I’d like to visit three views of Jesus, only one of which is adequate.

Jesus was teaching in the synagogue. We need more teaching. There’s little doubt about that. Polls of church members have often asked what they think they need the most. At the top of their list, or at least near the top, we almost always find a desire for good, sound teaching and preaching. It is certainly necessary. Thanks be to God that Jesus was providing the teaching needed in that synagogue.

Its inadequate, however, to look at Jesus solely as a teacher. His teaching did not heal anyone. It did provoke inquiry. It even provoked amazement. But knowledge does not make redemption. it never rescues us from death.

Jesus can also be seen here in a prophetic role. That’s what the unclean spirit tries to provoke. Why is Jesus there? Is he going to destroy the demons now? Jesus the prophet would be able to say why he is there and whether he was intending to destroy the demon at that time.

We do need people who will boldly interpret God’s Word, telling the consequences of sin and warning of the dangers of disobedience. We need people who will understand the world around them and tell what will happen, at least as accurately as possible, trusting in divine providence. But that will not redeem anyone or rescue anyone from death.

What do we need? We need exactly what Jesus showed himself to be. He removed the evil spirit from the man. He purchased him back from sin and death into righteousness and life in God’s kingdom.

Please, don’t settle for a teacher or a prophet. Look to Jesus as all that, but also as a savior.

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.
0 Comments

1 Corinthians 8:1-13 - Lectionary for Epiphany 4B

1/24/2018

0 Comments

 
1/24/18
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.

This week’s Epistle reading is a controversial one, to say the least. In Acts 15 a council in Jerusalem issued an authoritative statement that Christians should not eat meat sacrificed to idols. Here, in 1 Corinthians 8, written after the council in Acts, the apostle Paul seems to say that it is all right to eat meat sacrificed to idols. How will we understand and deal with this challenge?

There is a key to understanding these passages. In Acts 15 we are told that Moses is preached everywhere. That’s the justification given for avoiding some behaviors. In effect, the council says that some behaviors are so culturally offensive to a certain group of Christians that they should be avoided. They will make the Jewish Christians stumble in their faith.

Here, in 1 Corinthians 8, Paul says something which is completely consistent with Acts 15. He is clear that the idols are not really people. They are manmade gods, not the living and true God. Therefore, they are no more deities than a table, a chair, or any other thing created by people. If someone has dedicated an animal to something manmade, the dedication bears no particular power. Therefore, Christians are not to be bound by their conscience to avoid foods which have been used in pagan ceremonies.

By the way, there was an abundance of cheap meat on the market in Corinth. Animal sacrifice was so common that the leftover meat was plentiful. It needed to be sold, given away, or it would spoil and be inedible. However, to avoid meat sacrificed to idols would require one to be a vegetarian or to spend a great deal of money on specially sourced meat.

If it’s all right to eat meat sacrificed to idols, why does Paul turn around in verses 10-13 and  speak against doing so? It’s because our freedom to eat something may cause confusion and a crisis in the conscience of someone who does not feel the same freedom. The person who rigorously wants to avoid any contact with the idolatrous culture around him may have a troubled conscience. He may eat the meat himself and then feel guilty because of participating in a pagan sacrifice.

The apostle counsels the Corinthians to avoid causing such a crisis of faith in others. He would rather be a vegetarian than make a brother or sister stumble and fall away from Christ. The value of our neighbor is greater than our own freedom.

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.

0 Comments

Deuteronomy 18:15-20 - Lectionary for Epiphany 4B

1/23/2018

0 Comments

 
1/23/18
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 people of Israel had a rocky relationship with Moses. Although he led them out of captivity in Egypt, served as God’s messenger to bring them God’s Law, and helped them see the ways God would have them approach him in worship, they frequently complained about him. He frightened them, but God frightened them even more.

When God had offered to reveal His Law to the people of Israel, they were afraid and wanted Moses to serve as their representative. Maybe they expected he would die on the mountain and they could go about their business however it seemed right to them. It’s hard to tell. But we know from Deuteronomy 18:16 that they were afraid to meet God themselves.

Like every other leader, Moses would wear out and eventually die. What would the people do then? How would they hear from God? In Deuteronomy 18:17-19 we are told that God’s intention was to raise up another prophet. He would speak the words of God honestly, all the time. And those who would refuse to listen to him would be held accountable. They would have to work out their salvation without the help of a mediator.

The New Testament portrays Jesus as this replacement for Moses. He is the final revelation of God (Hebrews chapter 1). He is the Word of God himself (John chapter 1). What, then, of those who refuse to hear him? They will have to work out their salvation without his help.

Jesus served not only as a teacher and a prophet. He is also presented as the Lamb of God who could take away the people’s sins once and for all. As the perfect man, he was able to die the death that all humans deserve. As the perfect God, he was not able to be held by death.

This may make us uncomfortable. God was walking around in skin. But look what he was doing, through Moses and through Jesus. He was giving his life to make a way of forgiveness for all who would take him at his word. Do we have the same problem with Moses that the Israelites did? What if we try looking to Jesus, hearing His word, and trusting that he is the true and final prophet?

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.

0 Comments

Psalm 111 - Lectionary for Epiphany 4B

1/22/2018

0 Comments

 
1/22/18
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 Psalmist boldly declares that the Lord is worthy of all praise. He does great works. He’s righteous, gracious, and compassionate. He provides for his people. He never forgets his promises. And those promises are great!

What’s the greatest promise the Lord has ever made? It is his promise to redeem the world, which he has done through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, God the Son.

A few people reading this post are saying, right now, something along the lines of “Yeah, right.” Actually, the inward expression is probably a good deal cruder than that, if what I read on social media is representative. What do we make of the fact that there are lots of bad things that happen in the world? What do we make of the plain and simple fact that God doesn’t seem to work the way we think he should? What do we make of the fact that God’s mercy seems invisible?

There’s plenty of evil in the world. This very day many people have died due to “safe, legal abortion.” May more have died from disease or starvation. There are wars in many parts of the world. Human trafficking and other types of injustice abound. There’s no denying it.

How is God working? He’s doing everything according to His word. He’s showing mercy and grace to people all over the planet. He is working through many of His servants, and many who don’t even acknowledge him to feed the hungry, clothe the poor, and provide rest and help for those who are troubled in any number of ways. Why don’t we see it?

Verse 2 sheds a good bit of light on the situation. His works are great. They are studied by those who delight in him. When God fails to work according to our plans, we need to re-evaluate our plans in light of God’s Word. Then, and only then, do we start to see a God who is concerned about eternity. We see a God who is able to redeem even the worst situation. We see a God who has condemned evil and has submitted to the penalty of evil - death and destruction. And we see a God of resurrection.

When we are confronted by the troubles of this world, we need only lift our eyes to the Lord of all comfort, who is just the firstfruits of the resurrection of the dead. It is through trust in Him, consideration of His nature, and imitation of His redemptive care that we can be a purposeful force for good in this world. And it is through trusting in His wisdom that we can bring hope in eternity for all who would believe and, themselves, become partakers of the resurrection.

Praise be to the Lord of all.

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.

0 Comments

    ​Help Fuel This Ministry by Clicking Here!

    All the work of Wittenberg Door Campus Ministry, including this blog, is supported by the generosity of people like you. Please consider joining our team of prayer and financial supporters. Read more here!
    Please Note: The opinions presented in blog posts are not necessarily those of Wittenberg Door Campus Ministry. Frequently we report on contrary views, often without comment. Please chime in on the discussion.

    About Throwing Inkwells

    When Martin Luther was dealing with struggles in his life he once saw what appeared to be an angelic being. Not trusting that he was going to be informed by someone other than the God revealed in Scripture, he took the appearance to be untrustworthy and hurled his inkwell at it. The chipped place in the plaster wall is still visible at the Wartburg Castle, though apparently the ink stain on the wall has been refreshed periodically by the caretaker.

    Blog Feeds

    RSS Feed

    Want to keep up with what's happening at Wittenberg Door? Subscribe to our mailing list!

    Categories

    All
    1 Corinthians
    1 John
    1 Kings
    1 Peter
    1 Thessalonians
    1-timothy
    2019 02 Feb
    2 Corinthians
    2 John
    2 Kings
    2 Peter
    2 Samuel
    2 Thessalonians
    2-timothy
    3 John
    Academic-success
    Acts
    Advent-1-a
    Advent 1B
    Advent 1C
    Advent-2-a
    Advent 2B
    Advent 2C
    Advent-3-a
    Advent 3B
    Advent 3C
    Advent-4-a
    Advent 4B
    Advent 4C
    Allitt-2010
    Amos
    Aristotle
    Augustine
    Baptism-of-christ
    Baptism Of The Lord B
    Belonging
    Bruce 1988
    Bruce-1988
    Canonicity
    Carson 1991
    Carson & Moo 2005
    Catholicism
    Christmas 1B
    Christmas 1C
    Christmas-day
    Chronicles
    Circumcision-and-naming-of-christ
    Colossians
    Confessions
    Daniel
    Deuteronomy
    Didache
    Diversity
    Dix2005
    Dix-2005
    Easter-2a
    Easter-2b
    Easter-3a
    Easter 3B
    Easter-4a
    Easter 4B
    Easter-5a
    Easter 5B
    Easter-6a
    Easter 6B
    Easter-7a
    Easter 7B
    Easter B
    Easter-sunday-a
    Ecclesiastes
    Ephesians
    Epiphany 1C
    Epiphany-2-a
    Epiphany 2C
    Epiphany-3-a
    Epiphany-3b
    Epiphany 3C
    Epiphany-4-a
    Epiphany-4b
    Epiphany 4C
    Epiphany-5-a
    Epiphany-5b
    Epiphany 5C
    Epiphany-6-a
    Epiphany 6C
    Epiphany-7-a
    Epiphany C
    Esther
    Eucharist
    Exodus
    Exodus-20
    Ezekiel
    Ezra
    Fagerberg1988
    Fagerberg-1988
    Forde-2007
    Galatians
    Genesis
    Gonzalez-2010
    Habakkuk
    Haggai
    Hebrews
    Henderson-1992
    History
    Hosea
    Infertility
    Isaiah
    James
    Jeremiah
    Job
    Joel
    John
    Jonah
    Joshua
    Jude
    Judges
    Justin-martyr
    Kings
    Kleinig-2013
    Kolb 2000
    Kolb-2000
    Kolbarand2008
    Kolb-arand-2008
    Lamentations
    Last-sunday-of-the-church-year-a
    Last Sunday Of The Church Year B
    Last-sunday-of-the-church-year-c
    Lectionary
    Lent-1-a
    Lent-1b
    Lent-2-a
    Lent-2b
    Lent-3-a
    Lent-3b
    Lent-4-a
    Lent-4b
    Lent-5-a
    Lent-5b
    Lessing-2014
    Lessing-2014
    Leviticus
    Long-2009
    Luke
    Luther
    Maas-2014
    Malachi
    Mark
    Marty-2016
    Matthew
    Mcknight-2014
    Micah
    Milavec 2003
    Mitch-2010
    Morris-1992
    Motyer 1993
    Nahum
    Nehemiah
    Newsletter
    Newtestament
    New Testament
    Numbers
    Obadiah
    Old Testament
    Old-testament
    Ordination
    Orphan-hosting
    Osborne 2002
    Osborne-2013
    Ozment1980
    Ozment-1980
    Palm-sunday-a
    Passionb
    Pentateuch
    Pentecost-10a
    Pentecost 10B
    Pentecost-11a
    Pentecost 11B
    Pentecost-12a
    Pentecost 12B
    Pentecost-13a
    Pentecost 13B
    Pentecost-14a
    Pentecost 14B
    Pentecost-15
    Pentecost-15a
    Pentecost 15B
    Pentecost-16
    Pentecost-16a
    Pentecost 16B
    Pentecost-17a
    Pentecost 17B
    Pentecost-18a
    Pentecost 18B
    Pentecost-18-c
    Pentecost-19a
    Pentecost 19B
    Pentecost-19-c
    Pentecost-1a
    Pentecost-20a
    Pentecost 20B
    Pentecost-20-c
    Pentecost-21a
    Pentecost 21B
    Pentecost-21-c
    Pentecost-22a
    Pentecost 22B
    Pentecost-22-c
    Pentecost-23a
    Pentecost 23B
    Pentecost-23-c
    Pentecost-24a
    Pentecost 24B
    Pentecost-24-c
    Pentecost 25B
    Pentecost-25-c
    Pentecost 26B
    Pentecost-26-c
    Pentecost-2a
    Pentecost 2B
    Pentecost-3a
    Pentecost 3B
    Pentecost-4a
    Pentecost 4B
    Pentecost-5a
    Pentecost 5B
    Pentecost-6a
    Pentecost 6B
    Pentecost-7a
    Pentecost 7B
    Pentecost-8a
    Pentecost 8B
    Pentecost-9a
    Pentecost 9B
    Pentecost B
    Peterson2010
    Peterson-2010
    Philemon
    Philippians
    Philosophy
    Pieper1924
    Pieper-1924
    Preaching
    Prophets
    Proverbs
    Psalm
    Quintilian
    Receptivity
    Reformation
    Revelation
    Rhetoric
    Romans
    Ruth
    Sailhamer1992
    Sailhamer-1992
    Samuel
    Scaer2004
    Scaer-2004
    Schaff 2014
    Schaff-2014
    Sermon
    Smith-2009
    Sommerville 2006
    Song-of-songs
    Teaching
    Thielman-2010
    Transfiguration-a
    Transfigurationb
    Trinity-a
    Trinity B
    Veith 1993
    Weston-2009
    Wilson2011
    Wilson-2011
    Wilson20113470b5cf10
    Zechariah
    Zephaniah

Proudly powered by Weebly