Category: Lectionary - Wittenberg Door Campus Ministry

Matthew 22:15-22 - Lectionary for Pentecost 20A

10/19/2017

10/19/17
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.

What’s the right role of government? That’s one of those debates we will always have. Any time there are alliances of people, some sort of organization is necessary. This is shown clearly by the fact that there are anarchist organizations. Even those who wish to shun governmental authority make some sort of government of their own.

In Matthew 22:15-22 the Pharisees wish to trap Jesus with a question about the role of government. The question at hand is whether people should pay taxes. If Jesus says taxes are appropriate, he can be portrayed as a Roman sympathizer who must not be the Messiah. After all the Messiah is going to set up his own kingdom and would have nothing to do with submission to the rulers of this world. If Jesus says it isn’t appropriate to pay taxes, he commits rebellion against Roman rule and is subject to arrest and execution. The fact is, Jesus cannot answer the question they pose without a dire and unwanted consequence.

Jesus’ answer goes farther than the question. He affirms that we give God what belongs to Him. We give our government what belongs to it. The logical outcome of this statement, though, considering that God is the creator and sustainer of all, is that God receives all the glory, honor, praise, and whatever material possessions there are. Throughout the history of Israel, some of our material goods were brought to God’s priests, who were supported by them and who also used them to care for the poor, as well as any other civic projects which were needed. Giving to God includes some material possessions and all our allegiance. However, Jesus says there is nothing wrong with giving to a government. The civil authorities do need resources to accomplish peace and safety for their subjects. We read about this a good deal in Romans chapter 13. Does the state receive all our allegiance? Not really. It isn’t like God. But it does have a claim on its subjects and there is an appropriate respect to be given to the state as well.

Learning to walk appropriately on the line - allegiance to God and submission to the state - is not easy. It takes, perhaps, more lifetime than we have on this earth. But it is perfectly honorable before God.

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.

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 - Lectionary for Pentecost 20A

10/18/2017

10/18/17
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 reading from 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 this week is not merely a greeting. It does have those elements, as it is the start of a letter from the apostle Paul to a congregation in Thessalonica. But what we want to notice especially is the prayer the apostle prays for the people.

The apostle recalls before God the way the Thessalonians have been living. They have been changed by Jesus and His hope. Therefore, they are working in their community for the good of all. Why is this? In verse five we see that they are able to do this because the Holy Spirit is working in them.

The Thessalonians have turned from idols. They have departed from the paganism of their time. They have found hope which lasts, in an immutable God who has revealed himself clearly. In our subjective age, where we are told to trust ourselves, trust our hearts, and follow our desires, but we have no clear measure of what that means, we’re in critical need for the definitive revelation of God. We follow a sort of idolatry. Our priorities are largely made up by our imagination. This is a recipe for frustration, for anxiety, for disaster. What do we do?

Thanks be to God, He has given a clear revelation of himself in Scripture. We can look to those words, study them, review them, and seek wisdom which will allow us to structure our lives rightly. By the Holy Spirit, he will help us know the confidence the Thessalonians had. May we ever be receiving from God’s mercy and serving our neighbors in this world.

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.

Isaiah 45:1-7 - Lectionary for Pentecost 20A

10/17/2017

10/17/17
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.

Isaiah 45:1-7 makes a startling claim. In this passage, God calls Cyrus, not a descendant of Abraham, “My anointed.” This is the kind of language used for a prophet, a priest, or a king. It’s the word used to refer to a Messiah. Yet Cyrus is a pagan king. What is the prophet talking about?

In this passage God asserts that He is Lord over all the heaven and the earth. He is able to use even strangers and foreigners to accomplish his purpose. And the purpose of God is for the good of this world, and especially his people.

The most important statement, though, is possibly in verse 4. “I give a name to you.” Here, God promises to provide an identity for his people. He will not leave them to try to make their own way, live, die, thrive, or fail as well as they can. His plan is to strengthen those who are trusting on him. His plan will not fail. Just as he can name Cyrus as his chosen leader, he can certainly care for all of his people who trust in him.

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.

Psalm 96:1-9 - Lectionary for Pentecost 20A

10/16/2017

10/16/17
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 reading for this week, from Psalm 96, calls God’s people to sing a song of praise to the Lord. This is a really popular sentiment. In much of the Western world, signs and posters inviting people to sing to God sell pretty well. People of all types will endorse this idea. However, let’s take a moment to consider the actual content of the song we are to sing to the Lord.

Verse 2 makes it clear it is specifically to the Lord God described in the Bible. He is the one with a very particular name. And in the Scripture, the name of God is filled with his power and all his character. It’s the name which provides salvation to God’s people, rescue from sin. Of course, this requires that we confess that we bear sin and are in need of forgiveness. Yes, that alone makes many uncomfortable.

This is a song to the God who shows glory in his works. What are those works? The Scripture includes making a distinction between those who are justified and those who are not. It includes choosing a special people, with special customs and a special means of approach to God. Those who are not among those people, either by birthright or by conversion and commitment are excluded. They are even the object of God’s wrath. Again, many should be uncomfortable at this. The Lord we sing to calls peole to his side as the king calls his subjects into service to himself.

In this song we find that there is one God who made everything. All the other gods are idols (verse 5). The true God is the good one, full of splendor and majesty. Yet many who would post a sign or poster inviting everyone to sing to God would say that any deity is just fine. This is not the message of the Scripture.

What conclusion do we make in verses 7-9? The true God is worthy. He is the one with glory and strength. He is the one who deserves all our praise, all our service, and all our reverence. He is the one who has invited people to fellowship with him. He who made a way of approach desires us to take that way. Sing to the Lord! But let’s do it in accordance with the Scripture.

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.

Matthew 22:1-14 - Lectionary for Pentecost 19A

10/12/2017

10/12/17
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.

In Jesus’ parable of the wedding dinner we find a culture of disrespect. Matthew 22:1-14 depicts a king, who is a figure of God. He is having a wedding celebration. It is a big one. There have been multiple cattle prepared. This event had plenty of advance notice and preparation. The guests had certainly been notified, and the king, as courtesy, sends someone to collect the guests. Yet, disrespecting the generosity of the king, the guests refuse to come. He calls out to others, who also refuse to come. We can easily imagine in this the work of God calling his people Israel to himself in faith. He sent Moses, he sent the prophets, and the guests would not come. They ignored him, harmed the servants, and insulted the King.

Finally an assortment of people are gathered together. There’s a feast. It’s food fit for the table of a king. And we can easily imagine that some of those guests don’t look all that great. They are peasants, workers, homeless people, maybe some criminals, maybe even the odd IRS agent or sociology professor. Yet they have been invited and they have come.

God the king has prepared a feast, a feast of life, a feast of redemption. He calls people from every part of society, from every nation, from every background to come. All they have to do is show the respect due to a fancy occasion and come. In some families from my background, they would say you wear your best and make sure it is clean. It doesn’t matter if your best doesn’t look as new or fit as well as some other people’s. It is your best.

What happens to the person who disrespects the king at this point? Someone has come in without attempting to clean up. Although all the guests are certainly dressed differently, and although there are sure to be differences in what people have and can wear, there is someone present who is noticeably not in appropriate clothing. Really? You went to the king’s son’s wedding dinner and wore the t-shirt with a picture of the king’s opponent in the last war? The person is rejected out of hand.

When God calls people to receive his blessings, he calls them according to his rules. He calls them to approach him in trust, in sorrow for their wrong, in hope that he is who he says he is, expecting that he is the one who will redeem them from all their sorrows. He openly showsh imself to be the one true God. He doesn’t put up with substitutes. Do you want to come to his dinner? Come as he has invited you. He will take care of the rest.

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.

Philippians 4:4-13 - Lectionary for Pentecost 19A

10/11/2017

10/11/17

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.

It’s very easy, when reading our Epistle reading, to pile a bunch of commands onto ourselves. There are certainly a lot of demands from God. We are to rejoice, be gracious, confident, prayerful, thankful, and peaceful. We are to spend our time and energy thinking about things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy. We, like Paul, are to be content whether we have little or much. We’re told that Paul can do all things, and we ought to do the same.

It would be a natural step to feel inferior. It would be perfectly normal to despair. Yet that isn’t the purpose of this passage. Philippians is one of the most encouraging books of the New Testament! Why is that?

Let’s notice the promises. In verse seven we see that God’s peace will guard our hearts and minds. In verse nine we see that God will be with us. How is Paul content? He is content because in Christ he has all he needs.

Maybe we need to be sure we are thinking of God’s demands in light of his promises. What’s the source of our rejoicing? It’s the Lord who is near (verse 5). Where do we find graciousness, confidence, a desire to prayer, thanksgiving, and peace? It’s from the Lord who has rescued us from sin, death, and the power of hell. When we are burdened, when we are troubled, whatever our circumstances, we can call upon the Lord Jesus, who gives us all we need. When we see our failure, we look to him as the forgiving and restoring Lord. When we see our weakness, we look to him as our strength. When we think nobody cares, we look to him and realize that he cared for us when we didn’t even know who he was. All thanks be to God.

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.

Isaiah 25:6-9 - Lectionary for Pentecost 19A

10/10/2017

10/10/17
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.

Isaiah 25:6-9 is one of my favorite passages to use at a funeral. It speaks to the great care of God for his people. His invitation to his people in verse six shows that he is the mighty Lord. He is involved in caring not only for his special people but for all the peoples. He gives them abundance, a feast. It is not only a lot of food, but it is special food. The menu is repeated as if in wonder.

What is the meal all about? When we look at the passage, at first glance we think it is a funeral meal, a feast at the time of death, commemorating the end. But that takes the passage backwards. Verse seven depicts a people who are already dead. They need to be brought to life. All the nations are dead.

In verse 8 we read that God is going to destroy death. How can this be? Jesus, in his death, becomes like us. In his resurrection, he kills death itself. With that victory over deat Jesus takes away our sorrow. He takes away the disgrace that we endure because we couldn’t overcome death. He commands life and then he makes it happen.

The final result is joy. God’s people have looked to him for salvation. He gives life and joy. This is all by God’s gracious decree, not based on any of our merit. After all, in verse seven, we were dead. Life comes from the Lord, not from us. We look to him in faith as the one who delivers life.

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.

Psalm 23 - Lectionary for Pentecost 19A

10/9/2017

10/9/17
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 for this week is Psalm 23. This is probably one of the best known Psalms throughout history. It’s typically used to bring comfort and encouragement, especially to those who are sick or dying.

I’d like to take a quick walk through the Psalm and notice the things the Lord gives to his people. I’ve extrapolated a little bit, pulling ideas out. In verse 2 God gives us rest, food, and peace. Verse 3 shows restoration, guidance, and purpose. Verse 4 shows confidence even in times of danger. It also shows there is comfort in God’s correction. Verse 5 speaks of the safety which comes from God’s presence. He gives abundant care, not only guarding his people but giving them his anointing and supplying their needs beyond their abiity to contain it.

The New Testament describes Jesus as the good shepherd. As we are led by Jesus we receive all the grace and comfort we need. Are there troubles in our lives? There certainly are. The Psalm speaks of a valley of death and danger. It speaks frankly of enemies being present. But even more so, it speaks of the Lord’s ability to care for his people, no matter what troubles they face.

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.

Matthew 21:33-46 - Lectionary for Pentecost 18A

10/5/2017

10/5/17
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.

In Matthew 21 Jesus plays on a parabolic prophetic statement made by Isaiah in chapter 5. Jesus tells of a man who built a vineyard, very much like the vineyard God planted in Isaiah 5. The vineyard is turned over to tenants who are responsible to care for it and share the profits with the owner.

In their greed, the tenants try to keep all the proceeds and even claim ownership of the vineyard. They are cruel and harmful.

What would the owner of such a vineyard do? He would certainly take action against his tenants and try to get responsible tenants. That goes almost entirely without saying.

Why would Jesus tell such a parable? In the text we see that the Jewish leaders know he is speaking about them. The implication is that they have been acting against the will of God, the one who planted the vineyard and owns the property. This, of course, angers the Jewish leaders.

Though this is a parable of judgment, there is a piece of obvious good news. After all, we can think of what is not stated. If the tenants are responsible, if they give the honor due to the owner of the vineyard, if the confess that all the proceeds belong to the owner and that he has shared it with them, recognizing their labor, all will be well. The owner may even reward them generously.

What is God’s reward to his people? As we look to him in faith, as we acknowledge him for who he is, the Lord gives forgiveness, life, and hope to all who trust him. This is no small reward. It is a reward we could never earn, no matter how long and hard we worked. This is great good news.

Are we angered by the parable? Maybe we are aligned more with the Jewish leaders than with the Master of the vineyard.

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.

Philippians 3:4b-14 - Lectionary for Pentecost 18A

10/4/2017

10/4/17
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.

In our Epistle reading from Philippians chapter 3, the apostle Paul makes a startling confession. He is someone of illustrious parentage. He has lived an exemplary life. He is, in fact, one of the more brilliant lights in his society. It did him no good.

Did Paul really waste all his time and effort earlier in life? Does he cast it all away as refuse? In fact, he doesn’t. He learns from it. But it’s a very hard lesson. He has to realize that all he was doing, all his goals, all his priorities, it all counted for nothing. Anything that separated Paul from Jesus, anything that stood in the way of his trusting God rather than trusting himself, it must be put behind him.

We also fall into the trap of trusting ourselves. Yet Paul tells very clearly that our trust in ourselves will do absolutely no good. It will simply hinder us. If we persist in trusting ourselves God’s response is that we can go ahead and earn our own salvation by being absolutely perfect. This is something we can never do. Rather, by grace, we learn to trust in Jesus and his perfection. That is eternal life.

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.

Isaiah 5:1-7 - Lectionary for Pentecost 18A

10/3/2017

10/3/17
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 Old Testament reading from Isaiah 5:1-7 is an allegory the prophet writes about the people of God. Verse 7 identifies Israel as a vineyard. God has planted it and expects it to flourish under His care. He has every reason to expect that his people will thrive and produce good fruit, the kind of fruit He made them to produce.

God’s care for His people is perfect. He knows exactly what they need. He has never neglected his people. Yet they have brought him grief. Their disobedience has resulted in the protective wall being removed. God will bring a drought and predators, things which will certainly destroy the fruitfulness which remains.

Is God unjust for dealing with his people in this way? Not at all. His people, who depend on him for everything, have rejected all he did for them. They have said they know best for their situations. They have essentially decided that God is not God, but that they are.

In many parts of the world this day we find people who have redefined God. They are serving a god of their own creation rather than the God who created them. What good can we expect from this attitude? We can expect no good, only ill. We try to run our lives by ourselves and we blunder into any number of problems.

At the heart of those troubles we face is a rejection of God. In other passages in Isaiah and elsewhere God calls his people to trust in him and return to him for forgiveness and grace. That call goes out to us to this day. May the Lord bless us with repentance and trust that, in fact, the God of the Bible is the one who can and does rescue his people from themselves.

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.

Psalm 80:7-19 - Lectionary for Pentecost 18A

10/2/2017

10/2/17
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 reading for this week from Psalm 80:7-19 describes a garden planted by God. It is a beautiful garden, and fruitful. It spreads freely, within its boundaries, which were established by God.

God’s Word is often compared to a fruitful vine. God brings forth produce according to His will. He fills his world with all it needs to thrive.

How do we explain suffering? Somebody has broken down the wall and invaded the garden. The central picture of this passage is that of sin. As sin has entered the world, the walls of God’s garden are broken, some wild animals are eating the plants, and others are trampling the ground.

Does God restore his people? Yes, he does. But even as he does so, he wants us to realize that he is the only hope for his people. He is the only one who rescues them. He is the only one who restores them. He is the God of the garden. We need have no substitutes. We dare have none.

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.

Matthew 21:23-27 - Lectionary for Pentecost 17A

9/28/2017

9/28/17
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.

We all like to cover our tracks sometimes. We don’t like to be found out as the pragmatists we are. We would prefer to ignore our inconsistencies. In Matthew 21:23-27 Jesus confronts some of the chief priests and elders who would like to trap him. Where did his authority come from? Jesus’ response tells them to come clean on their attitude about John’s baptism.

On the surface, these two issues seem unrelated. However, they are both related to God’s authority. Is God the one who is bringing repentance and forgiveness through John? Is it the same God who is healing people through Jesus’ hands? Is this kingdom of God which Jesus proclaims the very presence of the true God of Israel?

The chief priests don’t want to admit that the people are right. John seems to be a genuine prophet sent from the true God with a message of repentance which is completely in line with Moses and the prophets. Yet if they admit John they will be forced to admit Jesus. They have no desire to do this. What will they do?

Sadly, the chief priests do what most of us do. Not wanting to admit that Jesus is acting in the authority of God the Father, they choose not to pursue the question at present. It’s tabled. And it will remain tabled until it fits their pragmatic purpose to bring it out again, after Jesus has been arrested and is headed for his death sentence.

The question this passage raises for us is whether we are willing to have our attitudes changed by the truth claims of Scripture. Is Jesus really who he seems to be? Then we need to allow God to be God. Our role becomes that of a repentant sinner who looks to the Lord for mercy and grace in our time of need. We will surely find him faithful as the Lord who restores us to the right relationship with the Father.

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.

Philippians 2:1-4, 14-18 - Lectionary for Pentecost 17A

9/27/2017

9/27/17
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 Epistle reading for this week, from Philippians 2, is often used almost like a motivational speech. If we have any fellowship in Christ, we should find unity, love, and purpose. We just need to get along. And we do it without grumbling!

What’s all this predicated on? It is all dependent on fellowship in Christ. We’re consoled by His love, not by our own. We look to the Holy Spirit for our unity. We don’t look at our own spirit. That will only lead us to trust ourselves and enter into strife and animosity. No, we trust in the Lord. He’s the one who has reconciled us to God the Father. He’s the one who reconciles us to one another.

At every point, as we look at the Epistle lesson, we can ask ourselves how we are doing. We realize that we fall short of the perfect obecience the Lord would require. And we turn to him in repentance to find his forgiveness and grace. Then we see that all of the characteristics the apostle mentions are those of our Lord and Savior. He, in turn, has given his nature to us. We live in him and he lives in us. Thanks be to God.

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.

Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32 - Lectionary for Pentecost 17A

9/26/2017

9/26/17
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 is from Ezekiel 18. In the beginning of the passage God forcefully rejects the idea that we are merely a product of our ancestry. Rather than allow for the younger generation to be ruined by the troubles of the older generation, God says he is the owner of each generation. The young do not have to be condemned by the judgment lodged against the old.

This alone may raise the hackles of many in our day. We certainly understand that our ancestors had a good bit to do with the way things are for us. And truly we shouldn’t be dismissive of those troubles. A family may be ravaged for several generations by the suffering of one. Yet God’s perspective is that we are not entirely ruled by our forbears. God is able, by his mercy and grace, to redeem us from even the dysfunctional upbringing we may have had.

The passage then speaks to a different situation. Most of us have said, or at least we have thought, “That person will never change. Why bother?” God has a different perspective in the matter. He shows that while we might not be ready to allow for people to change, He is not limited in the same way. He is the God who allows for repentance, forgiveness, and restoration.

No person is an island. However, each of us is able to stand or fall before God in just the same way. He has made his forgiveness available to each in Christ. In him we can stand.

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.

Psalm 25:1-10 - Lectionary for Pentecost 17A

9/25/2017

9/25/17
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.

Psalm 25:1-10 speaks of our dependence on the Lord and the Lord’s compassion for his people. There’s an underlying question we should ask. Why does the Lord show his care for us? Is it because of our obedience? Our goodness? Is it entirely from the Lord’s compassionate nature?

There are Christian groups who will affirm that God’s grace operates with no reference to the Christian’s obedience. If God’s grace depends on our good works in any way, it is not grace at all. This is true in matters of redemption. God saves his people regardless of their sin. He saves his people regardless of what he knows they will or will not do in the future. Salvation is not dependent on our obedience.

That is not what the Psalmist is talking about. Here the Psalmist is reflecting on the interaction between God’s gracious salvation and a life of godliness in line with God’s law. The text acknowledges that God makes demands on his people and that his people try to live in accord with those demands. it also confesses that we fail. We are, by our very nature, sinful. we need God’s redemption.

What’s the good news here? God delights to save his people from sin and shame. He has revealed his desires for them, for their good. The people of God respond by trying to live a life which is pleasing to God. He continues to forgive them.

There’s the right balance. God saves his people regardless of their sin. His people live in him, trying to please God simply because it’s good. God sustains his people even when they fail. It’s all part of God’s grace in this world.

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.

Matthew 20:1-16 - Lectionary for Pentecost 16A

9/21/2017

9/21/17
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 Gospel reading for this week is from Matthew 20:1-16. It’s the well known parable of the laborers. In this parable, the master hires day laborers first thing in the morning. He goes out later and hires more people who weren’t there at first. He does this again several times. Eventually, the last people he hires are brought to work near the end of the work day.

Every laborer receives the same pay. There is no distinction in the reward, though there are differences in the work. Those hired first are upset because they think their work is worth more than the work of the people who came on near the end of the day. But the master persists. He is generous, paying what was agreed upon to those who he first hired, and treating the others kindly.

It would be easy to take away an attitude that says we don’t need to enter into the Christian life with any urgency. After all, the master comes back again and again. However, we notice that the people hired in each instance were those who were not present before. it appears they each received only one chance.

It would be easy to suggest that the kingdom of God is a place where it doesn’t matter how hard you work. However, the master expected and received honest work from all of his employees. They simply labored for different amounts of time.

What is a reasonable interpretation? Whenever God’s call comes to us, we accept it. He has plans for us and will reward us. We do what he has given us to do. We have a living expectation that he will in fact care for us and use us for the good of his kingdom. God calls each one of us to work in his field. Whether our job is great or small, our time long or short, it is valuable in his sight.

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.

Philippians 1:12-14, 19-30 - Lectionary for Pentecost 16A

9/20/2017

9/20/17
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.

In our Epistle reading for this week, from Philippians chapter 1, the apostle Paul is in prison. Sadly, this is not an unusual situation for him. In the Book of Acts, Paul seems to spend a good bit of time recovering from assault, being imprisoned, or otherwise being detained somewhere.

Although I said it was a common situation “sadly,” Paul doesn’t seem to view it that way. Certainly he didn’t enjoy being locked up in prison. There are things any of us would rather do than receive a beating or have stones thrown at us. Yet Paul seemed to take it in stride.

Behind this attitude of confidence and steadfastness in suffering is a powerful reason. Paul says he is all right with suffering because it is allowing him to be present for those around him. The Gospel is being proclaimed. His guards and other people are seeing the way he lives as a servant of Christ. He hopes to be released from prison and have opportunity to serve the Christian communities wherever he can go.

Would it be better for Paul if he were to die and be with Christ? It certainly would. However, Paul will accept his imprisonment and torture so as to be available to his Christian brothers and sisters. There will come a time when he will die and be with Christ. But for now, he is content to be of assistance in this earth.

This was, after all, the mind of Christ. He laid down heavenly glory to come for our benefit, living and dying on our behalf. May the Lord give us the same mind, that we would live for our neighbor so long as we live on this earth, and then we would live for God in 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.

Isaiah 55:6-9 - Lectionary for Pentecost 16A

9/19/2017

9/19/17
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 is from Isaiah 55:6-9. Here the prophet draws a sharp distinction. There are thoughts that God’s people have. Those are held in stark contrast to the thoughts of God. We have our human ways, God has his divine ways. They couldn’t be more different from each other.

When we read a passage like this we may easily feel offended. After all, we think we have some good ideas. We like our thoughts. Some of them seem pretty ingenious, very relevant, appropriate to the situations we’re in.

The question the Bible would ask us is whether we are seeing the world rightly. When we look at the world, according to Genesis chapter 3, we will see it through the lens of our sin. We may try, and try very hard. Sometimes we do pretty well. But we are still fallen creatures looking at a very complex and fallen world. Are we going to interpret it correctly? Sadly, we won’t. Yes, sometimes we do pretty well. But it isn’t really reliable.

The good news in our reading is that God doesn’t leave us to wander around in the dark, aimlessly bumping into furniture and falling down stairs. He calls us to come to him, to trust him, to receive his forgiveness. Then, and only then, will we realize that we can’t afford to depend on our own thoughts. Then we can turn to him and think his thoughts.

May we have the mind of 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.

Psalm 27:1-9 - Lectionary for Pentecost 16A

9/18/2017

9/18/17
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.

Among the forms of Christian-bashing popular in the last few hundred years, probably the one engaged in with the most zeal runs this way. “Christians are a bunch of weakling idiots who need a crutch. They want to bury their heads in the sane and hide because they can’t handle life in a real world.” Psalm 27:1-9 brings a powerful answer to this critique. What does it say? It says the Christian needs to seek refuge because the world is genuinely dangerous. When there are enemies who would bring harm, we all need a place of protection and safety.

Isn’t this true? Think of the firefighter in a flame retardant, insulated suit with a breather mask and a tank of oxygen. Do we really think it’s a sign of weakness to admit that the firefighter avoids going into high temperatures and threat of asphyxiation without protective gear? Not at all. Think of a soldier entering battle. It is not a sign of weakness, but of wisdom that the soldier is armed, armored, and has an effective means of communication and escape if possible.

How much more important is it, in matters of eternal life and death, that we engage with reality in a wise way? Our world is full of adversaries. We can’t expect to be immune to them. Therefore, we take the protection of the God of all, who has promised to keep his people safe. This is not foolishness. In fact, it would be the most foolish thing of all to attempt life entirely on our own.

What does the Christian do with his security? He revels in the presence of God who is over all. He worships God according to God’s revealed word. He looks to God to keep all his promises. Again, this is wisdom. It’s part of knowing our place in the world, our role in the greater scheme of things. The same God who promises to care for all his creation by his mighty hand will be good to his word. That’s the track record we can see from the past. That’s what every reasonable expectation for the future should be. We can find refuge and safety in God’s promises revealed in the Scripture.

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.

Matthew 18:21-35 - Lectionary for Pentecost 15A

9/14/2017

9/14/17
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.

Forgiveness is really the central issue in the Bible. Matthew 18:21-35 describes the need for forgiveness. In this parable, Jesus describes someone who owes a master so much money he could never pay it back. The amount described is enough to supply a fleet of 100 warships for about ten years. The master forgave the servant his debt. That servant, in turn, went to someone who owed him about three months’ wages and threatened him. It’s still a significant amount of money, but at least in this instance it is an amount which is possible to pay back. When the master heard about the conflict, he put the original servant in prison. The one who owed too much to pay back was now to be held liable for every cent, and to be imprisoned until he could pay off the debt. There would be no release for this man.

The debt of sin owed by every sinful person is enormous. We could never pay the holy God back for our wrongdoing. In Jesus, our debt of sin is forgiven. We are not held liable for it. We are set free.

How, then, do we treat those who owe us something? Are we forgiving, or do we rush out and attack those who have done wrong to us? All too often we are ready to attack others because of their sin, even though we ourselves wish to be allowed to get out of prison free. This should not be. It shows that we don’t understand the size of God’s forgiveness.

By forgiving wrong we do not excuse it. We show that Jesus has dealt with it. Sin is still sin. But forgiveness is real. May the Lord pour out his forgiveness.

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.

Romans 14:1-12 - Lectionary for Pentecost 15A

9/13/2017

9/13/17
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.

It is very common for Christians to make doctrinal demands on one another. We insist on certain commonalities at particular times. For instance, to receive communion in a church body it is normally important that you be in agreement with that church body about the nature of communion. There are certain doctrines we will fight for. The Trinity, the fact of Jesus as truly God and truly man, salvation by grace through faith, the sufficiency of Scripture, those all rise to the level of teachings which define a Christian.

What about some of the other issues we may hold dear? Romans 14:1-12 mentions some of them which were apparently controversial in the time of the apostle Paul. Some people said you had to be willing to eat meat, or certain meats. Some people said you should be a vegetarian. Some people said you had to recognize the first day of the week as the day of resurrection and gather for worship then. Some said it was appropriate to worship on other days.

What was Paul’s attitude? He taught that we should be willing to accomodate those differences which were not critical to the nature of the Christian faith. He never said that it was not necessary for a Christian to believe the bodily resurrection of Christ. Quite the opposite. However, he said it was fine to eat vegetables or to eat meats, it was fine to observe the first day or another day. We can have charity in these matters.

Within the body of Christ there is some diversity of opinion. But there should be consistency of critical doctrine. Finding the difference is a challenge. But at least it’s a challenge Christians have faced at least since the middle of the first century. We can continue to work with it. I think I’ll go eat some meat.

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.

Genesis 50:15-21 - Lectionary for Pentecost 15A

9/12/2017

9/12/17
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 reading from Genesis 50:15-21 brings up a perpetual human problem. The brothers of Joseph had offended him severely. They had sinned against him by selling him into slavery where he was mistreated for years. Joseph, however, had risen to a position of authority in Egypt. He was now responsible for saving the people of Israel and Egypt from starvation. Joseph had revealed himself to his brothers and they had lived in harmony for some years. However, at this time, their father had died. Joseph’s brothers wondered if he had really forgiven them or if they should plan for his revenge once his father was dead.

It’s an important question. What do we mean by forgiveness? Is the peace we have transacted with someone real peace or are we simply waiting for retribution?

Joseph showed his brothers he had made peace with them. He intended to live in harmony with them. As much as he was able he intended to care for them. He would not be trying to harm them. This is what forgiveness looks like. I often remind people that forgiveness means I will not dwell on past sin, I will not bring it up to harm anyone, I will not let it interfere with our relationship, and I will guard against the sin happening again. That’s forgiveness.

The New Testament describes Jesus purchasing forgiveness for all humanity, who have sinned against God. His forgiveness is also absolutely real. We, who have sinned against God, have no need to be like Joseph’s brothers. We do not need to fear that God’s forgiveness is not real. He always keeps his promises.

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.

Psalm 103:1-12 - Lectionary for Pentecost 15A

9/11/2017

9/11/17
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.

Psalm 103:1-12 calls the reader to rejoice, to be glad. The Lord has given many benefits. He is the one who gives healing, forgiveness, and mercy. He buys us back from our slavery to sin. He gives justice to his people. He shows us how to live before him.

This is all from the mercy of God. He has shown his love for us. He has foriven all who believe him. The New Testament shows this love in Jesus, who lived righly before God, who died as the penalty for our sin, and who rose from the dead to show that he had overcome death. This is God’s great love for his people.

Verse 11 says that God’s love is as high as the heavens are above the earth. That’s something we could never measure adequately. It just goes on and on forever. He has taken our sins away from us as far apart as east and west. Again, we could never measure that. It goes on forever.

May the God of all mercy and grace show his love to each and every one of us. May he give us confidence to trust him in all things.

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.

Matthew 18:1-20 - Lectionary for Pentecost 14A

9/7/2017

9/7/17
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 Gospel reading from Matthew 18:1-20 seems to have two big ideas in it. Yet they are closely related to one another. First, Jesus talks about “little ones” and how he doesn’t want any of them to perish. Jesus cares for children as a shepherd cares for sheep. He wants them to be safe. He protects them from wandering. He chases them when they try to run into danger. This is great news! God cares about little children who can’t care for themselves. He surely cares about you and me as well.

How does this relate to the later portion of the passage? Here, if someone sins against you, you confront the person about the sin. You do it directly, talking with that person, not with someone else. If the other person is not sorry, you go with some others. If that still doesn’t work, you bring it before the church. If all else fails, the person is treated as an unbeliever.

Do we see that many of the ways people sin against us are essentially childish? They are thoughtless, sometimes done in actual ignorance. Why was that person rude to me? Didn’t he know I was having a difficult day? Well, in fact, he probably didn’t until after you popped your cork. Why are all those people driving so slowly? Don’t they care that I need to go somewhere? In fact, they are all going somewhere themselves.

Most of the time, when someone offends us, we simply need to ignore it and get over it. It may have been unintentional, it may have been thoughtless, it may have been on purpose but not worth an encounter. Let the fool be a fool.

What about the offenses that are serious? We aren’t able to overlook them? We think they may be binding the other person in his or her relationship with God? We need to confront sin. As we saw in Ezekiel earlier this week, that sin of our neighbor is going to hurt our neighbor. As Jesus cares for the children who could hurt themselves, we also care for our neighbors who are endangering themselves. So we go to them. What’s our desire? We want them to lay down their sin, to ask Jesus for forgiveness, and, hopefully, to stop sinning in that way. Would we like them to ask our forgiveness also? Yes, no doubt. But our concern is for our neighbor.

The process continues, with more people involved. Actually, we hope it doesn’t continue. We hope it will be taken care of immediately and go no farther. But sometimes that doesn’t happen. The eventual outcome is that a person could be treated as an unbeliever. What does this imply? It means that we relieve the person of responsibility to lead others. Instead, we pray for the person, we love the person, we invite the person to hear and believe God’s Word. We consider this a person for whom Jesus died, whose soul is in danger due to sin. We ask the Lord to have mercy.

Jesus loves people in this world. Little people, big people, tenderhearted people, even stubborn people. He calls them all to his side to live in his forgiveness and grace. He calls them all to believe his words of redemption.

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.