Category: Lectionary - Wittenberg Door Campus Ministry

Psalm 126 - Lectionary for Pentecost 23B

10/22/2018

10/22/18
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.

This week’s Psalm speaks of restoration. It’s a powerful reflection. Joy doesn’t begin to express our emotions when the Lord brings restoration. The people who were in bondage have been set free. It’s like a dream.

My work gives me many opportunities to speak with people who are only partially through the journey. These have fallen into hardship, discouragement, even despair. They know the brokenness of our world. Families disintegrate, dream careers become nightmares, parents and children turn against one another, wherever we look our world is enduring hardship. Some will talk to me about how they once had a hope in God but they no longer trust him. Their lives are hard. The ideal they were given didn’t hold. Maybe it was just a dream, to be overcome by reality.

What hope does God’s Word bring to the table? When God does restore His people, He brings them into a life which they can’t fully comprehend. Picture it for a moment. Forgiveness that places us in the position of heirs of the King of all. Access to all we may ever need in this life and for eternity. Complete healing and restoration.

Well, you say, that didn’t happen. Instead, I find I am going to church with a bunch of people who are more or less a wreck, like I am. Life is still rough. My boss is still unfair, I’m still underpaid, my kids are still angry with me, and the broken relationships in my past are still broken.

How, then, does God restore the fortunes of His people? He does it through His words of promise. He promises forgiveness, life, and salvation. This is a fortune that, at present, we can only dream of. It is too good to believe. Here’s the real question. Are we going to believe the promise, even when it looks too good to be true? Eventually the Lord will show that He keeps all His promises. We will reap with joy. The Lord’s promises are just what we need.

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.

Mark 10:23-31 - Lectionary for Pentecost 22B

10/18/2018

10/18/18
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.

A bit of context may help us follow this week’s Gospel passage well. Mark has just told us of the encounter of a rich person and Jesus. The rich man wants to know how to inherit eternal life. Jesus eventually tells him to give up his riches and come with Jesus as a disciple.

In verse 23, Jesus reflects on the trouble caused by riches. It is hard for the wealthy to enter God’s kingdom. By his illustration of the camel and the needle, Jesus essentially says it is impossible. The disciples ask exactly the right question. Who can be saved (v. 26)? Jesus points out that it is only possible with God.

What is our hope? In verses 29-30 Jesus teaches that those who leave their security behind so as to follow Him will find they have all they need, including eternal life. Oh, they also receive persecutions. Christianity, we must remember, is no triumphalistic get-rich scheme. We may leave all and be excluded from any hope on earth. But we are received by the whole people of God as brothers and sisters, as fathers and mothers, as sons and daughters. There is a voluntary care for the saints in this life, no matter the hardships. Then in eternity we are assured of a life which will not pass away. As we lay down our lives, Jesus gives us all we need. 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.

Hebrews 4:1-16 - Lectionary for Pentecost 22B

10/17/2018

10/17/18
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.

Our Epistle this week, Hebrews 4:1-16, continues in the theme of warnings. What of those people who have heard the Gospel and have not believed?

God’s Word is powerful. Verses 12-13 proclaim the power of God working through the Word. So why does it not save all who hear? Those who harden their hearts (v. 7) rather than believing (v. 3) will not enter the rest of God. Those who treat God’s words of grace and salvation as if they are cursing and condemnation do not receive grace. God’s Word, which can penetrate our hearts and minds, delivers judgment against those who have rejected the Gospel.

The conclusion of our passage? We find it in verses 14-16. Since Jesus understands our weakness and gives us powerful words of life, we should hold fast to those words, finding God’s grace. It is exactly what we need.

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.

Ecclesiastes 5:10-20 - Lectionary for Pentecost 22B

10/16/2018

10/16/18
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 book of Ecclesiastes is a challenge for us if we pull it out of its overall context. At first glance, our reading for this week looks like it is telling us futility is the way of the world and that we should shrug and give up.

To say that is to ignore the whole premise of the book, as well as the specific statements of Ecclesiastes 5:19-20. In these verses, as in the overall context of the Bible, God is the one who gives all the gifts we need, who enables us to rejoice in those gifts, and who gives us hope during all our hardships. The futility found in Ecclesiastes is not due to life. It is due to a life considered apart from God. If we think we are doing well and we decide to depend on ourselves and our possessions, we are bound for hopelessness and failure. If we are living with hope in the God who has cared for us and for all His creation, we see that God is good and that we are all right.

There’s a responsible reading of this text. Our reward and labor are gifts of God. He is the one who gives us what we need, including all those opportunities to care for ourselves, our family, and all those around us. This is a gift of 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.

Psalm 119:9-16 - Lectionary for Pentecost 22B

10/15/2018

10/15/18
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.

Psalm 119 is well known for three reasons. It is the longest of the Psalms. It is an acrostic, with eight verses beginning with each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It is about the love of the Psalmist for God’s Word.

In our reading this week, God’s Word is that which keeps us pure. It protects us from sin. For this reason, we desire to learn God’s law and judgments. As we remember His word, he protects us from sin (v. 11). He gives us more joy than we would have from riches (v. 14). He fills us with delight (v. 16).

The center of this stanza, verses 12-13, are central to the idea. The Psalmist asks that God should be blessed and teach him so he can proclaim God’s Word. The clear implication is that God’s Word is good for those who hear and receive it. Therefore, all who seek the Lord should want to spread the Word of God as well.

This is instructive to us. If we consider something important, really important, we want to live according to it. We also want to let others know how and why it is important. Do Christians do this reliably with the Christian faith? May the Lord give us a true vision of those riches he promises 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.

Mark 10:17-22 - Lectionary for Pentecost 21B

10/11/2018

10/11/18
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.

Good teacher, what must I do? The rich man came to Jesus to seek assurance. What is pleasing to God? How do I receive the eternal life so frequently described in Scripture?

Aside from the rather obvious failing in the ich man’s thinking, that we do something to gain an inheritance, Jesus gives us practical clarity. The man wants to know how to live. Jesus tells him, drawing the commands directly from God’s Law.

The man is aware of all these commands. He knows what God says. He also knows that his obedience has not been adequate. He does not have assurance of life. What can he do?

Jesus tells him to give up all that he has in order to follow Jesus. This cuts to the heart of many of our trouble.s It was not so much about money. That is not the problem. The problem with this rich man was the focus of his trust. He was saying, in effect, “I trust you, Jesus, to be the Lord of all. Therefore I am going to cling to my own ways of caring for myself so as to be certain of safety.” That won’t work! Jesus calls the man to nothing more or less than trust. What he trusted before must be taken out of the way.

When Jesus calls us to follow Him, he calls us to leave behind our own opinions of what is rustworthy. In exchange, we take up Jesus’ provision which will never fail. That’s what trust looks like.

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.

Hebrews 3:12-19 - Lectionary for Pentecost 21B

10/10/2018

10/10/18
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.

Our reading in Hebrews 3 this week warns us against having an unbelieving heart. Most Christians would like to agree wholeheartedly, then to add that they are glad they don’t have that fight. After all, they are Christians.

There’s a reason that God warns against unbelief. There’s a reason that we find this particular warning in a text written to people who are identified as Christians who have all the benefits of a Hebrew background. They have known all their lives that God calls them heirs of His promise. So why the warning against unbelief? These people should have confidence.

What do we see in the real world? The people with reason for confidence are exactly those whose faith can be shaken. They know their identity. They know the history. They know God doesn’t change. And they find within themselves a hard heart, like those who rebelled against God in the Exodus. When we start deciding we know best and God’s Word doesn’t matter so much, we are doomed to failure. Like the Israelites, we cannot expect to enter into rest.

Despite these strict words, I’d like to show how this passage brings hope. God would not warn his people against unbelief if He hadn’t made his gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation available in Word and Sacrament. Are you afraid you will have an unbelieving heart? It is a valid fear. So turn to God’s Word. Surround yourself with believers who will encourage you. Believe and live.

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.

Amos 5:6-7, 10-15 - Lectionary for Pentecost 21B

10/9/2018

10/9/18
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.

Amos 5:6 issues a serious threat from God. Seek the Lord or he will spread like fire and consume everything. While we find ourselves eager to avoid the picture of God as a consuming fire, we also may doubt that God would actually do something like that. But our passage from Amos 5 goes on to explain it. God uses human means to level penalties in a society. In verses seven and ten we find that those who reject God and His righteousness are the people who bring destruction. They reject righteousness. They show their hatred against those exercising rightous judgment or speaking the truth. In verse eleven we find the result of our faithlessness is loss of what we have worked for.

How can this happen? Why doesn’t good and right prevail? Verses 12-13 make a remarkable statement. Those who are righteous and who would pursue justice become quiet due to the threats they face. Because of the evil oppression, some will not speak up for good. The evil, lacking restraint, flourishes.

How do we deal with the fallout? Verses 14-15 tell God’s people to pursue good, even though it is very difficult. We stand for what is right even in the face of opposition. We have confessed that the Lord is the true God. We live in accord with our confession.

Can we see these patterns in our society? I think they are increasingly clear. If God’s people do not stand for truth, everyone will suffer. May God have mercy.

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 90:12-17 - Lectionary for Pentecost 21B

10/8/2018

10/8/18
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.

Psalm 90:12-17 speaks of the value of numbering our days. The idea at work here is having a reasoned account of our time. However, as we look closely at the Psalm we see it is not so much about the quantity of time we may or may not have. It is more about the wisdom to understand what those days mean.

Some of the days given to us by the Lord seem to lack in compassion (v. 13). These are hard times. They are the days when we suffer, when we toil, when we fail. How do we understand these days in light of our concept of a compassionate God? Maybe they help us understand our Lord’s suffering. Maybe we gain a grasp of the frustration endured by those who are also dealing with hardship. Maybe we learn that we depend on the Lord in both good times and bad.

Where do we find our satisfaction if we are numbering our days well? Verse 14 says we find it in God’s faithful love. It is God’s character, not our circumstances, which gives us joy and gladness.

When we number our days rightly we see ourselves as we are in truth, as those who are sinful and deserve the worst possible consequences. Yet some days are remarkably good! We have undeserved pleasures. Verse 15 asks that those times of pleasure may be given to us by God’s mercy. This is also a feature of numbering our days rightly.

The Psalmist finally asks for God’s favor. If we number our days rightly we will see the favor of God. He is the one who pours out the good we need.

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.

Mark 10:2-16 - Lectionary for Pentecost 20B

10/4/2018

10/4/18
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.

Our Gospel passage this week reminds me of many of the encounters I have with people fairly regularly. A person will approach me wanting to ask a theological question. It’s difficult to deal with. After all, it might just be a legitimate question. Sometimes we don’t know until the conversation has continued for several steps.

So what about divorce? What did Moses say? And why? Let’s hit the “why” first. In the other cultures surrounding Israel, marriage was sometimes a brutal affair. If a man and woman married, it was not necessarily an exclusive arrangement. There was no guarantee that a husband would not take other wives, send away a displeasing wife, or even sell her or have her killed. The Mosaic command called for some element of fair treatment. There was documentation and the result was a divorce rather than enslavement or execution.

But with Moses’ affirmation of divorce, Jesus confirms the permission was because people have sinful hearts. Several Christian counselors whom I respect greatly have given the opinion that any marital conflict between two Christians who are repentant can be healed. Then again, that is if both wish to live as Christians, both recognize their sin, and both wish for reconciliation. If any element is missing, it is possible the marriage will be pulled apart.

The Christian view of marriage, then, as Jesus quotes from Genesis 2, is that it is entered into by a man and woman, that a new family is created, and the couple is unified in marriage. That’s the way God made it to work from the start. Except for the hardness of our hearts, that’s the way it still works.

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 2:18-25 - Lectionary for Pentecost 20B

10/2/2018

10/2/18
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.

Amid all God’s good creation in Genesis 2:18, the Lord says there is something wrong. It isn’t good for the man to be alone. This matters, because God actually does care that all his creation should be without complaint. What can God do to correct the problem? He creates more animals and brings them to the man he has made so the man can name the animals of creation.

Many commentators find a deep significance in the naming. However we stack it, by the time the naming is done, the man knows the nature of the animals. Out of all the animals, there is not one which will be an adequate helper. The coorrespondence was not there. The man understood the lack by the time he had named all the creatures.

In the end, God makes a radical move. Out of all creation, the man was unique. He was the only one made from a substance. Eerything else was made from God’s command. Additionally, the man was the only one who received his breath from God. The others simply lived by being created. But now, God does the unthinkable. He takes the man, who is already special, and makes the woman from the living being.

The woman is very special indeed, and she is recognized immediately by the man. She is the right one for him. She is worthy of a special respect and regard, because she came from him. Humans are a unique part of God’s creation. It’s time we recognized this fact again. Let’s celebrate the way God has resolved the original complaint, by putting us in a special human community.

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 128 - Lectionary for Pentecost 20B

10/1/2018

10/1/18
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.
It’s valuable to ask how we measure happiness. Many picture it in terms of freedom from trials, lack of responsibility, a life of ease and pleasure. Yet that is not the message of Psalm 128. In this psalm the happy person works with his hands, but receives enough to eat. He has a wife who is fruitful. That takes come care and effort. There are children around the table, and they are growing. AGain, this takes considerable work. Grandchildren also in verse six, can be a lot of work. Life, for this man who fears the Lord, is busy and full.

Where’s the happiness? We find great joy in a full life. It is always good to be busy about good things. It is a blessing to see God’s blessing on our lives and families. What is our prayer then? Peace be with Israel. We pray God’s peace on God’s people, including the Church. They are hard at work, living and enjoying God’s goodness.

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.

Mark 9:38-50 - Lectionary for Pentecost 19B

9/27/2018

9/27/18
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 cares about truth. He even introduces himself as the truth. We saw in James 5:1-20 how valuable it is to correct someone. So how do we deal with those times when we think Christianity is being distorted or misrepresented? In my work I often visit different congregations, including those in different church bodies. I admit that it is sometimes hard to keep a poker face. “Really? Did I just hear something which was recognized as heresy in the third century? I wonder if they really meant it??”

What did Jesus say to do with the person who was doing miracles in Jesus’ name but was not part of Jesus’ apostolic group? While Jesus does point out the need for truth and for guarding against error, he also recognizes that some of the people we find unlikely do what Jesus wants, at least sometimes. Allow it. Find chances to correct, but allow Jesus’ work to continue. At the same time, we guard against error. It is better to endure tremendous loss in the things of this world than to depart from the Christian faith. We trust that the Lord’s Word is sufficient clear.

Unity in Christ will lead us to peace with one another. This is yet another way Christians change the 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.

James 5:13-20 - Lectionary for Pentecost 19B

9/26/2018

9/26/18
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.

Our passage from James speaks volumes about the nature of fellowship in Christ. The Church is to be a place of togetherness where we all look to the Lord as the one who is able to nurture and sustain us. When we are struggling we turn to one another but not merely for human company. We look for divine intervention as we bring our prayers to the Lord. Why would we doubt? After all, the Lord is still supernatural. Prayer stil communicates with God. And God in Christ is still the eternal savior.

Yet we prefer to tell people we will pray, rather than going ahead and praying. Why do we doubt? Why do we defer God’s resources until later? As I write this, it strikes me that I am not reliably going to remember to pray for a need later. I’d better do it right away, as I did for a complete stranger at a bus stop earlier today. She asked for prayer, so I asked her if we cold pray then. Yes, God can hear us when we pray t the bus stop.

What is the hope here? After all, many of us doubt we would be able to do any great spiritual works. What do we see in James 5:19-20? If we have the opportunity to draw someone from error into truth, we save the person’s soul from death and cover countless sins. If may not be flashy, but it sure is good! Let’s go pray for each other.

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.

Numbers 11:4-6, 10-16, 24-29 - Lectionary for Pentecost 19B

9/25/2018

9/25/18
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.

In Numbers chapter 11 the people of Israel have escaped from Egypt but are still in the wilderness. They are concerned for their food supply. Although the Lord had been providing manna each day, they missed the abundant variety they had in Egypt. They also showed their distrust of Moses. What could be done? The anger of the people provoked Moses to become angry with God. It also provoked God’s anger. What would He do? Moses may well have been justified in his desire that the Lord would go ahead and kill him. Everyone was miserable.

God’s response was threefold. He provided the people with what they were desiring. “Do you want meat? I’ll give you birds. So many you will be eating them for am onth. You will be sick.” Sometimes in God’s mercy He lets us have what we want even if it is not good for us. Will it drive us back to trusting God’s desires? That’s certainly the intent. Manna sounds really good compared to eating birds so as to avoid being overrun by birds. A second act of God is to provide seventy elders. These people could govern along with Moses. If the people felt poorly represented they could speak with the elders. Neither Moses nor the people needed to feel alone. God’s third act here is to draw attention to himself by making the elders temporarily into prophets. This was a show of the power and wisdom of God. He was able to speak with authority. This let the poeple of Israel know that God was indeed listening to them and that he could communicate.

In all this passage, we see God’s wisdom and power to guard His people. He is certainly the God who is with them.

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 104:27-35 - Lectionary for Pentecost 19B

9/24/2018

9/24/18
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.

Our reading from Psalm 104 speaks to the reality of God’s provision in both life and death. Here the Lord is the one who provides all nature with food, satisfying the world. He is also, in verse 29, the Lord over the end of life. A world without God is barren and desolate. Yet God has never been satisfied with a sterile and barren world. In verse 30 He renews the world by breathing life into it. How powerful is this God? In verse 32 He is the one who makes the world tremble by his look, who makes volcanoes out of mountains by touching them.

This is really an intimidating God. He has the power of life and death. He is so powerful He could blot us all out quite easily. How will we react to this kind of a God? In verses 33-34 the Psalmist sings out in praise to God. Far from being intimidated and terrified, he recognizes that this is the God who enjoys feeding the world, creating life, and restoring His people to Himself. In verse 35 the plea goes out. May sinners vanish! But how? By trusting and depending on the God who provides for those who wait for Him. Here is God revealed in His mercy and love. We, with the Psalmist, can rightly sing the praises of God. He is surely the good Lord.

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.

Mark 9:30-37 - Lectionary for Pentecost 18B

9/20/2018

9/20/18
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.

Who is the greatest? Our world has recently been shaken by a series of revelations about powerful people within a Christian body using their power and authority for evil instead of for good. And it isn’t unusual to hear bits and pieces of history, especially when secularists are talking about the growth and movement of Christianity, to be phrased in terms of winners and losers, those who are more powerful taking advantage of those who are less powerful, and the mighty trampling the weak.

Make no mistake about it. The New Testament clearly portrays Jesus as the mighty creator, redeemer, and king, in whom resides all power in heaven and earth. But we are well instructed to see how, in Mark 9:30-37, Jesus seems to consider his power to be well used. When his disciples are wanting to decide who is the greatest of them all, Jesus exalts a little child, who has no particular power or wisdom. Do we want to be like Jesus? Then we will also care for the needs of those who can’t take care of themselves. We minister to the weak, the unknown, and the unknowing. When we have power, and some of us do have considerable power and authority, we use it for the good of those in need.

The priest or pastor has the training, the authority, and the responsibility to bring God’s Word to his flock. He has it in his power to heal or to hurt, to bind up or to loosen, to build or to destroy. How does he use that training, authority, and responsibility? He is to use it for the good of Christ’s kingdom, which cares about the least of these little children.

What if he’s using it for something else? What did Jesus do to his apostles who wanted to exalt themselves above others? Jesus brought them up short and reminded them what his true interest was. That’s what Jesus has given generation after generation of godly leaders in Christianity to do. I’ve seen that in action in my own church body. Time after time, when someone is falling into error and sin, his brother pastors, both those placed over him in positions of authority and those who simply know him and care for him, will come to him, confront him with his sin, and correct him. By God’s grace, the erring pastor is usually led to repentance, forgiveness, and restoration. God’s people are protected. At times, that doesn’t happen, and there are consequences, even going so far as removal from the pastoral ministry, removal from the church body, and civil prosecution. But by God’s grace, most of the time, the offense is small and the restoration is quick and full.

How will we care for the least of these? Let’s do it and seek to do it in a way that would be pleasing to Jesus, the one who cares for the least of 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.

James 3:13-4:10 - Lectionary for Pentecost 18B

9/19/2018

9/19/18
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.

Some parts of our reading from James 3-4 are popular in the secular culture as well. It’s rare that a week goes by without giving me a chance to observe some well-meaning non-Christian person virtue signaling on social media by saying that real Christians should be humble, that real Christians would pursue peace, or that we all need to get rid of those selfish ambitions.

It’s telling, though, that those same individuals who think they are doing better than Christians, therefore deserve praise, are so hesitant to do things like submitting to God, drawing near to God, or seeking wisdom which comes from God rather than wisdom which comes from man. In short, they make a claim which often rightly says Christians don’t do well enough at some parts of the Christian walk, but are not willing to take on that Christian walk themselves and model what it really looks like.

This in itself is a sort of arrogant pride. It seeks to exalt itself rather than allowing God to do the exaltation. It is not going to be eternally satisfying. As a Christian, my response is fairly straightforward. It’s found right in James 3:13. I show that my works are doing in the wisdom of God by doing gentle good works. And the idea of “gentle” is important. Much of Christian service is done more or less in secret. Not wishing to draw attention to themselves or to the terrible plight of those they are helping, Christians will often carry on works of mercy and charity without any fanfare. I know one person who is very active with homeless people. These activities won’t be displayed on social media. The homeless people receiving assistance don’t want their needs to be broadcast. They just want to have help and resources to get through a tough time. I know several people who work intensively with victims of abuse. Do they really want the abusers to find out where their victims are? Do the victims really want to be portrayed as victims, rather than as people who have worked through their pasts and are more stable now? Not at all. So the work of the Christian is gentle and quiet, caring for the needy, healing the sick, bringing hope to the hopless, and then doing it all over again.

What’s the motivation for all this? It’s in the passage as well. We humble ourselves before God and let him do good works through us. It’s God’s love for others which can motivate us to all that we try to do. This is not social media shaming or re-education at the hands of a powerful secular society. It’s an expression of God’s care for the least of those living in his world.

Time to go, love and serve our neighbors, and trust the Lord’s mercy.

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.

Jeremiah 11:18-20 - Lectionary for Pentecost 18B

9/18/2018

9/18/18
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.

Our passage from Jeremiah 11 communicates on several levels at once. Here God has been speaking of his concern to establish his people Judah. The people have been opposed by enemies who desire their destruction. However, to make the illustration work, God is using Jeremiah the prophet as a sign of the people of Judah. He is under attack from within and without, being attacked and imprisoned. To make matters more complex, most would see in the life and work of Jesus a reference to this passage of Jeremiah. They would take Jesus to be the one who is wrongfully suffering for the sake of his people.

I already feel like I’m trying to hold five grocery bags while wearing big mittens and look for a key in my pocket. I’m ready to drop something, so I’d better get to the big picture as directly as possible. Then we’ll see if the picture fits in some other specifics.

God establishes a people according to his promise. Check. His people are attacked from within and without. Check. As God’s representative, Christ endures that attack, even though he doesn’t deserve it. Check. There’s our big picture.

What about Jeremiah the prophet then? He serves not only to point us to Christ but also to let us remember that we normal humans, prophets, priests, butchers, bakers, and candlestick makers are often the collateral damage in the attacks carried on against Christ and his kingdom. It’s all right. The Lord can protect his people, but he lets us suffer for the good of his kingdom at times. He’s promised that we will remain under his protection.

The attacks of the enemy are vicious. They are slash and burn. Destroy not only the fruit but the tree as well. The gratuitious nature of the damage brought by God’s enemies boggles the mind. Yet we remember, they are really not fighting against us. They are fighting against Christ, the Lord of all, who is quite able to defend himself and his kingdom clar up to the final day.

There’s nothing to be afraid of, Jeremiah! They might even level your city and kill you, but they won’t actually overcome you in the end. You are one of God’s children.

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 54 - Lectionary for Pentecost 18B

9/17/2018

9/17/18
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.

Our Psalm this week is a difficult one. It says with absolute clarity that the Psalmist is afraid of his opposition and that he fears for his life. As a response, the plea is that God will come, rescue him, and annihilate the opposition. This is a difficult passage to deal with. After all, Christians are used to thinking of the meek and mild Jesus who loves everyone. This is probably the Savior who feeds his enemies cookies and milk, makes them nice, tucks them in, and gives them a teddy bear. But that isn’t the God pictured in the Bible.

What we find in the Bible is a benevolent and kind King of all creation. And we need to realize that kings exercise rule. They call the shots and do their will. Another thing we find in this passage is that God’s Psalmist is not the one who is the offender here. The opposition has brought violence against the author without provocation. The Psalmist calls upon God to take vengeance against those who are acting offensively without cause.

God is, after all, exactly the kind of God who will defend his people against unprovoked attack. God’s children receive his sovereign care and protection. He is the King of all, but particularly of his children who believe on him. That’s the key to the whole situation. In God’s mercy, He has adopted a people. He’s going to defend them, even if it costs their opposers their own lives. God is the one who has shown mercy especially to his people. When we call upon him as the loving God, we ask him to consider us as part of his kingdom, where he will rule for our good.

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.

Mark 9:14-29 - Lectionary for Pentecost 17B

9/13/2018

9/13/18
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 Gospel reading is from Mark chapter nine. I’d like to use it briefly to practice a skill which all Christians should have. Please bear with me. In the passage, a crowd has gathered around a father and boy. The boy’s father has described a problem, which he says is an evil spirit. The description of symptoms looks a lot like epileptic seizures. Jesus, by his command, appears to bring healing to the boy.

Now, enter on the scene the disputer of this age who says this was merely a medical condition. After a seizure the person seems normal. All Jesus’ words did was to provide a little time until the seizure passed, then the boy was fine. Jesus could get the credit for healing. It’s all made up. The talk of evil spirits was just a cultural expectation. Therefore, the disputer today says, Christianity is just a sham. The outcome would have been the same regardless.

Let’s unpack this a little bit. First, observe that the putative author of Mark’s Gospel was an eyewitness or a long-time companion of an eyewitness, Peter. Disciples hungry for power would more likely have invented a story in which they would be the heroes, not the sadly faithless people who missed the boat and couldn’t do any good for anyone. There really isn’t an element of self-preservation in this story. It has all the marks of a true confession.

Second, there were multiple witnesses around. Some of the witnesses were hostile witnesses, the scribes. If this were a made-up story, they would have to be persuaded as well or the story could not survive without serious questions being raised.

Third, the command of Jesus provoked a new attack. This isn’t how epilepsy works. It looks more like a fairly desperate attempt by a spiritual power to retain influence in the boy’s life. When under threat of expulsion, the symptoms worsen, so much so that the boy seems to have died. Once again, there are a number of witnesses. It isn’t the kind of thing you forget easily. If someone is trying to make it into something it isn’t, you are very likely to complain, but we have no evidence of disputes.

What’s the logical conclusion we come to? The report in Mark’s Gospel is a credible eyewitness report of something which really happened in the presence of hostile witnesses who agreed about what happened. The events show all the signs of being supernatural in origin. And we have Jesus’ word that it was through prayer that the boy was rescued from an evil spirit. The wisest interpretation is to assume that the events really happened as we are told in the text.

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.

James 3:1-12 - Lectionary for Pentecost 17B

9/12/2018

9/12/18
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.

A few years ago I wanted to get some pointers on how to make a simple cheese. Like many in this day and age, I turned to the Internet. I found many videos which I hoped would prove instructional. I bet you’ve seen some of these videos also. “I wanted to ______ so here’s what I did. I never did it before but it came out pretty well. Now you know how to do it also.” Yes, indeed, in a pile of cheesemaking videos, there were a few experts who knew what they were doing and a huge pile of people who had, at best, done it once before.

Our reading from James chapter 3 counsels Christians not to desire to be teachers. They will be held to a stricter standard of judgment. It then goes on to talk about how difficult it is to control the tongue, which has the power to cause harm like nothing else in this world. How should we deal with this passage?

First, I think it’s important that we recognize James chapter three doesn’t say the Scripture is uniformly difficult to understand and that interpretation should be left to the experts. That is decidedly not what James is saying. If you have any inclination to read and study the Bible, you should do it. Read with an open mind and heart, expecting God to instruct you through His infallible word!

Here’s what James is warning against, though. What about all those teachers who are looking for something new, something powerful, some sort of insight that will suddenly change the world? There have been several influential teachers in the past who have said that they found out how we should really understand the Bible, and that it is different from everything all the generations before them thought. Really? Do you actually want to say that every theologian before you got it all wrong?

When I was exploring Lutheranism I wrote a series of blog posts about the liturgy, about Law and Gospel, and about the sovereign grace of God. I was testing the water. They were tentative posts. I was hoping for correction and interaction. In general, the interaction I received was affirmation from people who had more experience with Lutheran doctrine. They were saying, “That’s right, you’ve understood what we have been saying.” It’s a very good thing to recognize that some teachers, throughout history, have gotten things very right, and that we can understand them. That’s different from the attitude we see so often. Someone has a religious opinion, maybe a move from one theological camp to another, and sets himself up as an expert. After all, he was wrong before but is right now, so it’s time to set the rest of the world right also.

This is very much like making the instructional video of how to make cheese when you have done it successfully yourself exactly once before. Premature. And, in a way, it is more dangerous. If I learn to make cheese wrong, I get bad cheese. No big problem. If I learn to do Christian theology wrong, I bring eternal condemnation to myself and possibly others. Big problem.

Let’s try to improve ourselves as teachers before we spend too much time teaching anything revolutionary. There’s a great deal to be gained from the counsel of others. Let’s guard our tongues as well as our keyboards, and seek to be good and right 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.

Isaiah 50:4-10 - Lectionary for Pentecost 17B

9/11/2018

9/11/18
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.

Our Old Testament passage from Isaiah chapter 50 points very clearly to Jesus. He is the one who speaks to our troubles, who listens, who does what is right without rebellion. He is the one who, in verse six, gives his back and his cheeks to those who tore out his beard. He goes willingly into trouble, knowing that God will vindicate him.

There are generally two directions that preaching about this passage can go. Actually, there’s one direction which it normally goes, and another direction in which it should go. The way it normally goes is to reduce Jesus to the level of an example. Now I know that Jesus is an example, but he is not only an example. Unfortunately, this passage is often used to reduce Jesus’ role. We saw how Jesus suffered. We need to be like him in his suffering. We find Jesus uncomplaining when people sin against him. We need to do the same. When we do it well enough, we are shown to be like Jesus.

That’s all well and good. but what of the times we fail? Can we find forgieness? What was Jesus doing when all this transpired? Does it even matter that he was dying in my place for my sin? Thatis the direction this passage actually points. It shows a Saviorwho gives himself for me. All the suffering he is subjected to is suffering I desere. He undergoes it all without complaint because he cares for me. His love and sacrifice are powerful on my behalf.

Make no mistake. Here Jesus is presented in his self-sacrificing power. That is his right role, as the one who can rescue from death itself. My role is now to trust him and faithfully receive his gifts. This is true Gospel.

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 116:1-9 - Lectionary for Pentecost 17B

9/10/2018

9/10/18
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.

Our Psalm this week praises God because He is the kind of God who hears and answers when we are in distress. This might not seem to be a big deal for anyone raised in the sorta-Christian culture of Western civilization. After all, that’s what we automatically think a deity would do. But that very concept, the idea that a deity would actually care, is rooted in Chritianity. The religions which surrounded Israel, like most world religions, featured deities who were capricious and demanded appeasement, which would often be to no effect.

The God of the Bible stands in stark contrast. He is the one who is gracious and merciful. He hears the cries of his people and comes to care for them. He rescues them even though, even especially since they are helpless. This is truly a big deal. The Psalmist knows that the true God is different from all others. We praise Him because He is exactly that special kind of God, the one we need.

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.

Mark 7:31-37 - Lectionary for Pentecost 16B

9/6/2018

9/6/18
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.

Our Gospel passage from Mark 7:31-37 shows Jesus acting in love for his neighbor. He does this by bringing healing through very earthly means. After bringing the deaf man away by himself he engages in some very tactile actions. He touches the man’s ears and his tongue. Here Jesus also spits, which people try to interpret in many different ways. What is he doing? So far, everything Jesus has done can be understood by the deaf man. And the deaf man can agree with Jesus’ actions. When the fingers go in his ears he agrees that he can’t hear. When the finger t ouches the tongue he agrees that he has trouble speaking. But what does Jesus do next? He makes a command to the man’s ears. “Be opened.” Of course, the man cannot hear this command. He isn’t trying to hear. After all, he is deaf.

Jesus does what is impossible for this man. He opens his ears and frees his speech by his command. It’s a command which the man can’t even receive. Yet Jesus’ word is powerful.

What does Jesus do in his people and in the world? By his gracious word of command he gives life by creating faith to hear him. By his mercy he places us in a world where sick people recover, where food and water are generally readily available, and where we normally get along with one another relatively well. By his love he raises up those who will proclaim God’s words of Law and Gospel, calling us to sorrow for our sin and toreceive forgiveness, life, and salvation by grace through faith. God in Christ is good to this world, even when we don’t wish to listen to him. He cares regardless. Just like he can heal the deaf man through a word of command, he can bring the spiritually dead to life by the Gospel.

Our response? Believe that Jesus can really work in us, just as He did in the deaf man. He is faithful.

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.