Category: Lectionary - Wittenberg Door Campus Ministry

Luke 18:1-8 - Lectionary for Pentecost 19C, Proper 24C

10/17/2019

10/17/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

I’ve said it before. I’ll say it again. God is just like the judge of Luke 18 isn’t. The judge doesn’t want to do justice. God wants to do justice. The judge doesn’t care about the woman who comes to him. God does care. The judge doesn’t respect anyone. God respects everyone. The judge is afraid the woman will keep bothering him. God wants us to pray and pray and pray some more. The judge is weary. God never gets tired.

The only way the judge in the parable is like God is in his decision to give the woman the just decision she deserves. That’s it. But the judge does it grudgingly, God does it willingly, even eagerly. God is not at all like the judge of the parable.

The point of the Luke 18:1-8 is that God’s people need to keep praying. God is the one who is waiting eagerly to hear and answer our prayers. He wants us to trust in Him, which we will do more and more as we bring our concerns before His throne.

Will the Lord find us with enough faith to come to him for help? Or are we going to go on pursuing the human saviors who don’t want to do anything for us? Lord, 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.

2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 - Lectionary for Pentecost 19C, Proper 24C

10/16/2019

10/16/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

2 Timothy 3:14-15 speaks words of encouragement to Timothy. He has a heritage, a godly heritage. He has been taught God’s Word in the past, even from his childhood. Of all people, he should be able to hold fast to the truth.

As a person who did not have a Christian upbringing, I will readily confess that this statement makes me jealous of Timothy’s advantage. He had more years to learn the truth than I did before I faced adulthood and all its challenges. He had Christian family members he could turn to for help. His family gave him gifts that mine did not.

Because Timothy had these advantages, then, do we expect that life is easy for him? We should assume he will be able to walk through his life as a young adult who is caring for Christians with relative ease. But on the contrary, the apostle Paul feels a need to speak those words of encouragement. He would not do so if Timothy didn’t need them. “Continue in the truth! Remember what you have learned! After all, you are probably questioning the power of God’s Word. You may be doubting whether God has given you the words of life.”

It is not uncommon for me to meet people who were raised in Christian settings, who were taken to church frequently, whose family claims some sort of Christian faith, and who essentially don’t believe any of the Scripture. What they learned all those years doesn’t mean anything to them. Maybe they weren’t paying attention. Maybe the congregation wasn’t teaching the Scripture effectively. Maybe the young people were too busy eating pizza and playing ice-breaking games to attend to God’s Words of life. Or maybe their hearts were hardened and they were distracted by the cares of this world.

In these times I am moved not by the jealousy I might have for Timothy, but by the pity I have for those who have been around the Gospel but have never let it sink in. If Jesus has purchased forgiveness for all who believe and has risen from the dead as the firstfruits of a resurrection to eternal life, we should be deeply disturbed that some have managed to miss that message. It is the one great hope we have in this life and in eternity.

Apparently we all need to be reminded. Remember the Word of God. Remember Jesus.

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 121 - Lectionary for Pentecost 19C, Proper 24C

10/15/2019

10/15/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our reading of Psalm 121 reminds us just how practical the Lord is. We think about how we are empowered by God’s mercy and grace to do great things. But what will make us fall apart? Enemies in the hills. Sleep. Blazing sun. Moon rays! That last one makes me chuckle, but then I recall that the English word “lunatic” literally means “struck by the moon,” meaning by its rays. Is this right? God protects his people from forces that we are highly likely to minimize.

Maybe we are afraid of the criminals hiding in the caves in the hills. We’ll usually grant that. Those criminals are kind of dangerous.

But the sunshine? Have you ever been in the blazing, direct sunlight from sunup to sundown, especially somewhere hot? Even if it isn’t hot, you can get a serious sunburn and, if that extends too far across your body, it can be life threatening. The blazing sun is dangerous and it will humble all of us.

Well, what if we are young and strong. Maybe we can avoid being harmed by the sun. Can we stay awake forever? When I was young I used to enjoy the effect of staying up very late to study or work on a special project. My limit was normally about 4 a.m. Now that I am in my fifties, I can have the same effects by staying up to 11 p.m. Fatigue, irritability the next day, strong need for sleep, even falling asleep on my desk. I have become quite proficient!

I guess that’s why moon rays are so dangerous. As I learn to be tired earlier in the evening, really, once I see the moon, maybe it’s time for a nap. We come to the end of ourselves and our resources. Even little things like the rays of the moon can strike us down. Who will we trust? It better be the Lord. He will keep our going out and our coming in, forever.

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 32:22-30 - Lectionary for Pentecost 19C, Proper 24C

10/14/2019

10/14/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

It’s amazing how quickly we can forget the context of a situation. In Genesis 32, Jacob wrestles with “a man” whom he later recognizes in some way as God. Most Christian commentators have taken this to be God the Son, the pre-incarnate Christ. Jacob wrestled with God all night. He wouldn’t let go. He wouldn’t surrender, even after his hip was disjointed.

We forget the context really quickly. What was Jacob doing there, alone? He had sent his livestock, his wives, and his children ahead of him because he was expecting to encounter Esau, the brother he had gravely offended. Jacob wanted to appease Esau. Just in case, Jacob wanted Esau to wage war with or take captive all his family and possessions before Jacob himself would meet up with Esau. That way Jacob could run away if he needed to.

Yes, Jacob wanted to be well positioned to flee and abandon his family if he was threatened. How did we go and make him brave? I have no idea.

What else do we see about Jacob’s frailty? He is wrestling all night. He’s wrestling with God. His hip comes out of joint when God the Son touched it and caused it to come apart. Do we really think for a moment that Jacob was the one who was preventing God from leaving? Do we actually think Jacob could do anything at all to confound God? No, it seems apparent that God wasn’t really fighting very hard. Jacob was in the battle of his life, but God was not.

What was the outcome of the wrestling match? God changed Jacob’s name to be the one who wrestles with God and man and who prevails. That’s what Israel means. But, truth be told, Jacob could never prevail against God and he had a pretty poor track record prevailing against humans as well. He was fleeing both his brother and his father in law. He was not brave by any stretch of the imagination.

We pause, then, and realize that it is the work of God to make us what we are. He has called Jacob the one who prevails, therefore Jacob is exactly the one who prevails. He has called Christians a faultless bride of Christ. That is exactly what we are. He has called us eternal, holy, godly people. That is what we are. Do we fail to look it? Yes, just as Jacob seems more like Jacob (the deceiver) than like Israel (the overcomer). At the same time we are saint and sinner, mighty and powerless. All we have, all we are, is because our Lord Jesus has worked in us according to His good pleasure. We thought we were wrestling with sin, and we were, but it is Jesus who won the battle against sin. We thought we were doing mighty things, but we did them only through the grace of God working in us.

Thanks be to God who calls us his people, and we are.

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.

Luke 17:11-19 - Lectionary for Pentecost 18C, Proper 23C

10/10/2019

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

Our Gospel reading from Luke 17:11-19 points to the lavish nature of Jesus’ ministry. As ten lepers were calling out for mercy, Jesus provided healing for them all. He even sent them to the priests so that they would be recognized as cleansed and be allowed back into society. This was their pass to work and to economic and social freedom. Jesus is exactly the kind of Lord who heals the sick and brings life where before there was death. He healed the ten people freely.

Only one of them returned to thank him, and that one was an outsider, a Samaritan. While every one of the former lepers owed Jesus more thanks than anyone could ever express, the one who returned was not even part of Israel. He had less claim on God’s mercy than any Israelite. Yet he recognized God at work and gave him thanks.

When Jesus gives his life to redeem sinners, he dies so the whole world can be saved. There is nobody left out of Jesus’ atonement. He died for all the descendants of the first Adam, whose sin has ruined all humanity. We should make no mistake about the extent of the atonement.

What, then, do we see? Not all whose sins have been paid for by Christ’s mercy return thanks to him. They never collect His promise, which is to be received by faith with thanksgiving. Did Jesus die for their sins? Yes. Do they receive His work for them? Apparently not. They have been given a gift of God’s grace and they reject it, preferring their own works and their own lifestyle.

This is a profoundly sad situation. Those for whom Christ died should rightly be thankful to Him in everything. Yet many do not receive His salvation with joy. They will perish in their sin, like the lepers would perish apart from God’s forgiveness. The physical healing was only part of restoration. They needed to receive the gift the rest of the way so as to live in God’s presence.

May we always give thanks to Jesus, the Lord and Savior, who has blessed us with His salvation and grace.

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.

2 Timothy 2:1-13 - Lectionary for Pentecost 18C, Proper 23C

10/9/2019

10/9/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our Epistle reading this week, from 2 Timothy 2, calls Timothy to “be strengthened” (v. 1). It’s encouraging to me when I see the passive imperatives in the Scripture. An imperative makes a command. But a passive imperative is a command to receive something, not to do something. Timothy is not told to strengthen someone. He is not told to strengthen himself. He is told to receive strength. The great news here is that the Christian life is not about us pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps or doing great works for the Lord. It is about receiving what the Lord has given us. Timothy is to be strengthened by the grace of God found in Jesus.

Where is Timothy going to get this strength? It’s the easiest thing in the world, because God wants to give it to him. Timothy receives it by paying attention to the Gospel taught and preached by Paul, along with many others in the early Christian Church. He receives it by hearing what God has spoken to His people. And in verse two we see that the Gospel is not something which has been kept in secret. It is proclaimed by many, in the presence of many, and is to be passed down to others who will then pass it to still more.

Many in our world want to think the Gospel is a matter of some sort of secret knowledge. Maybe we are supposed to seek out hidden truth, like panning for gold. Maybe we need to find just the right teacher who will open our eyes to what it means to be really, truly, deeply spiritual. We are called to find authentic Christianity and to dig deep within for special wisdom.

Paul’s call to Timothy is quite the opposite. He tells him, and us, that God’s riches of grace, mercy, peace, and wisdom are right there for the taking. All we have to do is receive what the Lord has given us. We, like Timothy, can be strengthened in the grace which is in Christ Jesus. Let us rejoice as we receive God’s gifts freely.

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 111 - Lectionary for Pentecost 18C, Proper 23C

10/8/2019

10/8/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Psalm 111 makes a passing reference to the context of our worship, and, in fact, all our life before God. Verse one places it in "the congregation." This is significant, especially in a culture that values the individual above the group. With a growing portion of Americans identifying as "spiritual but not religious" and as "religiously unaffiliated," I am drawn back to this idea of our human need for a group identity. We recognize an increasing trend of depression, anxiety, and concern about the direction our society is going. People seem ready to reach out to temporary social movements. A march for women, a climate change movement, a group engaged in advocacy for species which may face extinction - any of these activities can provide us with an identity and a momentary sense of purpose.

There's a drawback to these advocacy movements. Actually, there are several drawbacks, but one which fits with our Scripture passage today should be fairly obvious. Those movements normally don't last very long. They are not seriously intergenerational. They don't welcome everyone to participate. They lack the "forever" and the "for everyone" that we find in the Christian faith, in the assembled congregation. They eventually divide rather than uniting. You may say that I just listed five drawbacks, but they come as a package. In effect, they are all one inherent problem, that of being human organizations established on a fallen understanding of affairs in a fallen world, lacking eternal perspective. No wonder we find them unfulfilling in the end.

You might counter by saying the reason people don't join the Christian congregation is because it is irrelevant and speaks only to a small slice of life. I would suggest this is exactly the problem which has led to the decline in many supposedly Christian organizations. In the past few centuries, as we have seen at other times in history, those which focus on human abilities have not only lost their divine perspective, but they have also lost the interest of the humans they try to approach. This is a failure on all counts.

Rather, let us join in the genuine congregation, as God's people, recognizing His eternal, just, and good governance of all. Gaining a divine perspective enables us to be different and make a difference in this world. That's what the Church is, a congregation of those redeemed by God as He reconciles the world to Himself.

Wittenberg Door Campus Ministry can help you find this Christian walk in faithful congregations. Let us know if you need help getting plugged in!

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.

Ruth 1:1-19a - Lectionary for Pentecost 18C, Proper 23C

10/7/2019

10/7/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Many people have Ruth 1:16-17 read at weddings. It does speak a wonderful sentiment about the attachment people can have to one another. However, let’s take a look at the context. The passage actually does a lot more in real life than it ever could at a wedding.

Ruth, the widowed daughter-in-law of Naomi, herself widowed, is from Moab. She has always served gods which the Israelites would consider idols. But now, when confronted with her mortality and loss, she speaks to Naomi and declares that she is now committed to the true God of Israel. She does not wish to return to her family and her false gods. She wants to live for the true God. She pledges to faithfulness through life and to death. Yes, this is a love story, but it is about love for God, not love for another person.

Those who have come to believe in the true God, the God described in the Bible, the Triune God, turn from all their past error. There’s a definitive shift from wrong belief to the truth. This is a shift which changes our lives, from a life of hopelessness and fear to a life of confident hope. No matter what happens to us in this life, even though it brings death, we know that God is our redeemer and that we have no cause for fear.

The reality of this move from death to life, from darkness to light, from other gods to the true God seems to be lost on some, especially those who have lived as Christians all their lives. Perhaps it is difficult to see the contrast when we have not been confronted with the hopelessness of our unbelief. But that contrast is something we need to pursue. It is imperative that we seek to understand just how huge and revolutionary a statement we make when we affirm that we are Christians. It’s leaving the world and its error behind. It’s following the true God even through death. That’s what Ruth did. That’s what every Christian does.

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.

Luke 17:1-10 - Lectionary for Pentecost 17C, Proper 22C

10/3/2019

10/3/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

In Luke 17 Jesus makes a surprising logical shift. In verse one, he speaks about temptations to sin. He goes on to tell how bad a temptation to sin is. So far, so good. But then he says that if someone sins against you, your reaction needs to be that of forgiveness. So in verses 1-4 we have the idea that sin is really bad and that when someone sins against us we are to be forgiving. We would more naturally have expected that when someone sins against us we are to confront that sin, because sin is bad, and we need to help people resist it.

Jesus explains the idea in verses 7-10. Yes, what he is calling his apostles to do is really difficult, maybe impossible. But he is making a command to them. He says it is only reasonable, just like if we have a servant we expect that servant to be working for us and making our lives easier. The servant expects to be ordered around and to find keeping those orders pretty inconvenient at times. But it’s the normal relationship between the master and the servant.

God is our master. If he says we need to forgive our brother, what do we do? We forgive our brother. When? Right then. Why? Christ our master said to do it. He doesn’t need any other justification. He is the master.

Would you like the justification? I’ll give it to you anyway. Jesus has forgiven your sins and my sins. He has forgiven us countless offenses which we commit against him in thought, wrod, and in deed. He knows the nature of forgiveness. And he knows that our lack of forgiveness will draw us into sin, as well as provoking further sin from the person sinning against us.

Christians are to be a forgiving and restorative community, drawing one another into a warm and friendly relationship with God in Christ, as His redeemed people. Yes, we are to obey what the Lord has told us. But we also are His forgiven people who love and forgive one another.

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.

2 Timothy 1:1-14 - Lectionary for Pentecost 17C, Proper 22C

10/2/2019

10/2/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Theologians sometimes distinguish between two different views of faith. They will do it in Latin, not surprisingly. I’ll do it in English, because that’s easier for most of us.

We talk about the “faith by which you are saved.” This is your trust in God, your confidence that the Gospel is true, your acknowledgement that when Jesus says he is giving his life for you, that includes you, specifically.

The apostle Paul reminds Timothy that he, as well as his mother and grandmother, have trusted in Christ. They have this kind of faith. They are God’s children through Christ. This should bring Timothy a lot of comfort and encouragement. Yet the text seems to indicate that Timothy is a at least a little bit tentative. In verses six and seven Paul reminds him of the gifts of God which he has received and urges him not to be afraid.

For this reason, we come to the other type of faith. This is the “faith which is believed.” It doesn’t mean that we have faith in faith itself. That is dangerous. It falls apart all too easily. It is a weak foundation and leaves us depending on ourselves and our feelings. No, the “faith which is believed” is the very Christian faith. It’s the whole message of God’s law and gospel. It’s the Christian faith which we confess in the creeds. That’s what Paul reminds Timothy of. God calls his people to himself to be saved. It’s by God’s grace, and it existed before time did. It’s a message that remembers Jesus has risen from the dead and abolished death. It’s the faith that Jesus can keep us in until the very end. This should bring hope and confidence to Timothy, even when he is afraid.

Maybe we come face to face with our fears. Maybe we are likely to doubt, especially when others run us down and disrespect us. Maybe we are ready to flinch when someone confronts us with questions we haven’t thought about before. There’s no need to fear. God has delivered us the Christian faith, that Jesus, perfect God and perfect man, has borne our sins to death, has risen from the dead, has ascended to heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father making prayers for us. He will raise us as well in the last day. What’s left to fear? Not a thing.

Take courage, Timothy! Take courage, reader.

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 62 - Lectionary for Pentecost 17C, Proper 22C

10/1/2019

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

People sure hate it when they’re proven wrong. For that matter, they hate it when we have a difference of opinion and won’t capitulate to agree with them. This angry response has become possibly more forceful in recent years. It is certainly easier to provoke than it was in my youth.

Psalm 62 draws a sharp contrast between those who trust in themselves and those who trust in God. We are to trust in God. Make no mistake about it. People, whether strong or weak, rich or poor, finally bear no weight (v. 9). Riches, power, extortion, robbery, whatever we may gain in this life comes to nothing. None of that will make us powerful before God.

It is only trusting in the Lord which will secure our future. Yet it’s also precisely the thing which secures hardship in our present.

Some people will say that Christians are immune to hardship, that they can’t be touched by evil, that they always live a cheerful and victorious life. Everything comes up roses! After all, in verse one we read that God is our fortress. We’re safe, right?

In verse two we read that we will not be badly shaken. I wonder if you have ever been in a fortress, a secure place, but one under attack? Or maybe you have been in a nice safe boat during a storm? There’s a particular sort of comfort that we can gain while huddled in the basement with a flashlight and a battery powered radio during a tornado warning. Is it possible that we will receive a pounding? Absolutely. Hidden in the basement I have no idea whether a tornado will take the roof off the house, throw trees down, turn my car over, or just possibly miss us entirely. Statistically, it’s the latter.

In Christ we will not be badly shaken. We might be shaken some. We might receive a pounding. There are forces in our world which would like to use riches, power, extortion, or robbery against us. Being a Christian will not stop that. But being a Christian will stop that from being our final destiny. In Christ we are safe, at least in the end. We may suffer in the meantime, but by his resurrection Jesus has promised that his people will rise like he is - immortal and present with God the Father. This is the hope of the Christian.

Meanwhile, we take heart. Our Lord has not abandoned us. We trust in him and He will show us His love (verse 12). He’s good that way!

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.

Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4 - Lectionary for Pentecost 17C, Proper 22C

9/30/2019

9/30/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

It’s easy to lose patience. Really easy. Merely the fact of developing patience itself takes patience. We learn to wait by waiting. Our Old Testament reading in Habakkuk speaks to this difficulty. The prophet is annoyed, possibly even angered by God’s seeming delay. The wicked are able to continue in their evil. There doesn’t seem to be much hope at all. What hope is there? We wait and watch, we work for justice, and it never seems to come.

God answers Habakkuk that his judgment will come. He will do what is right, but we need to watch for it. God will not forget his promises. The one with a problem is actually the person who doubts. In chapter two verse four it says “his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith” (ESV). The Lord here is saying that our impatience with him is a sign that we are not living by faith. We need to watch and wait, otherwise our souls are puffed up.

At the heart and center of this issue is the sovereignty of God. Are we on the throne, deciding when and what will happen in this world, or does God hold that position? God alone is the sovereign Lord who is able to bring this world and all its affairs to a right conclusion. We don’t have that right or ability. We trust in Him alone. Blessed be the Lord who will bring all things to pass in His time according to His perfect will. Meanwhile, we work for good and we wait on the 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.

Luke 16:19-31 - Lectionary for Pentecost 16C, Proper 21C

9/26/2019

9/26/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

“If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead” (Luke 16:31, ESV). In Jesus’ saying from our Gospel reading this week, this is Abraham’s response to the rich man in torment, begging that a poor man in bliss should be sent from the dead to warn his brothers of the impending post-mortem judgment.

In today’s culture, as with certainly many in the past, Christians are alternatively mocked and asked to provide more proof for their eternal hope. Occasionally someone will be bold enough to ask the all-important question. “What proof will convince you of my point of view?” This challenge is regularly shrugged off. But when it is answered honestly, the genuine skeptic’s answer is, “There is nothing you could say which would make me believe you.” In a profoundly sad way, this brings the conversation to an end. Maybe we should talk about baseball instead of God’s eternal grace. Then we could disagree but there would be at least a shred of substance to our disagreement.

In this, Jesus has Abraham cut directly to the heart of the issue. Moses and the prophets, i.e., the entire Old Testament, spoke of the coming Messiah who would provide atonement for sin and gather God’s people to an eternal restoration. Then Jesus rose from the dead in the New Testament. Did everyone believe? No. But for those who did, we read that God has given eternal life and salvation, just as Jesus pictures for us in this poor man, Lazarus, who died in faith and is resting with Abraham.

For the hard of heart, even the resurrection of the dead is unconvincing. May the Lord have mercy on us. Thanks be to the God who creates in his people a living hope which will not perish or disappoint.

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 Timothy 3:1-13 - Lectionary for Pentecost 16C, Proper 21C

9/25/2019

9/25/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our Epistle lesson this week is able to strike fear into countless men of God. Here we find the apostle Paul’s list of qualifications first for the people the New Testament calls alternatively a bishop, an overseer, or an elder, commonly interpreted today to indicate any sort of pastor; then second for those called deacons. Christians, of course, consider the Scripture not only to be the words of the human authors but also the divinely inspired word of God. So we find here God’s qualifications for some of the people who will serve Him.

On one level, we could probably agree these are positive descriptions for any godly man, with the possible exception of the fact that both the elder and the deacon seem expected to be married and some men do not marry. Some people have also made a point about the description of the elder governing his children, implying that a person who is childless cannot serve God as an elder. This is a matter for discussion and debate, but not here and now. Suffice it to say that the characteristics described fit in with being a mature and godly person. There’s an air of dignity, honesty, self control, responsibility to family and community, and humility.

What makes the elders and deacons around the world tremble is the fact that God’s Word holds them to account to live this way. They serve as an example for others, a burden which can be daunting. On many occasions, when in a gathering I am feeling tired, impatient, and ready to tell everyone else in the world to get lost and leave me alone, someone will caution others along the lines of, “There’s a pastor here, you’d better behave.” They may even do things that would be provoking, since they know the elder or deacon is a very patient and kind person. What about the times I don’t want to manage my household well? What about the times when, no matter what I do, some portion of the “outsiders” will not “think well” of me?

The work of an elder or a deacon is a noble one. It comes with many responsibilities, but allows the elder or deacon to have a hand in forming godly character in others. It’s a good thing, not to be despised. May the Lord work to raise up many more leaders who can shepherd His flock.

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 146 - Lectionary for Pentecost 16C, Proper 21C

9/24/2019

9/24/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

We all want something perfect. There’s no doubt about it. Whether searching for enlightenment, for a relationship with another person, for the ultimate driving experience, the vacation of our dreams, or the perfect cup of coffee, we want something perfect. The dream job, the dream house, or the perfect candidate.

Psalm 146:3-5 pours a bucket of cold water on those dreams. We don’t trust in princes. We realize that our earthly leaders will pass away and their plans with them. The perfect candidate is flawed. So is the perfect spouse. Even my F-150, the coolest vehicle on the road, will break down. And my espresso gets cold. We want perfection, but everywhere we look we find something else. For that matter, the car problems, the coffee problems, even the trouble at work are the least of our worries. They are daily annoyances. There’s plenty of big stuff to sweat about as well. We can’t trust in any of this earthly stuff.

Thankfully, we find verse six of our Psalm. When our hope is in God we are blessed. He is the perfect Lord. There is no disappointment in Him. He satisfies his people with eternal good, everlasting peace, perpetual forgiveness and grace.

With that in mind, what is our attitude about all the other stuff in our lives? We don’t abandon it. We accept it as something good. We have relationships with others. Sometimes they are easy, sometimes less so. But they are a good thing. We can go from one place to another and it is often comfortable, sometimes enjoyable. We can rest at times, and the coffee is really not so bad after all. God is good to His people. He, the one in whom we can trust without reserve, pours out temporal and eternal blessing on His people. 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.

Amos 6:1-7 - Lectionary for Pentecost 16C, Proper 21C

9/23/2019

9/23/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

A quick glance, a sound bite, a preconceived notion, an inflammatory hashtag. That’s how we rock these days. Our reading from Amos 6:1-7 could feed right into that. What does it say? Woe to people who are comfortable and honored (v. 1). Are you better than those other nations that seem to be your enemies (v. 2)? Who says you are actually safe (v. 3)? You are lazy and luxurious, lying around, playing, being drunk and spending all your time putting on skin and hair product (vv. 4-6).

At this point some people are all over this. “Yeah, you Christians who are well fed, who receive honor, who are pleased with your heritage and fix yourselves up, you’re the worst! Believe me, in the Lutheran tradition where we have an emphasis on the dignity of the Divine Service, where pastors wear ornate (and costly) vestments, where you are very likely to find a silver or even a gold chalice used in communion . . . yes, people are critical.

What’s the bottom line of the argument? Amos 6:6C, “but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph” (ESV). In no way does Amos, God’s prophet, condemn the things the people of Israel have. The concern is that they have this luxury but that some of the Israelites, the descendants of Joseph, are scattered, disordered, without help. This very serious state of affairs plagues God’s people generation after generation. We are reminded that when one part of the body hurts, they all hurt.

What do we do about it? We welcome our brothers and sisters to share in the abundance the Lord has given us. We help guard the truth even when some of God’s people are too weak to do so. We nurture the body of Christ, showing the riches of God’s compassion in Christ. We pursue good, not evil, for the eternal good of God’s people.

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.

Luke 16:1-15 - Lectionary for Pentecost 15C, Proper 20C

9/19/2019

9/19/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Jesus’ description of the shrewd steward, found in Luke 16:1-15, is a difficult passage to deal with. After all, the steward can seem dishonest, and it can seem that Jesus is advocating dishonesty. Yet we know Jesus is very concerned with honesty and integrity.

What the steward does, however, is not dishonest, though it is very shrewd. The master was dealing with debts which were not collectable. It didn’t look like there was any method by which he would ever get his debtors to pay their bills. Further, the steward didn’t seem to understand the master.

If we consider this a parable which is illustrative of God’s character and our inability to live up to God’s demands, it almost immediately makes sense. Our debt of sin is too great to be repaid. We can never pay God what we owe Him. Even our death as a result of our sin won’t accomplish the salvation from sin which we need. It will only accomplish our death. What we need to realize here is that God values reconciling the debt more than he values the payoff. The concept is summed up by the steward realizing that the master really wants the debts not to be outstanding, and that he is more concerned about that than he is about how much oil or wheat is repaid. When the steward recognizes this concern of his master, he is able to resolve the debts and again be pleasing to his master.

God hates sin. Sin, according to the biblical concept, can only be reconciled through death, but it has to be a perfect death. We aren’t able to pay it off. We aren’t able to atone for ourselves. The only way of correcting the problem of sin is for someone perfect, without sin, to die in our place. God isn’t pleased with our death. He is pleased with our life and the destruction of our sin. This is exactly what Jesus, God the Son, was able to take care of. By his death in our place we are able to receive his life. The outstanding debt of sin is resolved. This is the whole point of Christianity.

Does this make sense? It didn’t make sense to the Pharisees and it doesn’t make sense to most of our world. But Jesus, the shrewd manager, has resolved our debt and made peace with God on our account. This is the good news of our Gospel passage this week. It may bring mocking, as it did from the Pharisees. But it is the way God works in His kingdom.

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 Timothy 2:1-15 - Lectionary for Pentecost 15C, Proper 20C

9/18/2019

9/18/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

We live in a culture of outrage. This came home to me when a friend on social media, one I actually know in real life, made a non-self-conscious comment about something not being his “outrage of the day.” The apostle Paul has a good bit to say about this attitude in our Epistle this week, from 1 Timothy 2:1-15. How is the Christian to deal with these admittedly tough siguations, when it may appear that society, culture, and politics all head in a negative direction?

Rather than screaming, shouting, and breaking things, Paul urges prayer and thanksgiving. Yes, even for those who might thank us not to pray. Even for those political leaders who scorn God, His Word, and His kingdom. Especially for them. The practice is nothing new. In my church tradition, virtually every Sunday the prayers of the church include our governmental officials, including those who make, administer, and enforce laws. This is a challenge. I will candidly admit to having very sharp disagreements with my elected officials dating back for more than a quarter of a century, and even before that. How do we deal with it? We pray that our officials will have the wisdom from the sovereign, wise, and good God to do what is best. We pray that where they fail they will be confronted by the God who rules consciences, and that they will find repentance, forgiveness, and change. We pray for their good health and that of their families, because they are engaged in very difficult and stressful work. We pray that when they have done what is good they will rest well with a clear conscience.

Paul gives us a particular outcome we can hope for when praying for our leaders. We pray “that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (v. 2, ESV). Is this our prayer or what we hope to receive as a side effect? I think it is a side effect. When our leaders do well, we all do well.

Ready to pray?

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Luke 15:1-10 - Lectionary for Pentecost 14C, Proper 19C

9/12/2019

9/12/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Hunting for hidden treasure is an exciting proposition. Most people would love to find a treasure map with instructions for finding a treasure trove. In reality, it isn’t that easy, but for a different reason than we might expect. Our Gospel reading has two parables which seem rather unrelated to the introductory complaint of the Pharisees. In Luke 15:1-2 the Pharisees were bothered because Jesus would eat with sinners. In response, Jesus told two illustrative stories about someone going to a lot of trouble to find something which had been neglected and misplaced.

I think in our society the lost coin illustrates this very well. Then again, we may want to consider the coin more carefully. A silver coin at the time of Jesus was normally a very small coin. Those I have seen are mostly about one-fourth the size of a dime. It’s really a little piece of something. If a woman had several silver coins it would probably be a dowry or something she wanted to save back for her children. This would be put away somewhere safe and possibly not be touched for years. Over time the silver would tarnish. In dim lifht it would be easy for a small, tarnished coin to appear like a bit of dirt or something else which could be tracked into a house. To find the lsot coin, the woman would have to examine any number of things which were worthless. The treasure is there, but it looks like trash.

Jesus was criticized for visiting with “sinners.” Maybe the town drunk, maybe the arrogant and abusive people, maybe a prostitute or a government official. It makes little difference who. These people appear lost and may seem to belong on the refuse heap. Yet Jesus treats them as treasures. This should give us great encouragement. We are among those sinner with whom Jesus would dine. He calls us a treasure worth seeking, finding, and even worth giving his life so we could be reconciled to God. Jesus has sought us out. 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.

1 Timothy 1:5-17 - Lectionary for Pentecost 14C, Proper 19C

9/11/2019

9/11/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our Epistle reading for this week, found in 1 Timothy 1:5-17, speaks to the purpose of God’s Law. It is there for the lawless (v. 9). Who are these lawless people? Paul gives a list of several types of lawbreaking, and the fact is that most of us would say we don’t fit into those categories, at least not normally.

Before we breathe too big a sigh of relief, we should notice Paul’s self-assessment, in verse 15. He considers himself to be among the sinners, and those of the worst kind. We would normally want to disagree. After all, this is Paul, God’s apostle, the man who dedicated his life to spreading the Gospel! He’s one of the good guys!

We have to look not only at our history but also at our internal attitudes to sort this out. We want to make our own laws (v. 9), ignore some of God’s lawful character, we find ourselves curious about and even delighting in that which disrespects God. We become angry with others and wish ill even on our family. We wish to use other people and even the truth itself for our own selfish purposes (v. 10). While we don’t often act on these attitudes we have them, and they condemn us before God. Paul is condemned by God’s law, and it condemns us as well.

What hope do we have? Only this. In verse 15 we read that Jesus came to save sinners. In verse 16, Jesus delights in showing his patience and mercy to those who believe in Him. This is a hope that will not perish or diminish. It burns brighter day by day, casting off the shadows of our sin, skulking in the corner, trying to hide from God’s law.

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 119:169-176 - Lectionary for Pentecost 14C, Proper 19C

9/10/2019

9/10/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

In Psalm 119 the Psalmist has filled stanza after stanza with expressions of praise to God for His Law. Of all people, surely this godly poet is committed to God’s Word. He longs for the Word. What is the startling statement in this week’s selection? It’s in verse 176. “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments” (ESV).

Though the Psalmist praises God’s commands and testifies to keeping them and remembering them, at the same time he acknowledges that he has gone astray and needs God to come find him. That’s a description of every person who values God’s Word and assesses himself honestly. We stray from the truth. We wander or scurry away. Once that is done, we can’t even figure out where God is, or maybe we are too scared to face His displeasure, so we run the opposite direction.

We need God to come rescue us, to drag us kicking and screaming back to His words of comfort and forgiveness. This is our hope. Do you love God and His Word? Know that He is still there to rescue you also. he is the living Word of God who reconciles his people with the majestic, triune God. He does it himself. Nobody else will.

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 34:11-24 - Lectionary for Pentecost 14C, Proper 19C

9/9/2019

9/9/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

The Bible describes all sorts of divisions among people, and this week’s reading from Ezekiel 34:11-24 is no exception. Here God pictures people assheep, with some goats mixed in, not an unusual scenario. God is the one who gathers his scattered sheep together, bringing them healing and putting them in good pasture.

Why do some of the sheep need healing? They need healing because the other sheep, those who have become greedy and powerful, not only eat and drink, but also trample the food, pollute the water, and attack the weaker sheep. To combat this situation, God states his intention to gather the needy sheep, strengthen them, rebuke the powerful, and place them all under the care of a good shepherd, who will come from the line of King David.

Christians confess that this good shepherd is Jesus the Christ, and that by his mercy he brings forgiveness and grace to all who believe him. There will still be selfish and sinful divisions even within the Church. However, we are not left to our own devices to seek restitution. This merely continues the pattern of the strong enforcing their own victory. Rather, at the call of Jesus, we who have strength and resources give preference and care to those who cannot help themselves. In this way we make the provision of the Lord available to all. We make sure there is fresh water and good grazing for all.

You will notice that I have spoken entirely in the context of those who are trusting in Christ. While we can urge those outside of Christianity to love and serve their neighbors and to protect those who are defenseless, history has shown that those encouragements almost never work. The best we can hope for is that in Christ those who have been tormented by our unbelieving world can find a refuge, the pure water of the Word of God, and the good food for their souls found only in Christ. God’s people provide a safe place for those who have suffered at the hands of their larger society. Jesus himself calls all people to come to him for rst. This is the good news of God’s Word.

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.

Luke 14:25-35 - Lectionary for Pentecost 13C

9/5/2019

9/5/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Some decisions cost a lot. The person who lives a Christian life has committed to laying down his own life, wit hall its concerns, all its priorities, all its relationships, so as to take up a life committed to Christ and His priorities. Our Gospel reading from Luke 14:25-35 illustrates this lifestyle using the harsh terminology of hating those we formerly loved, including ourselves.

Does Jesus here really tell us to hate our family members? Yes and no. He speaks many times about our need to love others. This surely includes our family and friends. But in comparison to Christ and His kingdom, our old relationships may not hold power over us. They cannot govern our attitudes or our behavior. Love for my family does not compel my actions, but love for my Savior does.

In the end, our responses may well look the same. If I love my parents, my friends, my wife and children, I will care for them. Because Jesus loves these same people, I will care for them also. But what if my family members, offended by my Christian commitment, disown me, shun me, treat me as if dead? This happens in many places in the world. What is my response? I choose to hate their rejection, because it is really a rejection of Christ, and I seek ways to love them, pray for them, and care for their good. This is Jesus at work.

The Christian, then, lays down his life because of Jesus’ love, realizing that Jesus hated our sin enough to lay down his life for us. We do the same for others, even when they don’t appreciate it. This is the essence of living as salt and light in our 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.

Philemon 1-21 - Lectionary for Pentecost 13C

9/4/2019

9/4/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our Epistle reading for this week touches on an issue which has created trouble for Christians ever since the time of Christ. Slavery has been a persistent problem in the world, and remains so to this day. Though Christians have made some progress in changing opinions, especially in the 19th century, imprisonment and sale of humans has still been practiced in many circles.

Philemon was a slave holder known to the apostle Paul. Apparently he was indebted to Paul in some way (v. 19), possibly because Paul had brought him the Gospel. Philemon’s slave, Onesimus, had become a Christian, apparently when away from Philemon, possibly as a runaway (v. 10). It was right that Onesimus should submit himself to Philemon. It was also right that Philemon should receive a slave back, but as a Christian brother (v. 16). It would certainly be a good thing if Philemon would set Onesimus free, especially if he made sure Onesimus would have a job.

What common values do we find in Paul and presumably Philemon? First, that Onesimus validly owed Philemon. He should not have fled. To take Onesimus away would deprive Philemon of services he had legally paid for. Second, that a Christian master treats a Christian in his service in a humane and kind way, as a brother or sister in Christ. Third, that the relationship in Christ is more important than any other part of the person’s status.

While Christians fight against slavery, they also recognize that the purchase of goods or services, and sometimes of people, is an agreement which can only be broken with caution. Christians who have held slaves in history have been very likely to treat the slaves well and eventually to release them, often with an offer of ongoing employment. It is a hard adjustment to make. However, historically, it is the Christian community which has made an effort to bring about freedom and justice. Paul’s letter to Philemon is an example of this.

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Psalm 1 - Lectionary for Pentecost 13C

9/3/2019

9/3/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

“Depart from me, I never knew you” is the dreaded message of the Lord to the person who called upon him falsely (Matthew 7:21-23). In the last call to enter into blessedness, this is the response we certainly don’t want. Why do I bring it up in the context of Psalm 1? Because in verse six we read that “the Lord knows the way of the righteous” (ESV).

What is the importance of this sort of knowledge? After all, Christians confess that God knows everything. But there is a special kind of knowledge we reserve for our family and our closest friends. It is a sort of favor. We pay attention to their strengths and weaknesses, their fears and their special courage. When God says he knows his people, he is saying they are the objects of his special care. He receives his people to comfort and joy, whenever and however they come to him.

These are the people to whom God says, “Welcome, I was waiting for you.” May we be known by God in this way.

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.