Category: Luke - Wittenberg Door Campus Ministry

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Luke 14:1-14 - Lectionary for Pentecost 12C

8/29/2019

8/29/19
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 Sabbath is a day of rest. Regular work is prohibited. Israelites in the time of Jesus, zealous to live a life pleasing to God, would evaluate all their actions to be sure not to work on the day of rest. This practice has continued to the point that, today, some synagogues leave the doors unlocked throughout the Sabbath, hire Gentiles to turn the lights on and off, to adjust the thermostat, and do whatever else might be work. Hopefully this comes from a genuine desire to live according to God’s will.

In Luke 14 Jesus violated the Sabbath as understood by the Pharisees, a group who desired to keep God’s laws. How? By healing a man. Should Jesus have waited until a different day? After all, it was a day of rest. Why would Jesus, claiming divine authority, do something that violated that principle of rest on the Sabbath?

If the Sabbath is a day of rest, it should be a day of relief from pain and suffering. It should be a day when we receive pleasure instead of discomfort. Jesus illustrates this by reminding his listeners that people will continue to provide food and water for livestock, will rescue an animal that is suffering, or will certainly rescue a person who is trapped and endangered. With his divine power, then, it is perfectly easy for Jesus to bring healing and relief to this man. He has made the Sabbath a day of rest instead of suffering.

The New Testament describes Jesus as the ultimate Sabbath, the one who gives rest from the suffering of our struggle against sin. He is the one who finally has brought those who believe him into a place of rest. This is not breaking the Sabbath. It is keeping the Sabbath. May the peace of God rule in your hearts and minds today and every day.

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 13:22-30 - Lectionary for Pentecost 11C

8/22/2019

8/22/19
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.

Luke 13:22-30 is a very serious passage. Will there be many or few saved in the last day? Jesus’ answer is a strict warning that deserves credence. Enter now. Don’t wait. It is a narrow door, only open on God’s terms. It is open now but in the last day it will be closed and you won’t be able to enter.

Who has entered? In verse 28 we find that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the prophets have come into God’s kingdom. Verse 29 says that others from all parts of the world will enter. But those who have despised and rejcted living by faith in Christ will find it too late to enter through the gate.

Verses 26-27 ask the question that those excluded will ask. “Weren’t we with you, part of your people?” The answer of the Lord is that they were not willing to trust him, only to be in his general vicinity. This speaks to those who would use their own wisdom and reason to determine what God’s will is. The patriarchs never did this. They believed God, not themselves. They took God at his word. This is precisely what Jesus is calling his people to do.

Will we believe Jesus when he tells us he is the only one who can save from sin? Will we believe him when he says that we receive his salvation by grace through faith in Chirst? Will we believe him when he says we need to trust him this very day and allow him to change our lives into his image? Will we be ushered through the gate to recline at his table and dine with him? That is my prayer.

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 12:49-56 - Lectionary for Pentecost 10C

8/15/2019

8/15/19
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.

In Luke 12:49-56 Jesus delivers a scathing rebuke of our unwillingness or inability to get a grip on reality. He brings division on the earth (vv. 51-53) because of his very identity. Either we will believe on him, lock stock and barrel, or we will not. We cannot pick and choose parts. Jesus is Lord or he is not. There’s no halfway. It’s a divisive thing. As long as there have been Christians, they have been shunned by family members who oppose the Christian faith. Less frequently, Christians have cast out family members who do not believe, though the New Testament teaches against doing so. There is division. The Lord makes distinctions.

What is amazing here is that the people who are around Jesus would not recognize this work of division. In verses 54-56, Jesus objects to the crowds’ ready understanding of their natural world but the simultaneous failure to grasp the things of God’s kingdom. It is inconceivable that we should be completely familiar with the environment, sports, politics, and entertainment but that we should have no grasp of Jesus and his work. How does this happen?

I recently listened to some re-posted podcasts from several years ago, in which several theologials were discussing youth culture within Christianity. Their observation was that when teens are taught how to take Christianity seriously and to give an answer for the Christian faith, they become remarkably secure and persuasive. When teens are shown that their interest in Christianity should be based on emotive worship experiences, they are easily persuaded that Christianity doesn’t matter. Sadly, we have one or two generations of Christians who do not seem ready to defend their Christian faith. The older generation, raised on feelings, has raised up the latest generation, telling them to look within and trust their hearts. This is destructive.

We teach high school students to do incredibly complex mathematical work, scientific experiments, and engineering tasks which frankly boggle my mind. Why do we assume that these same intelligent high schoolers are incapable of understanding literature and philosophy in general, and specifically Christianity? This is precisely what Jesus is condemning in this passage.

Together, we can recapture a cultural understanding of Christ for sinners, of a creative and redemptive God who has revealed himself in the Scripture, texts which have stood the test of time and intensive inquiry. Together we can help young and old alike to discover the riches of God’s grace and mercy, spelled out in very particular ways. Together we can seek to trust the very real facts of Jesus’ promised birth, sinless life, death, and resurrection, all for us. It’s time we looked to 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.

Luke 12:22-40 - Lectionary for Pentecost 9C

8/8/2019

8/8/19
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.

The word “gospel” means “good news.” In our Gospel passage for this week, Luke 12:22-40, there is a lot of good news. Here we read that God has planned to give his people what they need. He clothes us and feeds us so we don’t need to worry. He provides all the security, now and for eternity, that his people need. We are to seek God’s kingdom, and we will find that it is God’s good pleasure to give us His kingdom. He has employed us in His household and intends to come to us and find us engaged in the work given to us, then delight in us and give us all His riches as a reward.

Our natural inclination is to expect a very different kind of relationship with God. We expect to deal with a grudging, curmudgeonly figure, maybe more similar to a Norse or Greek deity, who will use people to gain advantage, discarding or destroying them when they do something displeasing. Our normal intuition is to do as much good as we can, or at least persuade ourselves that our lives are adequately good, that we can squeak by.

What about this divine Master described in Luke’s Gospel? He is the one who wants to give us the riches of his kingdom. He is the one who has provided for forgiveness. He doesn’t overlook our sin and failure. He atones for it and delivers us his grace. That’s the God of the Bible. That’s the kind of God we can trust. He’s the one we can serve.

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 12:13-21 - Lectionary for Pentecost 8C

8/1/2019

8/1/19
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.

Our Gospel from Luke 12:13-21 calls Jesus’ people to forethought. In the parable he tells, Jesus speaks of a man who is consumed with developing his business, but who neglects the important issue of family and making his wishes known. When the man realizes his prosperous farm will produce what he needs for many yearshe is taken by surprise. He may not have many years. He may die and have nobody to inherit his wealth or there may be confusion about who would inherit. How will future generations deal with what he has done? It is unclear.

Jesus says this is the case with all who are “not rich toward God” (v. 21, ESV). The Bible pictures God as caring not only about our present situations but also about the future. He cares about wealth, family, and inheritance, enough to urge us to plan ahead. As we dedicate ourselves to loving and serving our neighbors, including our families and those who will come after us, the Lord will add His blessing. Then we can rest 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.

Luke 11:1-13 - Lectionary for Pentecost 7C

7/25/2019

7/25/19
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 Gospel passage from Luke 11:1-13 points to the overwhelming good gifts God gives to His people. The illustration that Jesus makes in verses 11-12 is rooted in a very simple idea. Every normal, healthy, well-adjusted adult wishes his or her children to have good things. We don’t give our children serpents to eat. Those, under the Jewish law, were unclean. We don’t give our kids things that pollute them. We give them what is good. A fish, not a snake. An egg, not a scorpion. Good food, not bad.

This is because we are good, right? In verse 13, Jesus says it is not. We are not good by nature, but evil by nature. Yes, this is Jesus calling you and me evil. Even evil people give good things to their children. We try to protect and nurture, not harm our children.

What’s the punch line? Here Jesus says something surprising. We would expect him to say the Father gives good food to His people. But instead, he says the Father gives the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God, who directs us to Jesus, is truly the best gift we can receive. He delivers forgiveness and life as we receive God’s Spirit-inspired Word with the faith the Lord gives us, rooted in Jesus’ work on our behalf. God gives us a gift which will not pass away. We who are evil give good gifts that expire. God who is good gives permanent gifts. This is truly our great hope.

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 10:38-42 - Lectionary for Pentecost 6C

7/18/2019

7/18/19
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.

Mary and Martha were apparently well known to Jesus. John’s Gospel tells us that these are the same people whose brother Lazarus died and was raised from the dead. They are family friends. It’s a natural thing for Jesus and his disciples to stop there when they are in town. Our Gospel passage from Luke 10:38-42 gives us a small glimpse in to the life of this family, at least on this one occasion.

Before we pick on Martha (or on Mary), let’s remember a few important details. First, this is just a snapshot of the household. It could well be that Mary usually did a lot of the work of entertainment. It could also be that Martha wasn’t feeling particularly well this day, or that she was distracted by something along with her preparations for the meal. Mary could possibly be eager to help with the meal but she might think it rude to leave the guests to themselves. Maybe Lazarus was not around and it seemed right to have someone there with Jesus and whatever disciples were present. There are countless details we don’t know. The two details we know are that Mary was listening to Jesus and Martha was troubled with the serving.

Jesus’ response doesn’t speak down to either Mary or Martha. He never indicates that the meal and other things aren’t important. He does say that, at least at the moment, receiving his word is the most important thing for Mary to be doing. The other details can be sorted out, there is no pressure, there is no hurry. Certainly nobody could call Martha negligent. And those gathered are friends. They are all right. If something is delayed or even missing, it will be fine.

When we gather together, may we have God’s grace to gather as friends who can be patient with one another, who can enjoy one another’s presence, who can surround ourselves with God’s Word, even while we make the spaghetti and the salad. It is the fellowship we have in Christ which binds us together. The pressure is not on Martha, nor on Mary, nor on any of the disciples, but on the Christ who redeems our lives. He has taken care of what is most important. We’ll manage the rest, and it will be all right.

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 10:25-37 - Lectionary for Pentecost 5C

7/11/2019

7/11/19
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.

Many catechism teachers, well meaning, teach young and old alike that we are to love our neighbor, and our neighbor is everyone in the world. On one level this is true, but I’ll observe it is not specifically what Jesus says in our Gospel passage this week. When asked, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus responds with a description that tells us the neighbor is someone in proximity, known or unknown, but who is in need. This is someone we have power to care for or to ignore. It is someone we can help or harm.

We live in a startlingly global society these days. I don’t think much about it when I trade a message with a friend who is halfway around the world and we have a conversation in real time. I don’t think much about how amazing it is when we can hear each other’s voices even when we are on different continents. I barely consider my superpower of being able to travel hundreds of miles in a day, have a meeting in a different state and return to my own bed by bedtime. Who is my neighbor? The faster we can move, the more difficult it is to identify that neighbor. The person once distant is almost near. The concerns which two generations ago would have been heard by us after they were over are now broadcast to us real time.

It remains important, and perhaps more important than in previous generations, that we ask ourselves if we are able to do anything meaningful to help in a situation we hear of. Possibly we become concerned with homelessness and poverty in a different country, which is something we should be concerned about. At the same time, we might miss an opportunity to help in our own community, where there is some homelessness and poverty as well. Who is our neighbor? Proximity and a possibility of actually helping is very important.

We love and serve our neighbor. There are plenty of people right near us who need that love and service. As we work locally, the good and care will spread. If all Christians were actively engaged in living and serving their neighbors, there would shortly be no neglected places in the world. The love of God in Christ spreads from one to another.

Love the Lord. Love your neighbor. Don’t give up.

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 10:1-20 - Lectionary for Pentecost 4C

7/4/2019

7/4/19
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.

In our reading from Luke 10 the Lord sends out a group of disciples who are to be cared for on account of their work. They are to heal, teach, and do all the kind of things that Jesus has bee doing. They bring peace into the places where they are staying, and if rejected, they leave and don’t acknowledge God’s blessing upon the place where they stayed.

What does this have to do with a modern missionary, such as myself? It’s a hard passage. It tells me that I shouldn’t worry so much about my livelihood. God’s workers are worthy of their keep. Those who are receptive to the ministry which is faithfully carried on in the name of Christ are to step forward and support the workers. Believing this message takes more courage than most of us have. I recall interviewing a Christian school teacher who had been asked to teach at a salary which left him well below the poverty level. The board of the school (where he did not go to work) asked him why he didn’t have enough trust in God to know his needs would be provided. His response was that his creditors didn’t have the same level of trust that he did. A fair response. The holder of my mortgage may not believe that God’s people will supply the required payments. All too often that hesitance has proven valid.

What do we do? As we read in our passage from Galatians 6 this week, God’s people take care of others, especially in the household of faith. As we recapture this idea of a Christian community which values the ministry of Word and Sacrament and cares for God’s servants, we will improve our reputation before our world. We will find that they see and know the Lord and His people fulfill their responsibilities and care for one another. God’s messengers can go out and do their work freely, knowing that they will be cared for.

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 9:51-62 - Lectionary for Pentecost 3C

6/27/2019

6/27/19
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 passage for this week can be summed up in a very simple statement. “Jesus lays down his reputation, his comfort, and his relationships for his people.” Yes, the passage seems to show Jesus telling his disciples how to act. But he is showing them how to act like he does. In verses 51-56, though the people in Samaria would not receive him, Jesus didn’t worry about his reputation. He was going about his journey to Jerusalem to lay down his life. It didn’t matter what people said about him. In verses 57-58 a new follower was seeking comfort that Jesus did not receive himself. The creator and sustainer of all, who owns heaven and earth, made himself of no account, not even with a place to stay. Jesus does not consider his comfort as important as the life of the world. In verses 59-62, Jesus calls two followers to leave their families and homes behind. The perfect and constant fellowship Christ had with the Father and the Holy Spirit was not of such a concern to him as having fellowship with his followers.

As we see that Jesus humbled himself in these ways on our behalf, we are motivated to follow him and emulate him. Jesus never takes us anywhere He doesn’t go first. He does it all for our sake, to bring us 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.

Luke 8:26-39 - Lectionary for Pentecost 2C

6/20/2019

6/20/19
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.

When we consider our Gospel reading in Luke 8:26-39, if we consider it at all, it’s easy to redirect our attention from the main point. We get excited about the fact that there are herds of pigs there (apparently not very observant Jewish people). We get excited about the number of demons. We get excited about the fact that the demons recognize Jesus. We really think it’s interesting that the demons kill the herd of pigs so as to be released from the bodies they are sent into. Maybe we pause to think about the economic loss caused to the farmers by the demons.

Did you notice there’s a guy sitting there? He’s in torment. He’s been a social outcast for years. People have chained him up to keep him from hurting himself and them, but he has pulled the chains apart. Remember that people in antiquity weren’t stupid. They knew how to make chains that could hold things. There was some supernatural power going on in this guy. He was tormented. He lived among the tombs. He had ripped his clothes up and off. He had nothing but his demonic torment. He’s got to be one of the most pitiable figures in Scripture, but we walked right by him, just like we probably walk right by the person lying sprawled in the doorway of a closed business, mumbling to himself and twitching at random.

What is Jesus’ response to the man? He treats him like a man. This may be the first time in many years that’s happened. The man, in his torment, finds that Jesus even asks him, not the demons, but him, a question. “What’s your name?” Really? This person has a name! We have to wonder if he remembers it. He might be afraid to try answering. Maybe he’s in trouble again.

Jesus treats this dangerous outcast like the human he is. He commands the demons to go away from him. In comparison, a dozen herds of pigs aren’t worth what this tormented man is. The sin and oppression that torments him needs to be taken care of. After all, the man has a name, a background, a future.

By the time the bystanders are done watching what they thought was the big miracle, the demons going into the herd of pigs, then the herd running off and drowning, the man has clothes. He’s sitting up. He’s in his right mind, talking with Jesus. The other people missed the whole point of the encounter. Likewise, when Christians are engaged with this hurting world, our world often misses the point. The message of the Gospel is forgiveness and life for all who believe. This is the most precious miracle we can bring to anyone. “But there are hungry people in the world!” Yes, that’s true. And there are lots groups, including Christian groups, that are focused on providing food, shelter, employment, and education to those who are in need, helping those who are able to stand on their own feet and get what they need, as well as helping some of them become providers for people in more grave need. We can help with that and direct people to the organizations that meet the physical needs. But the Christian message is forgiveness and life for all who believe. We take the person wo is tormented and, by the power of Christ’s forgiveness, restore him so he can be sitting up, clothed and in his right mind. Given some time in that condition, he’ll probably be bringing God’s grace to others, and helping them up as well.

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 24:1-12 - Lectionary for Easter Day, Series C

4/18/2019

4/18/19
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.

Our Gospel this week points out the message of the resurrection. It’s decidedly one of the most controversial issues of Christianity. Or at least it should be.

We notice that the first witnesses to the resurrection were women who had come to make sure all the elements of an appropriate burial were completed. They found that the tomb was open and that Jesus was not there. The reason was given to them by an angelic appearance. These first witnesses, we should remember, would not have been considered qualified to give testimony in court. But God in his grace chose them to be the first to give testimony to his resurrection. He speaks to and through even those who would otherwise be ignored.

The angelic message reminded the women of what Jesus had already said. Despite the fact that Jesus had told his followers of his death, burial, and resurrection several times, they were unable to grasp the idea and had neglected it. With Jesus’ death, their hope also died. But with Jesus’ life, their hope could come to life again. Christianity is all about the resurrection of the dead. We who believe in Jesus, though we die, yet we will live. He shows himself to be the resurrection and the life. And he does exactly what he promised. Jesus promised many other things as well. We do well if we believe he will keep those promises also.

Some of those people to whom the women reported, “to the eleven and to all the rest,” believed their report. Others thought it was some sort of nonsense. Yet over the forty days to follow, they saw Jesus with their own eyes, risen from the dead. Our first reaction to the Gospel may be negative. Yet given time and exploration, we find that the claims of the resurrection are true. Jesus is the Lord of resurrection.

Christianity is the only major world religion based on an actual historical event and on definitive truth claims. The event of the resurrection and the truth claims of Jesus, not our history, not any moral stance, not any testimony about how we feel in Christ should run the show. Christianity is built on the truth of God, just as real today as it was to those women at the tomb.

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 23:1-56 - Lectionary for Sunday of the Passion, Series C

4/11/2019

4/11/19
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.

The evangelist Luke, when telling about the crucifixion, notes a period of darkness, approximately three hours’ worth, followed by the veil in the temple being torn, along with Jesus’ calling out to the Father that he was surrendering into the hands of God. He breathed his last and died. Luke 23:47-48 record the centurion in charge of the death squad being amazed, along with all the crowds. They saw what had happened and they understood it, no doubt better than we possibly can.

I’d like to mention just a few of the surprising factors. First, though both solar and lunar eclipses were understood in antiquity, we have no record of a solar eclipse in or around Palestine in the years surrounding Christ’s death. A solar eclipse doesn’t really last very long, but this period of darkness lasted for several hours. Luke and those he talked with interpreted this as a sign from God, not as any sort of natural phenomenon. Second, the veil of the temple was torn in two. This was a tremendously large piece of cloth-work, dividing the outer court from the very holy place. It would not pull apart easily. There’s no record of anyone actually doing it. The accounts given by the evangelists don’t have contrary evidence, such as letters saying it remained intact. There was no natural phenomenon which could have caused this to happen. Yet it’s reported. Again, the impression the witnesses at the time received, the impression we are to receive, is that God is doing a sign. Third, though Jesus was in the same kind of intense suffering which kills people in crucifixion, he had been talking reasonably about forgiveness just moments before. The process which would normally take several days to kill someone did not kill Jesus. Because people typically die of asphyxiation and dehydration in a crucifixion, they don’t have much of a voice. But he called out with a loud voice, then died. The only reasonable conclusion the centurion could have come to was that Jesus didn’t die of being crucified. He died because he surrendered his life. This would also have been evident to the onlookers.

What do we make of this account? Our reasonable conclusion is that God is doing something he wants us to notice. He is opening the holy place. He is making his work obvious to everyone who knows what time it is and that it is normally light in the middle of the day. He is showing that Jesus, the Christ, does have authority to lay down his life, as he said he did, and that he will presumably have the authority to take up his life again.

The Gospels give very real, believable accounts of real events. They were published early enough that readers and hearers could bring contradictory evidence. They show Jesus speaking and acting like the very God who is giving his life to redeem others. Based on these accounts, we should have the same, very reasonable, response to the events. Indeed, Jesus is innocent, indeed he is 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 20:9-20 - Lectionary for Lent 5C

4/4/2019

4/4/19
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 Gospel reading this week, from Luke 20:9-20, consists of the parable of Jesus about tenants who despised their landowner, who used his messengers badly, and who finally decided to kill his son and keep the vineyard for themselves. The owner, in righteous anger, will wage war against the tenants.

The Jewish leaders, as we read in verses 19-20, were offended because the parable was clearly pointed at them. From then on, they waged a campaign, spying on Jesus and trying to get him to say something self-incriminating. They really wanted to get rid of Jesus, no matter the cost. Their conflict, in short, became personal rather than theological.

What happens when we engate in a personal battle rather than seeking a genuine understanding of the truth? The truth finally becomes obscured. It can be swept aside in the burning desire to rid ourselves of our opponents. That’s precisely what happened to the scribes in Jesus’ time. They were intent on rejecting him, so they also rejected the words of forgiveness, of reconciliation to God, and of peace with one another which Jesus was delivering. They were so zealous for their party line it never crossed their minds that Jesus might just be the one who fulfilled the Messianic prophecies and would rescue them from sin and death. They rejected him out of hand, to their own destruction.

How do we deal with the message of hte Gospel? Are there some who reject it because they are busy rejecting its messengers? Are there messengers who are provoked to come off message and engage the “scribes” in a fist-fight, verbally or otherwise? How did Jesus deal with it? He told the truth, lived the life he was given, and died his death even on behalf of those who attacked him. Like him or not, he showed he was the one who could reconcile the world 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.

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 - Lectionary for Lent 4C

3/28/2019

3/28/19
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 for this week, from Luke 15, is focused on the fairly well known “parable of the prodigal.” Here, the younger son of a living father persuades his father to give him his inheritance. He departs and manages to run through all his money, ending up in very humble circumstances.

While many will shoose to focus on the younger son’s offensive behavior toward his family or on the plan for restoration, or maybe the restoration itself or the older brother’s reaction, I’d like to take al ook at the trouble the young man found himself in. We may remember that pigs are considered ceremonially unclean by Jews. They will not raise them or eat them. How, then, does this young man end up helping someone who keeps pigs, and wishing for a share in the pigs’ food? He is far from home, taking despreate measures in order to stay alive, and engaged in activity which provoked him to guilt and shame on a daily basis.That’s about as far from home as you can be. It’s a profoundly sad place.

How did the young man get there? He had purposely thrown off the shackles of restraint provided by his family and his culture. In asking for his inheritance, he was declaring his father dead. He left home, the place of security, and tried to make his own way, according to his pleasures. By departing from the structure and restraint of his culture, he was faced with the monumental task of re-inventing it all, in a way that would work. This is a recipe for failure.

Many in our current Western world are, sad to say, not like the prodigal. Yes. Not like him. Our culture ran away from those reasonable foundations in the past. Different people will place different dates on the departure, but no matter how you stack it, we are very unlikely to be the first generation in this exodus. Our parents, grandparents, or even earlier generations made the shift. We were born in the foreign country, starving, and feeding pigs, which is loathsome but we were never told why. It’s a sorry state of affairs.

Jesus’ message is the same for us as for the young man. God stands ready to welcome those who have wandered, even those who have never known him. He calls us, by His Word and by the community of Christians, to be restored, to be clothed, to be fed, and to see that He is very much alive. He himself is our everlasting inheritance. This is the good news for us who are far away and starving. We are welcome home.

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 13:1-9 - Lectionary for Lent 3C

3/21/2019

3/21/19
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 from Luke 13:1-9 confronts us with an unpleasant reality. While we might want to get what we deserve, and hold out some hope that we would get something good, Jesus reflects upon some who were apparently killed while making sacrifice to God. He points out to his questioners that they themselves are no more righteous than those victims of what seems an unjust death. People die, whether of illness, accident, or violence. We cannot hope for better. This earthly life will come to an end, whether we like it or not.

That’s a sobering thought. All our righteousness, all our civic good, all our attempts at caring for ourselves will pass away, if we are looking only at this mortal life. The mortality rate for humans throughout history remains 100%. The Bible mentions a couple of people who were taken up to heaven without dying and one who was raised from the dead. Out of all human history, we are left with a 100% mortality rate.

Jesus gives us some hope in verses 6-9. He calls his people to hear him, to repent and believe. And then he gives a lesson about a man who has a fig tree. It isn’t productive. It should probably be cut down and thrown in the fire. But the vinedresser persuades the owner to leave it for another year in hopes of producing fruit. The tree will receive care and nourishment. Maybe it will produce.

In the end, we don’t find out whether the tree produces fruit or not. We don’t find out whether the people listeniing to Jesus repent or not. We don’t know any of that. But we do know that God’s call to us is crystal clear. He calls us to believe in him. He calls us to change our attitudes so that we are not in line for execution. He invites his people to receive not what they deserve, but the good they need.

The people who were killed are not greater sinners than we are. However, God graciously offers his forgiveness to all who believe. We’re all sinners, in need of forgiveness. In Christ we can receive that forgiveness, not by our righteous works, but by Jesus’ forgiving 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.

Luke 13:31-35 - Lectionary for Lent 2C

3/14/2019

3/14/19
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.

Our Gospel reading for this week shows an uncharacteristic view of Jesus. Luke portrays him as, on one level, not caring about people. Normally we are struck by how much Jesus cares. But here, we see that his care for his own people provokes his disregard for those who have rejected him. He calls Herod “that fox,” indicating he is a conniving person who shold be disappointed (v. 32). Despite what the religious leaders think, he’s going to go ahead to heal people and cast out demons. He doesn’t care what the authorities say or do, he is on his own timetable to go and die in Jerusalem (v. 33). And, although it is a matter of sorrow that Jerusalem will not receive his care, in the end he leaves it desolate (v. 35). Those who would oppose Jesus have condemned themselves. He allows them this. They will have to deal with it as well as they can.

How do we deal with this concept? The fact is, Jesus genuinely calls all people to trust in Him. He is not changing that call. Yet the call tells the world to trust in Jesus or to work out its own salvation. Do we trust in Him as he has said, and add to heavenly joy? Do we trust in ourselves and go to our destruction? Jesus has done all that is needed for life and salvation. If we depart, woe to us. Let us rather be gathered in Christ, as the hen gathers her chicks, to a place of peace, rest, and safety.

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 4:1-13 - Lectionary for Lent 1C

3/7/2019

3/7/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our Gospel passage from Luke 4 describes Jesus’ temptation by the devil. We see three basic areas of temptation. In verse three, routine physical sustenance - bread. In verse six, recognition and glory. In verses nine and following, protection from deadly harm. All of these areas of temptation are common to humanity. We want to eat, we want to be accepted and honored, and we want to be protected from violent harm. There’s nothing wrong with those desires. In fact, when someone doesn’t make reasonable efforts at any of them, that person is considered to have some sort of disorder. It’s not normal to try to starve oneself, to seek to be an outcast, or to live in such a way as to provoke harm.

Jesus answers each of the temptations with God’s Word and promises. Why is this? The simple answer is that Satan’s promises will not be kept but God’s promises will.

Does God provide what we need to eat? Yes, he does it through our work and the work of many others. In normal circumstances, the vast majority of people on this planet can secure adequate food supplies, particularly when they are not interrupted by wars or corruption. This is a gift of God. Oftentimes we have seen starvation ensue after others have arisen to take the place of God. The physical provisions promised by the corrupt government are not reliable. Neither are the provisions offered by the devil. We need to trust the God who keeps his promises.

Does God provide society in which we can give and receive appropriate honor, care, affection, and respect? Yes. Even in some secular societies we find such a thing. But in the Scripture we have a description of a Christian community in which people of greatly different backgrounds, of different social standings, of different ages, of different sexes are all able to come together in unity, receiving from God in Word and Sacrament. That’s a community of care. Almost without exception, the people I have met who feel abandoned and neglected are being abandoned and neglected by people and organizations which do not build their care for others on Scripture. Sadly, some of those people and organizations take the name “Christian.” But they have fallen short of Scripture in this. They have taken the enemy’s promises rather than God’s promises.

Does God protect us from death? He says that believing on him is eternal life. End of story. He is the one who can keep his promises. If in this life only we have hope, we are of all to be pitied. May the God who keeps all his promises bless you now and 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.

Luke 9:28-36 - Lectionary for Transfiguration C

2/28/2019

2/28/19
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.

On Sunday of the Transfiguration we often think about how Jesus has changed our world, how He uses us as agents of change, how we are personally changed into His image, and other similar ideas. These are well and good, make no mistake. However, I question whether they are the main point of the event, recorded for us in Luke 9:28-36. To dig into that, I’d like to ask what Jesus was talking with Moses and Elijah about. Actually, as I let you peek behind the curtain of my writing just a little bit, let’s revise that careless statement. I’d like to ask what Moses and Elijah were talking with Jesus about. That’s where the focus is.

Moses and Elijah were talking with Jesus about “his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem” (v. 31b, ESV). This is a very literal translation of the Greek. However, the word “accomplish” might have more of a sense of “fulfill.” In fact, that’s the word which is used, but it doesn’t make very good English. Jesus is about to go to Jerusalem and from there he will complete his journey and fulfill his purpose. In a certain sense, his earthly work will have been accomplished. This doesn’t mean, of course, that there’s nothing else to be done. After all, he continues to use his people and to work in them, changing them into his image. Yet the essence of what he came to do - living a perfectly sinless life, dying in the place of sinners, and rising again from the dead - all that is accomplished. There’s nothing more to be done. That’s what Jesus was talking about when, on the cross, he said “it is finished.”

I encourage you, in this season when we remember Jesus, transfigured, shining bright, to give thanks to him for knowing his mission and completing it. Truly, he accomplished his departure. We have no need to worry about anything being forgotten, because he has done every last step needed for us and for our salvation, to purchase our forgiveness, and the forgiveness of the whole 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.