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

10/5/2017

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10/5/17
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

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

10/4/2017

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10/4/17
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

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

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

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

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

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

10/3/2017

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10/3/17
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

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

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

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

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

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

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

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

10/2/2017

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10/2/17
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

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

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

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

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


If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

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    About Throwing Inkwells

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

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