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John 13:1-51, 34-35 - Lectionary for Thursday in Holy Week

4/6/2021

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4/6/21
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 historic one-year lectionary.

Our Gospel reading from John 13 describes Jesus as the Lord and Savior, which he is, but also as the one who washes his disciples' feet, a job usually reserved for a servant of low status. It is especially telling that, when Simon Peter was approached by Jesus with a basin and a towel, he first refused to be washed. He would rather have dirty feet from walking in the dusty street than to have his Lord wash his feet.

Jesus' response was that if Simon Peter didn't allow it, he would have no part in Jesus. Peter's response swung from one end of the spectrum to the other, in that he suggested that Jesus should wash his hands and head as well.

While Peter's response does indicate a willingness, and even a desire, to be cleansed by Jesus the Lord, he has failed to recognize that Jesus already had cleaned him, through the Word and through his very presence. Jesus responded that Peter didn't need a whole bath. He just needed a little touch-up of his feet.

The Christian, engaged in fellowship with Jesus, hearing his word, basking in his presence, is clean. In some sense, though Christians confess they are sinful by nature, through and through, we can also confess that we have been washed by Jesus. We don't have to bear the filth of our previous associations. We don't have to earn more cleansing. We have been made holy.

Many in our world would like to mock us for such a confession. Christians seem o fall prey to all sorts of selfish and sinful attitudes. We sin against God and others. And sometimes we even seem to take delight in it.

Yes, we do. We need to have our feet washed by our Savior. Otherwise we, who are clean and walk in the holiness of God, will still leave dirty footprints all over the place. We need to have our feet washed. 

This is the whole point of receiving God's grace in Word and Sacrament, as often as we can. We don't want to track up the world. After all, we have been washed by God's Word and are ready to be presented before God in his perfect heavenly realm. But as long as we are walking in this world, we need to be washed, at least our feet, by our Savior.

Jesus tells us later that we are to love one another. Let's don't track up their nice clean floors.

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1 Corinthians 11:23-32 - Lectionary for Thursday in Holy Week

4/5/2021

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4/5/21
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 historic one-year lectionary.

Communion is a divisive issue. Yet that very statement itself seems self-contradictory. How can "communion" - a celebration that recognizes unity - be divisive?

In 1 Corinthians 11:23-32 the apostle Paul describes Jesus' words as he instituted this repeating feast of the Church. As often as you eat and drink it, remembering the Lord's death until he comes, you also recognize the unity you have in Christ.

Martin Luther describes our preparedness for communion in terms of recognizing that it is "for you." When the Christian recognizes that here we receive Christ's body and blood, and that they are for us, the realization is also, "This is for me, for my good, to strengthen me in the faith, to realize that Jesus' broken body is for me." 

Through many generations, Christians have tried to explain the nature of the body and blood and their presence in communion. This is an important discussion, one we need to keep having. Many would argue that the problems concerning our definition of the true presence of Christ in communion all have to do with our attempts to describe something in ways that go beyond Scripture. This is why, for instance, Lutherans, Roman Catholics, Orthodox, and more radical branches of Protestantism will normally not receive communion together. It's because in our attempts to describe the nature of the body and blood we have reached different conclusions about whether Jesus is present and in what way. 

The Scripture will have none of this. The Bible simply tells us it is Jesus' body and blood for us. How can this be? We really can't explain it.

At its heart, though, Christianity isn't about explanation. It is about reception of God's forgiving work in Christ by faith. It is about recognizing that when the pastor puts the host in your mouth, when you drink from the cup, you are receiving Jesus' body and blood and that it is for you. A failure to recognize it as "for you" is what Paul describes as eating and drinking in an "unworthy" manner.

Am I saying here that the right understanding of the presence of Jesus in his body and blood is not important? No, it is important. But the very most important issue is whether it is for you.

Jesus has given his body to be broken for you. He gave his blood to be shed for you. It is for you to receive, as often as you eat and drink it. I would like everyone to reach the conclusion that it is a literal taking part in the body and blood of Christ (1 Corinthians 10). But even more importantly, let's be sure we know that it is Jesus for you.

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Psalm 116:12-19 - Lectionary for Thursday in Holy Week

4/4/2021

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4/4/21
This is an encore post, originally published November 3, 2020.
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 historic one-year lectionary.

Our reading from Psalm 116 speaks of the tender love of the Lord who cares for his people, whether in life or in death. This is the grace of God, to bring us undeserved benefits in every age.

What is the appropriate response to such a Lord? We give ourselves to him in service, we give him thanks, we call on his name when in need, and we bring gifts back to him, realizing that all we have came from him in the first place.

Whether I bring glory and honor to God by my death or by my life, then, I desire to bring him the honor due his name. At some time, I suppose it will be by my death, though I am in no hurry and in no apparent danger at the moment. But God's name is worthy of honor and glory.

Is this a fair exchange? Indeed it is, because God has glorified his name by dying on my behalf, then rising again from the dead to give me a promise of resurrection. So he has shown his glory in a death for me. I can show his glory in a death for him. He has shown his glory in a life for me. I can show his glory in a life for him. In all things, we give thanks to our Lord, who has cared for us.

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

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Exodus 24:3-11 - Lectionary for Thursday in Holy Week

4/3/2021

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4/3/21
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 historic one-year lectionary.

It is a fearful thing to approach the God of all. I often shake my head in wonderment at the people who say they want a face to face, unmediated encounter with God. Really? We cannot stand before God, certainly not at our own invitation.

In Exodus 24, God has invited Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy elders of Israel into his presence. Before they can approach God, they need to hear God's Word, they need to see once again the reality of death in the death of some sacrificial animals, and they need to be associated with that death, through the placing of blood upon themselves. Not only this, but the work seems to be applied to all the people of Israel.

We only approach God at his command, and it is required that we be made holy to do so.

What does this have to do with a New Testament understanding of the world? God in Christ has called us to approach him and receive his mercy. We do that through faithful hearing of the Word of God, assenting to it. We confess that we agree with the Scripture, which describes us as sinners and God as the holy one who forgives sinners by his own mercy. We approach God in Christ through Christ's death on our behalf. He is the sacrificial lamb who shed his blood so as to make us holy. And we come find him where he promises to be - present for us in Word and Sacrament.

In this way we, like the leaders of Israel, come before the Lord of all, we eat and we drink, and we are not harmed. 

God's mercy calls us to approach him, then. We do it not alone, but with Christ as our mediator.

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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