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Luke 14:1-11 - Lectionary for Trinity 17

10/1/2020

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10/1/20
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.

In Luke 14:1-6 Jesus breaks the law. That’s all there is to it. He breaks the law. He works on the Sabbath day. It isn’t even hidden. He’s in the presence of a ruler of the Pharisees. We can safely assume there are additional leading people there as well. Jesus breaks the religious law right in front of the religious police, and he makes a pretty big deal of it.

What’s God’s attitude toward those who are suffering, those who are hurting, those who are unable to help themselves? Even on the day of rest, especially on the day of rest, Jesus gives them rest. He touches them with his healing power. He grants them forgiveness. And, yes, sometimes he heals them and tells them to go ahead and carry their bed back home, even though it’s illegal to do that on the day of rest.

The God of all mercy and grace doesn’t take any days off.

What is our attitude within the Church? Do we take the day off because we don’t feel like applying God’s Word to people? Do we take the day of rest to be a time that leaves people in bondage and need? Or do we cross land and sea to bring God’s mercy and grace to those in need? 

It has been my honor over the years to assist many people, clergy and laity alike, in reconciliation, in healing of relationships, in activities and encouragement that will strengthen their ability to bring honor and glory to God. It has not always been convenient. In fact, it is rarely convenient. But it is always good.

God uses his people as instruments of reconciliation. Sometimes we have to break the laws of time management, of guarding our energy, of being involved in the events we would regularly value. We go and raise our son, our ox, or our fellow believer out of the well, even on the Sabbath day. Thanks be to God that he raises up others to do the same for us when we have become entrapped. He is the God of all mercy 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.

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Ephesians 4:1-6 - Lectionary for Trinity 17

9/30/2020

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9/30/20
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.

“Walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” So Paul admonishes the Ephesians in chapter four verse one. How do we walk? What kind of walk is worthy of our call? For that matter, what is the call that a Christian receives?

The apostle Paul is a prisoner for the Lord. He is not only bound to God’s will by his commitment to trust Jesus. He is also a prisoner, a real, physical prisoner, probably often fastened to something by means of a chain. He has laid his life down for the Gospel. He values Christ’s forgiveness more than he values his own freedom, his relationships, even his very life. 

As Christians, we who look to Jesus for forgiveness give ourselves into willing submission to the Lord. We confess that we have no authority of our own, no self sufficiency, no right to tell God what to do in any way. 

The Christian walk, then is a walk of humility. We gather to confess our sins and to hear God’s words of forgiveness. We gather to hear God’s Law and Gospel, so we are prepared to hear that we have failed and that Jesus’ righteousness has been applied to us. We gather to receive nourishment to eternal life in the Sacrament, because we ourselves cannot arrange even a long life by our striving. The Christian life is humble.

In our humility, Paul goes on to say we are gentle, patient, and eager for unity. However, let’s notice that the unity is centered in a Christian faith which is a very particular thing. Our unity is not built on compromise or on minimizing the importance of truth. On the contrary, it is built on the accurate teaching of God’s truth as revealed in Scripture and lived out by Jesus. Again, we are walking in humility. Our own desires and interpretations of life are placed in submission to God’s Word. This is humility. We are to walk as prisoners of God in Christ.

Here is life. Here is hope. Here is a walk worthy of God’s high calling to 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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Psalm 2 - Lectionary for Trinity 17

9/29/2020

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9/29/20
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.

I remember, quite a few years ago, I was involved in a church congregation which took a liking to a sung version of Psalm 2:8. It was a pretty nice tune, and a reasonably good arrangement. There was just one thing wrong with it. We sang it as if God were speaking to you and to me, the Christian. That’s a fundamental misinterpretation of the verse, and it leads to an entirely wrong understanding of Psalm 2.

Let’s try to make sense of the Psalm. First, it speaks against those who rage against God. The raving nations are fuming at God, wanting to break free from His bondage and cast Him off.

God’s response is to laugh at the nations.He derides them (a word which I wish we would use more often, as it is so expressive).

We then have an internal dialog between God the Father and God the Son. We recall that the persons of the Trinity have one outlook on everything. They are described as being in perfect agreement with each other. God is one in understanding and will, but three in person. 

What does God say? He says (to Himself, in the person of God the Son), “Would you like the nations? Here they are.” The nations of the world are an inheritance for God the Son. We don’t ask God for the nations as an inheritance. We would have no idea what to do with them, just like the dog that chases cars. What will you do with it if you catch it?

In verses 9 and following, the nations are warned that they need to fear the Lord. He can govern them as He wishes. If we recall, that is exactly what the nations were so upset about in the first place.

As we consider the work of Jesus, God the Son, in the New Testament, and as we remember He is the one who has inherited the nations, we should think about how Jesus treats his inheritance.

Seeing the people are lost and bound in sin, Jesus, the one who can crush and destroy sin, ruling with a rod of iron, chooses to take our sin on himself and himself to be crushed and destroyed. This is how Jesus treats his inheritance. He redeems it from the curse of the law. He who holds the sinful world in bonds to keep it from destroying itself, breaks the sin and then looses the bonds, taking them on himself. 

Jesus accepts the inheritance that kills him. He gives life to all who believe him. His loss is our gain. His suffering is our healing. His redemption costs him everything and gives us everything. 

I am very glad that Jesus, God the Son, asks of the Father that he may have the nations as his inheritance. He works for the good of his inheritance. He leads them to all righteousness and blessing.

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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Proverbs 25:6-14 - Lectionary for Trinity 17

9/28/2020

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9/28/20
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.

Reputation, it’s a big deal. Much bigger than we often wish to admit. To solidify my point, I’ll use two words. “Social Media.” We’ve all seen and heard examples of those who would exalt themselves or try to spur dissension when they are in a nice safe place on the other side of an anonymous computer screen. And many of us have been guilty of doing exactly the same thing.

Proverbs 25:6-7 speaks to exalting ourselves. It reminds us that we are probably not the world authority on anything, and that even if we are, our authority doesn’t extend to every topic. Experts and non-experts alike, if we are wise, will cultivate an attitude of a learner. We might be exalted to another place, or we might not really be fit for that place. But we approach it with humility. 

Our world of virtual interactions is a place where hostilities can arise just about any time, and many of those hostilities are a jostling for position. I recall a conversation on social media where several people from widely divergent viewpoints were responding to a question I had asked about the underlying causes and later effects of a particular historical event. One of the respondents spoke in a rather authoritative manner, essentially saying that several others were not taking the whole situation into account, and that reliable historians would take a particular different view. When one of the people he had contradicted pressed him about why he thought he and those other people were correct, he observed that he was familiar because he held an advanced degree in history. He was then criticized for “pulling his credentials” like someone might pull a weapon. This is not an uncommon event. When we approach culture, events, and public affairs with a spirit of humility we will not become involved in as many conflicts as we might otherwise. Our right points of view will eventually be respected. Our wrong points of view will eventually be corrected. We and those around us will grow because of it.

Verses 8-10 speak about confrontations, and how they should be relatively private. Again, the issue is that if we make public accusations or condemnations (or, for that matter, praise) without knowing and considering the facts adequately, we may be shown to be wrong. Then we are worthy of criticism. The situation also has been made worse because of our rash speaking or actions.

Again, this is often the case in public discourse these days. When someone says something, or is thought to have possibly said or done something, thanks to modern technology, the alleged news can be spread around the world in a matter of minutes. Criminals become saints, saints become criminals, the person who is doing nothing wrong may become the target of outcry, the person who does wrong may be thought to be doing right. We neglect the due process of the rule of law in our rush to judgment. Rather than resolving issues as reasonable adults, we find ourselves in fights worthy of condemnation. The fire, once started, is very difficult to quell.

Lots of wisdom in our Old Testament reading for this week. God always speaks wisdom. May He speak it into our culture.

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

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