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Luke 15:1-10 - Lectionary for Trinity 3

6/25/2020

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6/25/20
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.

Why do we try to crush all the joy out of God’s kingdom? That’s exactly what we do, and it’s nothing new. In Luke 15:1-10 Jesus is confronted by some who are disgruntled with him because he receives sinners. Why would he waste his time? Shouldn’t he be spending time with righteous people, people like us?

Jesus’ response is that God delights in restoration, including the restoration of the one who has been displaced from his rightful place through carelessness (the woman’s lost coin, which should have been right with the others in her special secure collection) or due to some sort of accidental oversight (the sheep who managed to get far enough away from the flock it required a search, rather than simply calling again). 

How did these people in Luke 15 wind up as sinners? They were part of Israel. They were among God’s chosen people. They were partakers of the promise of God to Abraham. They had access, just as did the Scribes and Pharisees, to God’s 
Word. What happened?

Some people wander through inattention. Some people don’t take the diligent care needed to train up the next generation in God’s Word. Some people neglect their own spiritual lives and those of their family members. Some people actively reject the faith. This is the reality of our fallen world. What are we supposed to do with those who are not in a close and vital relationship with God through Jesus? We don’t treat them as outcasts, or if they are outcasts, we treat them with compassion, as those who have endured a shipwreck in their faith and who are in danger of perishing due to the misfortune.

What is God’s attitude? Joy, when someone is brought to repentance and restored to faith in God. Jesus came to save sinners. He will keep working toward that goal until the end of history. May we have grace to participate in the same joy our Lord has when he works restoration.

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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1 Timothy 1:12-17 - Lectionary for Trinity 3

6/24/2020

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6/24/20
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.

The forgiveness which Christians experience in Christ is completely different from anything we find anywhere else. The apostle Paul describes it for us in 1 Timothy 1:12-17. What is the judgment of Jesus about Paul? He has called Paul “faithful.” He is of use in service to God, as a faithful servant. This is not of Paul’s doing. In the past, Paul was shown to be unfaithful, a blasphemer, persecutor, and an opponent of God. This was all forgiven in Jesus’ grace.

When Paul was forgiven, he was also changed. He received mercy and forgiveness, but his life was not the same as it was before. The patience of Jesus was now on display in Paul. 

If we compare the forgiveness and grace of God shown toward Paul to the kind of treatment given by humans to humans, we easily see tremendous differences. On one level, people will speak of forgiveness and use it as an excuse for a lack of life change. They will say they have been forgiven, or deserve to be forgiven, and therefore they make no attempt to do anything differently. True, God is able to forgive any sort of sin. His grace is abundant, more so than ours. But at the same time, when God’s Word has condemned a course of action, his forgiveness is not to be used as an excuse for continuing flagrantly in that action, be it adultery, murder, theft, or covetousness. God’s forgiveness is a strong motivator for life change. Human concepts of forgiveness may not understand the strength of God’s commands or the gravity of sin.

Another way God’s forgiveness differs from human forgiveness is that, to be quite blunt, humans almost never grant forgiveness that is underserved. For that matter, humans almost never grant even deserved forgiveness. When popular culture observes a sin or perceived sin (however they define sin) in the past, they will call the alleged sinner to account. Retribution must be exacted, and the offender remains an offender forever. There is no restoration. If you, or the people group you belong to, have been declared guilty of some offense, you are condemned to suffer. That’s where it seems to end.

God’s great mercy not only forgave Paul of his sin and shame, it restored him and placed him in a position of service and even honor. God in Christ does the very same thing for every Christian. By God’s grace, through faith, we are declared to be good and faithful servants who are pleasing to God and free from our past sins. This is to God’s glory and to our benefit. 

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 103:1-13 - Lectionary for Trinity 3

6/23/2020

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6/23/20
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.

What is the crown of the Christian? Sometimes we think of the gray hair which is a crown to an old person. We might picture good and noble actions as a crown, or possibly being surrounded by family and friends. But in our Psalm this week, we are crowned with grace and mercy (Psalm 103:4). This is certainly not our work or anything that our family, friends or society can give us. It is a gift of God. 

Just as a crown symbolically associates a monarch with the power and authority of the realm, the crown of grace and mercy given by God associates us with God’s authority. It is as we wear the crown given us that we are enabled to spread his kingdom to our world, to be messengers for him, to bring his grace and mercy to a lost and dying generation which is losing hope day by day.

How do we do this? It seems quite a task. We love and serve our neighbor. By so doing we are spreading the news of God’s grace and mercy. We are using the crown he has given us to share his blessing with others. So doing we bring hope and life to our community.

Lord, give us grace to both wear your crown of grace and mercy and to share your lovingkindness with others.

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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