Lectionary for 4/30/09

Today's readings are Exodus 38.29-39.8, Exodus 39.22-23, Exodus 39.27-31, and Luke 8.1-21.

We would be remiss if we didn't consider this very important parable of the soils at least once in each year's readings.  Look with me at the mighty power of God's Word.  See how the Word of God has been scattered, seemingly indistriminately, throughout the whole world.  Jesus Christ has come to give his life as a ransom for the world.  There is no part of the world in this parable which is not covered by the living Word of God.  See how the Word, of its own accord, accomplishes its purpose.  It acts as seed will naturally act.  It doesn't matter what kind of soil you provide for the seed.  If it is put down somewhere and watered, it will germinate.  It may die quickly, but it will do its work of germination.  Jesus, the living Word of God, is sprouting everywhere.  Even Satan's attempts to destroy the Word are ultimately unfruitful.  Birds, after all, are well known for carrying seed and planting it elsewhere.

Do we want to bring Jesus to our lost and dying world?  We are too late.  Jesus has already come to our world.  Let us rather proclaim his presence, his redemptive work, the mighty power of this living Word of God, praying that he will take root and bear a fruitful crop in those to whom we proclaim his presence.

Lectionary for 4/29/09

Today's readings are Exodus 34.29-35.21 and Luke 7.36-50.

The narrative we read today in Luke's Gospel is easily and often misinterpreted.  I'd like to make a few observations about it.  Yes, the misinterpretations I cite are misinterpretations of which I am certainly guilty.

Maybe we understand from this passage that Simon the Pharisee was righteous so he had no need to repent.  This cannot be.  All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  Jesus mentions some of Simon's sins as e commends the unnamed woman.  It does not matter who we are, whether we are very scrupulous in our religious life and observance or not.  We are all sinners by nature, and we do not need to look very far to see our sin.

Maybe we understand from this passage that the woman was really in need of repentance and forgiveness in an exceptional way.  This is true, but when we look at the passage in that way we may be quick to assume that we, as opposed to the woman who must have acted in some heinous manner, have less need for repentance.  Back to my former paragraph.  We all have need for repentance.

Maybe we understand this passage to teach that the woman is forgiven because she is weeping, anointing Jesus' feet, and showing her love for Jesus.  This is not so.  The logic of Jesus' statements is quite the opposite.  The woman is weeping, anointing Jesus' feet, and showing her love for Jesus because she has been forgiven.  It is, in fact, the mercy of God applied to our lives which brings us to repentance and expressions of love to Christ, not vice versa.

Maybe we assume that if we are not constantly tearful before our Lord we are not truly forgiven.  Yet we need only look at the greater context of Scripture to see that there are many people whom Jesus has forgiven who don't spend all their time mourning.  The mourning and weeping has its appropriate time.  And there is an appropriate time for walking in joy and confidence before our Lord and Savior.  Different people will express themselves in different ways.  The outward emotional expression is not an accurate measure of spirituality.

Maybe we assume that Simon was left unrepentant and unforgiven.  We are not told that.  Many times seeing God's mercy on one person will be the instrument the Holy Spirit uses to draw others to Christ and show his mercy to them as well.

Have we seen the forgiveness of Christ?  Let us then turn to our Lord and Savior.  Let us give him the kiss of greeting, wash his feet, anoint his head with oil, and rejoice in his presence.  Having been loved much, let us likewise love our Lord.

Lectionary for 4/28/09

Today's readings are Exodus 34.1-28 and Luke 7:18-35.

One of the key issues in today's reading, and, I think, in Western Christianity of this day and age, is the issue of presumption.  Not the presumption by which I presume that I am deserving, or by which I assume that something good ought to happen even in response to my bad decisions.  I'm thinking of logical presumption.  We recall, for instance, that in a court of law the accused is presumed innocent until proven otherwise.  It's this issue of presumption which strikes me in today's reading.

What is the presumption made here?  It is that the Lord is true, that he is supernatural, and that he in fact is the mighty creator, sustainer, and redeemer of the world.  That's the presumption of the Bible.  Yet if we walk into almost any gathering of Christians, we see a different presumption in operation.  We see that God's Word must be proven, that Jesus isn't the savior unless we believe he is, that we need to persuade people of sin and salvation in order for sin and salvation to be true.

Let God be true and every man a liar!  Restore the presumption which the Bible takes!  Know that the Lord is God, there is no other!

Lectionary for 4/27/09

Today's readings are Exodus 33.1-23 and Luke 7.1-17.

I read an article in Newsweek recently, talking about how young people today do consider themselves self-centered and assume that it is just fine to be so.  Indeed we seem to be in a culture which has spent some years simultaneously exalting the individual and urging people to enter into service to others.  The whole affair seems kind of schizophrenic, but there we have it.  That's what we have.  In some way we seem to be intent on exalting ourselves as good people in every way.  At the same time we do honor those who are dedicated to doing good for others and who put their own self-interest on hold in order to serve the common good.

We see something akin to this in Luke 7 when we read about the centurion.  The Jewish leaders say he is worthy.  He is a good man.  He enters into community service.  He has helped us, now he is in need, so he should receive help himself.  I hope people would say this about me.  In fact, I doubt there are many well-adjusted people who wouldn't be pleased to be known as those who are worthy of kindness when they are in need.  And doubtless we can think of many people whom we think worthy of help and support.  Jesus makes no move to contradict the opinion given him by the Jewish leaders.  "Sure, sounds like someone who needs help.  Let's go!"  What is the centurion's reaction?  He knows who is coming.  Despite the fact that he really does want help and is unable to deal with the situation in a pleasing way on his own, he requests that Jesus not come into his house.  He is not worthy to have Jesus come and attend to his servant.

Do we see ourselves the way the centurion does?  When we see God's provision do we stand back and wonder, knowing that we are not worthy of divine providence but that God has chosen of his own accord to bless us? If we do, then we begin to see God's great love for us even more.  We confess that we are not worthy, that we are sinners who are in need of a savior and who have never done anything to deserve such salvation.  Then God's wonders are even more exalted in our understanding.

May the Lord make us see him clearly in all his kindness and mercy.

Lectionary for 4/23/09

Today's readings are Exodus 25.1-22 and Luke 5.17-39.

Today we see God's tabernacle in Israel as well as Jesus, God dwelling among us.  Here we are brought face to face with the fact that God has chosen to visit his people in every age.  As he came to walk with Adam in the garden, so he comes to show himself in glory as the provider of forgiveness in the tabernacle.  Likewise he has come in the person of Jesus Christ to dwell among sinful men.  And in these days of Easter which we celebrate, we see that Jesus, after the resurrection, continued to be with his people.  Since the ascension Jesus has come to be with his people wherever they may be scattered, as he is present by the Holy Spirit in Word and Sacraments.

In the final analysis, the only way of getting away from God's presence is to die in unbelief.  May the Lord create in us a living faith, a desire to dwell in his courts, and a loving fellowship with this redeemer who visits us with his mercy.

Lectionary for 4/20/2009

Today's readings are Exodus 22.20-23.13 and Luke 4.16-30.

Yesterday our Exodus passage contained the Ten Commandments, typically seen as God's summary of all the commands.  Today notice how God applies a number of those commands.  We can find this message in a nutshell in verses 20-21 of chapter 22.  We are to love only the true God as God and we are to serve our neighbors out of love.  God goes on to apply the commands in multiple ways throughout out reading.

How far afield are we to go in our love for our neighbors?  Who is our neighbor?  When we turn to our New Testament reading we see that Jesus is asnswering this very question by pointing out that God cared for various people who were not of national Israel.  These were the people God poured out his blessing upon, a widow in Zarephath, a leper from Syria.  This message filled Jesus' hearers with such anger they tried to kill him.  Why would that be?  

It is very easy for us to assume our neighbors whom we are to love are those people who are just like us, those people who are socially acceptable, who fit into "good society" and who we find it easy to get along with.  Those are the people we would gravitate to love and serve.  But our Lord makes it clear that while we love and serve those people, we are also to love and serve our neighbors to whom we would not naturally gravitate.  In Christ I am called to care for the people I don't particularly like, as well as those I really like a lot.  It's not a matter of seeking out those who are similar to me.  For that matter, it is not a matter of seeking out those who are dissimilar to me.  It's a matter of loving our neighbor, whoever that neighbor happens to be.

Let us go forth today, loving our neighbor.

I'll be on the road for a couple of days, loving some neighbors who are far away.  I'm going to try to figure out how to have some posts happen automatically.

Lectionary for 4/18/09

Today's readings are Exodus 19.1-25 and Hebrews 13.1-21.

Hebrews 13.14 (ESV) says, "For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come."    I'll be going to a funeral of a very elderly relative in the upcoming week.  What is our response to the fact that people die?  We do, of course, confess that death is a bad thing.  It's the wrenching apart of body and soul, and is the result of sin.  Yet we also confess that after death the soul is restored to a body in the bodily resurrection, both the resurrection to heavenly bliss and the resurrection of damnation.  In each case there is a bodily resurrection and the body and soul will be reunited.  But earthly life is over.  Death, in fact, is a reminder of the fact that this earthly life is in no way all there is.  It is a reminder that we do not have a lasting city here.  So how do we respond when someone dies?  Of course we are sad.  We are sorry for the fact that that person will not be there for loved ones.  Hopefully we look back on the person's life fondly.  We remember the fact that earthly death is the result of Adam's sin and the curse which he brought on the world.  We realize we also are subject to the curse.  We look to the facts of Jesus' perfect life, death, and resurrection on our behalf, and we look in faith, believing that Jesus is the resurrection and the life.  We look to an eternal home.  And if we are looking to an eternal home through eyes of faith in Jesus' work on our behalf, we look to a blessed eternity.

This earthly life is not all there is.  Let us look forward by faith in Christ to a resurrection of blessing.

Lectionary for 4/17/09

Today's readings are Ex. 18.5-27 and Heb. 12.1-24.

I wonder today how many people have felt overworked in life and ministry.  I expect there are plenty who have.  No doubt Moses felt the same way, judging problems and struggles among the people of Israel all day, day after day.  In this fallen world there is plenty of strife and confusion.  After all, what are sinners especially good at doing?  Sinning against one another.  In the life of the Church, we can expect, day after day, that we will sin against others and that they will sin against us.  

What relief do we have for this condition?  we have a great promise of relief in every way.  We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses to God's provision.  We are given leaders within the body of Christ, undersheperds who serve Christ to strengthen the flock, to proclaim forgiveness and grace, to exhort us into righteousness.  And most of all, we have a promise of an enduring kingdom.

In thanksgiving to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, "let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire" (Heb. 12.28b-29, ESV).

Lectionary for 4/14/09

Today's readings are Exodus 15.19-16.12 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Ex.+15.19-16.12 ) and Hebrews 10.1-18 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Heb.+10.1-18 ).

 

In today's reading we see how quickly the people of Israel are to grumble against God.  He has rescued them from a marauding army.  He has provided them with food and drink.  He has promised to continue providing them with what they need.  And the people of Israel quickly begin grumbling and distrusting God again.  These ancient people of Israel are not so much different from us.  We see God's hand of provision and we immediately start to think that things will be bad again.  We see God's care for us and claim the glory for ourselves.  We see the good surrounding us in our world and look as carefully as we can for the evil.  We see the silver lining and curse the cloud.

 

What is our Lord to do about us?  He makes a covenant with the people.  Look how one-side the covenant is.  God says, "I will provide what the people need.  I'll show them that I will take care of them.  They will see it is from me when they follow the directions I give them."  It doesn't seem to require much of the people, right?  Of course, we will see when we read on that the people don't manage to follow the directions. 

 

So what can the Lord do to bless his people?  We see Jesus enter into the scene.  Here Jesus comes in Hebrews, making an offering for sin, once for all, wrapping up that sin problem for good.  He fulfills God's law since we aren't going to do it.  He makes God's covenant of blessing even more one-sided than it was before.  God says someone needs to fulfill the law and atone for sin.  Someone needs to obey.  Someone needs to live in perfect righteousness and die for sin.  No descendant of the first Adam could or would.  So God the Son chooses to do it for us.  Someone has in fact done what it takes for God to deliver his matchless and boundless blessing to mankind. 

 

What are we to do about this?  There's nothing we can accomplish.  It's all done for us.  It is ours only to look, wonder, believe, and receive the repentance and forgiveness our Lord has provided for us.

 

Lectionary for 4/12/09

Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed!

I've had difficulty posting lately due to some health issues which have interfered with nearly all areas of life.  Last time I posted I thought I was well recovered, only to find I was quite mistaken.  This time?  May the Lord raise me up for now, as well as on the last day, in the power of his own resurrection.

Today's readings are Exodus 15.1-18 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Ex.+15.1-18 ) and Hebrews 9.1-28 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Heb.+9.1-28 ).

In today's reading we see that God will in fact judge his enemies, trampling and destroying them.  God is a God of vengeance and retribution.  He repays evil by destroying it.  He hates sin, and in his hatred of sin the sinner bears the penalty for his sin.  No, there is no element of loving the sinner but hating the sin as we read today's lesson.  God hates the sin.  And both sin and sinner are destroyed in God's all-consuming wrath.

What is the gospel promise then?  What hope do we have?  See how Jesus, who became sin for us, bore the penalty for all our sin as he was destroyed physically and forsaken by God the Father.  He himself has become the offering for the sin of the world.  He has been subject to the full force of the wrath of God.  And this is of  his own accord, from his love not for sinners, but for those he proclaims righteous through his sacrifice on their behalf.  The sinner is destroyed.  That is Jesus, who became sin for us.  The righteous one stands.  That is us, the righteousness of God in Christ.

In this time immediately after Easter, let us rejoice to see the provision Christ has made.  He is risen.  And we who have been baptized into him, by faith are raised to newness of life with him, to live as his righteousness, his pure and holy people in this world.  That's how Jesus loved the world.  He gave himself so that we would not perish.  

Lectionary for 4/1/09

Today's readings are Exodus 4.1-18 and Mark 15.1-15.

Today's reading in Exodus points out the tremendous difference between God's call and man's opinion.  Man's opinion of himself ultimately fails to grasp God's plan.  But in God's mercy he can take our weakness and work through it to accomplish his purpose.

 Moses firmly represents man's opinion.  Maybe he represents us.  We have some natural abilities, some talents, some training, and we may recognize some areas in which we think the Lord has given us special gifts.  This is well and good.  There are some things I can do that you can't do.  There are some things you can do that I can't.  All the members of the body are valuable and serve their purpose, then the body is complete.  Yet when he encounters God, Moses runs to the end of his abilities.  How does he react?  He reacts very much like you and I react.  The Lord gives him a specific task to do, one which he knows he is not prepared for, which he is not well suited for at his best, and which will not be received well.  So Moses essentially refuses the task.

How many times have we been looking at our abilities then looked at Scripture or looked around us at the need in this world and concluded that we simply aren't fit to do the tasks which our Lord has placed before us?  We then often quietly shrug our shoulders and walk away from the opportunity our Lord has given us to bring him glory and honor.  We'd rather live the life of a successful (popular, victorious, you pick the adjective) Christian than try to do something which is destined to fail.  So we live a life of things not accomplished, choosing to work in the small realm in which we feel comfortable.

What was God's perspective on the whole situation with Moses?  God has a job to do. He knows exactly how he wishes to accomplish it.  In fact, since God is timeless, he knows exactly how he does accomplish it.  He knows the dynamic going on with Moses, as well as with Aaron, Pharaoh, and all the countless other actors and spectators.  When Moses confesses his inability, it would have been just as simple and straightforward for God to say, "You know, Moses, you're right.  You aren't the person who can accomplish this.  And since you refuse, I'll choose someone else who also can't accomplish it and do it through that person."  But the Lord didn't do that.  He persisted with Moses, lovingly allowing Moses to be confronted with his own inability and with God's great ability.  

In the final analysis, whatever we do is not done by us, but is done by God working through us.  As we serve the Lord, loving our neighbor as ourself, let us always be mindful that this is our Lord working in and through us.  May we be sensitive to his calling, never fearful of our own inability, but confessing that our inabilty is yet another opportunity for us to show God's great power.