January 10, 2025

Today's Reading: Romans 2:28-29

Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 18:1-4, 19-32; Ezekiel 19:1-24:27; Romans 2:17-29

“For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.” (Romans 2:28-29)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Jesus Christ came to fulfill the Law and thereby redeem all peoples, Jew and Gentile alike. This was plain enough to the early church from the Holy Scriptures, the teachings of the Apostles, and the very words of Jesus Himself.

But the Christ came “first for the Jew, then for the Gentile” (Romans 1:16). So did Gentile converts first need to become Jews in order to become Christians? Did they need to learn all 613 Mitzvot? Adopt Second Temple-style worship, dress, and cultural norms? Did Baptism truly impart new life and freedom from sin, or merely bring one into a new legal covenant? The Law was the teacher of God’s chosen people for centuries; it demanded outward righteousness. What part did it play now?

Some in the church abused the Law, lording worldly power over Gentile converts. The true Lord, however, charged us not to lord power over the other members of His body (Matthew 20:25-28). The church of Christ is not some cultural country club; it is truly catholic (universal). The Christian is called by the Holy Spirit, enlightened, sanctified, and kept in the true faith through the gospel. In other words, we are Christians not because of our own outward works or cultural heritage but because of the inner workings of Christ in our hearts.

St. Paul makes this abundantly clear in his letter to the Romans. While many of God’s people considered themselves generally upright and to have made proper atonement for their sins, the fact remained: all failed to uphold His Law in their hearts. All except one: Jesus Christ. He has fulfilled the Law, accomplishing what no sinful human being ever could through circumcision nor any other outward work. For this, He received no praise from men. Instead, He was crucified–given as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of all people. Praise be to God for the salvation accomplished by Him! Salvation is now for all who trust in Him. It is yours, not through works, but by faith! “No temple now, no gift of price, No priestly round of sacrifice, Retain their ancient pow’rs. As shadows fade before the sun The day of sacrifice is done, The day of grace is ours.” (LSB 530:1)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O God, You made known Your only-begotten Son to the Gentiles. Lead us, who know You by faith, to enjoy in heaven the fullness of Your divine presence; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Collect L11, adapted)

-Rev. Donald Stein, pastor of Saint Andrew Lutheran Church in Rockton, IL.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

January 9, 2025

Today's Reading: Catechism: The Third Commandment

Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 3:12-27; Ezekiel 4:1-11:25; Romans 2:1-16

The Third Commandment: Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

“What makes you so special?” That question could be taken as Law or Gospel, depending on the context. Both are helpful to us as we reflect on the Law of God laid down in the Third Commandment and the Gospel promise He offers apart from it.

“What makes you so special?” an honest friend asked a young church worker. After years of schooling and moving and sacrificing for others, the young church worker was convinced that a getaway weekend was deserved. So it was planned, miles away from any church. “After all,” they explained to their friend, “the Sabbath is not a literal ‘day’ for the Christian who finds his Sabbath in Jesus.”

While true, this attitude betrayed a dangerous misunderstanding of Christian freedom. One Sunday away from church may not break a believer’s faith, but intentionally spurning the Word of God will lead to rejection of the faith received at Baptism; this is most certainly true. There are no exceptions; no one is so special as to be immune from the Law. There is no vacation from God nor rest apart from Him. There is no portion of one’s life that can be kept for oneself. All things belong to the Lord, who commands us to worship Him. The words of Ezekiel are a warning to us: “Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God?”

So the honest friend asked: “What makes you so special?” The words were like a shot through the heart, as the Law so often is. The young church worker knew they had despised God’s Word. They repented and found a place to worship, even on vacation.

Brothers and sisters in Christ: gladly hear and learn the Word of God. Come to worship as regularly as you can. This is in keeping with God’s good Law; it is His good and gracious desire for you to hear His Word, that it may convict you of your sin and bring you to repentance. As the Holy Spirit works within your heart, you will hear the same Word of God, but it will take on a new and glorious meaning– for the Law has been fulfilled in Jesus!

True Sabbath rest is His free Gift to you! “What makes you so special?” now has an answer: Jesus! In His Word, He declares you so special that He forgives your sin!

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O Lord, we are men of half faith, of cloven faith, half given to You, half saved up for ourselves. Forgive us, Lord. Teach us, O Lord. Teach us to walk as Your Son walked on earth through ministry to death, through death to life and glory at Your right hand. Through Him we pray. Amen. (adapted from a prayer “To Live by the Word of God” by Martin Franzmann, in “Pray for Joy,” CPH: St. Louis, MO, 1970)

-Rev. Donald Stein, pastor of Saint Andrew Lutheran Church in Rockton, IL.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

January 8, 2025

Today's Reading: 1 Kings 3:4-15

Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 2:1-3:11; Romans 1:18-32

“And Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem… and made a feast for all his servants.” (1 Kings 3:15)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Did you get what you wanted for Christmas? Was your wishlist fulfilled? Or did you perhaps get a gift for someone else? Was it just what they hoped for? It is a good tradition to give and receive gifts at the birth of our Lord since He has given Himself as a gift to us. It is only through His holy Incarnation, precious death, fulfilling resurrection, and glorious ascension that we are gifted the forgiveness of sins and blessed with life in His name. Praise be to God for this indescribable Gift!

A ‘Christmas gift’ of sorts came about 950 years early for Solomon. The LORD invited him to ask for a gift. All Solomon needed to do was name his desire, and it would be given to him. Can you imagine? Solomon had the ability to get what he had always wanted and to fulfill his wishlist.

Yet Solomon did not ask for something for himself– not primarily, anyway. No, Solomon asked for “a wise and discerning mind,” or as some might translate, “heart.” Motivated by love for the LORD and His people, Solomon asked for what was necessary to carry out his vocation as a servant-king. He even provided a feast for his servants– not for his fellow kings or for lesser nobility, but for his servants! Solomon’s servant-leadership foreshadows the work of the King of kings in serving His people. Our Lord sets a great Feast before us. His own Body and Blood draws us together and strengthens us for service in His kingdom, which has no end.

We may not be kings, but we have been made daughters and sons of the King of kings. We gain His inheritance and are blessed with advancing His kingdom through our various vocations and callings. Like Solomon, we are called not to use our gifts for ourselves but for others. This is in keeping with God’s will. We are capable of serving others with our gifts because God first gave to us. He has clothed us in His own righteousness. Truly, truly, not even Solomon in all his earthly splendor was arrayed as you are now! As you thank God for your many gifts this Christmas, recall the most precious of all: Jesus Christ. You have, indeed, received what you wanted for Christmas! Your wishlist truly has been fulfilled! Share that Gift.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O Lord, through the Incarnation of Your Son, You have given an inestimable gift: the restoration of our human nature. Grant us, as Your servant Solomon, discerning hearts to pursue what is good, true, and beautiful in our vocations; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

-Rev. Donald Stein, pastor of Saint Andrew Lutheran Church in Rockton, IL.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

January 7, 2025

Today's Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14

Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 1:1-14, 22-28; Habakkuk 1:1-3:19; Romans 1:1-17

“...In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ…” (Ephesians 1:4b-5a)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Have you ever heard an excited child talk about a favorite gift? They are so filled with joy that they can hardly contain it! They babble with a bubbling buzz, bursting on and on about their treasure. Or have you heard a little one pray? Again, they babble with a bubbling buzz, praising God for each and everything that is dear (or merely near) to them: Grandpa and Grandma, Mom and Dad, siblings, toys, even the ceiling that keeps rain off their heads. They form a litany of praise and thanksgiving. St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians bursts on and on with a similar litany of praises. In English, verses 3-14 are split into several sentences, each still quite long. In the Greek, however, the sentence divisions are not so clear; one might read verses 3-14 as a single, continuous sentence– totaling up to 202 Greek words! That is the longest sentence in all of Scripture. St. Paul babbles with a bubbling buzz, like an excited child or a praying child. The truth is, he is both: he is a child of God. The Father predestined St. Paul for adoption through the blood of Jesus Christ. Upon the Cross, the sins of all were forgiven. In Holy Baptism, St. Paul received the inheritance due to the Son of God.

What was true for St. Paul then remains true for you today. You also have been predestined for adoption into the household of God. Your sins have been forgiven. You have been raised to new life. If this alone were not enough to have you babbling with a bubbling buzz about His love, consider also the litany of Gifts God the Father provides for you: an eternal family through His only-begotten Son, siblings bound together forever in His name, His blessed Sacraments to delight in, and –yes– even the ceiling which keeps rain off your head. God has provided you with everything you need to support your body and life. For this, it is your duty to thank, praise, serve and obey Him. This is what St. Paul models for us in Ephesians. His praise is simultaneously profound and simple. Let the Triune God be praised for His work yesterday, today, tomorrow, and on and on into eternity!

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

All praise to God the Father be, All praise, eternal Son, to Thee. Alleluia, alleluia! Whom with the Spirit we adore Forever and forever more: Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! (LSB 816:3)

-Rev. Donald Stein, pastor of Saint Andrew Lutheran Church in Rockton, IL.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

January 6, 2025

Today's Reading: Matthew 2:1-12

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 66:1-20; Luke 3:21-38

“When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him…” (Matthew 2:3)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Herod had a problem: he wanted to be first. It is why his life was a constant rat race. It was why he, an Idumean, usurped the Jewish throne. It was why he entertained Caesar and borrowed his legions. It was why he styled himself Herod ‘the Great.’ It was why he married into the last remnants of the great Jewish houses to insert himself into a genealogy and birthright that was not his. It was why his family tree was heavy with fratricide, patricide, matricide, and murder. He killed at least one of his wives, their two sons, his brother-in-law, his mother-in-law, and his grandfather-in-law. Yet Herod still had a problem: he was not first. Despite his treaty marriages and mass murders, Herod remained last. Another claimant to the throne was and is and forever will be the rightful Heir. When the Magi came to seek after the One who had been born King of the Jews, Herod was troubled. And when Herod was troubled, all of Jerusalem knew the wrath that was brewing. The pretender-king’s sin rolled down on others.

The Magi listened first to God. He preserved them from Herod’s wrath and instead led them to the true King—the King who does not demand to be first because He truly is first. Indeed, the whole earth is but His footstool and even that analogy does not do His grandeur justice! He was present at creation and saw humanity plunge the world into sin. He knows the wrath this world deserves. But Jesus is not the King who merely takes what is rightfully His; He redeems it. This is why He, the first, became the last. He suffered the pain and agony that our sins would demand so that we would be freed from the punishment we deserve. For this magnificent work, Jesus is the sole King to whom God the Father says: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Through Baptism into His name, His birthright is transferred to us. We are grafted into His family tree and are empowered by His Holy Spirit to rise forgiven each day– made first by Him.

In the Name + of Jesus, the first and last. Amen.

What joy to know, when life is past, the Lord we love is first and last, the end and the beginning! He will one day, oh, glorious grace, Transport us to that happy place beyond all years and sinning! Amen! Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! Crown of gladness! We are yearning for the day of Your returning! (LSB 395:6)

-Rev. Donald Stein, pastor of Saint Andrew Lutheran Church in Rockton, IL.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

January 5, 2025

Today's Reading: Luke 2:40-52

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 65:8-25; Luke 3:1-20

“And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them.” (Luke 2:51)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Today is the Eve of the Epiphany of our Lord. The lights of Christmas and the New Year still shine, and the whole world waits in anticipation of the Light who has yet to reveal Himself in His fullness. Yet within the small household of the astonished Joseph and Mary, the wisdom of God is already being revealed. The boy Jesus goes missing from His parents for three days. Jesus was not a runaway. This was not some act of preteen rebellion. No, worldly wisdom does not explain the actions of the Christ child, for God’s wisdom is higher than man’s. He chooses what is foolish to shame the wise. This humble Jesus has come to share the wisdom of God– and not just to the small household of Joseph and Mary, but for all. Worldly wisdom would keep God to the righteous and wise of the world. But God’s wisdom invites even sinners to be cleansed of their sin and to enter His eternal household. He even takes on human flesh and submits Himself to the care of human parents. Joseph and Mary finally find Jesus where they should have been looking all along: in the Temple, revealing the wisdom of God. All present looked on with astonishment. The doctors of the Law, Gaze on the wondrous child, And marvel at His gracious words, Of wisdom undefiled. (“Within the Father’s House,” LSB 410: 2)

We are invited to join those doctors of the Law in wonder at God’s unfathomable wisdom, first demonstrated in the Incarnation and now poured out for us in the reading, learning, and preaching of His Holy Word. In a world that constantly distracts us from God’s Word and teaches us to despise the preaching of God’s Word, let us set our minds even more resolutely on being enlightened by His wisdom. What joy and peace His wisdom provides! What comfort this knowledge brings our suffering souls! While our mortal minds are wearied by knowledge of our sinfulness, Jesus nonetheless reveals Himself in human flesh to prove that God still desires our salvation. He does not abandon us to the pattern of this world but claims our bodies as His temples, transforming us through the renewal of our minds. Each day, He sends His Spirit anew to you, calling you to repentance and enlightening you by His Gospel to see His wisdom. Knowing the depth of our sin, it hardly seems possible– but this is the wisdom of God. As the lights of Christmas fade, let the Light of His wisdom shine in our hearts.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Almighty God, You have poured into our hearts the true Light of Your incarnate Word. Grant that this Light may shine forth in our lives; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Collect L10)

-Rev. Donald Stein, pastor of Saint Andrew Lutheran Church in Rockton, IL.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

January 4, 2025

Today's Reading: Introit for Second Sunday After Christmas - Psalm 147:1, 5, 11-12; antiphon: John 1:14

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 63:15-65:2; Luke 2:41-52

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of

the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

W.H. Auden once wrote, “Nothing that is possible can save us. We who must die demand a miracle.” We believe in miracles. Every week, we confess this very thing in bold words that define our faith by the miracles they proclaim. “And (I believe) in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, (and) born of the Virgin Mary.”

The theological term used to encompass this confession of faith is the word “incarnation.” This means that Jesus knows from the inside what it means to be human. He knows from the inside what it means to have a family. He knows from the inside what it means to suffer disappointment. He knows from the inside how it feels to be hungry and tired and angry and sad. He knows what it means to fall into bed exhausted after a long and frustrating day of work. He knows the pull of temptation and the sting of betrayal. The Incarnation means that in nearly every way, our Brother Jesus knows what it means to be fully human because He is fully human. And when you go to Him with the concerns of your heart, no matter how desperate they may be, He understands you as your Brother because He’s been there.

When the Son of God was “conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary,” He took on human flesh, not like a uniform that you throw into the laundry at the end of the day. No, the Incarnation means that the second Person of the Trinity took on our flesh forever. He is right now and will be forever true God and true man. Tempted in every way just as we are tempted, yet without sin, Jesus Christ came to do for us what we could never do for ourselves. This means that Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law for us where we had failed. And this means that Jesus Christ suffered and died to pay the penalty our sins required. This means that Jesus Christ defeated death for us by walking out of His grave in our flesh, and because this is true, we will follow our Brother out of our tomb as well.

The poet was right, “Nothing that is possible can save us. We who must die demand a miracle.” We are people who must die. Our sin requires it, and nothing we have done or can do will ever change this fate. So today, we lay our filthy rags at the feet of our Brother Jesus, who has accomplished the impossible for us. “We who must die demand a miracle.” And the “good tidings of great joy” of this Christmas season proclaim that Jesus is the miracle of miracles.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Lord Jesus, true God and true Man, thank you for the miracle of my life. Amen

-Rev. Thomas Eggold, pastor of Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, IN.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

January 3, 2025

Today's Reading: Colossians 3:12-17

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 63:1-14; Luke 2:21-40

“…my eyes have seen your salvation” (Luke 2:30)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Simeon is not mentioned anywhere else in the Bible. He was not a political ruler or official of the temple. He was not a man of wealth or social standing. As far as we know, Simeon held no worldly power or influence, and yet Luke tells us that Simeon was a “righteous and devout” man of God who was “waiting for the consolation of Israel.” This means that Simeon was waiting and watching in faith. He was a man who had lived his life on the lookout, and – through the Spirit – he had been given a special revelation that he would not die until he had seen the promised Christ.

There must have been days when Simeon questioned and maybe even doubted the Holy Spirit’s promise. “Is my mind playing tricks on me? Is my age finally catching up? What about my sins? How can God reveal the Messiah to a scoundrel like me?” And there, amid this storm of expectation and doubt, of anticipation and disbelief, of hope and despair, the Spirit acted again. Luke writes that “(Simeon) came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God” (Luke 2:27-28).

In a knowledge that could only have been divinely revealed, Simeon recognized the Christ. His eyes were opened, his forgiveness was assured, and his hope was confirmed. In unimaginable joy, he took this baby boy out of his mother’s arms, and there, in the temple courts, Simeon shared the Good News that he had waited his whole life to experience: “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples” (Luke 2:29-31). These famous words of praise, called the “Nunc Dimittis,” illustrate with poetic and prophetic clarity the Good News that the Scriptures were written to proclaim: that in this baby boy, “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them” (2 Corinthians 5:19).

Without God’s action, we are left like Simeon to wait and wonder while life slips away. Without God’s action, we are left to fend for ourselves in a world where the strong survive and the weak are trampled. Without God’s action, we continue to walk blindly in the way of our sin, and it is a way that can only end in death. But through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, God acts and our eyes are opened, our sins are forgiven, and life begins.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Almighty God, thank you for revealing salvation in Jesus to our eyes by the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

-Rev. Thomas Eggold, pastor of Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, IN.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.