July 13, 2025

Today's Reading: Luke 10:25-37

Daily Lectionary: Judges 13:1-25; Ruth 1:1-4:22; Galatians 2:1-21

“And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test saying, ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’” (Luke 10:25)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Do you see it? Do you see how the lawyer already misstepped?

I suppose we could start with how he *dares* to question Jesus, or that he wants to ‘put him to the test.’ But let’s talk about the biggest misstep of all—the one that all sinners make (including you and me).

The lawyer’s question asks, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He, a sinner, thinks he can achieve eternal life. He, a sinner, thinks he can work hard enough or do enough to ‘earn’ it.

The reality is, there is no amount of work that any sinner can do to get eternal life. This lawyer forgot, and we sinners routinely (daily) forget, that we are completely tainted with original sin. We have a condition. We have a death sentence. We have an incurable infection. No amount of work, attempts, or restarts is going to cure it.

Even before the lawyer asked this question, he had it wrong. When we look at grace, mercy, forgiveness, or eternal life as ‘achievable’ or earned by our works, we have it wrong. We want a way to save ourselves; we, like the lawyer, want to justify ourselves and our good works. We want to control our destiny.

Inheritances are received, usually by an heir, after someone’s death. Through the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, His heirs, including you, receive eternal life. In Baptism, Jesus drowned the Old Adam and created a New Man; He killed the root of the original sin infection. In Baptism, He claims you as His. In Baptism, you receive forgiveness, life, rescue, and eternal life. You receive it! You don’t work for it! It is a Gift and it is yours!

Dear redeemed sinner, the next time you might want to work for your salvation, or ask God for a chance to ‘work for your eternal life,’ repent. Make the sign of the cross. Remember your Baptism. Go to church and hear the Gospel. Receive Jesus’ Body and Blood given and shed for you. You are a Beloved child of God, named as one of His heirs; all that He has, He gives freely to you.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Lord Jesus Christ, in your deep compassion You rescue us from whatever may hurt us. Teach us to love You above all things and to love our neighbors as ourselves; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (LSB Collect of the Day)

- Deac. Sarah Longmire, Bible study editor for Higher Things.

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

Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius’s life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.

July 12, 2025

Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 5 - Psalm 136:23-26; antiphon: Psalm 136:1

Daily Lectionary: Judges 7:1-23; Judges 7:24-12:15; Galatians 1:1-24

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.” (Psalm 136:1)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Thanksgiving has become “turkey day” in the United States (or tofurkey day if you are vegetarian or vegan). Thanksgiving in Canada is in October (that’s different). Some people eat cranberry “stuff” from a can, and others make fresh cranberries (you will know them because they will tell you incessantly how good their fresh cranberries are). I would say that mashed potatoes are a must, but people differ in their love or hate of lumps in their mashed potatoes (even if they have never mashed a potato in their life). I could go on, but I won't. The only thing that we all agree on is that we are thankful when it is over. Dealing with family can be exhausting. Getting ready to go shopping on Black Friday can be even more exhausting. We gather together under the guise that we are thankful but really want to control the situation to our liking. We are thankful for things being our way. But that is not what God intends.

God intends for us to be thankful all the time, not just seasonally or when it suits us. God is good all the time, not sporadically or when He feels like it. God is good when the sun shines, and the rain falls. God is good when the temperature is above 100 degrees and when it is 20 below. God’s love is ours when we are at our best and when we are at our worst. We give thanks to God because He is good, not because good things are happening to us, and certainly not because we are good, because we are not good enough.

So we give thanks to God on the good days and the bad. We give thanks to God then we are hungry and when we are full. We give thanks to God when we have no money and when we have plenty. We give thanks to God from the time we are born to the time we die because He is good. Eat turkey and give thanks. Celebrate Thanksgiving in October and give thanks. Eat whatever kind of cranberries and give thanks. Give thanks at Christmas, Easter, Veteran’s Day, and the 4th of July. Give thanks today because God is good.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Now thank we all our God with hearts and hands and voices, Who wondrous things has done in whom His world rejoices; Who from our mothers arms has blessed us on our way With countless gifts of love and still is ours today. (LSB 895:1)

- Rev. Roger Stites, pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in Sequim, WA.

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

In Clarifying the Great Commission, Rev. Daniel Christian Voth identifies common omissions from our collective understanding of Jesus’ farewell discourse—omissions that turn Christ’s promises of forgiveness, life, and salvation into a legalistic command. Come and discover a richer understanding of The Great Commission.

July 11, 2025

Today's Reading: Acts 15:6-21

Daily Lectionary: Judges 6:25-40; Acts 15:6-21

“We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.” (Acts 15:11)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

When I was a child I remember watching television with commercials! (Yes I am old). I seem to remember a number of commercials advertising different toys that all come in “assorted colors and styles.” It did not matter what the toys were, there was a variety of them. Similar yet different. Same name, different color. The description matched but it was a different size or shape. But all of them were toys! Toys to be played with, by ME perhaps. The commercials gave a sense of hope and optimism that those toys could be mine.

I was usually knocked back into reality when I did not get that toy. Not every toy could be mine, so I was jealous of my friends who had those cool toys. I wanted to be like them. Occasionally, I had the toy others wanted…and I liked that. No matter the circumstance, there was always some inequality. Something was unfair. It always seemed like life was out of balance.

But not with Jesus. No, Jesus is fair. Jesus loves everybody. Jesus always forgives. Everyone is the same to Jesus. This all sounds great…until…I meet someone who says that they love Jesus, but they are not like me. Don’t get me wrong; I know that believers in Jesus come in all shapes and sizes, young and old, from all over the world. I love that about the church. What I am talking about is when someone different comes into church. This person may look or talk differently, may have been born elsewhere, or think about the world and stuff differently than me. Jesus loves all of us, but didn’t they know how different they are (and how uncomfortable that actually makes me)?

When Jesus died and rose again, He did that for all people, to atone for the sins of everyone. In the waters of your Baptism, the Holy Spirit gives you faith and empowers you to live a life that you are humanly unable to do. So their faith is like my faith; their works are like my works. We are just in assorted colors and styles. God loves all of us equally because it is all His saving work and His sanctifying grace—no cooler toys. With Jesus, we are all the same. Praise God!

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Lord Jesus! We praise you for your grace to us. Strengthen our faith that we might witness boldly to your great love for us. May others see your work in our lives and be emboldened in their love for you. Help us to love others as you have first loved us. Amen.

- Rev. Roger Stites, pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in Sequim, WA.

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

In Clarifying the Great Commission, Rev. Daniel Christian Voth identifies common omissions from our collective understanding of Jesus’ farewell discourse—omissions that turn Christ’s promises of forgiveness, life, and salvation into a legalistic command. Come and discover a richer understanding of The Great Commission.