March 6, 2026

Today's Reading: Mark 8:1-21

Daily Lectionary: Genesis 24:32-52, 61-67; Genesis 25:1-26:35; Mark 8:1-21

“And his disciples answered him, ‘How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?’” (Mark 8:4)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

We can be so forgetful when it comes to our Lord’s compassion towards us, can’t we? We’re not alone! What good company we have with the disciples! They got forgetful, too. Only two chapters earlier, the Lord fed five thousand men plus women and children using five loaves and two fish. Now in Mark 8, the disciples are faced with four thousand growling stomachs. No McDonald’s or Applebee's in sight! Whatever shall they do? Jesus gives them the situation. “‘I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away.’ And his disciples answered him, ‘How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?’” (Mark 8:2-4) They were looking at the One who could and would feed these folks, but they got tripped up by the bigness of their need and fear.

We, like the disciples, so often look at the bigness of our needs and fears and forget that there’s One who is bigger than our needs and fears! That One is Jesus, of course. Let’s fix our eyes on Him. His generosity knows no bounds! His compassion is for all! For you! For me! Compassion for Jesus is not just a feeling! Whenever Jesus has compassion in His Ministry, He does! He provides! He acts! His compassion produces action. We see His compassion for a scared-and-scarred World when He died for it. He gave everything He had on the Cross for you and me—every drop of blood to have us as His own. We belong to Him. Baptized in His Name, we lack nothing! More forgiveness than sin! More peace than anxiety! More life than death!

Because Jesus has taken care of our biggie-salvation-needs, He’ll take care of our smaller, everyday needs as well. We’re reminded of this every time we eat and drink His Body and Blood. The Lord’s Supper fixes our eyes on the One who is compassionate towards us, feeding us food that fills us with His unending life. With the Lord, we lack nothing here in time and there in eternity. He will provide what we need for this body and life. Compassion is who He is and what He does for you.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

I am trusting Thee to guide me; Thou alone shalt lead, Ev’ry day and hour supplying All my need. (LSB 729:4)

Rev. Aaron Schian is pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Auburn, MI.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.

We wander through life looking for freedom, only to realize we have listened to the devil's call to serve our selves, our pleasures, and our lusts. Instead of freedom we find ourselves enslaved to sin. We wonder if we have sinned too often, too deep to ever be welcomed back to the Father's home, back into His loving embrace. Have we lost our inheritance as children of God?

In this short book, author Bryan Wolfmueller digs into the popular parable of the Prodigal Son to bring hope and aid to our hurting conscience. Wolfmueller proclaims the freedom-giving Gospel that through Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection, our place in the Father's house is secure, and forgiveness and welcome are ours in His outstretched arms.

Fully Free, now available from CPH.

March 5, 2026

Today's Reading: Catechism: Eighth Commandment

Daily Lectionary: Genesis 24:1-31; Mark 7:24-37

“We should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way.” (Luther’s meaning for the Eighth Commandment)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The Eighth Commandment! Thanks be to God for this commandment and Luther’s explanation! After all, the tongue can be so destructive. It’s teeny-tiny and yet can go scorched earth on a person’s life, as James reminds us: “So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.” (James 3:5-6) Every one of us has had those moments when we stayed silent as gossip was shared, when we were delighted to share the faults and failures of others, when we embellished a story to make ourselves look better, or when we lied about someone to turn people against them. We have used our tongues as a wrecking ball. Reputations turned into rubble. Friendships fractured. Relationships ruined.

Repent! All of us! Return to the Lord, for He is gracious and merciful! Go to His called and ordained man who uses his tongue to speak that passion-purchased pardon into our ears! “You are forgiven all for Jesus’ sake!” Those words cover all the bad our tongues have done. What Good News that Christ only speaks well of you and me! Forgives us all sins! Defends us from every accusation from Slithery Serpent Satan! Yes, Jesus is no adversary like Satan but our Advocate! Before the Father, He continually pleads for us, showing the Father the very wounds that won peace! Peace with God! Peace with one another!

Having been forgiven, we now strive to live at peace with all. Yes, our tongues have been set free to defend our neighbor, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way. We now have the joy of imitating Jesus, who is our Advocate. Keep your eyes open every day for those opportunities to be an advocate to and for your neighbor. And when you sin with your tongue, what joy to hear once again Christ’s forgiveness from the lips of your pastor.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

“Bear no false witness nor defame Your neighbor nor destroy his name, But view him in the kindest way; Speak truth in all that you say.” Have mercy, Lord! (LSB 581:9)

Rev. Aaron Schian is pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Auburn, MI.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.

We wander through life looking for freedom, only to realize we have listened to the devil's call to serve our selves, our pleasures, and our lusts. Instead of freedom we find ourselves enslaved to sin. We wonder if we have sinned too often, too deep to ever be welcomed back to the Father's home, back into His loving embrace. Have we lost our inheritance as children of God?

In this short book, author Bryan Wolfmueller digs into the popular parable of the Prodigal Son to bring hope and aid to our hurting conscience. Wolfmueller proclaims the freedom-giving Gospel that through Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection, our place in the Father's house is secure, and forgiveness and welcome are ours in His outstretched arms.

Fully Free, now available from CPH.

March 4, 2026

Today's Reading: Mark 7:1-23

Daily Lectionary: Genesis 22:1-19; Mark 7:1-23

“And he said, ‘What comes out of a person is what defiles him.’” (Mark 7:20)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The topic of food can get complicated these days with all of the diets out there: keto, carnivore, Mediterranean, vegetarian, gluten-free, etc. In Jesus’ day, food was a controversial topic. Lines were drawn in the sand. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. There was a food fight going on, so to speak. Certain foods were deemed “clean” and therefore okay to consume, while other foods were considered defiled and dirtied, leaving a person ritually unclean and unable to worship at the Temple. Jesus stops the food fight when He says, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” (Mark 7:14b-15) The disciples have a tough time with this. It’s not what their Jewish mothers taught them. They would’ve been well aware of the clean/unclean categories. Jesus rocks their world when He tells them that food can’t defile anyone. Every bite passes the heart and is expelled. Jesus declares all foods clean! So then what makes a person defiled and dirty?

Food isn’t the real problem since the heart of the problem is the human heart! And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:20-23) No one gets away guilt-free from that list! Ouch! Leaves us all realizing that we have had thoughts, words, and actions that defile and dirty us. We’re all in the same boat. We confess together, “I, a poor, miserable sinner!” Dirty and defiled, we deserve damnation!

Thanks be to God, we get what we don’t deserve! Grace upon grace! Jesus is the One who defiles and dirties Himself! He touches the unclean leper, lifts up the unclean dead, eats and drinks with unclean sinners and tax collectors. He takes upon Himself the dirt and defilement that damns! He bears our sins to die our death! Yes, He cries out those words of abandonment that we’ll never have to speak: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34). The Temple curtain is torn from top to bottom. The way to the Father is open to all through that godforsaken death on Good Friday. His blood cleanses us from all sin. “Take, drink, this is My blood shed for you for the forgiveness of all your sins.” There is food that sprinkles our hearts clean. Take, drink!

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Mine is the sin, but Thine the righteousness; Mine is the guilt, but Thine the cleansing blood; Here is my robe, my refuge, and my peace: Thy blood, Thy righteousness, O Lord my God. (LSB 631:5)

Rev. Aaron Schian is pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Auburn, MI.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.

We wander through life looking for freedom, only to realize we have listened to the devil's call to serve our selves, our pleasures, and our lusts. Instead of freedom we find ourselves enslaved to sin. We wonder if we have sinned too often, too deep to ever be welcomed back to the Father's home, back into His loving embrace. Have we lost our inheritance as children of God?

In this short book, author Bryan Wolfmueller digs into the popular parable of the Prodigal Son to bring hope and aid to our hurting conscience. Wolfmueller proclaims the freedom-giving Gospel that through Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection, our place in the Father's house is secure, and forgiveness and welcome are ours in His outstretched arms.

Fully Free, now available from CPH.