Category: Moments of Meditation

February 7, 2025

               A Light to Lighten the Gentiles - Part 5
                             Luke 2:34-35
                              02/07/2025


        34   And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his
             mother, ``Behold, this child is appointed for the
             fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign
             that is opposed
        35   (and a sword will pierce through your own soul
             also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be
             revealed.''  (ESV)

        Simeon's words about Jesus being the light for revelation to
   the Gentiles and the glory of God's people comes with a price.
   Many people rejected Jesus, in the same way that many people
   today refuse to listen to the good news of salvation from sin and
   eternal death for the sake of Christ.

        And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
        ``Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and
        rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is
        opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul
        also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be
        revealed.''


        From this moment in the Temple, people were divided by the
   news that the salvation of all people was revealed.  Mary would
   especially suffer as she saw her Son rejected, and eventually
   crucified.  Simeon's words would come true, many in Israel, many
   today, rise to the glory of God, or fall in condemnation, as they
   hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

        Are you numbered among those who have not rejected the gift
   of salvation by grace through faith for the sake of Christ?  Do
   you desire to learn more, to see what Simeon saw in the infant
   Jesus?  Please join us each Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. at
   Trinity Lutheran Church to hear of God's love, grace, and mercy.

        May our Lord grant you the peace which comes from knowing
   your sins are forgiven.  Amen.

February 6, 2025

Broadcast

               A Light to Lighten the Gentiles - Part 4
                               Luke 2:33
                              02/06/2025


        33   And his father and his mother marveled at what was
             said about him.  (ESV)

        Mary and Joseph, on the fortieth day after Jesus was born,
   brought Him to the Temple in Jerusalem in accordance with the
   purification and redemption laws given by God to Moses.  The
   actions of the parents reflected on Jesus, who had to keep God's
   Law perfectly on behalf of all sinners.  Yet Jesus, at forty days
   old, had to rely on His faithful parents who took their God-given
   responsibilities seriously.

        While entering the Temple, the family was stopped by a man
   who had been promised by God that he would see the Christ, the
   Savior of the world.  Mary and Joseph knew the extraordinary
   circumstances of Jesus' birth, and the shepherds heard the
   proclamation of the angels the night Jesus was born.

        Simeon, however, was not present at Jesus' birth.  Yet this
   faithful man who was waiting for the consolation of Israel, the
   Redeemer, recognized Jesus.  His words, which we call the Nunc
   Dimittis, ``Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in
   peace,'' clearly told Jesus' parents about the work of their Son.

        Saint Luke recorded: ``And his father and his mother
   marveled at what was said about him.''  Clearly Simeon was
   speaking the prophetic word of God as enabled by the Holy Spirit.
   All who heard this word stood in awe of God's rich blessing of
   life and salvation, even as they wondered how this infant would
   carry the sins of the world.

        May our Lord grant us faith to recognize our Savior and to
   proclaim His goodness.  Amen.

February 5, 2025

Broadcast

               A Light to Lighten the Gentiles - Part 3
                             Luke 2:27-32
                              02/05/2025


        27   And he 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,
        28   he took him up in his arms and blessed God and
             said,
        29   ``Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in
             peace, according to your word;
        30   for my eyes have seen your salvation
        31   that you have prepared in the presence of all
             peoples,
        32   a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for
             glory to your people Israel.''  (ESV)

        Jesus Christ is the Light of the world, a light no darkness
   can overcome.  Forty days after He was born, Simeon, a devout
   believer in God, told this to Joseph and Mary as they went to the
   Temple to offer the sacrifices according to the law given to
   Moses.

        And he 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 and said, ``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, a light
        for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your
        people Israel.''


        Simeon confessed that he, a slave to God, was happy to be
   released from his service on earth, for he had seen the Messiah,
   the promised Redeemer of the world.  This forty-day old baby in
   the arms of His mother is not only the glory of Israel, but the
   One who brings the light of God's love to all people.

        There are many traditions concerning light on the fortieth
   day after Christmas based on Simeon's words.  The candles which
   are used in the church are blessed this day, as are the voices of
   those who proclaim the light of truth to the nations.  This is
   the source of Groundhogs Day, an acknowledgment of the light of
   spring.

        May our Lord enlighten us with the truth that Jesus Christ
   is our hope and our salvation.  Amen.

February 4, 2025

Broadcast

               A Light to Lighten the Gentiles - Part 2
                             Luke 2:25-26
                              02/04/2025


        25   Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was
             Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout,
             waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the
             Holy Spirit was upon him.
        26   And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
             that he would not see death before he had seen the
             Lord's Christ.  (ESV)

        Although Joseph, Mary, and Jesus going to the Temple forty
   days after He was born was unremarkable, for many other families
   did the same thing, the visit was far from normal.  The Son of
   God, the Messiah, the Redeemer of the world appeared in His
   Father's house for the first time.  He did this to fulfill the
   Law given to Moses about the sacrifices needed for the birth of a
   child.

        Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was
        Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting
        for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was
        upon him.  And it had been revealed to him by the Holy
        Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen
        the Lord's Christ.


        We know nothing of this devout man except that the Lord had
   promised that he would see the Messiah before he died.  God, in
   His grace, love, and mercy, provided for the salvation of all
   people, a salvation promised first in the Garden of Eden and
   repeated through the centuries.

        As we recognize our need for a Savior, as we acknowledge our
   sin and our inability to redeem ourselves from eternal
   condemnation, we also long to see the love and grace of God.
   Like Simeon, we desire to see the consolation of Israel, and of
   all people.

        May our Lord grant that we behold His Christ as our Savior
   from sin and death.  Amen.

February 3, 2025

Broadcast

               A Light to Lighten the Gentiles - Part 1
                             Luke 2:22-24
                              02/03/2025


        22   And when the time came for their purification
             according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up
             to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord
        23   (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, Every
             male who first opens the womb shall be called holy
             to the Lord)
        24   and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said
             in the Law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves, or
             two young pigeons.  (ESV)

        Yesterday was Groundhog Day, a celebration of spring that
   has its roots in the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple in
   Jerusalem.  This sounds far fetched, but this week we will be
   looking at the Presentation, and some of the traditions
   surrounding this day.

        The Presentation of Jesus, also known as the Purification of
   Mary, happens forty days after Christmas.  Saint Luke recorded:
        And when the time came for their purification according
        to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem
        to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law
        of the Lord, Every male who first opens the womb shall
        be called holy to the Lord) and to offer a sacrifice
        according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, a
        pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.


        Jesus came to fulfill God's Law on our behalf, not to
   abolish the Law.  This included His circumcision and naming on
   the eighth day of His life, which we discussed on January 1.
   This included the rites of purification for Mary, forty days
   after the birth of a male, and the redemption sacrifice required
   for a first-born son.

        On His fortieth day, therefore, Jesus was in the Temple, a
   dove was sacrificed on His behalf.  Jesus was under the Law for
   our benefit.  He took on the requirements of the Law for our
   salvation.

        May our Lord grant that we see Jesus as our Savior, the
   perfect Son of God.  Amen.

January 31, 2025

Broadcast

                           Healing - Part 5
                            Matthew 8:10-13
                              01/31/2025


        10   When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to
             those who followed him, ``Truly, I tell you, with
             no one in Israel have I found such faith.
        11   I tell you, many will come from east and west and
             recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in
             the kingdom of heaven,
        12   while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into
             the outer darkness.  In that place there will be
             weeping and gnashing of teeth.''
        13   And to the centurion Jesus said, ``Go; let it be
             done for you as you have believed. And the servant
             was healed at that very moment.''  (ESV)

        While Jesus was entering Capernaum, a centurion prayed for
   his paralyzed servant.  The soldier confessed his faith that
   Jesus could heal with just a word, for Jesus has authority over
   all things.  Matthew continued the story:
        When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those
        who followed him, ``Truly, I tell you, with no one in
        Israel have I found such faith.  I tell you, many will
        come from east and west and recline at table with
        Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,
        while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the
        outer darkness.  In that place there will be weeping
        and gnashing of teeth.''  And to the centurion Jesus
        said, ``Go; let it be done for you as you have
        believed. And the servant was healed at that very
        moment.''


        Jesus came to redeem all people, Jews and Gentiles alike.
   He made no distinction.  He praised people who demonstrated faith
   and understanding, commending them for their trust in God.

        Jesus comes today to heal our broken lives, to bring us the
   hope of forgiveness, the assurance of God's love.  When you join
   us at Trinity Lutheran Church each Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m.,
   you will come to understand the peace which comes from knowing
   Jesus has paid the price of our sin.

        Our goal at Trinity is to proclaim the truth that our
   freedom from eternal condemnation for our sins is a gift, given
   to us for the sake of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

        May our Lord open our hearts to receive this gift, to trust
   in Him, and to receive the healing of our souls.  Amen.

January 30, 2025

Broadcast

                           Healing - Part 4
                             Matthew 8:5-9
                              01/30/2025


        5    When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came
             forward to him, appealing to him,
        6    ``Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home,
             suffering terribly.''
        7    And he said to him, ``I will come and heal him.''
        8    But the centurion replied, ``Lord, I am not worthy
             to have you come under my roof, but only say the
             word, and my servant will be healed.
        9    For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers
             under me. And I say to one, `Go,' and he goes, and
             to another, `Come,' and he comes, and to my
             servant, `Do this, and he does it.'  (ESV)

        When [Jesus] entered Capernaum, a centurion came
        forward to him, appealing to him, ``Lord, my servant is
        lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.''  And he
        said to him, ``I will come and heal him.''  But the
        centurion replied, ``Lord, I am not worthy to have you
        come under my roof, but only say the word, and my
        servant will be healed.  For I too am a man under
        authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one,
        `Go,' and he goes, and to another, `Come,' and he
        comes, and to my servant, `Do this, and he does it.'


        The centurion understood the chain of command.  He was the
   commander of about 100 Roman soldiers, responsible for their
   training, upkeep, discipline, and actions.  If a subordinate
   soldier caused trouble, the centurion could well be punished with
   the one who broke the law.  Because the centurion had clear
   directions as to his mission, the men and equipment for which he
   was responsible, he also knew that he could issue orders to his
   portion of the Roman cohort.

        However, the centurion recognized that Jesus had authority
   over more than a company of men.  He believed that Jesus truly is
   the Son of God, with complete authority over nature.

        As we pray, we do so trusting that God will answer our
   prayers in the way He knows is for the abundant blessing of those
   who believe in Him.  Like the prayer of the centurion, the answer
   may be a quick ``yes,'' and the deed is done.  Like the prayer of
   Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, the answer may be ``no,'' for
   if the Father had removed the cup of suffering, we would be lost
   in sin.

        May our Lord grant us faith to trust in Him, that He will
   always treat us with love, grace, and mercy.  Amen.

January 29, 2025

Broadcast

                           Healing - Part 3
                             Matthew 8:5-9
                              01/29/2025


        5    When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came
             forward to him, appealing to him,
        6    ``Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home,
             suffering terribly.''
        7    And he said to him, ``I will come and heal him.''
        8    But the centurion replied, ``Lord, I am not worthy
             to have you come under my roof, but only say the
             word, and my servant will be healed.
        9    For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers
             under me. And I say to one, `Go,' and he goes, and
             to another, `Come,' and he comes, and to my
             servant, `Do this, and he does it.'  (ESV)

        The second healing miracle in this week's Gospel lesson is
   an example of faith, of knowing that we are saved by God's love
   and not our own works, and humility in prayer.
        When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to
        him, appealing to him, ``Lord, my servant is lying
        paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.''  And he said
        to him, ``I will come and heal him.''  But the
        centurion replied, ``Lord, I am not worthy to have you
        come under my roof, but only say the word, and my
        servant will be healed.  For I too am a man under
        authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one,
        `Go,' and he goes, and to another, `Come,' and he
        comes, and to my servant, `Do this, and he does it.'


        To begin, the centurion was not Jewish, but was part of the
   Roman army.  Yet he believed that Jesus could, by His voice only,
   cure his paralyzed servant.  This officer had great compassion
   for his servant, which is the sign of a good leader.  He also
   knew that Jesus was more than a mere man, someone who is indeed
   the Son of God.

        Like the centurion, we are not worthy to ask Jesus to enter
   our houses.  After all, He is holy, we are by nature sinful and
   unclean.  But our Lord is willing to come to us, to heal us, to
   give us life where there once was death.  This is God's grace,
   His undeserved love in action.

        We pray, boldly trusting in God's love, that He will do that
   which is best for us, that He will answer our prayers according
   to His good and gracious will.  Even if the answer is ``no'' or
   ``not yet,'' we know He holds us in His loving arms, and gives us
   His rich and abundant blessings.

        May our Lord open our hearts to Him that we may call upon
   Him in prayer.  Amen.

January 28, 2025

Broadcast

                           Healing - Part 2
                             Matthew 8:2-4
                              01/28/2025


        2    And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before
             him, saying, ``Lord, if you will, you can make me
             clean.''
        3    And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him,
             saying, ``I will; be clean.''  And immediately his
             leprosy was cleansed.
        4    And Jesus said to him, ``See that you say nothing
             to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and
             offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof
             to them.''  (ESV)

        And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him,
        saying, ``Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.''
        And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him,
        saying, ``I will; be clean.''  And immediately his
        leprosy was cleansed.  And Jesus said to him, ``See
        that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself
        to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded,
        for a proof to them.''


        Jesus had healed a leper, proving that He has the restoring
   power like our heavenly Father.  Why, then, did Jesus give a two-
   part instruction to the man He cured of this loathsome skin
   disease?

        This healing miracle took place early in Jesus' ministry at
   a time when large crowds or disruption by the religious
   authorities would make difficult the teaching of His disciples.
   Later, Jesus could not even go into the wilderness without large
   crowds demanding that He teach, that He cure the sick, that He
   perform miracles such as feeding large crowds.

        Jesus did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill the
   Law.  As such, the laws concerning contagious skin diseases were
   as much to protect people as to serve as an example of our sin.
   Thus Jesus had every reason to uphold the Levitical laws
   concerning leprosy and other skin diseases.  As Jesus fulfilled
   the Law, He left the moral law in place to show us our need for a
   Savior.  You and I cannot cure ourselves from the leprosy of sin.
   Only Jesus can cleanse us and declare us righteous in His sight.
   As redeemed sinners, we also are directed to the Church where God
   gives us His gifts of faith, forgiveness, and life everlasting.

        May our Lord grant us the faith to return to Him in
   thanksgiving, gathering at His invitation and at His altar.
   Amen.

January 27, 2025

Broadcast

                           Healing - Part 1
                             Matthew 8:2-4
                              01/27/2025


        2    And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before
             him, saying, ``Lord, if you will, you can make me
             clean.''
        3    And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him,
             saying, ``I will; be clean.''  And immediately his
             leprosy was cleansed.
        4    And Jesus said to him, ``See that you say nothing
             to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and
             offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof
             to them.''  (ESV)

        During the Epiphany season, which begins on January 6, the
   Church studies how Jesus revealed Himself as true God.  Last week
   we read of His first miracle, turning water into wine, which
   shows that Jesus has His Father's power to create.  This week we
   will look at two healing miracles Jesus performed after He taught
   His disciples on an unnamed mountain.

        And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him,
        saying, ``Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.''
        And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him,
        saying, ``I will; be clean.''  And immediately his
        leprosy was cleansed.  And Jesus said to him, ``See
        that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself
        to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded,
        for a proof to them.''


        This leper teaches us several lessons.  First, Jesus
   certainly is God, one who can restore health.  By calling Jesus,
   ``Lord,'' the leper is confessing that Jesus is true God.
   Second, we pray ``Thy will be done.''  You and I cannot see the
   big picture, how our situation may serve as a blessing to either
   ourselves or others.  Saint Paul asked for a ``thorn in the
   flesh''[1] to be removed, and God said that infirmity served a
   greater purpose.

        God hears our prayers.  By asking that His will be done, we
   confess that we are mere children standing before our heavenly
   Father.  We pray that our will conforms to His will, that we
   trust in Him even if we do not understand why He may answer
   ``no.''

        May our Lord grant us faith to pray, and grace to accept the
   answer He gives.  Amen.
   ____________________

   1. 2 Corinthians 12:7-8