Category: Moments of Meditation

October 6, 2026

Broadcast

                       To Summarize... - Part 2
                           Matthew 22:35-40
                              10/06/2026


        35   And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to
             test him.
        36   ``Teacher, which is the great commandment in the
             Law?''
        37   And he said to him, ```You shall love the Lord
             your God with all your heart and with all your
             soul and with all your mind.'
        38   This is the great and first commandment.
        39   And a second is like it `You shall love your
             neighbor as yourself.'
        40   On these two commandments depend all the Law and
             the Prophets.''  (ESV)

        This week's prayer asks God to direct us so that we may keep
   His holy law.
        O God, because without You we are not able to please
        You, mercifully grant that Your Holy Spirit may in all
        things direct and rule our hearts.


        In the Gospel reading, Jesus is asked about that law, which
   He summarized in two brief sentences.
        And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test
        him.  ``Teacher, which is the great commandment in the
        Law?''  And he said to him, ```You shall love the Lord
        your God with all your heart and with all your soul and
        with all your mind.'  This is the great and first
        commandment.  And a second is like it `You shall love
        your neighbor as yourself.'  On these two commandments
        depend all the Law and the Prophets.''


        Our problem is simple.  Because of our sinful, selfish
   nature we cannot love God with our whole being.  Because we are
   turned inward, seeking our own advantage, we cannot love our
   neighbor as ourselves.  Thus, we stand condemned by the law.  It
   works as a mirror, showing us our unrighteousness, showing us our
   need for a Savior.

        The Pharisees, however, insisted that they can keep the law
   perfectly, that they deserved heaven because they tried to do all
   the 613 Jewish laws demanded.  We also fall into the same trap.
   As long as we think we are good enough, as long as we ignore the
   mirror of the law, we have no hope.

        May our Lord show us our sin so that we may see our Savior.
   Amen.

October 5, 2026

Broadcast

                       To Summarize... - Part 1
                             Matthew 22:34
                              10/05/2026


        34   But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced
             the Sadducees, they gathered together.  (ESV)

        This past Sunday was the last of the third cycle of readings
   in the historic One Year series.  The readings summarized the
   righteousness of faith, the Christians' response to God's grace,
   love, and mercy.  Our prayer this week also summarizes our
   inability to live a God-pleasing life without His direct help and
   intervention.

        O God, because without You we are not able to please
        You, mercifully grant that Your Holy Spirit may in all
        things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus
        Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with
        You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.


        We believe, teach, and confess that good works follow coming
   to faith in Jesus Christ as our Redeemer from sin, death, and the
   power of the devil.  Good works do not earn our salvation, but
   are the result of our salvation.

        This week's Gospel reading takes place on Tuesday of Holy
   Week, two days after Jesus rode into Jerusalem to the waving of
   the palm branches and the shouts of the crowd.  On that Tuesday,
   Jesus discussed theology with the Sadducees and Pharisees as they
   tried to catch Him in false doctrine or inconsistencies.

        But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the
        Sadducees, they gathered together.


        The Pharisees were seeking to have Jesus put to death
   because of the political repercussions of His popularity.  This
   week's reading is the last time Jesus spoke with them before His
   crucifixion.

        May our Lord open our hearts and minds to His rich grace.
   Amen.

October 2, 2026

Broadcast

                          Pretense - Part 5
                               Luke 14:1
                              10/02/2026


        1    One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of
             a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him
             carefully.  (ESV)

        This week our prayer is for God to grant us the ability to
   overcome the temptations of the devil, the world, and our own
   sinful flesh.  Our desire is to have no gods other than the one
   True God, the Triune God, in whom we put our trust.
        Lord, we implore You, grant Your people grace to
        withstand the temptations of the devil and with pure
        hearts and minds to follow You, the only God.


        The Lord said through Moses, ``Remember the Sabbath day to
   keep it holy.''  This is a day of rest, a day when we can take
   time to hear God's Word, to remember His rich blessings, to set
   aside the cares of this world because He has showered us with His
   rich blessings.

        ``One Sabbath, when [Jesus] went to dine at the house
        of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him
        carefully.''


        The Sabbath day regulations which were observed by the
   Pharisees were built more on tradition than on God's Word.  These
   regulations became a burden rather than a joy.

        Sunday should, for us, be a day of rest, a day when we take
   the time to hear God's Word, to receive His gifts of grace,
   mercy, and love for the sake of the suffering, death, and
   resurrection of Jesus Christ.  It should not be a burden to
   gather at His invitation in His house to be given the forgiveness
   of our sins and the promise of life everlasting.

        Please join us this Sunday at 9:00 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran
   Church as we are privileged to gather around God's Word and the
   Sacraments.  Come and hear that your sins are forgiven for
   Christ's sake, that you have been healed of your transgressions.
   God grant this for Jesus' sake.  Amen.

October 1, 2026

Broadcast

                           Pretense - Part 4
                              Luke 14:5-6
                              10/01/2026


        5    And he said to them, ``Which of you, having a son
             or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath
             day, will not immediately pull him out?''
        6    And they could not reply to these things.  (ESV)

        Original sin, that sin which is passed from Adam to all his
   descendants, is the desire to be like God, to replace God.
   Therefore, all temptation to sin is the temptation to believe
   that God's law does not apply to us due to our exalted nature.
   Our prayer pleads through God's grace that we may be kept free
   from pretense and arrogance.
        Lord, we implore You, grant Your people grace to
        withstand the temptations of the devil and with pure
        hearts and minds to follow You, the only God.


        Jesus had healed a man on the Sabbath, the day of rest upon
   which no person could work.  The Pharisee and lawyers who
   witnessed the miracle were shocked that Jesus would be so bold to
   act in this way on the Sabbath.

        And [Jesus] said to them, ``Which of you, having a son
        or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day,
        will not immediately pull him out?''  And they could
        not reply to these things.


        Although the men present at the Sabbath day banquet were
   shocked at Jesus' actions, none of them would allow even a beast
   of burden, much less their own son, to remain in a well if an
   accident happened on the Sabbath.  They would go to the aid of
   the one who had fallen.  They would do the very act of mercy for
   which they condemned Jesus.

        May our Lord guard us from hypocrisy, that we may serve Him
   by serving our neighbor.  Amen.

September 30, 2026

Broadcast

                           Pretense - Part 3
                              Luke 14:2-4
                              09/30/2026


        2    And behold, there was a man before him who had
             dropsy.
        3    And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees,
             saying, ``Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or
             not?''
        4    But they remained silent. Then he took him and
             healed him and sent him away.  (ESV)

        This week we pray that God preserves us from the temptation
   to be prideful, arrogant, and hypocritical:
        Lord, we implore You, grant Your people grace to
        withstand the temptations of the devil and with pure
        hearts and minds to follow You, the only God.


        Jesus was invited to dine at the home of a chief among the
   Pharisees.  Saint Luke recorded:
        And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy.
        And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees,
        saying, ``Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or
        not?''  But they remained silent. Then he took him and
        healed him and sent him away.


        This is the third time in Luke's Gospel that records Jesus
   healing on the Sabbath day, the day of rest.  Other rulers of the
   Synagogue had already complained about Jesus doing this work on
   the day when all work was prohibited.

        By keeping silent, the Pharisees and lawyers present at the
   Sabbath banquet refused to admit that the traditions of the
   people did not permit such good to be done as releasing someone
   from the bondage of disease.  The Sabbath traditions were in
   direct contradiction to God's Word, spoken through Moses, ``You
   shall love your neighbor as yourself.''[1] God's holy law never
   suggests that it is right to neglect those in need, be it the
   Sabbath or any other day.  As Saint Paul reminds us, ``Love does
   no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the
   law.''[2]

        May our Lord grant us faith to reflect His love to our
   neighbor.  Amen.


   ____________________

   1. Leviticus 19:18b (ESV)

   2. Romans 13:10 (ESV)

September 29, 2026

Broadcast

                           Pretense - Part 2
                               Luke 14:1
                              09/29/2026


        1    One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of
             a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him
             carefully.  (ESV)

        This week we pray:
        Lord, we implore You, grant Your people grace to
        withstand the temptations of the devil and with pure
        hearts and minds to follow You, the only God.


        The temptation of the devil is to give us the pretense that
   we are above the law, that the rules do not apply to us.  That
   was true for Adam and Eve, it is true for us.

        We forget the three purposes of the law.  The first is a
   curb against overt bad behavior.  As we fear punishment, as we
   are concerned about the cost of getting caught, we follow the
   rules.  The second is a mirror which shows us that we have failed
   to keep the law.  The third is a guideline so that we may better
   live with those around us.

        Jesus was invited to a Sabbath dinner by a ruler of the
   Pharisees.  Those who were invited, in their arrogance, sought to
   discredit Jesus by catching him breaking one of the numerous
   traditional Sabbath laws.  ``One Sabbath, when [Jesus] went to
   dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching
   him carefully.''

        The teaching of Jesus, teaching with authority and power, a
   call to repent because the kingdom of God is at hand, was
   upsetting the religious leaders.  Time and again Jesus pointed
   out the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, who on the surface were
   highly religious, but were prideful sinners.  Eventually, the
   Pharisees would put Jesus to death for teaching of God's grace,
   love, and mercy.  May our Lord grant us faith to hear Jesus'
   words of love which bring us salvation from sin and death.  Amen.

September 28, 2026

Broadcast

                           Pretense - Part 1
                               Luke 14:1
                              09/28/2026


        1    One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of
             a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him
             carefully.  (ESV)

        As we continue to look at the Christian life and the
   perseverance of faith, this week we pray:
        Lord, we implore You, grant Your people grace to
        withstand the temptations of the devil and with pure
        hearts and minds to follow You, the only God; through
        Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns
        with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.


        The temptations of the devil, the world, and our own sinful
   flesh are simple.  When the serpent tempted Eve, he held out the
   promise, ``you shall be like God.''  From that point on, everyone
   believes they are above God's law.  The rules do not apply to
   them because they are special.

        Our Gospel lesson this week, a healing miracle recorded by
   Saint Luke, shows an example of the arrogance and pretense of the
   religious leaders of Jesus' time.  Today the arrogant skeptics,
   the pretentious leaders, those who claim to be more intelligent
   than the average, show the same sin of pride.

        ``One Sabbath, when [Jesus] went to dine at the house of a
   ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully.''
   Jesus was invited to dine with the Pharisees, not because of His
   love and compassion, but because the Pharisees were trying to
   discredit Him.  They believed they were more religious than this
   Rabbi who taught that the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

        May our Lord grant us faith which humbly accepts His good
   gifts of forgiveness and life everlasting.  Amen.

September 25, 2026

Broadcast

                   More Than We Can Imagine - Part 5
                               Luke 7:17
                              09/25/2026


        17   And this report about him spread through the whole
             of Judea and all the surrounding country.  (ESV)

        This week we have prayed that God grant us the faith to
   trust in Him above all things, that we may bear the fruits of
   faith to His glory.
        O Lord, we pray that Your grace may always go before
        and follow after us, that we may continually be given
        to all good works.


        As we come to the end of the account of the miracle at the
   city of Nain, the widow's only son being restored to life, we
   look at the response of the eyewitnesses.  They recognized Jesus
   as coming from God, as being the Messiah.  They were in awe as
   they rendered respect and worship.

        It didn't stop there, however.  Saint Luke records: ``And
   this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all
   the surrounding country.''

        Today the same report, the message of Jesus' compassion, of
   His power over death, is still proclaimed.  As we hear the
   Gospel, the good news of salvation by grace through faith for the
   sake of Christ, we stand in awe of God's great love and mercy.
   Thus, we also speak of this truth, that God so loved the world
   that He sent His only-begotten Son to bear our sins and be our
   savior.

        That is the message you will hear as you join us each Sunday
   morning at 9:00 a.m at Trinity Lutheran Church.  Our prayer is
   that you will find peace and joy which comes from knowing God's
   love.  God grant this for Jesus' sake.  Amen.

September 24, 2026

Broadcast

                   More Than We Can Imagine - Part 4
                               Luke 7:16
                              09/24/2026


        16   Fear seized them all, and they glorified God,
             saying, ``A great prophet has arisen among us!''
             and ``God has visited his people!''  (ESV)

        The eyewitness accounts tell us that Jesus healed the sick
   and raised the dead.  This happened not once, but many times.
   Saint Luke, in writing of the young man of Nain, gave a place
   where those who would deny the miracle could go and ask the ones
   who witnessed this restoration of life.

        We trust the One who cares for His people in ways that are
   far beyond their desires.  Such trust, faith, brings forth fruits
   by which we serve God by serving our neighbor.  Thus we pray:
        O Lord, we pray that Your grace may always go before
        and follow after us, that we may continually be given
        to all good works.


        How did the people of Nain, and the followers of Jesus,
   react to the miracle?  ``Fear seized them all, and they glorified
   God, saying, `A great prophet has arisen among us!' and `God has
   visited his people!'''  That fear is certainly awe and respect.
   But because Jesus acted out of love and compassion, that fear was
   not terror.  How could you be afraid of One who stops and
   overcomes death because of His desire to show mercy?

        The people of Nain recognized that Jesus came from God and
   is, in fact, the long-promised Messiah.  May our Lord also open
   our eyes to this same truth, that the One who raises the dead
   died and rose again to pay the price of our sin.  Amen.

September 23, 2026

Broadcast

                   More Than We Can Imagine - Part 3
                             Luke 7:13-15
                              09/23/2026


        13   And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on
             her and said to her, ``Do not weep.''
        14   Then he came up and touched the bier, and the
             bearers stood still.  And he said, ``Young man, I
             say to you, arise.''
        15   And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and
             Jesus gave him to his mother.  (ESV)

        This week we pray for faith which produces the good works of
   serving God by serving our neighbor.  Only as we have been
   redeemed from sin and death by the innocent suffering and death
   of Jesus Christ can we truly be given to all good works.
        O Lord, we pray that Your grace may always go before
        and follow after us, that we may continually be given
        to all good works.


        We have been looking at the miracle which happened in the
   city of Nain.  A widow's only son was restored to life because of
   the love of God.
        And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and
        said to her, ``Do not weep.''  Then he came up and
        touched the bier, and the bearers stood still.  And he
        said, ``Young man, I say to you, arise.''  And the dead
        man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to
        his mother.


        Every miracle recorded in the Bible is an extension of God's
   natural law.  Water is made into wine by the actions of the grape
   vines.  Jesus sped up the process and cut out the middle man.
   Healing is a gift from God as He works through the medical
   professions.  Jesus just healed instantly rather than allowing
   for the time it normally takes.  So too with the resurrection,
   this miracle demonstrates that you and I shall also rise from the
   dead.

        If the resurrection of the dead was not natural, this
   miracle broke God's natural law.  But here Jesus demonstrates
   what is to come, that we are to be restored body and soul.

        May our Lord grant us hope in His promises.  Amen.