Posterity will serve him, future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn: He has done it! (Psalm 22:30,31)
Read Psalm 22:25-31
After identifying those of his time, David looks to the future – future generations and those yet unborn. That means us and those who are yet to follow us – our children, grandchildren – and on through the generations. The message of proclaiming God’s righteousness continues, not because of anything we have done. As the text states, ‘He has done it!’ What a relief!
When I lived in the Philippines, I was often faced with typhoons. The advice was to put myself in a place where I am away from the risks of flying objects, breaking glass, or disappearing roofs. Therefore, I would place some cushions in a downstairs bathtub, surround myself with candles – and wait. The wind would howl, and tree branches would bash against the walls. The pressure would build and my ears would pop. I would pray for safety and peace. But, at the same time, all I could think of was that there must be something I could do. Feeling so powerless in such a storm is frightening, and I could easily relate to the disciples in that boat on the Sea of Galilee. Letting go, relinquishing any impulse to control what I can’t, is hard. But it was only when I was able, amid tears of frustration, to declare, ‘I give up – I’m in your hands Lord’, that I found peace and went to sleep.
That is the great gift of trusting God and his promises through faith in Jesus Christ. It enables us to let go, to be relieved of making ourselves right with God, because he has done it for us.
It doesn’t end there, however. In response to this gift, we endeavour to live according to Jesus’ command that we love one another, serve each other, and live our lives praising God and proclaiming this message to future generations and those yet unborn.
We give you thanks, Heavenly Father, for the faith of our forebears, and that through the Holy Spirit, you help us to be your proclaimers to those who follow us, so that they too may know you and abide in your grace. Amen.
Faye Schmidt continues her diaconal calling through governance, having served on the Vic–Tas District Church Board, the General Church Board and currently as chair of the Standing Committee on Constitutions and her congregation, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Adelaide. Having lived and worked in many locations within Australia and overseas, Faye has a heart for the stranger and the newcomer and for being open to new ideas, learning from others and responding to needs.
Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? (Luke 14:28)
Read Luke 14:25–35
Are you an impulse buyer? A person who, when shopping for an item will see something they like and buy it and then, on taking it home are faced with some realities – it is too big for the space, the wrong colour, or too expensive to be covered by the money in the bank? Then we are faced with what we can do with the now-unwanted item.
In today’s text, Jesus is making it clear to us that being one of his followers is a serious matter and has consequences far beyond just the decision to make our commitment to him.
It is not a matter of following the crowd and relying on the strength of the crowd to carry us – it is personal, individual, about our commitment to loving and serving Jesus and having a relationship with him. And that has consequences.
Am I prepared to work on this relationship? Am I prepared to listen to God through his word? Am I prepared to serve wherever he sends me and to those he puts in my path? And am I prepared to make him and his will the priority in my life?
This is not easy, but we are not left to flounder our way through this. God has sent his Holy Spirit to guide, strengthen and uphold us on our journey of faith. In Luther’s explanation to the Third Article of the Apostle’s Creed he states, ‘I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him, but the Holy Spirit has called me by the gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith’.
So, what seems impossible to us to achieve is made possible by God himself, who desires all creation to be made whole and one with him.
By your Holy Spirit, Lord, strengthen me in my faith in you and love for my neighbour so that I may be a true disciple accepting all you require of me, trusting in your grace. Amen.
Faye Schmidt continues her diaconal calling through governance, having served on the Vic–Tas District Church Board, the General Church Board and currently as chair of the Standing Committee on Constitutions and her congregation, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Adelaide. Having lived and worked in many locations within Australia and overseas, Faye has a heart for the stranger and the newcomer and for being open to new ideas, learning from others and responding to needs.
At the time of the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is ready’ (Luke 14:17).
Read Luke 14:12–24
In preparing for an event many of us would rely on a checklist to make sure that nothing is forgotten. However, we cannot achieve perfection as we are not in control of all circumstances – sudden changes to attendees, quality of venue or food, weather, etc. There would always be a qualification whether ‘everything’ was ready.
Some of the most amazing words spoken by Jesus when on the cross on that first Good Friday, were, ‘It is finished’. When facing the end of our days, how many of us would be able to say the same of any event or our life – that all we were required to do had been achieved, and completed?
For us, being mortal, we are not in control of our lives or made aware of all that we could or should accomplish while here on earth. We are bound and limited by our humanity.
Only God knows the completeness of things and these words of Jesus on the cross speak again that this was not just a man being crucified, but the Son of God. All that was required to atone for our sins was made complete on the cross and Jesus’ rising from the dead on the third day, Easter morning.
So, it should not be a surprise when we meet with Jesus at the Lord’s supper that the words we hear after the elements have been consecrated, ‘Come, for everything is ready’.
Everything has been completed that enables us to meet with Jesus at the altar as he comes to us in the bread and wine and we witness God’s grace in this act. There is nothing required of us but to ‘come’. God has made it all possible and we are invited to partake of the feast of victory.
May we humbly accept your invitation of saving grace as you have made everything right with you. May we also be a witness to others and invite those who do not yet know you, to be fellow invitees to the feast of victory over sin and death, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted (Luke 14:11).
Read Luke 14:1–11
There are some events to which we are invited when it is quite clear as to where we shall sit and the position that we hold at the event. When we go to the theatre, we have set seats and hunt for our numbers on the back of the seat. Or, when we board a plane, it is quite clear where we sit, although the people surrounding us can be a surprise! Such positions have been determined by others. We may have set some criteria – for example, a window seat on the plane – but the allocation and position are out of our control.
At other times, we can be unsure. There was a custom previously that when attending a wedding, you were placed on either the bride or groom’s side of the church. Or, if you are invited to a conference as a guest speaker, do you sit up the front, or just wait until called?
Even in church, we can often dither as to where we should sit. This is particularly an issue when visiting another church – as people often sit in the same place each week, it can be unsettling to find that we have sat in someone’s regular place.
The guests in the above text were comparing themselves with the other guests and determined for themselves the position that they considered appropriate to them.
Our decisions are often predicated on how we perceive ourselves – as a special guest, a speaker, etc. But Jesus is saying to us that when it comes to entering his kingdom, we are not the arbiters of our position – he is.
There are many ways in which we lack humility and measure ourselves against others – the suburbs we live in, the cars we drive, academic qualifications, holidays, and career positions. But do any of these identifiers make us more worthy in Jesus’ eyes than our neighbour who is different from us? In Philippians 2:4 we read, ‘Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your interests but each of you to the interests of the others’.
By your Holy Spirit, Lord, turn me from pride in myself to be more like you, seeking to see you in those who surround me so that I may be worthy to be a child of your kingdom. Amen.
Faye Schmidt continues her diaconal calling through governance, having served on the Vic–Tas District Church Board, the General Church Board, and currently as chair of the Standing Committee on Constitutions and her congregation, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Adelaide. Having lived and worked in many locations within Australia and overseas, Faye has a heart for the stranger and the newcomer and for being open to new ideas, learning from others, and responding to needs.
I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord’ (Luke 13:35b).
Read Luke 13:31–35
The Lutheran church is known as a confessional and liturgical church. This means that we have documented confessional statements that set out the basis of our beliefs and teaching. We are also liturgical – our worship services are set out in a format that takes from Scripture elements that set out the story of salvation. The gospel is proclaimed to us through the liturgy itself.
If you have ever worshipped in a church where the language spoken is not your own, it can be alienating. But if it is a liturgical church, there is a rhythm, a flow to the service that can be familiar and welcoming. By the tone of the responses, and the actions of the pastor, we can gauge where we are in the service. We can identify the confession and absolution, the collect for the day, the kyrie (Lord have mercy), the sermon, the offering of thanksgiving and the blessing. This enables us to participate in spirit without saying aloud the words.
The event that Jesus refers to in our text today is his arrival in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday when the people cry out, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord’. And, in our communion liturgy, we repeat this phrase just before the institution of holy communion.
Because this is where Jesus comes to us, in the bread and wine of holy communion. He comes to us! We may ‘go’ to communion, but it is where Jesus comes to us. As the song says, ‘Here we meet you once again, God of mercy, God of grace … ’.
Through our liturgy, Palm Sunday is every Sunday when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. It is part of remembering that last supper, the recognition that our salvation is God’s action at every step of the way and we, like those at the first Palm Sunday, cry out in thankfulness – ‘Hosanna, hosanna in the highest’.
God of mercy, God of grace, we thank and praise you for the gift of the sacrament of holy communion in which you come to us to forgive us and strengthen us through your love. Amen.
Faye Schmidt continues her diaconal calling through governance, having served on the Vic–Tas District Church Board, the General Church Board and currently as chair of the Standing Committee on Constitutions and her congregation, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Adelaide. Having lived and worked in many locations within Australia and overseas, Faye has a heart for the stranger and the newcomer and for being open to new ideas, learning from others and responding to needs.
What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about 60 pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough (Luke 13:20,21).
Read Luke 13:18-30
Have you ever baked your bread? During the COVID lockdowns across the country, there was a shortage of flour, as people found themselves confined to their homes with time to challenge themselves to make their own bread.
It all starts with the yeast, the smallest ingredient used in the process that makes everything happen. But what is yeast? A dictionary tells me it is a ‘single-cell organism, called Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which needs food, warmth and moisture to thrive’.
So, although yeast has much power, left to sit on a shelf it does nothing except deteriorate in effectiveness if not used when fresh. The yeast also needs flour, warmth and moisture to yield a product.
Scripture teaches us that those who are baptised and believe in Christ as their Saviour are already part of God’s kingdom. We may not be many – we may be out-numbered in our family or community. But our text tells us that we are like the yeast, where we are fed with God’s word and the sacraments, bathed in the warmth of fellow believers and daily aware of the waters of our baptism, the kingdom thrives.
So let us always remember that it is God’s kingdom. Although the world looks to demonstrations of might and power as giving things meaning, our God looks to the small, and the humble, and despite their humility and size, have an influence that outstrips everything else.
That humility came into focus through Christ who humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on the cross.
We praise and thank you Heavenly Father that you accept us, your children and heirs of your kingdom. through the death and resurrection of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd (John 10:16).
Read John 10:11–18
The image of Jesus as the good shepherd is a beloved image that demonstrates the love, care and gentleness of God to his people. It is a very personal image, with the shepherd declaring that he knows us, and we know him. Psalm 23 also supports this thinking when we say with the psalmist, ‘The Lord is my shepherd’.
But the text shows us that we are not just a scattering of individuals but part of a flock, a community, a family. The dangers are to the flock, not just the individual sheep. In verse 12, we read, ‘… the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it’.Division, and disharmony result.
In Isaiah 53:6, we read, ‘We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all’.
So, what does it mean to be a sheep of Jesus’ flock? It means that we enter through his gate. Jesus is the way to salvation. We know his voice and follow him. He cares for us, keeping us safe. And when we wander away, which we know we do all too often, he comes and searches for us.
These are wonderful, comforting images, but this passage includes another challenging thought. The good shepherd decides who is in the sheepfold; we do not. ‘I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold’ (John 10:16). The Pharisees and disciples thought they knew God’s chosen ones. But this shepherd is telling them, and telling us, that there will be ‘one flock, one shepherd’, and it is God, in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit – not us – who brings together that flock.
Dear Heavenly Father, we pray you will send your Holy Spirit to those who do not know you and that they may hear your voice, come to know you and be welcomed in the fold as members of your flock. Amen.
Faye Schmidt continues her diaconal calling through governance, having served on the Vic–Tas District Church Board, the General Church Board and currently as chair of the Standing Committee on Constitutions and her congregation, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Adelaide. Having lived and worked in many locations within Australia and overseas, Faye has a heart for the stranger and the newcomer and for being open to new ideas, learning from others, and responding to needs.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life (Psalm 23:6a).
Read Psalm 23
When it comes to God’s love, have you ever wondered just how big it is? You may know quite well the verse, ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16). But what does it mean?
Well, God loved the whole world, all creation, and continues to love you as part of his creation. He made you his own through the suffering and death of his only Son, Jesus, who came to die for sin. That is what love is – Jesus laid down his life for you, me and the whole world, and by believing in Jesus, you will not die eternally but live with him forever.
We can easily read and say these words. God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, Jesus, but sometimes, it doesn’t feel like we are loved. The devil can tempt us with lies when we feel down, simply by asking us, ‘Are you loved? If God loved you, maybe you would be happy and not hurting’.
It is easy to tell ourselves this, too, without the temptation from the devil. We can put ourselves down when hurting, frustrated, sad or lonely. Yet the words of Psalm 23 give us so much comfort.
God’s goodness and love are amazing. You might say that’s great, but it doesn’t feel like it at all.
How about this? The word used in the Hebrew language we translate as ‘follow’ means so much more than just following. It means to hound and pursue. So, as you read these words today, know the meaning behind these words is this: God’s love will not quit on you; in fact, it will chase you down, pursuing you forever. It will not be far from you but in you. God’s love and goodness will never let you go.
O my Shepherd, help me to know that you are all I need. When I am struggling, remind me of your love and goodness that chases me to the ends of the earth because I am yours. You have called me by name and know everything I face day by day. Wrap me in your goodness and love this day as I do the work you send me to do. Amen.
Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God (Luke 13:13).
Read Luke 13:1–9
We live in a world that has so many double standards. Racism sometimes seems to go only one way, and yet all people are capable of racism. We have a world now that chases and seems almost obsessed with making changes to wording on documents and less about actually giving people dignity or valuing their worth as a human being.
You see, our human hearts are quick to judge others based on race, gender, age, where someone lives, job status, parenting styles, school or university attended, and so on. Yet, our human hearts are slow to show love.
As Jesus is in the synagogue, there is a woman there. You can imagine what was on the hearts of those seeing the events unfolding. Were they thinking, what right does a woman have in this space, let alone a woman who is crippled? How many people were thinking, let us show this woman is valuable as a human, made in the image of God?
Jesus takes a huge risk, not thinking of what others might say, but instead, he puts his love to work. His love is in action when he breaks all the rules by calling a woman forward in the synagogue. He then heals her and says, ‘Woman, you are set free from your infirmity’. Jesus goes further still and touches her. Jesus publicly gives dignity to this woman, who had been crippled for eighteen years. Jesus heals her, and she praises God. Jesus highlights her worth as God’s beloved child.
The work of the Lord is never about finding a political platform or even an influencer platform; Jesus is God’s love in action. Acknowledging a woman in the synagogue and then touching her and healing her.
Jesus has touched you, too. He has healed you by forgiving your sins and giving you a fresh start. Jesus acknowledges you, calling you by name to come to him and be healed by his love and grace. You are valuable, you have worth, and you have forgiveness of sins, life and salvation in the name of Jesus, God’s only Son.
Lord Jesus, give me the grace to show others grace and to highlight their worth, as you have made them in your image, and you love them as you love me. Jesus, when I struggle with others and begin to judge them according to my standards, forgive me and fill my heart with your love so I can see them as you see them – that you died for them as you died for me, so all who believe will know of forgiveness and salvation and a life with you forever. Amen.
Pastor Mark lives with his two daughters aged 11 and 8 in Redcliffe, just north of Brisbane. He currently serves as a pastor in the LCANZ and is passionate about sharing Jesus’ love with those around him. Pastor Mark loves to travel with his family to see the wonders of God’s creation and meet people who share their stories of what God has done for them.