Welcome to the October 2025 Archive. You are welcome to read the entire archive, or find a topic on the list below that is of interest to you. Just click the link, and you will be taken directly to the day it was written. Enjoy, and may you know God's peace as you read His Word.
You are welcome to use these writings or pass them on. All we ask is that in all things you remember the Author and give Him the glory, and remember this vessel which He has used to bring them to you. Peggy Hoppes
Topics
A WORD FOR TODAY, October 2025
October 1, 2025
Lectionary Scriptures for October 5, 2025, Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost: Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4; Psalm 62; 2 Timothy 1:1-14; Luke 17:1-10
“He alone is my rock, my salvation, and my fortress. I will never be greatly shaken.” Psalm 62:2, WEB
The book of Habakkuk is a conversation between God and the prophet which serves as an oracle for the people of Israel. This oracle is a burden for the prophet. As we read the text, Habakkuk appears to be a whiner, crying out to God about His slow response to the injustice in Israel. “How long?” he asked. Habakkuk was speaking for all the righteous in Israel who have waited so long to hear God’s answer to the wickedness in His people. Habakkuk simply cannot understand why God allowed evil to rule in the world. He did not understand why God was not disciplining His people so that they would turn back to Him.
Does that sound familiar? How many of us have cried out with the same sense of wonder at the delay of God’s justice? We are frustrated by the suffering we see in the world, uncertain how God could seemingly have no concern for His people. Habakkuk knew that the people sinned against God, but he also knew that God could make them turn back. He asked, “How long?” He wanted to know how long it would be until God brought His people to repentance.
The answer that he received was even more shocking. God answered that the Babylonians would discipline the people of Israel. Habakkuk was upset by this answer because he could not understand how God could use an even more ungodly nation to do such an important work. Here is the burden that Habakkuk suffered: He could see the future of His people, a future that would include pain, exile, and more injustice. This was not pleasant for anyone to hear, but prophets are often burdened with visions of things they would rather not see. God’s answer was not what Habakkuk wanted to hear. It was shocking and disturbing to thing that God would use wickedness against His own people. But God assured Habakkuk that this was just the beginning of the story.
God works in His own time. We look around us and see a world that is full of injustice and suffering, and we wonder when God will bring change. God answers our cry with a promise, “Though it takes time, wait for it, because it will surely come.” Babylon would bring Israel to her knees, but God had not forgotten His people: Babylon would eventually see God’s justice and Israel would be restored. God knows what He is doing, and He knows the time. We only know a see a small part of God’s plan and we are called to trust that God does know what He is doing. We do not want to wait, but that is why we live by faith. Our faithful and faith-filled response to God’s grace is trusting that He will do what is right when it is right.
You may have heard recently that NASA is planning to return to the moon. It has been more than fifty years since the last men returned form a space walk on the desolate lunar surface. They are planning to shoot a rocket early next year that will travel as far as, and beyond, the moon in preparation for further trips that will lead to a moon landing in 2027. People ask why, after all, they say, “Been there, done that.” Others wonder why it has taken so long. A number of reasons have been suggested: money, apathy, and focus on other programs like the Space Shuttle and International Space Station. It doesn’t help that the accidents and disasters in the decades since the last man walked on the moon have taken our courage and the heart for exploration. Why now? I suppose the private companies that have developed new technology has made NASA more willing to take the chance now. The closure of other programs has opened resources to try again.
How did this all begin? On October 4, 1957, the Russians shot a reconfigured missile into space to set into orbit the first human produced “moon” around the earth. Sputnik set off a race for space that brought about some amazing technology. Most of our favorite modern conveniences are in some way credited to the space program. The scientists were developing technology necessary for space travel like the computer, cell phone, and microwave, but it was then adapted for common use. However, it is not just electronics that have benefited. Fabric, food, and even leisure products like toys and sports equipment have seen amazing development because of science that has come out of our race for space.
It was eventually revealed by the men who made Sputnik happen that the satellite was not really what we thought it was. We thought it was a highly developed satellite, or at least more highly developed than our own work in the field. In reality, the scientist in charge of the program has admitted that it was little more than a toy. The satellite had only few bells and whistles. The point of sending it to space was not to establish a working satellite in orbit. Instead, the point was to be the first to make it happen. Sputnik was developed in less than three months and was sent into space two days early to ensure that the Russians won the race.
Sputnik spurred scientific discovery and development that has led to the creation of the International Space Station, the Space Shuttle, and the new rockets slated to return to the moon and then eventually they want to take it to Mars. Out of that development came so many wonderful things that many of us can’t imagine living without. It all came out of a 184-pound ball of metal that was shot into space in a refurbished missile. It had no real value, and many people today are shocked to discover how little value it really had. Yet, that humble satellite helped bring about incredible change.
In today’s lesson from Luke, the disciples asked for greater faith. They were shocked and disheartened by Jesus’ comments that preceded the request. He told them that they should forgive seventy times seven times. We demand true repentance from those who have hurt us, and it is hard to trust someone when they have repeated the sins over and over again. It is hard enough to forgive someone once or twice, but Jesus expected His disciples to keep on forgiving. How can we do that if we do not trust them? So, the disciples asked Jesus to increase their faith. The problem is that they wanted Jesus to increase the faith they had in people, but people will never be trustworthy. All it really takes to move mountains is to have a little bit of faith in the only one who is trustworthy: God.
So, Jesus reminded the disciples of their position in this relationship. He tells us that we are no better than slaves; we have done only as much as is expected of us. We aren’t of more value because we do good things. We aren’t better because we can forgive someone four hundred and ninety times. We aren’t more righteous. We aren’t better Christians. We are only doing what God expects of us. Jesus is our example, and He calls us to follow Him. He established in Jesus the forgiveness we are expected to give. We might ask God, “How long,” wondering if God will truly turn the person who continues to hurt us to repentance, of if He will ever respond to the injustice against us. We are reminded that God is faithful in His way and in His time. The true answer to our prayer and our ability to forgive as we are commanded is answered in the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus gave the Kingdom to the disciples who gave the kingdom to the early Christians who gave the kingdom to the subsequent generations. He is the source of forgiveness. He is the foundation of forgiveness. Everything we give comes from Him. He lived like a servant, doing what He was sent to do. We can only follow the Master. As we share the Kingdom, and the forgiveness that comes from it, does not make us more valuable. Like Sputnik, we have no real value. However, the forgiveness we share, like the forgiveness that has been shared with us, will bring great things to future generations, all thanks to the humble servanthood of Jesus Christ, who came first to bring God’s grace to the world.
In a sermon about today’s Gospel lesson, St. Augustine said, “We must believe, then, in order to pray; and we must ask God that the faith enabling us to pray may not fail. Faith gives rise to prayer, and this prayer obtains an increase of faith. Faith, I say, gives rise to prayer, and is in turn strengthened by prayer... Mark the apostles: they would never have left everything they possessed and spurned worldly ambition to follow the Lord unless their faith had been great; and yet that faith of theirs could not have been perfect, otherwise they would not have asked the Lord to increase it.”
Jesus said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you would tell this sycamore tree, ‘Be uprooted, and be planted in the sea’ and it would obey you.” What is the object of faith in this verse? Is it the sycamore tree? Is it the person having faith? No, the object of our faith is God. If we have faith in God the size of a mustard seed, we will see amazing things happen. With faith in God, we will trust that He knows the whole story, and then we can continue to forgive. Faith means giving God control. It means even giving God control over those things that have harmed us, even if it seems like God is not doing anything to make things right. We ask, “How long?” but faith waits.
Talk about moving mountains! The point of this passage is not that you only need a little faith to do the miraculous. We are quick to assume that if we can’t make a sycamore tree leap into the ocean that we do not have enough faith. However, faith is not something that can be measured. Nothing we do is enough. We, like the disciples, can only say, “We are unworthy servants. We have done our duty.”
One of the most blatant examples of recurring sin has to do with the language we use. Oh, I don’t know if bad words are really harmful to others, but there are definitely words that are bothersome. Curse words are just words, but what about when we cry “God damn you.” What does that do to the listener? We know that God will not damn someone based on our out-of-control tongue, but does the listener know that? Does the listener brush it off as being a meaningless comment? Does our bad habit of damning everything that upsets us glorify God?
It doesn’t take long for those words to become constants in our vocabulary. Most of us have heard comedians or internet “influencers” who can’t tell a story without using the “f” word. It might have began as part of their shtick, but it quickly becomes part of their character. It does nothing for the stories or jokes, but it does cause me to change the channel or turn off the video. In our day, most people see that word as acceptable, even cool, so it becomes part of their vocabulary, too. You can hear it spoken on street corners in conversations that make no sense because the “verbal pause” of that word has no purpose. It is not edifying, and it causes many who need to hear a good word to turn us off.
We all have habitual language that we use, words or sounds that automatically enter our conversation, and they aren’t really harmful. The point is that it is easy for us to get into habits that are hard to break, and some of those habits are truly harmful to others. What driving habits are dangerous? What lies have become a daily part of our lives? What habitual use of foods or drinks or other substances affects our family and neighbors? It is easy to get caught up in habits that seem insignificant that become overwhelmingly difficult to overcome.
Thank goodness Jesus commands us to forgive repeatedly, or we would destroy every relationship with our bad habits. I cringe when I hear bad language, and I want to leave the room. I’d rather not be with the person who uses it. Families fall apart because someone is excessive at work or play. Little white lies become natural part of our conversations but create distrust between people. In most cases it is easy to forgive one another of these little things, probably because we know we are guilty, too.
The bigger things are more difficult to forgive. How often can we forgive someone who hurts us? How many times can we forgive the person who leads us down a dangerous path? How often should we forgive the neighbor who takes what is not theirs or does what makes life more difficult for us? Do we really have to forgive the co-worker who has lied to get another promotion over us? Do we really have to forgive the violent person that killed another innocent person?
God calls us to forgive, but it is not a blind forgiveness that ignores the reality of sin. His Word brings light to reveal our mistakes, our errors, our sins. His Law is a mirror that reflects that we are sinners in need of a Savior, we make mistakes that need to be rectified, and we have habits that need to be overcome. God calls us to help one another become the people He calls us to be, and we do so by revealing to one another our failures, calling one another to repentance and forgiving one another when we do. Remember, we are not only called to forgive our neighbors, but they are also called to forgive us. Together we will overcome those habits that do not glorify God.
I don’t blame the apostles for asking Jesus to help them do it. “Increase our faith,” they asked. I don’t like to call out my neighbors on those things that disturb me, because so much of it seems so unimportant; it doesn’t cause me any lasting physical, mental, emotional or spiritual harm, right? We just brush it off, but as the behavior continues, over and over again, we lose control of our emotions and find the little things become big. That’s when relationships die and when we do the things that are more obviously against God’s will.
And how do you go on forgiving and forgiving the same things? How do you forgive anything seventy times seven times? Really? At what point do we think that repentant words no longer repentance? At what point do we stop trying to help one another overcome those habits that do not glorify God? Perhaps the better question to ask, however, is how many times do we want our neighbors to forgive the habits that we are having trouble overcoming?
Jesus tells the apostles that this is an expectation of those who have been forgiven. After all, God has forgiven us all our sins. Jesus died to make things right between our Father and His children. He has forgiven, and forgiven, and forgiven even though we continue to sin against Him. He forgives us our trespasses even as we forgive those who trespass against us. This we do not forgive others to earn our forgiveness; we forgive because it is our duty.
Ah, there is yet another word that bothers us: duty. We think of duty as it is defined in today’s language, “An act or a course of action that is required of one by position, social custom, law, or religion.” Those of us who understand our inability to live up to the Law cringe at the idea that God requires anything of us. But what it means in the Greek is more subtle. We are bound by God’s forgiveness to forgive. We are obliged by God’s grace to be gracious. That’s our duty, and in the end, we do not deserve a seat at the table in heaven for doing what we owe to God for His mercy.
What God knows and we often forget is that people are simply not trustworthy: we will, until the day we die, fail to live up to anyone’s expectations. We can try. We can work through our failings and overcome our habits, but we will fall again. And again. And again. That doesn’t mean that we should not trust. Talk about moving mountains! What matters is that God is trustworthy, and He has forgiven us seventy times seven times and more for failing to live up to His expectations.
Paul’s second letter to Timothy was written during a time when there was great persecution in the Church, most likely under the emperor Nero. Paul had been arrested again, but this time was not like before. Instead of living in a borrowed place under house arrest, Paul was being kept in a damp, dark dungeon. He was near the end of his life, and he knew it. He was concerned for his friend and for the Church. Heresy grows more quickly under persecution as people find justification and excuse for new ideas to spare believers of risk. Heresy often tries to meld together ideas from other religions to make them more acceptable to the non-believers.
Timothy learned about faith from his mother and grandmother. They brought him up in a Christian home, but the lessons learned as a child are often difficult to uphold as we get older. This is especially true in a time of persecution. The life of faith can dwindle under a burden of fear. We can fall for the heresies when we are vulnerable because they sound good to our ears even though they do not stand up to God’s word. This is why Paul encouraged Timothy and reminded him of the faith which he was given, a faith built on Christ. Following other teachings might sound good; they might even seem to be less risky and better than the sound teaching given to us by our forefathers. But like Chicken Little and her friends, the shortcut might just bring us to destruction. So, too, heresy leads us away from God’s grace, away from the treasure which we have been given. There is no need to fear the persecution that might come because God’s grace gives us a spirit of power and love and self-discipline.
The psalm begins with a confession of faith: “My soul rests in God alone. My salvation is from him.” It may seem as if God is not answering our prayers, and we lament in what we see around us. “How long, O Lord?” we ask. Yet faith means trusting that God is already at work, answering our prayers even before we cry out to Him.
The Psalm ends, “Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done.” This sounds like great news until we begin to think about what we have done. Have we earned our place at the Master’s table? Have we done more than the work He has called us to do? Have we shared His Gospel message of forgiveness with the world? Have we forgiven seven times seventy times? If we are honest with ourselves, the answer is “No.” We don’t deserve that place at the table. The Good News is this: we don’t have to earn it; Jesus has already done all that is necessary for us to sit with Him. He has not only made us a guest in His house, but He has made us His brothers and sisters. We are no longer strangers or foreigners, but children of God.
Our passages this week have faithful men crying out to God, “How long, O Lord?” and “Increase our faith!” How many times have you doubted your ability to accomplish the work God has sent you to do? We are reminded in this week’s lessons that we do not know the whole story. We cannot see what God has in store for us or for the world. We can only go forth in trust and hope knowing that God is faithful. When we cry out “How long?” or “Increase our faith” we do so from the humble position of being a slave to Christ.
Habakkuk needed encouragement. It didn’t come as he expected or hoped, but by the end of the conversation with God, he knew that God was at work among his people. In the end everything would be made right. The psalmist sought encouragement for God’s people suffering under the hands of their oppressors. Paul wrote Timothy to remind him to stay on course and do what he’d been taught to do. The disciples needed Jesus to increase their faith. God provides us all we need, if only we are willing to listen to what He has to say.
We may face persecution, heresy, and other problems that will take perseverance and trust. Our strength is not in our ability to make anything happen, but in God’s grace. As we take on the world in which we live, sharing God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness with all we won’t necessarily know where it is leading. However, God is faithful, and He knows the purpose for which we have been sent. It is to continue doing the work of Christ in this world, bringing restoration and peace with the Gospel, sharing faith and planting God’s love.
We are called to holy service, sharing the love and forgiveness of Christ with the world. The news we have may be rejected, but it is Good News worth sharing despite the risks. Most people don’t want to hear that they should forgive others. We would rather know that our enemies will suffer for their sin. We forget that we are sinners, too, in need of the love and mercy of God. But we are given God’s grace through Jesus Christ so that we will experience His forgiveness and boldly proclaim that God will make everything right, even when it seems impossible.
Ultimately Habakkuk believed God; he prayed for God to demonstrate His wrath and mercy and then confessed his faith. He rejoiced in the God of his salvation. We can join the psalmist in our cries for God’s encouragement as we face the difficulties of the world, but we are called to always remember that God is already at work and He is faithful. We have faith that leads us to prayer and prayer strengthens our faith. Our faith will never be perfect, but God has promised that He’s already at work establishing justice with mercy and forgiveness. He will make all things right despite the smallness of our faith, despite our doubts and fears and frustrations. He alone is our rock and our salvation. He is the rock of our strength. He is our refuge, and He is faithful.
“But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that one write to you. For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another, for indeed you do it toward all the brothers who are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brothers, that you abound more and more; and that you make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, even as we instructed you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and may have need of nothing.” 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12, WEB
We attended a wedding when we lived in England. The couple, Will and Norma, had a most unusual courtship, a witness to the powerful hand of God, our heavenly Father. I met Norma in a Christian chat room on the Internet. She was a lovely lady and a gifted poet who set her words to music in her head. One day she told her friends in the chat room that she had no formal musical training and could not put her songs on paper. Will, who was a musician, happened to be in the room at the time and offered his help. After a long conversation online, they talked on the phone for even longer. They knew very early in their relationship that God had brought them together to be partners in music ministry. They soon realized that God brought them together for more. Will asked Norma to marry him and the wedding we attended was the culmination of this whirlwind romance.
Every detail of the wedding was watched over by God, and was the whole weekend was planned in a way that glorified Him. God made His presence known on the night of the rehearsal by creating a rainbow in a gloomy sky. The rehearsal was chaotic, but even in the midst of the problems we were praising God in the music and fellowship. I was honored to lead the opening prayer, and my family was blessed to be part of this special occasion. The wedding itself was a service of Worship and Praise to God, where two people just happened to get hitched. God was the focus, and we joined in one voice to glorify Him.
We were the only Americans at the wedding. This provided a never-ending source of amusement for Will, who referred to us as “the people who talk funny.” Zoe the flower girl told us how much she loved our accent. It is strange being a foreigner, but we were made to feel welcome and dearly loved. Several people even gave us their personal information with an invitation to visit them.
We were foreigners in many ways, particularly nationality and denomination, but also in the way we came to know Will and Norma. In this age of technology, the Internet provides a unique way of getting to know people. I had many friends in the chat rooms that I never met face to face. Sadly, there are many people online who are not trustworthy. They remain anonymous, often lying about their identity; I’ve heard too many horror stories of people who have fallen prey to predators on the net. Yet, Will and Norma’s story is a wonderful example of how God can use modern technology to accomplish His will.
Despite the cultural and religious differences, we had with the other guests at the wedding, we spent many hours visiting with them, sharing our common love and faith. We also talked about our hope for Christ’s Church in the days to come. We offered prayer and support for Will and Norma’s ministry, as well as each other’s, sincerely interested in hearing about God’s work in every life. Christ was present in that place; the people we met knew about His love. We were brothers and sisters in Christ, treating one another accordingly. The love those guests showed my foreign family shined as a light to those who were present whose faith was wavering or non-existent. One woman shared her story with me, a story of pain and lost faith. She had been afraid to come, but by the end of the evening, she was so thankful to have been part of this movement of God.
Who are the foreigners in your life? What can you be doing today to win their respect and shine the light of our Lord Jesus Christ? Follow Paul’s advice and love one another. You never know what seeds might be planted!
“Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, seeing that his divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and virtue, by which he has granted to us his precious and exceedingly great promises; that through these you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust. Yes, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence; and in moral excellence, knowledge; and in knowledge, self-control; and in self-control, perseverance; and in perseverance, godliness; and in godliness, brotherly affection; and in brotherly affection, love. For if these things are yours and abound, they make you to not be idle or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins. Therefore, brothers, be more diligent to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never stumble. For thus you will be richly supplied with the entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:1-11, WEB
I did not meet very many of the “friends” I knew in the internet chat rooms. Those chat rooms were early programs and did not include the kind of technology we have in social media today. We did not even have avatars to know them by face. I had a friend named Vivian that I talked to often in both the chat rooms and instant messenger. We shared our hopes and fears; we prayed for each other. We never talked on the phone (it was very expensive to call between England and the United States.) We knew each other very well, but only by our words. We had never gone out to lunch or a movie. We had never even looked each other in the eye or given a hug, until a wonderful opportunity happened.
Vivian was a flight attendant, so she was able to get inexpensive flights around the world. She decided to take her daughter Katie to London for a few days. She couldn’t imagine not meeting since they were so close, so we planned to spend some time together. I drove to the airport to pick them up for our very short visit, uncertain whom I was meeting. She sent me a photo so I might recognize her when they arrived, but people change, and photos can be deceiving. I made a little sign so that they would know who I am, but I didn’t use it because I was certain I would recognize her. After all, we knew each other so well.
I arrived at the airport with time to spare but discovered that their plane had landed early. I stood expectantly at the gate, looking at each woman, hoping something would click. Most people I could easily dismiss because they had small children or male companions. I saw several pairs of women pass, but none clicked. I went to the monitor to check on the status of the flight, and it showed the flight was not yet coming through customs. So, I went back to watch.
Two lovely women kept walking by, standing close, looking at me. I had seen these two women as they came out of customs, but for some reason it didn’t click. I realized they were there standing near me. They were whispering back and forth, because neither of them wanted to ask me if I was Peg. Finally, I looked straight at Vivian, and she said, “Are you Peg?” I said, “Vivian?” And we laughed at how close we were without knowing for sure who we were.
I was blind and, in my effort to recognize her, I refused the opportunity to make it easier on both of us by using my sign. How often do we do that in our Christian walk? We know how much God loves and knows us, and we know there is nothing we can do to make Him love and know us any better. Yet, we don’t always accept the opportunities to show people who I am and whose I am. We hesitate to wear our faith on our sleeves, and there is perhaps good reason to do so. We live in a dangerous world that rejects everything about God. However, we are to be the light in a world of darkness, holding Christ so that others will see Him. We might be afraid of rejection or persecution, but we can be bold witnesses to God’s grace because God provides us with everything we need.
He calls us to be courageous, to shine His light, to hold up our signs so that strangers will see Him in our lives. He provides the opportunities and the gifts, and He has given us the faith and hope to know that even if we are rejected and persecuted that we can rely on His promises because He is faithful. We can’t sit with the knowledge of God’s goodness and expect to make connections with people God desires for Himself. We need to grasp those opportunities so that His grace will grow in us or we are like the blind man who does not really see what is right in front of him. I thought I knew Vivian so well that I didn’t have to do anything special to recognize her. Do we think we know God so well that we don’t have to do anything to recognize His hand in our lives? It won’t make Him love us more if we make the effort to know Him better, but it will help us to know Him better and live more productively in His grace.
“The whole earth was of one language and of one speech. As they traveled east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they lived there. They said to one another, ‘Come, let’s make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.’ They had brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. They said, ‘Come, let’s build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top reaches to the sky, and let’s make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad on the surface of the whole earth.’ Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built. Yahweh said, ‘Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is what they begin to do. Now nothing will be withheld from them, which they intend to do. Come, let’s go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.’ So Yahweh scattered them abroad from there on the surface of all the earth. They stopped building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there Yahweh confused the language of all the earth. From there, Yahweh scattered them abroad on the surface of all the earth.” Genesis 11:1-9, WEB
I recently watched a show about the building of the last Frank Lloyd Wright house. A woman bought a property that was the sight of another Wright house. The original owners wanted a second house a few hundred feet away because the property was threatened by plans for an interstate road, but Wright rejected the idea. Plans for a project on that property were discovered shortly after he died, and they were given to the owner of the property. The woman and her daughter discovered the plans after they purchased the property and decided to follow Wright’s plans to build that house exactly as it had been designed.
Frank Lloyd Wright was very detailed about the design of every aspect of the houses he designed. It was difficult to follow the specifications exactly, because after more than fifty years, some of the products in his plan were no longer available. They did the best they could, and created a beautiful building that was truly “The Last Wright: Building the Final Home Design of America’s Greatest Architect.” Whenever they had a problem, they asked the question, “What would Frank do?” They met other Wright homeowners or experts, toured several properties, and learned from the past to recreate the plan as best they could. On several occasions, they discovered that the details really did matter, and they were happy at the end that they stayed as close to the plan as they could.
Frank Lloyd Wright did not just design houses. He was the brilliant mind behind the Guggenheim Museum in New York. People thought he was crazy, but it is an iconic property which includes a spiral ramp inside which makes viewing the artwork a continuous path without interruption. Despite building in a big city, Wright always incorporated nature into his designs, and spirals are found throughout nature.
His design for the Guggenheim is not the first time that the spiral was used in architecture. Many buildings include spiral staircases. What wasn’t common, however, is to use spirals for the design of a building. Spiral buildings were wasteful because they required a large amount of material and labor to make it happen, and they were not as strong as they needed to be. The building of large tower-temples dates back some 5,000 years; some were large, mountain-like temple structures meant to help the people connect with their gods and history and history suggests that at least some included a spiral design.
The Greek writer Herodotus described the Etemenanki, the tower of Babylon, which was possibly the highest ziggurat ever built. He wrote, “The temple is a square building, two furlongs in each way, with bronze gates, and was still in existence in my time; it has a solid central tower, one furlong square, with a second erected on top of it and then a third, and so on up to eight. All eight towers can be climbed by a spiral way running around the outside, and about half-way up there are seats and a shelter for those who make the ascent to rest on. On the summit of the topmost tower stands a great temple...”.
The Bible doesn’t give us details about the shape of the Tower, but many artists make the Tower of Babel a spiral building. This design symbolizes humanity’s ambition, hubris. One of the most famous paintings was by Pieter Bruegel, who gave the town unstable arches and an incomplete foundation. It is a “half-finished disaster zone.” His design created an unstable, unfinished, and morally questionable structure that mimics real-world civic and economic ventures. This spiral motif, with its visible ramp and architectural instabilities, visually represents the story’s moral message of man’s overreach and foolish pursuit of god-like heights. The upward spiral reaching toward heaven embodies humanity’s desire to achieve the highest goal and reach the heavens. This design represents hubris and pride. Bruegel’s tower is instable and imperfect, foundationless and unsteady, which is a warning against the arrogant foundation of material ambition.
A flawed, crumbling tower serves as a commentary on the inherent flaws and potential for disaster in human endeavors driven by pride and material concerns. The people of Babel were the first agrarians. When humans were hunter gatherers, they spent all their time and energy on the business of survival. But when they learned how to plant seeds, they didn’t need to travel so far to support a community. They learned how to harvest water, to tame the land, to work together to have food enough for a large group.
They were no longer nomadic. They settled down and stayed in one place. They had time to do things other than survive. They built permanent homes and other buildings. They were beginning to form business methods, writing, art, government and religion. They established temples for their gods. This freedom gave them time to ponder life, the universe, and everything. They believed in the gods, but they also began to see themselves in a new way. They were not only stronger than the animals, but they were also intelligent. They could build things. They could create things. They could transform things. They began to think like gods.
God confused the language of the world because mankind was trying to be like Him. It is a rerun of the original sin. They joined together as one body with one voice to build a city that would bring glory to themselves. They worked together to build a tower to heaven. The tower was more than just a ladder. The people wanted to make a name; they wanted a reputation. Archaeologists have found ziggurats throughout the Middle East, towers that were designed to reach toward the heavens to impress the gods so that they would bless the people with prosperity, health, and wealth. Yet in the story of the Tower of Babel, we get the impression that they were building it for another reason. They were afraid that they would lose it all and that they would be scattered. The sad part is they missed the point of the flood. After Noah and his family left the ark, God told them to replenish the whole earth. They just wanted to settle in one place. They were afraid to go our into the world to do God’s will.
The Tower of Babel must have been an extraordinary accomplishment because God saw what they did, and He knew that it was not good for the people to reach too high. He is pleased when we use our gifts and develop our talents. He created man to be co-creators with Him in this world. He commanded the first people to be fruitful and multiply. He sent Noah and his family to replenish the whole earth. He wants us to reach the sky.
Unfortunately, the original sin is innate in human beings. We want to go our own way, do our own thing, walk our own walk, ignoring God’s will for our lives because we want to be our own gods. But we can’t become gods, and we shouldn’t try. Fear manifests as ambition. If only we could become great, then we wouldn’t have to worry about losing everything. If only we could become immortal, then we would own the world. But we can’t become immortal by our own human deeds, so God scattered the people and confused their language so that they could not become something that they were never meant to be. It is only by the power of Jesus that we can become everything God created and redeemed us to be.
“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and Yahweh’s glory has risen on you! For behold, darkness will cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but Yahweh will arise on you, and his glory shall be seen on you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes all around, and see: they all gather themselves together. They come to you. Your sons will come from far away, and your daughters will be carried in arms. Then you shall see and be radiant, and your heart will thrill and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea will be turned to you. The wealth of the nations will come to you.” Isaiah 60:1-5, WEB
Henry Melchior Muhlenberg was born in Germany in 1711. He was a Lutheran pastor by the time he was thirty years old. When German immigrants arrived in America, they tried to establish congregations around the colonies, but there were too few ordained Lutheran ministers for them to find a church home in their new country. They had difficulty competing against some of the other congregations that had solid leadership. Without trained ministers, the people followed strange ideologies and heresies. Henry was called to be a pastor in this New World.
Henry came to America in 1742 to lead three struggling congregations. He discovered that the congregations were disorganized and confused, so he quickly went to work. This was a common problem among the German Lutheran congregations in the colonies because they did not have good leadership. Henry worked with his congregations, established a solid constitutional model, and reached out to other Lutherans. His impact reached as far south as Georgia and as far north as the Hudson. He asked for more pastors to be sent from Germany, and he organized the first Lutheran Synod in America. He was ecumenical, too. He was often invited to speak and preach to fellow Christians because he spoke several languages
Henry impacted the world and the church he loved but his legacy reached well into the future. Most of his eleven children made names for themselves in the church, politics, the military, and education. He died on October 7, 1787. We celebrate his life today. His life was not easy. He traveled extensively to preach and to assist his colleagues with disputes. He had to fight heresy and stubbornness, ignorance and persecution. He stayed neutral during the American Revolution, which did not sit well with either side of the battle.
Henry Melchior Muhlenberg is known as the father of American Lutheranism because he established the organization that brought together the German Lutherans and impacted many Christians that were struggling to survive in the New World and hold on to their faith. Lutherans are not really known for missionary work or church planting, but Henry was a missionary and church planter. By the time he died he had helped establish dozens of congregations and bring many trained pastors to America. He also trained colonists to be strong and informed leaders in their congregations.
He never lost touch with his home and the people who had trained him in Germany though he was far away in the New World. They supported his career with funds and people. He fought the good fight and God made great things happen through him in the New World. The work he was called to do was not easy, but we are reminded that our strength is not in our ability to make good things happen, but in God’s grace. As we go out into the world wherever God sends us, sharing God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness with all, we won’t always know where God is leading us. However, God is faithful; He knows the purpose for which we have been sent, to continue doing the world of Christ in this world, bringing restoration and peace to the people with the Gospel, sharing faith, and planting God’s love in the world. Let us follow the example of Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, because God calls us to a life joined together by grace, to live God’s will and purpose for our lives.
Lectionary Scriptures for October 12, 2025, Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Ruth 1:1-19a; Psalm 111; 2 Timothy 2:1-13; Luke 17:11-19
“Then he said to him, ‘Get up, and go your way. Your faith has healed you.’” Luke 17:19, WEB
Reba McIntyre played a divorced mom of three whose life was anything but ordinary. Her oldest daughter, Cheyenne, became pregnant as a teenager, married her beau and they all lived in Reba’s house. Her husband married his pregnant girlfriend, and they moved into a house located seconds away. The girlfriend, Barbra Jean, was a ditzy blonde who thought of herself as Reba’s best friend. Everyone in Reba’s life made decisions that led to horrible consequences and in the end, they survived because Reba managed to find some amicable solution to their problems.
The middle child was a daughter named Kyra who was a very intelligent young lady, though a little bit rebellious. She was smarter than her older sister and often took advantage of her. Since Kyra was a highly independent and mature young lady, she often found herself outside the conflict and troubles of the day. She rarely got into trouble herself, so she was the last one to get any attention. Most of the time she liked being the stealth force in the family because it meant she got away with so many things. Unfortunately, it also meant that she was last to see the fulfillment of promises. In one episode Reba promised Kyra that they would go rollerblading, but problems with Cheyenne took all Reba’s energy.
In another episode, Kyra had the chance to go on a trip to England. Reba knew that it was important to her, that it was the least she deserved because she was such a great kid. Unfortunately, the trip was going to cost a lot of money. Reba insisted that Brock, her ex-husband, had to help her to ensure that Kyra could go. Reba worked out the budget and promised that she could go. Brock managed to find some excuse to get out of his half, but Reba still did all she could to fulfill her promise. Then Cheyenne had another crisis so the money set aside for Kyra went to the young married couple to fix their problem. In the end, Kyra lost again. It broke Reba’s heart to tell her that she could not go.
During my children’s lives there have been plenty of times when I have had to go back on a promise. We never know what will happen tomorrow. We don’t know if we will have the money or time to do what we promise. We do not know what circumstances might make our promise impossible at that time. When we make a promise in the heat of the moment, we often discover that fulfilling it might actually bring horrible consequences. We can’t see beyond this moment, so we are often unfaithful. We disappoint those who trust us to be true to our word, but we are human, and we make mistakes.
That is why there is only One who can truly be trusted with our hope. The psalmist wrote, “He will ever be mindful of his covenant.” God is faithful. He remembers His covenant promises and He has shown His people over and over again that He is trustworthy. He made his wonderful works remembered. He has shown His people the power of His works. His Word is right and true, and His Law is eternal. We who believe are reminded of God’s power and justice and it is in awe that we find real wisdom. Our life of praise begins with our response to God’s mercy, as we live in hope according to His promises and His Word.
You can’t always trust what you see. This includes improv comedy. Improv by definition is “composing, reciting, playing, or singing offhand, fabricating something out of what is conveniently on hand.” When we watch improvisation, we think they are making everything up on the spot. The reality is that the actors might “make it up” at that moment, but only after they have practiced. My daughter was involved with theater in High School, and I recall a variety show that they did. Most of the students put on sketches or mini plays. They had monologues, a comedic rendition of “American Idol,” and a slightly longer dramatic presentation. There were also a few humorous skits, including a sketch out of the archives of Monty Python. Some of the acts seemed to be improvisation, made up on the spot.
I saw the show twice and was disappointed to learn that the “improv” was exactly the same the second day. It had been rehearsed even though it all seemed to come out of their imaginations on the spot. The “improv” was carefully written and memorized. They made it look easy. They knew their stuff because they had practiced. They worked together daily so that everyone had the right timing, cues, and staging. They knew the words and actions of the other actors, because without all that work their show would have been a confusing mess. After that show, I wondered about the improv shows on television. Do those actors really make things up on the spot, even if it appears they have no previous knowledge of the challenges?
Timothy was a believer for as long as anyone could remember, having been raised by Eunice, his mother and Lois, his grandmother. They taught him, planted the seeds of faith, and prepared him to follow the vocation to which God had called him. Paul continued to teach him everything he would need to know, mentoring him into a pastor that would serve God and the people of Ephesus. Timothy heard the story of Jesus repeatedly so that he would remember and stay true to the truth. The knowledge gained through a lifetime of learning gave him the resources to minister to the people. He was prepared to speak the Gospel.
Unfortunately, the people of Ephesus were deceived by the Gnostic heresy, and they had no respect for Timothy. Some even held Paul in contempt. Since Timothy was so young, they thought it would be easy to turn him into the kind of preacher they wanted him to be, teaching the heresy that tickled their ears. Paul wrote to encourage him to stand firm in the Gospel, to teach the Word as he’d heard it from Paul, even if it was hard to make the stand. He had a very specific job to do: God called him to teach the truth, not to conform to the desires of the world.
Paul encouraged Timothy to believe the word he spoke and to continue to follow it. Paul had to justify himself repeatedly. He had been a Pharisee, but he was changed by Jesus and was constantly persecuted for his work as an Apostle. He was in prison when he wrote his letter to Timothy, and it would have been natural for his adversaries to use his suffering as proof that he was not a reliable minister. Paul encouraged Timothy by reminding him that suffering does not mean God’s Word is untrue. Though Paul suffered, God’s salvation is real. So, Paul charged Timothy to take that message to the people, the message that Christ is faithful even when we are faithless.
Paul’s letters are filled with repetition. Though each letter is written in response to specific situations, there are some things that remain consistent. In every letter Paul share’s God’s grace with the reader. In many of the letters Paul restates the story of Christ, reminding the readers of God’s saving work through Jesus. Though it may seem redundant to tell people over and over again to “Remember Jesus Christ,” He is the center of our faith, so it never hurts to be reminded of the work accomplished through His death and resurrection.
We love to hear the story, over and over again, but sometimes we would prefer to hear only parts of it. The Christmas story of the baby in the manger is beautiful and peaceful. We see the victory of God and the life we have by faith in the story of the Resurrection. It is uplifting and inspirational to know what God did for us. We know how Jesus fulfilled God’s promises. We accept that the cross was the way to true life, but we do not want to talk about death. Paul reminds us that the story of Christ includes death, not only His death but our death in Him. We die with Him to live with Him.
This does not come easily. We live by faith and trust that God has done this great thing, but we don’t fully understand the way death can bring life. We try to explain away the things we do not understand, and we whitewash the story of God to make it more palatable. Yet, by taking away from the grace found on the cross, we deny what God has done through Him for us. We make it more difficult for the world to know Jesus, because it is through the reality of the Gospel message that we come to faith and receive the gift of true life.
Just as improv isn’t really improvised, reality television is not real. It is never what it appears to be. I like to watch baking competitions. I am always amazed how those contestants can think of their project and complete it in such a limited time. They are tasked with creating complex showstoppers in just a few hours that would take days to complete. These big projects are very complex with specialized equipment. Sometimes they even require moving parts! The teams are well prepared with the right electronics and structure pieces, as if they’d designed the piece long before the show. However, they always appear surprised when they hear the assignment. I’m sure the kitchens are filled with all sorts of interesting kitchen gadgets, but the supply seems endless. They must have some warning about the tasks they will be asked to do because they are prepared with all they need to complete their design. The reality is that reality TV is not quite as improvised as they make it seem.
Even the contestants are not real. They are characters created by the producers to make the show interesting. Those characters might have a glimmer of their real selves, but they are exaggerated to make good television. The producers want them to conform to their expectations, not be true to themselves. Some contestants have admitted that their character was nothing like the real person. Sometimes the “mean guy” is actually the nicest person on the set but is acting a role. All reality shows are well edited, giving you just a forty-minute glimpse of days’ worth of film. You see only what the producers want you to see.
It is still amazing to think that these contestants can create remarkable displays in such a short period of time. There is always a disaster or two, but the bakers can usually overcome their problems and make something that looks and tastes wonderful. They can do this not only because they are prepared, but because they have practiced. They have learned their craft through hours of work and research. They were chosen to appear in the show because they had experience. The more they practice, the better their pieces turn out in the end.
It takes practice for us to tell the story. It takes study. It takes daily immersion into the grace of God for us to stand firmly in the truth. Living by faith is not something that we can ad-lib. It is not something we can do by improvisation. It takes something outside ourselves: the grace of God.
Orpah is one of those obscure figures from scriptures. We know her name, but she gets lost in Ruth’s story. We talk about Naomi, her troubles and her bitterness. We talk about Ruth, her generosity and courage. We barely mention Orpah, the one who went home. I suppose we see her as the opposite of Ruth, self-centered despite her love for her mother-in-law. We are quick to dismiss her because she seems selfish compared to Ruth.
And yet, Orpah did not do anything wrong. As a matter of fact, she was obedient to her mother-in-law’s wishes. Naomi was a widow with no sons and no means of support. She wanted to return to her homeland where she might find generous relatives who would take her into their home. It wouldn’t be right for her to demand they also take in her daughters-in-law. The women were Moabites, and their life would be much better among their own people. Naomi was being kind by telling them to go home, even if she did it from a place of grief and bitterness. Orpah wept in grief about leaving, but she did so out of respect for the woman she’d grown to love.
We have another story of opposites in the Gospel lesson. Nine lepers left Jesus to go to the Temple while one stayed with Him. The nine did what was right according to Jesus’ word and the Law. We are quick to dismiss the nine because they didn’t go back and say “Thank you” to Jesus, but they did what He told them to do.
Jesus commanded them to go to the priests, and they all went in faith. I wonder what they were thinking as they left Jesus. It was proper to show yourself to the priest when you were cured of a disease, but they had not yet been cured; it was only as they were leaving that the leprosy left them. Nine of the lepers continued to the priests, doing exactly as expected according to their religion, society, and Jesus’ word. Then they disappeared from the story. They were thankful, I am sure. The miracle saved their lives. They could return home, work and live as a normal person again. It probably saved the lives of their families who suffered along with their loved one who had been outcast. Their world was returned to them, and their thankfulness was displayed in a return to the normal course of life. This is not a bad thing, especially since it is exactly what Jesus told them to do.
The decisions Reba made on the show may have been right, but that didn’t make them any more acceptable to the daughter who was always left out. It was not bad that she helped the child who needed her, but it may have been better for Reba to choose the other way. It was just a scripted situation comedy, but we can learn from Reba’s mistakes. We can also learn from the failures of the Bible characters in our lessons this week. Orpah and the nine lepers did what was right, even obedient. However, there was a better way as we see in the stories of Ruth and the tenth leper.
Ruth followed Naomi, who was probably not very good company. Her bitterness made caring for her difficult, but Ruth willingly went into the fields to glean so that they would survive. Ruth’s love and generosity made a difference to Naomi, and Ruth found love, a future, and offspring. Her great grandson was King David and through his seed Jesus Christ was born. It might have been frightening to go with Naomi, but God had plans for Ruth’s life. Orpah probably had a wonderful life back home in Moab, but Ruth was greatly blessed when she went the other way. She experienced the blessing of relationships, not only with Naomi and her family, but with a husband, children, and the God of Israel.
Jesus told the lepers to go to the priests. The tenth leper was a Samaritan, but he went with them in hopeful expectation for healing. They all experienced the miracle. The nine continued in joy, but the Samaritan returned to the One who made him clean. The ten lepers were all healed physically, but only one sought out the true healing. When He praised God, Jesus gave him far more. He was healed and made whole. Jesus is concerned for both our physical and our spiritual wellbeing; He changes people from the inside out, granting them forgiveness and filling them with the love of God, bringing them deeper into a relationship with the God who is faithful. It is that relationship that heals them.
Ruth and the thankful leper were not obedient to what seemed right, and they responded to the situation from deeper in their hearts, with faith that came from the love of God.
Do we respond to God’s grace with simple obedience and then go on to our normal lives or are we changed forever by what God has done? That was the difference between Ruth and Orpah, the nine lepers and the Samaritan. Those who trusted in God were changed; they were made new. When they turned to God, they began a life of faith. What is faith? I often define faith as trust in God, but is that definition deep enough? What does it mean to trust God?
The easiest relationship in our lives should be with God, but it is the hardest because we have to turn away from the expectations of the world to follow Jesus into the unknown. Today’s passages show us people who were able to do it. They humbled themselves before the One who does great things. We see that in Timothy. We also see it in Ruth and the leper from Samaria.
Ruth took the hard road, and she was blessed. Timothy took the hard road, and he was blessed. Who took the hard road in today’s Gospel lesson? Was it the nine who went to the Temple to show themselves to the priests even before they were healed, or was it the one who turned around and fell at Jesus’ feet in worship when the leprosy was gone?
It might seem like the Samaritan took the easy road. He didn’t walk all the way to the temple or face those who would question them about the healing. He didn’t provide thankofferings. Were the nine unfaithful because they didn’t worship Jesus? They did exactly what He told them to do. He said “Go” and they went. They trusted that by Jesus’ word they would be healed. They did what was required of them according to their law. We should be heralding their faithfulness.
We don’t, however, because we know that they did not need to seek forgiveness or absolution from the temple priests; they could find everything they needed in Jesus Christ. The one who turned back took the hard path, because it was the path that went against the expectations of the world. He died to self and turned to God. And in doing so, he was blessed beyond measure. The other nine were healed, but he was made well.
Like Ruth, the one leper who turned to Jesus was a foreigner. Jesus was passing along the borders of Samaria and Galilee. There is always more diversity along the borders. The Galileans were from Judah; the Samaritans were from the Northern tribes that had been Israel. The differences between the people were largely political; there were some religious differences, but in many ways the ordinary people related to one another on a human level. Yet, among those who were strictly observant of the Law, the Samaritans were unclean because they had a history of syncretism (accepting and trying to meld together opposing and conflicting belief systems), allowing the worship of other gods in their communities. These differences did not matter much to the lepers. They were all outcast, all unclean. They all stood at a distance from Jesus, because they respected His role as a rabbi and did not want to make him unclean. They all sought mercy, but only one recognized the source of true grace.
We are healed for more than just a return to our old way of life. We are saved to be a blessing to others. Ruth followed Naomi and a God she did not know, and she became the mother of kings and the King. We don’t know what happened to the Samaritan leper after he left Jesus, but as soon as he knew he was healed, he worshipped then went home to tell others about Jesus, praising God.
Paul told Timothy to pass on the knowledge that he had been given. It isn’t enough to hear the Gospel and go on to live our lives as if nothing has changed. God’s grace gives us new life, life that is meant to be shared. The examples Paul gives are interesting because again, it is not bad to live life or do your job as expected. A good soldier is obedient to the commands of his leader. A good athlete focuses on his training. A good farmer reaps a harvest that will take care of his family. None of this is bad. A person of faith, however, takes it to the next step. A person of faith glorifies God in their daily work. We are made new, transformed by God’s grace. We are no longer merely soldiering, running, or reaping for ourselves. We are called to do all this for God. We are saved and healed through Jesus Christ who died for our sake. It takes time, and practice to live according to the faith we have been given, trusting in the God who does amazing things. It takes preparation to share that faith with others.
Faith trusts that it was God who did it for us, then praises God for what He did. Orpah and the nine did what they should do, but in doing so they walked away from God and the chance to be made well. Ruth and the one leper received far more. Timothy trusted what had been handed down to him from his mother, grandmother, and Paul, and he impacted the world with his ministry. They all received the promise of eternity, the promise of a relationship with the faithful One who makes us well.
Will you make God’s grace your own? Will you respond with a word of thanksgiving before going on with your daily life? Will you be changed forever by what God has done? Jesus cares about our physical healing, but He is more concerned about our relationship with God. This is something that comes to us by grace, but then it takes a lifetime of hearing the story and remembering the great works God has done. It takes practice for us to hear God’s voice and to follow Him where we will experience the greatest blessing. We are called to take that story into the world sharing it with others. God does not expect us to use improvisation. He gives us all we need, even putting His Word in our mouths.
We will make mistakes. We will follow expectations. We will do what seems right even though God desires the better response. Our Lord Jesus Christ expects so much more than we are prepared to give. He wants us to be like Ruth, Timothy, and the leper, willingly following Him everywhere He goes. Jesus has healed you and made you well. He wants your whole life. Are you willing to follow Him through everything?
“After these things, Jesus came with his disciples into the land of Judea. He stayed there with them and baptized. John also was baptizing in Enon near Salim, because there was much water there. They came and were baptized; for John was not yet thrown into prison. Therefore a dispute arose on the part of John’s disciples with some Jews about purification. They came to John and said to him, ‘Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, he baptizes, and everyone is coming to him.’ John answered, ‘A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven. You yourselves testify that I said, “I am not the Christ,” but, “I have been sent before him.” He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore my joy is made full. He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all. He who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. What he has seen and heard, of that he testifies; and no one receives his witness. He who has received his witness has set his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for God gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand. One who believes in the Son has eternal life, but one who disobeys the Son won’t see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.’” John 3:22-35, WEB
The first emperor of China was a man named Ying Cheng. He was a cruel man, sought only greatness for himself and his name. He massacred an army of 40,000 men after they surrendered. When he had reached the pinnacle of his power, he called himself the emperor and expected his dynasty to last for ten thousand years. He accomplished great things, including the building of the Great Wall. The cruelty of that incredible monument is unbelievable: many slaves died, their bones ground and used in the mortar for the wall. It is known as the longest cemetery on earth.
Though he was the most powerful man in China, he lived in fear of death. Secret tunnels connected his palaces so that he could hide from his enemies. He ordered his wise men to find the fountain of youth so that he might live forever. He trusted no one and no one trusted him. He was eventually killed by his closest advisors and buried in a tomb surrounded by six thousand terra cotta warriors. His son was tricked into suicide, ending the dynasty of Ying Cheng. It is strange that he was buried with an army to guard his dead body. He desired to be the greatest on earth, but he feared death because he had no hope beyond this world.
Charlemagne had a much different attitude. He prepared for his own death by giving instructions for his burial. He wanted to be sitting upright on a throne, with his crown on his head, a sword by his side and a bible in his lap. It was later found that he was buried in this manner. His finger was pointing at the scripture that says, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world but lose his soul?”
John the Baptist had a great deal of power. People were following him, listening to him, learning from him. His disciples learned that Jesus was doing the same work and went to John to warn him about the competition. They were jealous for his sake, thinking in terms of worldly fame rather than heavenly calling. John did not seek to become great, he only desired to do what God had called him to do. He knew that he was not the Christ, but that he came to point toward Him. He rejoiced to see the promises of God come into fulfillment within his sight.
Ying Cheng thought he was great. Charlemagne knew there was one greater. John also knew that Jesus was the One they were looking for, and he remained humble before God in that knowledge. He did what he was gifted and sent to do, never trying to be greater. We are expected to do the same. We believe in the One who is the greatest, Jesus who is the Christ. When we believe in His words, we testify to the truth of God, the faithfulness of His grace in the fulfillment of all His promises. We have eternal life which is a present reality not just a future hope. This we have by believing in Jesus.
“Therefore Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:30-31, WEB
Some writing teachers assign students the project of writing their own obituary. This helps them think about what is important about their lives and gives them experience for the inevitable experience of writing a biography for a show or workshop or business website. I hate writing a biography about myself because I never know what to say. What would the reader want to know about me? How do I describe myself in a hundred words or less? Will the people even read the biography. Will they care about who I am?
I ask those questions, but I do read the biographies when they are available. A daily devotional I use is written by several people, and I want to know who they are so I better understand their point of view. When I am at a conference, I like to know the background of the speakers. The biggest problem with this activity is that there is so much to say. Do I tell the people reading about me at an art show about my writing? Do the people at a conference care about my family? If you have read me for any length of time during my twenty-six years of writing, you know I’ve lived a full life. Do I talk about my education? Do I talk about my travels? Do I talk about my gifts? I usually focus on those things that matter to the people I am addressing. For art lovers, I will talk about my art background. For Christians, I focus on my faith. It is still hard because there is so much to say, and yet I know that the readers won’t care much about the details, they simply want to know what makes me qualified to be showing my work or speaking about a subject.
Four men were inspired by the Holy Spirit to write a biography about Jesus Christ. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all shared the story of Jesus in different ways. They each wrote for a specific audience, telling the story of Jesus in a way that they would understand. Each of the Gospels have a common purpose, but each book also has a unique perspective. John’s words in today’s passage remind us that what they wrote is just a glimmer of the whole story of Jesus. They had to choose what was important for us to know. We have all four, and we have the rest of the Bible, yet even with sixty-six books and hundreds of thousands of words, they can’t possibly have written about everything there is to know about God and Jesus. The libraries and bookstores are filled with books by more authors who have tried to expound upon the stories found in the Bible, but even then we don’t have everything. What we have though, in the scriptures, is enough for us to know God and His Son.
Some books show us what God has done. Others tell us who God is. Yet others help us to see what God is doing. The text reach out to different audiences, and though the entire book is meant for all, the books speak to us in particular ways at specific times. I think sometimes we assume that reading the Bible from cover to cover will make us know and understand everything there is to know about God. It will certainly help us to grow. Every moment we devote to reading and studying God’s Word helps us to grow in faith and in knowledge of God. However, we will never fully know Him.
Those who have read the Bible from cover to cover have accomplished something great and honorable. They have a heart for God’s Word, and their reading has helped to write it on their hearts. Many can quote verses and quickly find references because they know it so well. Some people have even learned whole books by heart. But even though the Bible is the most accessible revelation of God to His people, there is much more to know about Him than could not have been written in any book, even the Bible. Imagine what it would be like if everything about God could be written! However, we are called to keep the Bible near to us, to open it daily, to read as much as we can. God speaks to us in many ways, but it is through the words of the authors who were inspired by the Holy Spirit to write His story that He has revealed Himself to our hearts and our minds so that we will know His grace and apply it to our lives.
“He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him who is the head, Christ, from whom all the body, being fitted and knit together through that which every joint supplies, according to the working in measure of each individual part, makes the body increase to the building up of itself in love.” Ephesians 4:11-16, WEB
I was reading through the comments under a Facebook advertisement for a book I have been thinking about buying. It is a theological book about the tenets of the Christian faith. I wasn’t sure about the author, and I was interested in seeing people’s opinion about him and his work. I hoped to see intelligent responses, both positive and negative. If you have spent any time in the comment section of any Facebook post, you know that you will find everything, from intelligent answers to attacks to insults. Some comments are helpful, others often sound foolish or arrogant.
One of the comments under this post was “Read the Bible.” This comment is common under theological books, commentaries, devotionals, or other books about faith. It made me chuckle a bit because most people who would buy a book like this do read the Bible. I am following two separate reading plans right now, as well as the reading I do for the studies and devotionals I write. We don’t read these books instead of the Bible, we read it alongside the Bible. The books help us see the scriptures from a different perspective. They help us to understand the language and cultural aspects that impact the meaning of the texts. There are people much smarter than me that can help me see the scriptures with more depth, and I appreciate being able to pass on their knowledge to those who read my work or attend my studies.
The post is right: read the Bible. Most of us don’t have time to read deeply theological tomes with fifty-cent words or frequent use of Latin, Greek, or Hebrew. However, we need to be careful when we read the Bible that we do not allow our own biases, world view, or opinions skew our understanding of God’s grace. There are writers who will lead us astray, so we must be careful about what we read, and we need to read it parallel to the scriptures. I once shared a book with a friend and when she finished, she thought it belonged in the canon. I explained that it was just one point of view about what happened in Bible times, and that she should only rely on the scriptures as the truth. I showed her another book that gave a completely opposite perspective on the same story. One of the writers had to be wrong, their book did not tell the truth of God’s story. Human writers are fallible. We are fallible. We can read the scriptures with a skewed perspective and follow a false understanding. This is how heresy begins and is sustained by those who interpret the scriptures according to their own bias, world view, and opinions.
Read the Bible. I hope this is a habit in your daily life. If it isn’t, find a reading plan. Pick a book of the Bible and read it verse by verse. Use a daily or weekly lectionary. Pray before you read, listen for God’s voice, and ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand. However, remember that the Christian church has been blessed by people who are teachers and preachers, people with the gifts of wisdom, knowledge, and prophecy. We need to seek God’s help in finding the right guides to help us know and understand.
God is our greatest teacher. We learn about Him from the words of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, but we can read books beside our Bible, reasoning with others about what we read to come to a more complete knowledge of the God who reveals Himself to us through His Word. Those books are not canon and will never be because they are written by fallible human beings, chosen and gifted by God for a purpose. They key is always listening for God’s voice echoing through their words, so that you are not led astray, but are built up in love into the body of Christ.
“Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons did to all Israel, and how that they slept with the women who served at the door of the Tent of Meeting. He said to them, ‘Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people. No, my sons; for it is not a good report that I hear! You make Yahweh’s people disobey. If one man sins against another, God will judge him; but if a man sins against Yahweh, who will intercede for him?’ Notwithstanding, they didn’t listen to the voice of their father, because Yahweh intended to kill them. 1 Samuel 2:22-25, WEB
I read a story about a pilot who ran into trouble. He was near his destination, but a terrible storm was in his way. The closest airport in the opposite direction was farther, and he was running low on fuel. He made the decision to head into the storm and hope for the best. Unfortunately, it did not take long before he was engulfed in the gray of the storm. Everything around him was opaque; he found it impossible to determine up from down. Despite his instruments, he felt that he was going the wrong direction. He decided to follow his impressions; he was certain the instruments were faulty. He began to “fly by the seat of his pants,” but it didn’t go well. He soon crashed into a farm, a tragic end to a bad decision. He had an absolute standard he was supposed to use to stay safe as he flew, even in a terrible storm, but he decided to trust his feelings instead of his instruments. It did not go well.
We live in a confused world. On the one hand, we are taught that there are no absolutes, but we hold to our own absolutes without considering the possibility that we are wrong. In religion, in politics, even in our choice of which soda we prefer, and unfortunately, we hold those who disagree with us in contempt. “They aren’t Christian.” “They aren’t American.” “They are foolish for supporting that product.” These judgements are often based on matters that are considered adiaphora, which means ideas that are not essential to our faith. We choose to hold those in contempt for matters that do not truly matter. Sometimes, our contempt is taken to an extreme, and we respond with violence in word and action. It is acceptable to some to murder an opponent just because they disagree. We know this isn’t right, but in a world of absolutes, then my absolute must be accepted as the true ideal.
Eli was an old man, a complex figure in the scriptures. He was the high priest, a dedicated servant of God, but he was also flawed. Aren’t we all? He fulfilled his duties earnestly, serving for many years, consistently leading worship, offering sacrifices, leading prayers. His life testified to his faith and commitment. His heart was aligned with his vocation to serve God. However, he was also an imperfect man, misjudging the effects of his parenting on the future of God’s people. His sons were horrible priests, disgracing the family and the role into which they were born. They abused the people, stole the best offerings for their own satisfaction, exploiting the girls who served in the Temple. They were a disgrace, not only to Eli, but to God Himself.
Eli tried. He warned his sons that the rumors he was hearing about their actions dishonored God, but he did nothing to stop their misdeeds. They ignored his warnings, and God promised that Eli’s family would no longer lead the people of Israel in worship. His story is a story of judgment. Through Eli, we learn that God’s patience has limits. The one redeeming moment is that when God speaks to Samuel, Eli accepts the judgment. This doesn’t mean that God would change the outcome of the story: Eli’s sons would die, and Eli’s family line would end. In Eli’s story we see an absolute: God demands obedience and respect. He demands accountability. If God’s people do not listen to His voice, they will be judged. In today’s passage, Eli tells his sons that there is no intercession for those who sin against God.
Thankfully there is more to the story. Jesus Christ came to stand in our stead, to take on our accountability, to be obedient to God in ways we could never be. He is the absolute. It is interesting, however, that Jesus said, “Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age, or in that which is to come.” He said this in the context of a healing that is known as a miracle that would be done only by the promised Messiah. Jesus spoke the truth, but the Pharisees refused to believe His words. They even claimed that His miracle was not by the power of God, but from demons. Rejecting God’s grace in and through Jesus Christ is rejecting God. The response of the Pharisees was a disgrace to the people of Israel and dishonored God.
In the verse from Samuel, we see that God hardened their hearts so they would not return to Him. Rejecting God’s grace comes from a hardened heart that is further hardened by God’s judgment. We who turn to God, trusting in Jesus, even when we are imperfect like Eli. This faith comes from God, by the power of the Holy Spirit. There is now an intercession for those who sin, for all sin is against God, the absolute Jesus, who stands in our stead, giving us the faith to believe and receive the salvation He offers by His grace.
Lectionary Scriptures for October 19, 2025, Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Genesis 32:22-30; Psalm 121; 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5; Luke 18:1-8
“Yahweh will keep your going out and your coming in, from this time forward, and forever more.” Psalm 121:8, WEB
Jacob is an interesting, though not very likeable, biblical character. From the beginning of his life, he wrestled with his brother and with the promises of God. He struggled with his brother Esau over the blessing of Isaac and his inheritance. He struggled with Laban over the woman he loved. He struggled with his wives, their maids, and the children they gave him. Jacob wrestled with his fears, his doubts, and his place in the story of God’s people. The promises for Jacob were clear from the beginning, but he did not trust God. The voices that guided him did not trust that God is faithful. He lied and cheated and inflicted revenge on those who lied to and cheated him. He manipulated things to his benefit and ran away when the going got tough. He had favorites and served himself.
Jacob is not totally to blame. Though he took the birthright from Esau, Esau gave it away for a bowl of soup. Rebecca helped him take control of the blessing from his father because she thought it was necessary to ensure God’s promises would be fulfilled. Esau threatened to kill him. Isaac sent him to Laban’s house in Paddan Aram to find a wife. He went willingly to protect himself from Esau. Jacob worked seven long years for the right to marry Rachel, but Laban tricked him into taking Leah. Laban tried to take advantage of Jacob, cheating him out his rightful pay. Jacob took matters into his own hands, but it seems as though his actions are justified to bring about God’s purpose for his life. However, every time we take matters into our own hands, we show our lack of trust in God. We think that God needs our help to be faithful.
Jacob built a dynasty for himself. He had wives, servants, children and great wealth. One day, he heard the voice of God who told him to go home. He was afraid, but he obeyed. He sent a message to Esau announcing his return and Esau answered by coming to meet him with an army of hundreds. He was still afraid; he continued to doubt God’s promises. Jacob divided his people and possessions into two groups, hoping that if Esau destroys one group the other group would survive.
Then he prayed. He prayed a prayer in which he acknowledged his unworthiness, confessed his doubt, and reminded God of His promises. On the night before he faced his brother, he had to wrestle with his own doubts. To be reconciled to his brother, Jacob first needed to overcome all that had kept him from living as God had intended. He was a sinful man who had to face his greatest sin: his lack of trust in God. Everything he did against men, he did against God, because it was his way of ensuring that God’s promises would be fulfilled. Before he faced his past and began his future, he had to face his God.
This is an odd story because in many ways it does not fit in with our understanding of God. We have to ask too many questions. Who was this “man” that wrestled with Jacob? If it is God, why couldn’t he prevail against a mere man? Why did He have to hurt Jacob to win? Why didn’t He know Jacob’s name? Why did He have to leave by dawn? God could have stopped the wrestling match with Jacob any time he wanted, but there was a purpose to this story as it was recorded.
Do we need the answers to all these questions? We don’t always need the answers to our questions. God is mysterious. He is mysterious because He is God. We are merely human, sinners unable to know and fully understand His purpose and His plan for our lives. We like to hold on to our own sovereignty and justify our lack of trust by claiming that we are aiding God’s plan. Our questions are just another way we try to be in control. But God gives us the freedom to trust or not trust His faithfulness.
Jacob was about to meet with Esau, his brother with whom he had been fighting for his entire life. God’s promises were wrapped up in that relationship and instead of trusting God to be faithful, It was necessary for Jacob to wrestle with God because he had always tried to be in control. During this battle, Jacob was reminded that God is in control of his life and his destiny. He had to give himself to God, to be humbled in His presence, and to recognize his own mortality before he met with his brother. He had to trust God.
We are just like Jacob, not very good at waiting for God to make things right, even when He has promised to do so. We see opportunities to get things done, so we do them, forgetting that God has a plan. Then we find that we are caught up in a situation that is not what God intends, and we struggle. The best example of this is Abraham and Sarah who did not wait for God to fulfill His promise of children, and we are still struggling with the animosity between Isaac and Ishmael today in the Middle East and around the world.
Jacob was born under a promise, but human impatience and uncertainty got in the way of God’s fulfillment of that promise. Jacob was the son of Isaac and Rebecca, a twin whose brother was named Esau. They wrestled with each other even in the womb. Esau was born first; Jacob followed closely, grasping the heel of his brother’s foot. The boys were completely different. Jacob was a handsome and quiet young man, the opposite of his rugged brother who hunted the wild game their father loved. Esau was favored by Isaac, Jacob by Rebecca. God had promised Rebecca that Jacob would inherit the promises, and they took matters into their own hands to ensure that the promise would be fulfilled.
Today’s Old Testament scripture puts us at a moment when the relationship between Jacob and Esau comes to a head. Jacob prepared for the journey, setting aside gifts for Esau to placate his anger but also hiding much of his wealth, yet another sign of Jacob’s doubt that God was in control. We don’t hear the rest of the story, that Esau received Jacob with grace, but Jacob still did not trust his brother. Even after wrestling with God and being renamed Israel, Jacob continued to do his own thing.
Our scriptures this week are about the relationship we have with God. In each of the lessons we see some aspect of our communication with the God of our salvation. We wrestle with God. We seek God’s blessing as we go out into the world to face the dangers that threaten our physical, emotional and spiritual lives. We stand firm in the scriptures, reading God’s Word regularly to keep it fresh on our minds and in our hearts. We come before God over and over again seeking His mercy and grace. All these ways of communicating are journeys in of themselves as we learn to dwell in the presence of God. He is the destination of our life of faith, but He is also there with us. We don’t always communicate with God in ways that honor and respect Him, but He listens to us anyway and fulfills all His promises despite our fears, doubts, and our uncertainty about our place in God’s story.
The widow in today’s Gospel lesson seems so much like a pesky five-year-old. Those of us with children remember that age, especially trips to the grocery store. Have you ever noticed that the grocers put the milk at the very back of the store? This is done with purpose: to manipulate you into buying more than you intend. We usually plan major shopping trips to fill our refrigerators or pantries, but there are times when we need to take a quick trip into the store for an item or two. Milk is often one of those items. I always complained that the milk should be closer to the entrance so that those of us who are just running in for a gallon of milk do not have to walk through the entire store to get it, but that’s the point of the placement. The grocer wants you to see the thousands of other items that they have for sale so that you will not get out of the store without spending more money than you intend.
The next time you run into the store for a gallon of milk, take notice to how many end cap specials you pass. Notice the refrigerator unit with easy bake cookie dough and the rack with donuts close by. These displays are purposely placed in the hopes that you will be thinking about that milk you plan to purchase and how good it would taste with some hot cookies or fresh donuts. On the way back to the checkout stand you’ll pass other items that you just can’t pass up. You will see items that appear to be on sale or brand-new offerings from your favorite companies. These displays are meant to manipulate you into buying more than you want or need. Even worse, they are meant to entice your children.
Just as the grocery store puts cookies in the path of the milk, they strategically place other things that interest children so that they will pester their mom until she gives up and gives in. The cash registers aisles are filled with candy and toys, leaving Mom to endure being trapped in the aisle while the child cries out for everything.
Children can be very persistent. They ask, plead, haggle, deal, cry, and beg in a matter of minutes. It takes the most unfaltering mother to keep saying “No” over and over again. Sometimes our response is just like that of the judge. We decide to give in because we know that the child will simply wear us out if we don’t. Sometimes we do so out of frustration or embarrassment. Sometimes we do so because we want to bribe the child. Sometimes we give in because we realize that they deserve a special treat. There have been times when I have weighed and measured the choices. Would it be better at this moment to teach the lesson that we cannot have everything we want or is it an opportunity to grace?
The judge had no fear of God or concern for men. He had ruled against the woman time and time again. Her opponent was probably a more powerful person, probably a man. The woman could do nothing for his career or for his personal fortune. It would not pay him to rule in her favor. Perhaps he had received, or expected, a nice bribe from the widow’s adversary. We do not know the story behind the appeals. She was a widow, perhaps a woman who had lost everything when her husband died. She was probably left with no means of support and as a widow, a woman, she had no authority. She may have had no one to stand up for her. She was alone and she really had no choice. She had to fight.
Her fight was to appeal to the judge’s sense of justice. Though he was a man who had no fear of God and no regard for humans, he did have a sense of his position. Her constant appeals were not only annoying, but they would have called the attention of the community to her plight. We read verse five in the sense of a mother giving in to her pesty five-year old, “yet because this widow bothers me, I will defend her, or else she will wear me out by her continual coming.”
The English translation of this passage does fully convey the intent of these words. The Greek used here means “to strike in the eye” or “to give a black eye to someone.” In other words, this judge who was a man of power and authority recognized that the weak widow could do damage to his reputation and his future. He saw that even though the widow had no wealth to pay him or power to secure him a better position, she could destroy his reputation in the community and make his job more difficult. He gave in to her cries and ruled in her favor. Sometimes human justice comes through the unrighteous motives of men.
In this passage, however, Jesus teaches us that God is different. Jesus does not use the unjust judge as a representation for God; He shows an exaggeration of a typical human response to a situation and compares that to the reality of God’s ways. God does not have to be threatened with a loss of his power and authority to respond to human need. God is just and when he hears the cries of His people, He responds with mercy and grace. Despite Jacob’s foolishness, God always fulfilled His promises.
The story of the pesky widow is often interpreted as a teaching about the persistence in prayer. Some people pray for the same things over and over again, thinking that God will eventually give in and provide the answer they want. This story, however, is about more than prayer: it is about justice. Is getting a candy bar at the checkout a matter of justice? Is a judge who rules in favor of a widow in need a matter of justice? We may want to be that pesky five-year-old, repeatedly praying for what we want, but God does not always give in to our wishes because He knows what will be best for us. However, we are encouraged to be persistent in matters of justice, to cry out to God to make things right in the world and with the world. God hears and He will always rule in favor of justice. We are encouraged to live in faith, knowing that God knows what is happening and that He is working for justice. When Christ comes, will He find His people busy crying out for candy bars, or will He find people faithfully seeking to do what is right and good in the world?
People have been making pilgrimages since the beginning of time. We are drawn to the sacred. The journeys are not easy. The temporal dangers are obvious: weather, criminals, and health issues cause difficulty along the path. Some pilgrims choose to make the journey even more difficult by adding spiritual practices. Some people fast; others take the journey on their knees. For them, a pilgrimage serves as a way of humbling themselves and becoming worthy of standing in the presence of the divine. For some, the pilgrimage is a duty, a part of their religion.
The Jews made pilgrimages to the Temple in Jerusalem. They went to the temple to make sacrifices, to worship and honor God at the special feasts and festivals during the year. It was a difficult journey. The roads were harsh and dangerous. No one knew if they would make it home alive, particularly through the hills that surrounded the city. Robbers and murderers hid in the rocky crevices of those hills waiting for travelers. The conditions of the hills and deserts were unwelcoming. They took these journeys with the assurance of God’s presence. They were not making a pilgrimage to a sacred place to meet God; they knew that they only way they could arrive at that sacred place was if God walked with them.
Psalms 120-134 are grouped together and are called the Songs of Ascents. They were not written together. Some are attributed to David (122, 124, 131, 133), Solomon (127), several are from after the exile, and others may be attributed to descendants of David. The editor of the Psalter, perhaps Ezra, grouped these together and added the title “A Song of Ascents”. They are all relatively short. The longest is only 18 verses and the rest are under ten verses, with two only three verses each. This makes it possible to sing them all together, making them as if they are one psalm. They were probably already in use by pilgrims traveling toward Jerusalem for a festival when the Psalms were compiled, but they were definitely used in liturgical form afterwards. They are songs of ascent because Jerusalem was on a mountain, and pilgrims ascended upward to get to the Temple and closer to God.
Psalm 121 was apparently used at the end of worship during the feasts and festivals that brought pilgrims into the Temple. The community of faith sought the blessing of God as they were traveling. “Where does my help come from? My help comes from Yahweh, who made heaven and earth.” The song finishes with a benediction, a invocation of God’s blessings over the community of faith as they went their separate ways. “Yahweh will keep your going out and your coming in, from this time forward, and forever more.” God does not sleep. He takes care of His people. We found this passage written in stone on a doorway in Germany as a reminder to all those who enter and leave the home that God is with them.
Our journey is meant to take us to a place where we trust that God knows what is happening and that He is working to make everything right. What will Jesus find in our lives when He comes again? Are we working to grow His kingdom, to help those lost see that salvation is found in Him? Too many Christians do not think they are qualified to share their faith with others. They believe, but they wrestle with God, worried that they can’t be what God has gifted them to be or do what God has called them to do. They’d rather let the professionals do the work of the Kingdom, but the Gospel was not meant to be proclaimed only by trained ministers. It is a simple message: God loves you so much that Jesus died to ensure you forgiveness and peace. Oh, there are hard questions that are difficult to answer, but God has given us all we need to know in the scriptures. He has given us a library of books to help us deal with the harder questions that will come from those who wish to know more.
Timothy was struggling; he faced all sorts of obstacles. The elders questioned his age. The Jews questioned his faith. The world questioned his life. Paul knew Timothy needed encouragement as he looked up into the hills. Who would be his help? Paul’s letter was written to encourage the young pastor to be bold with his faith and the preaching of God’s Word. He had all he needed to do God’s work. Paul told him to look at the scriptures. He urged Timothy to preach boldly despite the struggles he would face. He reminded Timothy that he could trust that God was with him as he did the work he was called to do. We are encouraged to have the same kind of trust as we go on our own journeys of faith. Despite the struggles of this life, the people and issues we will wrestle, let us always remember the source of our strength and the foundation of our faith is God.
Throughout his life journey, Jacob struggled with his family, his future, and his fears. He struggled with God. In the end he discovered that he was not in control and that whenever he tried, he made life more difficult for himself. Paul wrote to Timothy about continuing in faith in Jesus Christ, by standing firm on the instruction he had received and believed. The widow in Jesus’ parable reminds us to be persistent in prayer but also to move forward in faith, doing what is right according to God’s Word.
We don’t always recognize the journey as we travel. Our daily work and our everyday activities are part of a greater journey. We aren’t necessarily headed to a special place; we aren’t always seeking a sacred space. However, through it all we can go with peace knowing that God is with us wherever we go. He does not sleep. He helps us through our struggles and keeps us in our coming and going. We don’t need to choose to take this journey in a manner that proves our worthiness to be in His presence. We don’t need to be like Jacob, sending gifts to placate the anger we perceive, to earn His grace. God loves His people and has chosen to be a part of our lives. This is why we sing songs of praise, because He deserves our worship.
The ideal is to trust in God’s will and His timing. Jesus told parables to teach about the Kingdom of God, but we need to be careful how we interpret them. God is not the unjust judge, threated with a loss of power and authority to ensure justice. God is just and when he hears the cries of His people, He responds with mercy and grace, and He does so according to His good and perfect will. That’s why we can, and should, trust Him.
Our destination is always God. All that we do in faith is leading us to Him. We try to control the journey, so we work hard to make things happen, like Jacob, and we lose touch with the God who has set us on our path. Jesus asks, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” Will He find us acting on our faith as we journey toward God with God at our side, trusting in His mercy and grace every step of the way?
It is my prayer that as God calls us to live faithfully in the world that we will respond with courage and peace, that we’ll face our own Esau and judges with trust that God is with us. We know that God is faithful and that He will be with us on our journey of faith, giving us opportunities to share His Word with those who are lost and hungering for His presence in their lives. I also pray that we will heed the words of Paul to Timothy: that we will discharge our duties in a way that will glorify God and draw many into a relationship with Jesus. Evangelism is not about manipulating people to become part of our community of faith, like a grocery store trying to get us to buy what they want us to buy. We are called by God to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world with the strength, encouragement, and grace that God has promised to those who obey and trust in Him.
“For this cause, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth, and to know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to him be the glory in the assembly and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:14-21, WEB
There is an ongoing joke with many pastors. When we get together with them in more personal situations, like when we invite them for dinner in our home or at a restaurant, everyone looks to them for prayer. We look to them as our model. It is their job to pray. However, in those situations, our pastors look to us because it is their “job, and since it is a personal gathering, it isn’t up to them. “I get paid to pray,” they say. “This is your time.” That’s one way to encourage others into active prayer lives.
Even though our pastors are paid to pray, it is something that we are all meant to do. We tend to let those trained in spiritual matters do the spiritual things, ignoring our responsibility to do those very things. We let the pastors be evangelists, but we should be sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with our neighbors. We let our pastors read the Bible and explain it to us, but we should spend time in God’s Word every day. We look to our pastors to take care of the business of the church; that’s what we hired them for, right? (We don’t hire our pastors, God calls them into ministry, but that’s for another day.)
Some might think that a pastor’s job is easy. After all, they only work an hour or so a week, right? That is not remotely true. Being a pastor is a 24/7 job. They put hours into planning that hour a week when we come together to worship our God. They study the scriptures so that their messages are not only relevant to our lives, but so that they are biblically founded and true to God’s Word. They are available for us at our moments of deepest need, answering the phone at insane hours in case a parishioner is sick. They bury our dead and comfort those who grieve. They advocate for those who are dealing with difficult situations. They counsel people with troubles in their relationships. They take upon their shoulders the burdens of our sin and struggle with the emotions of those to whom they are ministering.
On top of the spiritual work they do, they are often responsible for mundane tasks around the Church. Most pastors can tell you about days that they have been on their hands and knees cleaning up overflowing toilets and sitting late at night at their desk pouring over budgets. They order materials, lead preschool children in worship, attend committee meetings, outreach to the community, and pray for every one of their sheep.
A pastor once told me that a council member questioned his record of work. The pastor had recorded all his home and hospital visits, the hours spend preparing a sermon, the community gatherings at which he represented the Church, and other work that he did. He included the number of hours in prayer. The council member was shocked. “Shouldn’t you pray on your time?” the council member asked. No, the truth is that praying for the flock is one of the most important jobs of our pastors. This task deepens the bond of the pastor with the God who will answer, but it also builds the relationship between pastor and parishioner. Our pastors share everything with us, our grief and joy, our hopes and doubts, our assurance, and our fears. Being a pastor is a deeply satisfying job, but it is also emotionally, spiritually, and physically demanding.
Our pastors need us as much as we need them. Yes, they have certain duties and responsibilities that are given to them because they are our pastor, but that doesn’t mean we can’t step in to help. We can visit the sick and imprisoned. We can teach Bible studies. We can invite our neighbors to church events.
Most of all, we can pray. Paul wrote about how he prays for the Christians, in hopeful expectation of God’s blessing on their lives of faith. He prays that they will know God’s love for them. This is certainly what our pastors do for us. We need to remember, however, that our pastors are Christians just like us. They need prayer, too. They need us to pray that they know God’s love for them. They need us to pray in hopeful expectation of God’s blessing on their lives of faith. They probably need our prayers more than we need theirs because as ministers they face attacks and difficulties we’ll never understand. They might be paid to pray, but we are privileged to do so for them. October is Pastor Appreciation month. We can do lots of things to show our pastors we are thankful for their ministry among us but let us give them what they need the most: our prayers.
October is a good month to celebrate our pastors because it gives them the strength to help them through the upcoming season. We don’t realize how busy they are through Advent and Christmas, not only with extra services and social engagements, but also with the struggles of life. More people die at this time of year. More people struggle with emotional issues, suffering from depression and loneliness. It is a time when God’s people need guidance so that they will make the right decisions about resources and relationships. They carry our burdens throughout the year, but the burdens of the next few months tend to be especially heavy.
Our pastors are there for us year-round, so we should never limit our thanksgiving and our prayers to one month, yet this is a very good time for us to remind them how much they are appreciated. Send a note or a token that will brighten their day. Remember that they have a hard job, perhaps one of the hardest of all. They are responsible for so much more than a twelve-minute sermon on Sunday morning. Be compassionate, merciful and full of grace; they are carrying the burdens of the world on their shoulders. Be careful about how to deal with them so that they can glorify God and do their work with joy.
“Have mercy on me, God, according to your loving kindness. According to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity. Cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions. My sin is constantly before me. Against you, and you only, I have sinned, and done that which is evil in your sight, so you may be proved right when you speak, and justified when you judge. Behold, I was born in iniquity. My mother conceived me in sin. Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts. You teach me wisdom in the inmost place. Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness, that the bones which you have broken may rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all of my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me. Don’t throw me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation. Uphold me with a willing spirit.” Psalm 51:1-12, WEB
We are doing some room renovation in our home this weekend. Our son moved out, and the room where he was living is going to become a new guest room for company. The walls desperately need a new coat of paint before we move the furniture from the old guest room. It is a time of renewal in many ways, covering the old with new, making clean the unclean. I look forward to welcoming guests into this new and renewed space. I’m sure my guests would not mind, but I see every ugly spot and blemish. I want it to be the best it can be.
We don’t like to admit it, but we have lots of spots and blemishes. This is why Jesus came, to cover the old with Himself and wash away our uncleanness. We are encouraged to see ourselves as God might see us: the good, the bad and the ugly. Jesus doesn't tell us that we are better or worse than any others, He simply wants us to be willing to listen to His Word. It is our willingness to admit our spots and blemishes that Jesus commends, rejoicing with us when we see the reality of our sin and turn to Him for forgiveness and peace.
Paul, who was once a Pharisee, realized his failure when he met Jesus on the road to Damascus. In his letters, he repeatedly talks about his sinfulness and the mercy received from Jesus. He wrote to Timothy, “I am thankful that Jesus has given me so much despite my sinfulness.” He openly admits his failure and embraces God’s grace. God does not desert His people. He does not reject us. He forgives. He teaches. He rebukes and corrects us, but He does so that we will be all we can be. He covers us with the new and cleans our uncleanness. He wants to draw us further and further into His heart so that we will not fail the next time.
Like the psalmist, we are encouraged to sing a confession the faith, “Against you, and you only, I have sinned, and done that which is evil in your sight, so you may be proved right when you speak, and justified when you judge.” This cry is a reminder to our Lord, like Moses did for the Israelites, that we are His. While we might hurt others, our sinfulness is truly against God. But we can humbly and prayerfully remind Him that we are His, beg His forgiveness and receive His grace. “Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.” These very familiar words are a cry to our God to make us new, to do for us as He did for His people throughout the ages. We can ask Him to change us, and He does so from the inside out so that we will be all that He wants us to be and we are renewed by His grace.
October 20, 2025
“Praise Yah! I will give thanks to Yahweh with my whole heart, in the council of the upright, and in the congregation. Yahweh’s works are great, pondered by all those who delight in them. His work is honor and majesty. His righteousness endures forever. He has caused his wonderful works to be remembered. Yahweh is gracious and merciful. He has given food to those who fear him. He always remembers his covenant. He has shown his people the power of his works, in giving them the heritage of the nations. The works of his hands are truth and justice. All his precepts are sure. They are established forever and ever. They are done in truth and uprightness. He has sent redemption to his people. He has ordained his covenant forever. His name is holy and awesome! The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom. All those who do his work have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!” Psalm 111, WEB
The scriptures record many promises, some from God to people, some from people to God, some between people. The promises from God to people number in the thousands, some of which were for individuals, others for humankind throughout time and space. Many of God’s promises were fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who guaranteed for us the mercy and forgiveness of God that grants us salvation and eternal life.
Some of the promises were not meant for us in particular. Take, for example, the promise God gave to Abraham that he would become the father of many nations. The promise was first given in Genesis 12, but God repeated the promise in Genesis 15 when Abraham doubted whether it could come to pass. “I don’t have any children. I’m nearly a hundred years old. Sarah is ninety and barren. How will I ever be the father of many nations?” Abraham and Sarah even tried to make the promise come about by using Hagar as a surrogate. God assured Abraham that He could do the impossible, and when Abraham was a hundred years old, God fulfilled the promise.
This is not a promise any of us could ever expect to be part of our story. I surely wouldn’t want it! I was happy to have my children when I was still young enough to have the energy and longevity to enjoy them. Yet, we read the story of Abraham and see how God does amazing things. We see how God is faithful to His promises, even those that seem impossible. We read the stories of the Old Testament, the promises that God gave to individuals and to nations, with awe that God can and does do everything to make things right in the world He created. We, like Abraham, sometimes question whether it can come to pass, but we have been given the Old Testament stories to remind us over and over again what God can do because we see that He did it. He gave Abraham the child that He promised, not in the way anyone expected, but in the way that proved God’s faithfulness and power. He is the Almighty and we are invited to ponder what God did so that we will be assured of what God can and will do for us.
The psalmist wrote, “Yahweh’s works are great, pondered by all those who delight in them.” We sang the hymn, “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty” yesterday in church. In the hymn, we are reminded of the things that God does. He is our health and salvation. He shelters us under His wings and sustains us. He prospers our work and defends us. His goodness and mercy attend us. He befriends us. He makes the tempests that wage and elements that rage cease around us. He assuages the whirlwinds and waters. He makes light shine in the darkness to chase the horrors of night. He surrounds us with mercy. The hymn reminds us to ponder anew every day what the Almighty can do, singing praise before Him, sounding the “AMEN” in adoration of this God who grants wisdom to those who fear Him (stand in awe of Him) and praise Him for all He has done and continues to do.
“For which of you, desiring to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and count the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? Or perhaps, when he has laid a foundation and isn’t able to finish, everyone who sees begins to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ Or what king, as he goes to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an envoy and asks for conditions of peace. So therefore, whoever of you who doesn’t renounce all that he has, he can’t be my disciple.” Luke 14:28-33, WEB
I recently saw a meme that had a photo of a roll of toilet paper with just a sliver of paper on it. The caption read, “Before starting a project, make sure you have the resources available.” It made me laugh, because I’m sure that we have all sat down to do our business without realizing that we didn’t have enough toilet paper to clean up.
If you haven’t had that problem in the restroom, I’m sure there have been other situations where you have not had all the resources available to do a task you have begun. It has happened to me in the kitchen far more than I care to admit. I have started dinner, only to realize I don’t have any macaroni for the side dish I was planning. Or I don’t have enough flour for the banana bread I want to make. How many DIYers end up at the hardware store several times during a project because they realize they don’t have enough nails or wood? How many parents discover at 9:00 p.m. Sunday night that a child has a project due on Monday morning and needs a poster board immediately?
Do you have the resources available to do what you need to do today? This is a very practical question, but it is also a spiritual one. Do you have the resources available to do God’s work in your little corner of the world? We begin to answer this question with the truth that God will provide us with everything we need. He gives us gifts. He fills our mouths with His Word. He ensures that we have His Spirit and power when He calls us to do something. Yet, we are reminded that we are meant to be active participants in the work. This means being prepared.
God puts us in a time and a place and in relationships to accomplish His good and perfect work in this world. He needs us to live our Christian faith not only within the walls of the church on Sunday, but daily in the world so that others might see His grace. To do so, however, means keeping His Word in our hearts and in our minds. It means taking time daily for prayer and study, for renewing ourselves by drinking in the waters of life. We are not strong enough, faithful enough, knowledgeable enough to live a dynamic life of faith. We need to constantly gather “supplies” so that we will be prepared for whatever opportunities God places before us. We need to drink daily to live, and we need to drink deeply of God’s Word so that we’ll stay on the right path.
In today’s passage, Jesus told the multitudes two parables. One was about a builder and the other about a warrior king. He asked what would happen if they did not count the cost of their projects. The builder would be seen as a fool when his foundation lay undeveloped, the king would be routed by the enemy. The builder and the king had to count the cost so that they knew if they could succeed. We are reminded that he cost of discipleship is great; it means giving up everything for the sake of Christ. It means humbling ourselves before God, looking to Him to supply our needs, but also giving up our time to ensure we are prepared to do God’s work. Unlike those times when the toilet paper runs out or the flour canister is empty, we can trust that God will ensure we have what we need. However, as active participants in the work of God’s kingdom, it is good for us to count the cost of discipleship, checking our resources to be sure we are prepared for every opportunity.
Lectionary Scriptures for October 26, 2025, Reformation Sunday: Revelation 14:6-7; Psalm 46; Romans 3:19-28; John 8:31-36
“If therefore the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36, WEB
We are beginning a brief study in our adult forum class about the Nicene Creed, which was first used one thousand seven hundred years ago. The work of developing the Nicene Creed began 1700 years ago. There were a few additions in the ensuing years, but the confession of belief was developed to establish a foundation for the common faith of the Christians. It was necessary because there were so many questions in the early days of the Church, and there were some who were spreading ideas that did not stand up to biblical scrutiny. As part of the study, we are going to talk about why we do some of the things when we gather to worship our God.
The readers of this writing come from a wide variety of backgrounds, many of which do not use creeds or follow the liturgy. Some of you are probably even bothered by it. I understand, although I personally find great comfort in the rhythm of the liturgy and the unity of our voices as we join together through time and space proclaiming the incredible grace of God as has been revealed in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. The ancient creeds, the beautiful hymns, the liturgy brings it all together under the watchful gaze of our great and glorious God.
One of the reasons why we are pursuing this study is because I was recently asked about certain aspects of our worship. Why do we do this? Why do we do that? What does that mean? The friend who asked had noticed that our paraments (the coverings on the furniture in our sanctuary) were different colors but had not realized that there was a pattern that the changes reflect the rhythm of the church year.
The paraments in our church on Sunday will be red, and the congregation is encouraged to wear red as well. Why? For many churches, particularly those considered Protestant, Sunday is the day we remember the day Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses on the Wittenberg Church door, beginning the Reformation.
So, why red? Red is often the liturgical color for martyrs, symbolizing the blood shed for their faith, but Martin Luther was not martyred for his faith. Oh, he suffered. He was ostracized. He was threatened. He was rejected. But he managed to live a relatively long life, dying from medical issues in his sixties. He had struggled with his health for many years. One month before he died, he complained about his infirmities. “I, old, weary, lazy, worn-out, cold, chilly, and, over and above, one-eyed man.” He then sighed, “Half-dead as I am, I might be left in peace.” Sadly, he didn’t find that peace in this world, even in the waning years of his life, Martin Luther had to deal with crisis after crisis, in the church and in the secular world in which he lived.
The red we wear on Reformation Day isn’t necessarily about blood or martyrdom, although we can identify the red with the blood of Christ, which was the focus of the reformers all those years ago. Our life, our faith, our reconciliation with our Father came by the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We were bought with a price, the very high price of His crucifixion. The writings of Martin Luther bring to mind our inability to live up to God’s expectations and Jesus’ ability to overcome the world so that we will inherit His kingdom.
Red is also the color of the Holy Spirit. It is the color of flames, a symbol that represents the tongues of fire that came upon the disciples on the day of Pentecost, another day we wear red. That same Spirit has always been part of the church, guiding God’s people to stand according to His Word. He was there 1700 years ago when the theologians debated the basis of our doctrine about the Trinity and the character of God. He was there five hundred years ago when the reformers were trying to restore what had been lost. He continues to be with us through every struggle, whether the crises were internal or external, within the church or from persecution. The Spirit fills us, as He filled Christians throughout time and space, to do the work of God, the work of the Church, to bring the Gospel in word and deed to the world.
Red can also represent sanctuary. The doors of churches in Europe during the middle ages were often red, including, perhaps, the door on which Luther posted his theses. The red doors were a beacon for the poor and the oppressed, calling them to the one place where they find grace and peace. The Church, and church buildings, was a place of sanctuary. We wear red to remind ourselves that we are in communion with those who came before us and those who come after us, gathered and unified by the Holy Spirit that burns in our hearts, enlivening and enlightening us, so that we will stand together in God, in love and as witnesses to His grace.
It is ironic that we would talk about unity on Reformation Day when it seems as though Martin Luther was anything but a unifier. Luther never wanted the church to split; he simply wanted some aspects of the church to be restored to the way they had been in the beginning. He always wanted reconciliation, even if he refused to concede the points that he believed mattered to the Christian faith.
The Christian faith is about reconciliation and forgiveness, and the universal Church has tried in every generation to find common agreement. It happened in 325 when the Nicene Creed was written. It happened in 1517 when Luther posted his Theses. It happens today as churches try to work together to find our common bonds. None of us are perfect, including Martin Luther, so even while we continue to disagree on so many things about the faith we confess, we need to find a way to forgive one another and seek God’s grace. He has been working for more than two thousand years, helping Christians believe in what matters: Jesus.
Why does any of this matter? Why should we bother to learn the history of division when we have found our own sense of peace in our faith? Martin Luther never wanted division; he wanted reformation and restoration. Our ultimate goal, even today, is for unity in Christ's Church. It may be difficult, it might even be impossible, but the Christian faith is founded upon forgiveness and reconciliation. If we can't forgive our brothers and sisters in Christ, how will we ever preach forgiveness to the world? The lessons we learn from the texts chosen for this Reformation Sunday are applicable to all of us, the entire body of Christ, no matter our differences. The texts, which focus on God's saving grace, are the foundation of our faith.
Martin Luther was an educated man who studied the scriptures and had a good sense of God’s love, but he was so riddled with guilt that he spent hours confessing his sins and seeking forgiveness. He was a priest, and he was afraid that if he was not justified before God, then his entire congregation would be condemned forever. He included every minor and trivial thought, word or deed that was not perfect. He suffered great pains spiritually. He tried to be perfect, but when he was not perfect, he obsessed over receiving forgiveness for himself for the sake of his congregation.
One day, however, Martin Luther realized that he could never confess himself into salvation. He rediscovered the foundation of the Gospel message in Romans 3: it is not by our works that we are saved, but the amazing grace of God saves us.
When Martin Luther read the passage from Romans 3, he rediscovered the foundation of the Gospel message: it is not by our works that we are saved, but by the amazing grace of God. It is so much easier for us to do good works than to accept the humbling reality that we can never make ourselves good enough to enter into the presence of God. We don’t want God to see our imperfections, and we fear what will happen when He does. It is much, much harder for us to cry out to God in our imperfections because we are truly afraid of what He might say. Yet, the true path, the better path, is to cry out in faith knowing that God is gracious and merciful, full of forgiveness. There is nothing we can do to earn His grace, but in faith we can boldly approach Him with our needs. He will listen. He will heal. In Him and in Him alone, we experience grace and peace. We are comforted by the reality of God’s faithful love that we confess when we gather to worship Him.
The turning point for Luther’s faith was the reminder of God’s grace. He realized that there was nothing he could do to make himself right with God. He was a sinner in need of a Savior, and only Jesus Christ could bring justification and sanctification to his life. This knowledge made Luther free. It makes us free, too, to live and love and work according to God’s righteousness, following the passions of our heart which by faith will be in line with God’s will. He calls us from the inside; we receive the gift of faith by which we believe in Jesus. God changes us by that faith and our new attitude makes us long to be actively involved in God’s creative and redemptive work. We are not forced to be righteous according to some man-made expectation. God has made us righteous and, in His righteousness, we do what is right. He has set us free.
Martin Luther’s act of nailing the Ninety-five Thesis on that red door in 1517 began something that he never intended: division in the body of Christ. But on this Reformation Day, we can talk about forgiveness and reconciliation with our brothers in sisters in Christ across the national and denominational boundaries. We are bound together by something that cannot divide us: the grace of God. We can, as John wrote, “Fear the Lord, and give him glory, for the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and the springs of waters!” together in our own time and place, in our own way, despite our differences. The God who formed the earth has saved us and given us the faith to live in the here and now until that day when we will be reconciled with Him and one another for eternity.
In the texts for today we see a strong and powerful image of God. He is “our refuge and our strength.” We need not fear, because God is a very present help in trouble. It was Psalm 46 that Martin Luther used as the basis for one of his most important works: the hymn “A Mighty Fortress.” God is always with us. He is a fortress in times of difficulty and a refuge in times of need. When things look bad in the world in which we live, as they must have looked to Luther in 1517, we can rest assured that God is present, active and faithful.
The Old Covenant included laws that were required for righteousness. Leaders demanded obedience, and they made threats or bribes to keep the people in line. The leaders laid heavy burdens on the people, and the people failed. That’s why God made the New Covenant that gives the believer the faith to live according to God’s Word.
Jesus told those listening that the truth would set them free, but the Jewish leaders didn't understand what he was talking about. “We are Abraham’s offspring, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How do you say, ‘You will be made free’?” They relied on their heritage; they relied on Abraham and Moses for their salvation. But since it is impossible for sinful human beings to keep the Law perfectly, they would always fail to live up to the expectations of that Law. Jesus said that whenever you sin, no matter how small or insignificant, you are a slave to sin. This is what Martin Luther discovered when he was trying to confess himself into salvation.
The New Covenant reforms our thinking about God’s Law and God’s Word. In faith we respond to the call of God. The Old Covenant, which comes from outside, is replaced with a covenant that comes from inside. The Law still has a purpose, in that it helps us to see our need for the Savior. When we hear the Gospel, God’s Word is placed in the heart; faith is given so that we can act out of love rather than fear. We are no longer burdened by that Law, but we are set free to live out God’s Word by faith.
I once listened as a church leader give a message about stewardship using the theme of loyalty. He demanded that every member be loyal to that church, to that building, and to that ministry. He missed the mark in that speech, and in doing so laid a heavy burden on the congregation. Our loyalty is not to a building or a pastor or a denomination. Our loyalty is to God. It is good that we find a place to practice our faith with others who have similar ideas, enjoy similar worship, and are able to focus our faith on the same things. It is good to join together in the rhythm of the liturgy and the unity of our voices through time and space proclaiming the incredible grace of God as has been revealed in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is good to join our offerings, our good works, and our gifts with others of like mind so we can work together for a common purpose. In the meantime, people in other places with other ideas and styles and focus will do things together, too, all for the glory of God. But we have to remember that we are not serving the church or even the people; we are serving God and doing these things for Him. When we focus our loyalty on the world, we lose touch with God, and we are once again a slave to sin.
There is a rock opera based on the life of Martin Luther, written and performed by the group Lost and Found and based on a graphic novel published by Dr. Rich Melheim. The songs tell the story of the beginnings of the Protestant Reformation and ends with a song to make the listeners consider how the Reformation continues today. The refrain is, “If I knew that the world would end tomorrow, I would plant a tree today. There is hope amid the sorrow and there’s joy along the way. There’s a world in every moment and a moment when we find that the tree of life is growing all the time.”
We might wonder whether the Reformation is still relevant. What do the thoughts of a 16th century German monk have to do with us today? Why do we continue to celebrate the day Martin Luther posted Ninety-five theological arguments on a church door?
We point to Martin Luther as the catalyst for the Protestant Reformation, but the work began long before his time. In the early 15th century, a man named John Hus was burned at the stake for speaking the same ideas that Luther put forth a hundred years later. Before him, John Wycliffe published the New Testament in English. Wycliffe also argued against the hierarchy of the Church. Though he died of natural causes in 1384, he was declared a heretic in 1415 and posthumously excommunicated. His body was exhumed, his bones burned to ashes and thrown into the River Swift. We might consider Martin Luther one of the most influential men in history, we have to remember those who went before him, as well as those who encouraged, supported, and worked with him as He fought the good fight. He served God in many ways as an individual, but he always knew that he was part of something much bigger.
The name Hus meant goose in German, and John Hus wrote from his prison cell, “Today you all roast a goose, but more than a hundred years from now a purer swan will come, who will finally sing you a different little song.” There aren’t many people who would call Martin Luther a swan; as a matter of fact, there are many who have nothing good to say about the man. He was arrogant in many ways, also brash and bold and loud. I can only imagine what he’d have been like if he’d had Twitter during his life. He was a sinner in need of a savior.
What made Luther the swan was that he never wavered in his faith and held firmly to the truth no matter what others did to him. He struggled with so many crises, but he stood firmly on the Word of God. He lived in the grace that God has so freely given to each of us. Too many of the reformers were martyred at the hands of those who feared the destruction of their power by the reforms suggested by men like Martin Luther, but thanks to God and those around him, Luther survived to accomplish incredible things. He risked his life, his home, his family, and even his vocation to stand for the truth that he saw in the scriptures. He was excommunicated, threatened, and forced into hiding. He lived through war and famine, disease and other disasters. He suffered from physical ailments, too. Through it all he believed. If there is anything that truly makes the Reformation still relevant for us today, it is Luther’s understanding of faith.
The Reformation was not about making things new but about re-forming the world to be as it was meant to be. We all stray. You can see that throughout the story of God in the Bible. God created everything and it was good. As a matter of fact, after He created mankind, He called it all very good. Yet, it didn’t take very long for Adam and Eve to turn from God. The patriarchs had many good attributes, particularly faith, but they all failed in some way. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and Solomon all wandered from the right path, but they cried out to God, turned to Him in repentance and were transformed by His grace.
The nation of Israel was just like those individuals. They had good moments when they were faithful, but it never took very long for them to turn away from God. The kings would turn to idols or seek help from the pagan nations and the people followed. They forgot the God who was their salvation. After a few generations, God raised a new king to reconcile them with their God, and God always renewed the promises He had made to their forefathers. Though they sinned, God never abandoned them. Sometimes God had to let them suffer the consequences of their unfaithfulness, but He never let them go. He was always their refuge and strength. After a season of struggle, they cried out to Him, He restored them to Himself, and they were re-formed into the nation He intended them to be. Sadly, it never lasted more than a generation or so.
Isn’t that what happens with us? We turn from God, suffer the consequences of our sin, cry out to Him, are forgiven and transformed, but eventually we turn from Him again. This is not how it is meant to be, but we are sinners even as we are saints. We have faith, but we are not always faithful. The same is true of the Church. She might be right with God in one generation, but it doesn’t take long for her to turn from Him. Again and again, human beings go from faithfulness to faithlessness to repentance and God is always there for us, always ready to make us new again. He re-forms us into the people we are meant to be. One day, when time ends and we have entered into eternity, we will finally be restored to Him fully and completely forever. Then we will no longer need the Reformation. For now, however, we are, as Luther so eloquently put it, “simul justus et peccator” which means “simultaneously saints and sinners.” We need to be constantly re-formed.
God’s Word will continue to re-form His people and restore us to Himself whenever we wander off His path. This is true of us as individuals and of the Church. The Reformation is certainly still relevant today because we constantly need to be re-formed into the people and the Church God has created and redeemed us to be. We need to be reminded of God’s grace, of His forgiveness, of the hope that only comes by trusting in Him.
One of the stanzas from that song from the rock opera I quoted above goes like this: “Stumbling through the dark, when this all began, seeing what was wrong, yet without a plan. Now, we’ve come so far, it seems as though we’re done, but God’s reforming word has only just begun.” Every day is a day for reformation. Every day is a day to trust in God. Every day, even the final day, is a day to plant a tree, always hopeful and joyful that God will keep the tree of life growing for eternity because God has set us free to truly live as we were meant to live.
I sometimes wonder if it is time to have another Reformation, and there are others who think the same. Unfortunately, the focus of a new Reformation for many is a personal freedom to do what they feel is best according to their hearts. However, the Reformation we need is the reminder that we are sinners saved by grace and that God has mercy on us so that we might glorify Him with our lives. We need to recognize God’s grace. We need to remember that God’s grace does not set us free to live as we want; He sets us free to live to His glory. In that grace we are called to live in a manner in which our faith will grow and that our love for one another will increase.
“All the multitude kept silence, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul reporting what signs and wonders God had done among the nations through them. After they were silent, James answered, ‘Brothers, listen to me. Simeon has reported how God first visited the nations to take out of them a people for his name. This agrees with the words of the prophets. As it is written, “After these things I will return. I will again build the tabernacle of David, which has fallen. I will again build its ruins. I will set it up that the rest of men may seek after the Lord: all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who does all these things.” All of God’s works are known to him from eternity. Therefore my judgment is that we don’t trouble those from among the Gentiles who turn to God, but that we write to them that they abstain from the pollution of idols, from sexual immorality, from what is strangled, and from blood. For Moses from generations of old has in every city those who preach him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.’ Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole assembly, to choose men out of their company, and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, chief men among the brothers.” Acts 15:12-22, WEB
Today is the day we remember St. James of Jerusalem, also known as James the Just, who is often identified as the brother (or half-brother) of Jesus Christ. We don’t exactly know the relationship between them, whether James was a younger brother who shared Mary as their mother or an older brother, the son of Joseph from a previous marriage. He is named in Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3 as part of Jesus’ family. This James is not the James the Apostle, but he had an important role as a leader of the early Church, particularly in Jerusalem where he was named bishop.
He is identified by Paul as one of those to whom Jesus made an appearance after He was raised in 1 Corinthians 15. In Galatians 1, Paul calls him James, the Lord’s brother. It is believed that James wrote the epistle named after him. The writer of the letter of Jude is also identified as a brother of Jesus, noting in his greeting that James is his brother. Josephus, Eusebius, and Jerome, historians during the time of the early church, make references to him. Josephus seems more sympathetic to James than he is to Jesus. Though there are some questions about his identity, particularly in modern scholarship, most of the early scholars reported that Jesus was a relative of Jesus.
James did not seem to believe in Jesus during His ministry. James was probably with Mary when she tried to get Jesus to go home to rest in Matthew 12:46. The crowds in Jesus’ hometown could not understand where Jesus got His wisdom and power, identifying Him with His family. Jesus answered, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country and in his own house.” In the end, however, James became one of Jesus’ staunchest supporters and an advocate for the growing church.
Our text for today notes a moment when Paul returns to Jerusalem to share a report about the work happening with the Gentile believers. James helped guide the church toward welcoming Gentile converts without imposing the full weight of Jewish law. He lived a life of prayer, simplicity, and holiness, and was deeply revered for his intercession on behalf of his people. His bold witness to Jesus as Messiah, however, provoked opposition. According to tradition, and the witness of many early historians, James was thrown from the temple roof or stoned to death for his testimony. Honored as both apostle and martyr, James is remembered for his wisdom, his reconciling spirit, and his steadfast faith unto death.
“Trust in Yahweh, and do good. Dwell in the land, and enjoy safe pasture. Also delight yourself in Yahweh, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to Yahweh. Trust also in him, and he will do this: he will make your righteousness shine out like light, and your justice as the noon day sun. Rest in Yahweh, and wait patiently for him.” Psalm 37:3-7a, WEB
Abram was a pagan. He believed in the local gods of Ur, the gods of his fathers. Though God had made an appearance in the pages before chapter twelve of Genesis, He was not known beyond a few key people. He had personal relationships with Adam and Eve, and with Noah, but the world followed other gods. Then, in chapter twelve, Abram was called by God into something new. God sent him out of his country to an unknown place. Abram followed, but even at that moment he didn’t know where he was going or even who he was following. God made the promise that Abram would be made into a great nation. He didn’t know how to be obedient to this strange new God, so he did not always act as God expected.
Yet, God remained faithful. In Genesis 15, God appeared to Abram again and reminded him of His promise. “But God...” Abram said. Abram didn’t understand how he would ever become a great nation when he didn’t even have a single child. He was already seventy-five years old when God first called him. His wife Sarai was ten years younger, but she was barren. What hope did they have to have children? Still, God renewed the promise and made a covenant with Abram. Sarai and Abram decided they needed to help God fulfill His promise, so Sarai gave Abram to her servant Hagar. Abram was eighty-six years old, and the child Ishmael seemed to be the answer to their prayers. As Sarai’s servant, Hagar’s child was Sarai’s property. This wasn’t what God intended.
Yet, God remained faithful. When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram again to renew His promise. Genesis 17 is a turning point not only for Abram and Sarai, but also for God’s relationship with the world He created. He made another covenant with Abram, one that included a sign: circumcision. At that moment, God also changed the names of Abram and Sarai. From that moment on, they would be called Abraham and Sarah. Abraham went from “exalted father” to “father of a multitude.” Sarah went from “princess” to “mother of nations.” There is something else about this name change that means something important: the addition of the “h,” which is the letter “hey” in Hebrew. Besides being a letter, the word “hey” can mean “breath”. God did not just change Abraham and Sarah’s name; He breathed on them. He changed them. It was a moment when the lives of Abraham and Sarah were changed, a moment when the future of God’s world was sent in a new direction, the way He had planned it to go. Of course, Abraham was not always faithful, but God is always faithful even when we fail.
The promised son, Isaac, was finally born to Abraham and Sarah when he was one hundred and she was ninety. He was the son of the promise, the one conceived after the covenantal promise with the sign of circumcision. He was the son who would take God’s plan into the future. Like every human being after the fall, Isaac was not perfect. He was not always faithful, but God always is.
We look to Abraham as an example of God’s incredible grace. God has made us promises, too. He has made a covenant with us through Jesus Christ our Lord. Our turning point does not come when God changes our name or during the ancient ritual of circumcision. He breathes on us at the baptismal font, taking us as His own and changing our future into what He intends it to be. We, like Abraham, will fail to be faithful, but He is always faithful. He calls us out of our old life into something new. He reminds us of His promises over and over again. He makes us new by His grace. He sometimes seems far away, or takes too much time to fulfill His promises, so we are tempted to take matters into our own hands. The story of Abraham reminds us to be patient, because God will be faithful according to His Word.
“On the seventh day, they rose early at the dawning of the day, and marched around the city in the same way seven times. On this day only they marched around the city seven times. At the seventh time, when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, ‘Shout, for Yahweh has given you the city! The city shall be devoted, even it and all that is in it, to Yahweh. Only Rahab the prostitute shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. But as for you, only keep yourselves from what is devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted it, you take of the devoted thing; so you would make the camp of Israel accursed and trouble it. But all the silver, gold, and vessels of bronze and iron are holy to Yahweh. They shall come into Yahweh’s treasury.’ So the people shouted and the priests blew the trumpets. When the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight in front of him, and they took the city. They utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, both young and old, and ox, sheep, and donkey, with the edge of the sword.” Joshua 6:15-21, WEB
Some people will say it is too early, but the Christmas romance movies have begun on several channels that play that sort of thing. Those stations make movies for other seasons, but there’s something about Christmas love that makes a heart happy. There are some, including my son, who just sigh when I begin watching those movies, especially this early in the season. After all, he says, “They are all the same.” Sure, those movies are formulaic. Sure, I can tell you that the couple will kiss when there is less than five minutes to the movie. You can almost guess from opening scenes what plot the story will follow. Will it be a city woman sent home to her hometown who reconnects with her high school boyfriend? Will it be a big city man sent to the small town to open a store which will destroy a mom-and-pop shop which is currently run by the daughter of the owners? Will there be an adorable child or animal that will bring together a couple who would never meet without it? Is that old guy really Santa? It is fun to guess what is going to happen. It is usually pretty easy because we know that the guy will get the girl, that the business will not only survive but will thrive, that the farm will be saved. Yes, in some ways every story is the same, but they are still fun to watch even when they are predictable, especially when the stars are favorites.
I would often amaze my children when they were small because I had an amazing ability to foretell what would happen on a television show. I don’t know if they had a special gift of “seeing,” I certainly didn’t think so. I laughed when they were amazed because I know my “predictions” were simply guesses based on patterns. My children would not be so amazed by my ability to guess when the boy and girl would kiss on a holiday romance movie because they now know about formulas and patterns. There are only so many types of story plots and if you recognize the plot you can generally figure out where the writers are going with it.
The same is not true about life. People often surprise me, and circumstances often seem out of my control. I suppose that is why I enjoy watching those Christmas romances: I know what’s going on and what will happen which gives me a certain sense of control. Yet, in life we don’t always know how people are going to react to situations or what might go wrong. We have the additional surprise of what God is going to do in the world. He does not usually meet our expectations. Take, for example, the story of Jericho.
Do you think Joshua and the Israelites knew what was going to happen when they blew those trumpets and yelled as they were commanded? Do you think they knew the walls would tumble down? In the story it tells us that they rushed toward the walls, but I imagine that there was a moment of shock. I can almost hear the crowds on the morning of that seventh day, wondering what God was thinking. After six days of walking around the city, it seems like they would have been tired of not seeing anything happen. What did they think God would do?
There are times when we can foretell what will happen in the movie or our everyday life. However, life often surprises us. Even more so, God often surprises us so that we can’t be sure that we know what will happen tomorrow. Those surprises might be upsetting or cause us to pause for a moment. We might doubt what will happen because God does amazing things outside our expectations. No matter what happens we can rest in the promise that God is with us and He will see us through. He will break down the walls and overcome our difficulties. We most likely will never have to rush into a city whose walls have tumbled, but sometimes God will send us rushing into some other battle knowing that He has already prepared the way.
“This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their hearts. They, having become callous, gave themselves up to lust, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you didn’t learn Christ that way, if indeed you heard him and were taught in him, even as truth is in Jesus: that you put away, as concerning your former way of life, the old man that grows corrupt after the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man, who in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of truth.” Ephesians 4:17-24, WEB
I am a creature of habit. I do my laundry on Wednesday. I follow the same routine at bedtime each night. I try to get the same parking spot at the grocery store. I use the same lane on familiar roads. I turn on my tablet every morning to play word games that wake up my mind for the day. I change the sheets of my bed on a regular basis. I clean my studio when it reaches a certain level of clutteredness. I wear certain pants with certain shirts. I do things in a specific way, even to the point of annoying others when I redo their helpfulness because they didn’t do it my way. I am sure every reader can make a similar list. Our habits are generally not bad, and hopefully we are not so inflexible that we can’t deviate, but I know I am more stressed when I have to do things a different way.
Old habits are hard to break, but sometimes it is necessary to do so. Life changes when a woman becomes a mother and old habits have to be changed to allow the new creature into her life. Life changes again when children grow up and go out on their own, so we don’t have to continue the habits revolving around them. A new house, a new neighborhood, or a new job will make changes inevitable as you have to adapt to schedule changes, neighbors, or traffic. Illness also interrupts our habits as we have to do things in a whole new way. These new, different things can get in our way and frustrate our habits.
Sometimes our habits should be frustrated. Faith calls for a new life, a change in the way we do things. The habits of our old flesh may need to be rejected. Of course, I’m not talking about brushing my teeth before bed or cleaning my bed sheets, but perhaps we should consider other changes. I tend toward chocolate when I am stressed, a habit I should avoid. Of course, life in Christ means that we should look at the world in a new way, without the fear, or anxiety, seeing stressful times as new opportunities to trust God. Our lives will not be perfect, but when we trust in Jesus Christ, we do not feel the stress. As Paul wrote, no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind.” This means that life without God is intellectually frustrating, useless and meaningless.
The life in Christ also means giving up those things that we did before we were saved that do not belong in a holy life. We are no longer alienated from God, and we are no longer ignorant; in Christ we stand in the presence of God and we see clearly that our old habits do not glorify Him. We have learned from our Lord about how to live according to His Word, putting Him first, relying on Him, even in the times of stress. Instead of running for a bag of M&Ms when things are not going my way, I should get down on my knees and pray, for God can, and will, give me the strength to get through it. Faith makes us new, and the habits of the old creature will be transformed into something new as God transforms us to be like Him in true righteousness and holiness.
Lectionary Scriptures for November 2, 2025, All Saints Sunday: Revelation 7:(2-8) 9-17; Psalm 149; 1 John 3:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12
“Praise Yahweh! Sing to Yahweh a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints.” Psalm 149:1, WEB
We attended a funeral on Monday. It was a beautiful memorial to a wonderful man that had impacted many people through his life, particularly through fifty years of ministry. Henry was the pastor of our church for twenty-one years and was called to that position after serving as a bishop. His humility was an excellent example to all of us. He loved with a heart that was filled with Jesus, shared his faith with everyone he met, and lived the grace and forgiveness he trusted.
Hundreds of people came to remember this man of God, gathering with tears and laughter. Everyone had a story to tell. One friend talked about how Henry interacted with her daughter. His daughter-in-law talked about his love of games and the Dallas Cowboys. A table full of memorabilia recalled a life of accomplishments and love. His granddaughter sang a hymn, inviting us to join her in the peace of knowing, “It is well with my soul.” Over and over again, people witnessed about Henry’s impact on their faith.
I met Henry in 2012 at a meeting. He met dozens of people that day, and our interaction was very brief. I don’t recall seeing him again for several years, but when we met again, Henry not only remembered me, but he also remembered my name. I’ve shared that story with others who knew him, and they said the same thing. It wasn’t just about having an amazing memory, but Henry enjoyed people and he always made you feel like you were loved. We all said that when Henry walked through the pearly gates of heaven, he definitely heard the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Henry was a saint if ever there was one, and yet Henry was not a saint because of what He did. Henry was a saint because he believed in Jesus. The love of Jesus flowed into his heart and then flowed out into the lives of those of us who were blessed to know him.
Henry was blessed to be a blessing, and he lived that calling to the day he died. Unfortunately, all the saints have a limited time on earth. Henry lived long, and though he struggled with his health these past few years, he left us in peace, knowing that death was only the beginning of an eternity with his Lord. A spoke to Henry’s friend on Monday and she said, “He looks so peaceful, doesn’t he?” Yes, he did look at peace. The struggles of this life were over for Henry, and though we cry tears of grief, we also join in his joy and laughter, knowing we will see him again. When our pastor said those words in his sermon, I thought to myself, “And he’ll know my name.”
Sunday is All Saints Sunday, a day we remember those who have passed from this life into life eternal. I will remember my aunt who died earlier this year, another saint who had a heart that overflowed with the love of Jesus. Some years are harder than others, like the years my parents died and when I lost my best friend. As I get older, the reality of death becomes clearer. As I remember the saints who died this year, I am remind that my day will come, too. All Saints is a time for us to consider our mortality, to hear the stories of the saints, and to ask ourselves, “Are we living the life of faith that will bring us to the joyful moment when we, too, hear the words ‘Well done, good and faithful servant’?”
It isn’t about earning our way to heaven. Henry did not ever think his kindness would earn him a place in heaven; he knew that it was all about Jesus. He shared that Good News with everyone. It is good news to discover that we can’t earn God’s grace, because we know that we can never be good enough to deserve the kindness of God. We can’t do anything worthy of God’s glory, but thanks to Jesus, we will experience His love and blessing when we enter into the pearly gates of heaven. Jesus invites us in, pats us on the back with an “Attaboy!” welcoming us into His joy and peace for eternity.
It is my hope that the day I die, people will gather with stories like they did with Henry, sharing how the love of Jesus poured out from my heart and how I impacted their faith. I pray I will hear the words “Well done, good and faithful servant.” I am reminded, however, that I will never deserve such blessing from God, He gives it mercifully and graciously through Jesus Christ, my Lord. I am a saint, not because I have earned the title, but because Jesus gave it to me by His willing sacrifice on the cross.
A few years ago, I attended an All-Saints Sunday worship at the cathedral in Bury St. Edmunds, England. Bishop Clive preached on the Gospel lesson of the Beatitudes. Throughout the sermon the bishop kept saying, “Consider yourself blessed.” It is hard to think in those terms when the blessedness is given to people who are being persecuted and are suffering. Bishop Clive explained, “In the beatitudes, Jesus was making saints out of ordinary people.” All those in Christ are saints, called, gifted and sent to be His witnesses in the world. The saints are those who trust in God no matter their circumstances.
What is a saint? From the Concise Encyclopedia: “[A saint is a] Holy person. In the New Testament, St. Paul used the term to mean a member of the Christian community, but the term more commonly refers to those noted for their holiness and venerated during their lifetimes or after death.”
While this definition is true, it isn’t complete, because we know that the scriptures refer to all those who are Christians are saints. Saints do not have an exceptional degree of holiness or virtue. Those who have been canonized have died, and their stories show them to be extraordinarily faithful or pious, at least at the end of their life. We all remember people like Henry from our own lives that we count among the saints even though they have not been canonized. We remember their goodness, but the reality is that they were not perfect. They had faults. They sinned. They did not deserve the goodness that they experience in the eternal life with God. They join the Church Triumphant, not by their own works, but by God’s grace will sing praises to God forever.
Many churches will have special ceremonies this Sunday in remembrance of those we loved and lost this year. Our church places white roses in a basket as the names are read. Those we remember dealt with their own suffering and sacrifices. They learned to live as children of God from those experiences, and they passed those lessons on to us. They should be remembered for the impact they had on the world.
We are called to have an impact, too. The Beatitudes are given to us to help us to become the disciples that God intends us to be. Martin Luther wrote in his commentary on the Beatitudes, “These eight beatitudes are nothing else than a teaching about the fruits and good works of a Christian, which must be preceded by faith, as the tree and main body or sum of his righteousness and blessedness, without any work or merit, out of which these beatitudes must all grow and follow.”
John Stott wrote, “These characteristics do not describe eight separate and distinct groups of disciples. There are not some who are meek, while others are merciful, yet others called upon to endure persecution. These are eight qualities of the same group who at one and the same time are meek and merciful, poor in spirit and pure in heart, mourning and hungry, peacemakers and persecuted. They are the characteristics of the common, everyday Christians.” The Beatitudes emphasize who we are rather than what we do. They are not a statement of social or sociological judgment about the poor and hungry, and though we are to take care of those in need, the Beatitudes are the beautiful attitudes of the people who are obedient to God’s Word, humble before God and merciful to neighbor.
“Blessed” is sometimes translated “happy.” Happiness is subjective feeling, but in this text, Jesus is making an objective judgment about those who follow Him. The word “to bless” means “to speak well of.” These blessings are what God thinks of Jesus’ disciples and what they are: blessed (fortunate, “it will be well with them.”) The saints include all those in Christ in every time and every place, including us. The saints are those who have been blessed by God’s grace and who lived, do live, or will live in the faith that is a gift from God. That blessedness is not accompanied by some sort of giddy happiness or a life of prosperity. Jesus calls those whose lives are ravaged by the world as “blessed.” God blesses us at the pearly gates with those words that speak well of us, not because we deserve it, but because He loves us. “Well done, good and faithful servant,” is God’s way of blessing our lives lived in faith.
The world reads today’s Gospel lesson and laughs at the foolishness. The beatitudes are eight beautiful attitudes that are lived by those who follow in the footsteps of Jesus. Matthew’s Gospel is organized to establish Jesus as the foundation, as the One who accomplished the will and purpose of God in this world. His life was parallel to the people of Israel, but where Israel failed to keep the faith, Jesus did so and in doing so, Jesus made it possible for the rest of us to do so, too.
In his letter, the Apostle John wrote, “See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him.” We are the saints, the children of God. It is the love of God that gives us this grand and glorious title; by His mercy we are adopted into His family, and we will inherit His kingdom one day, just as those faithful ones we have loved and lost have already received their inheritance. They have heard the words at the pearly gates and entered in the joy of Jesus forever. We live in the hope of faith that one day we will join them to dwell forever in the presence of God. For now, we have to deal with the reality that we are blessed though we are ravaged by the world. Sometimes the blessing is in the suffering, as with those martyrs of old who were blessed because they passed through death into the bosom of God for eternity by the blood of Jesus Christ.
Friday is All Hallows Eve, otherwise known as Halloween. It is a day when the kids wander the streets at night dressed up as all sorts of characters begging for candy from the neighbors. Over the years I’ve had numerous positions about Halloween from loving the Trick-or-Treating to hiding from the Trick-or-Treaters to vocally denouncing the holiday because of its focus on darkness and greed.
Some claim that the holiday has roots in a pagan holiday called Samhain from the days of the Celtic Druids, which marked the end of summer and the beginning of the dark days of winter. Historians note that there is no record of the celebration before the tenth century, hundreds of years after Christianity had settled into the region. There are records of Irish Christians celebrating All Saints Day in 843 AD.
Halloween is based on All Saint’s Day, not the other way around; the Church did not try to take over an ancient holiday to Christianize it. The claim that Halloween was an ancient Celtic festival based on the belief that spirits walked the earth and that they must be placated with food or they will play tricks, and the living must dress up in disguise to fool the evil spirits is not true. Samhain was a lunar festival and so would not have had a fixed date. There were Celtic festivals for the dead, but they were not on October 31st. The church was already celebrating the lives of the saints in May since the second century, but the remembrance of Hallowmas (All Saints’ Day) was established as November 1st in the eighth century in Rome, far from the backwater land of the Celts. October 31st then became All Hallows Eve (Halloween). The two days were related, just as many Christian festivals have an “eve” before the day during which Christians gather in vigil to prepare hearts and minds for the festival celebration.
Today Halloween and All Saints Day are completely unrelated celebrations. Oddly, Halloween seems so much more like a night of the living as everyone gathers to have fun at parties, parades, and Trick-or-Treating. Though many of the costumes are dark and wicked, death is not the focus of the evening for most people. My favorite part of Trick-or-Treating is the costumes of the little ones who are dressed as fairy princesses or popular cartoon characters. I especially love to see the homemade costumes. It is interesting how in this day, many people decorate their homes with orange and purple lights, making them as bright as we see during the Christmas season.
We have turned the days upside down. All Hallow’s Eve is no longer a time of vigil and soberness and All Saints’ Day a time of joy and celebration. We laugh and play on All Hallow’s Eve but spend All Saint’s Day remembering those who died this year. There is a sense of celebration because we loved them, but the mood tends to be sad and teary as we mourn the loss of those we loved.
The book of Revelation has been widely interpreted, and misinterpreted, since John wrote it nearly two thousand years ago. Read a dozen commentaries and you’ll find a dozen different explanations for the symbolism of the images and the numbers. Today’s passage includes one of the most puzzling accounts of all. The number 144,000 has been described by some as a literal number, yet if we take that as true, even those who believe this can’t account for the multitudes who have been sealed by God’s grace.
In the verse following the list of tribes, John wrote that there was a great multitude that no one could number. Some say that this refers back to the 144,000; others say that there are two different groups. I’ve always interpreted the 144,000 as twelve times twelve tribes times a thousand, which was the largest number understood in John’s day, thus representing the whole body of those saved, both Jews and Gentiles.
Does our interpretation of the symbolism really matter? What is the point of John’s witness about this scene? What is happening there that we should try to understand?
John wrote, “The multitude cried out, ‘Salvation be to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” This was a moment of worship, of thanksgiving, of witness to the work of God in Jesus Christ. He is being praised for saving God’s people, bringing them through the tribulation and making them right so that they can stand before the throne. The angels see this praise and join in with the faithful, singing a doxology of praise. Whatever the numbers mean, every one of the faithful, both angelic and human, are part of the eternal worship that will glorify Christ forever. This is our eternal hope; this is the life the saints will live according to God’s promises. This is the hope that God has fulfilled through Jesus Christ, washing our righteousness with His blood so that we can stand before Him in praise and thanksgiving; it is the hope that we will never suffer again.
The apocalyptic text gives us a picture of what life will be when everything has been fulfilled. That multitude represents all those who believed in Jesus throughout time and space. We stand somewhere in that multitude. We are part of those who have washed our robes in Christ’s blood and who will spend eternity worshipping God. We are the children of God. We are the saints. Thanks to God’s grace we are blessed with this future, but that doesn’t mean that our present will be without pain. We will suffer. We will get sick. And yes, we will die.
Pain never enters our mind when we think of blessedness. We think that the blessed are those who are healthy, wealthy, and popular. We equate blessedness with being comfortable, contentment with satisfaction. We would never consider the poor, hungry, or sick to be blessed, for they are suffering in a world that God made good. However, the danger to our souls comes when we are too comfortable. When we are satisfied, we do not see that we need help or look to God for His grace.
Jesus had a way of turning our world upside down. We would much rather be happy. We prefer a life of wealth, health, and popularity. However, Jesus never promised us a rose garden. He promised Himself. We can find blessedness in poverty and in mourning, not because there is anything good about these things but because it is in suffering that we turn to grace. Physical blessedness is found in pain because the pain makes us look at the one who can heal us. Spiritual blessedness is found in suffering because it makes us look to God. The saints trust in God no matter their circumstances.
Jesus does not call us to overcome our troubles or wallow in them; He encourages us to live in an attitude of trust and confidence that God is faithful to His promises. The beatitudes are the attitudes of God’s people living in faith. Jesus was not speaking the beatitudes to great crowds of people; He was speaking to the disciples. This wasn’t a lesson for those trying to earn their way to heaven. It is for those who believe in the work of God. The lesson was given for us, the Christians who are saved by the cross of Christ, saints who are anxious for the day when we will join the hosts in heaven singing God’s praise. We are comforted by the Word of God that tells us this life is only a momentary journey on our way to an eternity in heaven. We believe and we are blessed. We find comfort in the promise that our mourning will one day come to an end forever as God Himself wipes away our tears.
On All Saints’ Sunday, we remember those who have passed from this life to the next. We can’t help but mourn, because their lives mean something to us. They impacted our lives. They taught, touched, comforted, fed, showed mercy, and shined the light of Christ to us. They loved us. They will be missed, and it is good for us to take a moment to remember them.
Though we mourn, we are also called to rejoice. There is pain in the death of those we love because they will no longer be with us, but there is also joy because we know that they are now among the multitude praising God forever. We join with all Christians in heaven and on earth signing songs of praise and thanksgiving, knowing that we will be part of that multitude someday, signing songs of praise and thanksgiving like the psalmist who wrote, “Praise Yahweh! Sing to Yahweh a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints.”
We stop on All-Saints Day to thank God for their witness. We were brought into the fellowship of believers by those we love who shared the Gospel with us. We are called to live as they lived, as witnesses so that those who are yet to come will have the opportunity to hear God’s Word and believe. We are saints and that means something. It means we are God’s children called to a life of worship and praise, of service and justice, of love and peace and joy. Though the life that awaits us after death is greater than anything we can experience in this world, we still have work to do here and now.
The promise of God is not that we’ll be saved from suffering at the hands of our enemies. By His grace we have been saved from the greatest enemy: death. We have the promise of eternal life, an inheritance beyond anything we can imagine. How much more should we praise God for His grace and mercy? We are called to live a daily life of thanksgiving and praise to God for everything. Jesus Christ made it possible for us to dwell now in the Kingdom of Heaven even as we wait longingly to join those who are already singing the eternal doxology of praise at the foot of God’s throne in robes made whiter than we can even imagine.
A story is told of a young boy who went with his grandmother to a cathedral. As they wandered the aisles looking at the windows, the woman asked her grandson, “Do you know who the saints are?” She was referring to the figures in the windows and their stories. The young boy answered, “They are the people who the light shines through.” He knew that there was more to their life than just their story. They were saints because God shines His light in their lives. His love overflowed from their hearts.
The light comes from inside us and it shines for the world to see. We can complain about the darkness, death, and evil all around us, but it is when the light shines through our lives that we actually have an impact. When we focus on life rather than death and light rather than darkness, the world will see God and know He is real. Sadly, we laugh at the darkness and death of Halloween but mourn at the celebration of the saints. There is pain in the death of those we love because they will no longer be with us, but there is also joy because we know that they are now among the multitude who are praising God forever.
What is a saint? A saint is one in whom God takes pleasure, the ones who are humble before Him, believing His Word, and receiving His salvation like a crown. Let us thank God for all those who loved and served Him like Henry and my aunt and all those who passed from this life into God’s eternal kingdom this year. They acted as witnesses for Jesus so that we will meet them in heaven one day, praising God together forever because we have been saved by His mercy and grace.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without defect before him in love, having predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire, to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he freely gave us favor in the Beloved. In him we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him to an administration of the fullness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth, in him. We were also assigned an inheritance in him, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who does all things after the counsel of his will, to the end that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ. In him you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good News of your salvation - in whom, having also believed, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is a pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:3-14, WEB
We have been remodeling our home. We had plans to make a new, more comfortable and private room for guests, but our son temporarily returned home, so our plans were put on hold. He flew the coop a few weeks ago, so have made the planned changes. We painted the room, bought new curtains, picked up new art for the walls and linens for the bed. I also had the carpet cleaned professionally.
We have the same company come each year to do the house, refreshen the living and dining room. They do a great job, are affordable, and it saves me from doing the hard work. I have a small home carpet cleaner for smaller jobs, but I confess I’d much rather have them do it. I needed the new room ready so we could move the bed, then I could do the whole floor in the old room without obstacles. My plan was to have them clean one end of our house (four rooms) and I would do the other end, which included the master bedroom and the old guest room. I knew it would be hard work, but I also knew I could do it.
As it turned out, it took more than twice the time to do less than half the work, and it wasn’t quite as good as the professional did on the rest of the house. My equipment works, but it is smaller and less convenient. The professional cleaner is connected by hoses to water and catch basins for the dirty water. I had to refill my clean water and empty the dirty water a dozen times. I used good soap, but I’m sure it was not quite as good as the professional products. Also, my cleaner is only about a foot wide, about half the size of the professional. The rooms are clean, but I am sure they would have been better if I’d had them done by the professional.
During the four hours it took to clean two rooms, I thought about the times when we really can use the help of others, especially professionals who know how to do the work quicker and better. How often do people try to fix plumbing only to discover a bigger problem they can’t solve? Or try to paint difficult walls, leaving behind spots or drips that make the walls look poorly done. Unfortunately, poor craftsmanship by an amateur can make the job bigger and more expensive. In the end, it is often cheaper and better to just call the professional.
This is true of matters of faith, too. I had a friend who once thought that she had to make herself “right” before she could go to church. “I’m not good enough, yet, and I come when I am.” She was trying to do the work herself, but like my self-cleaned carpets, she would never be good enough. She doesn’t have the right “equipment” because she was relying on her own righteousness, which is filthy as rags. We learn in Isaiah, “For we have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteousness is like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.” (Isaiah 64:6) And Paul reminds us that we can’t be justified by the Law, only Jesus is able to make us right with God. (Romans 3) We have to let Jesus do the work for us, and that happens when we gather together with other sinners in worship and grace. Yes, that happens at church.
We meet Jesus through the Word preached and the Sacraments, in the fellowship of the saints. We learn about Jesus in Bible study with other believers and see Him in the faces we serve. He transforms us by His Spirit, giving us everything we need to become the people He is calling us to be. We can’t do it on our own. We need the “professional.” We need Jesus to make us right with God, to make us “clean enough” to stand in His presence. We need the “equipment” of Jesus to be made new. It is through His grace in Baptism that we have faith, that we are sealed by the Holy Spirit, that we inherit our place in God’s Kingdom, adopted by our Father to glorify Him now and forever.
October 31, 2025
“Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. There were added that day about three thousand souls. They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer. Fear came on every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. All who believed were together, and had all things in common. They sold their possessions and goods, and distributed them to all, according as anyone had need. Day by day, continuing steadfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they took their food with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. The Lord added to the assembly day by day those who were being saved.” Acts 2:41-47, WEB
It is October 31st. The logical focus of today’s devotion would be Halloween. I have, in the past, written about the joys and the struggles I have with a holiday that seems to revolve around death. There is a house in our neighborhood (forgive our negative opinion) that we call “tacky house.” It is a mass chaos of spooky things like ugly ghosts, monsters, and witches. There are cobwebs everywhere. It is tempered by twinkle lights and blow-ups. There is not an inch of their very large yard that doesn’t have something to celebrate the holiday. They do the same thing at Christmas; despite the joyful theme, it is just as tacky.
There is another house in our neighborhood that has a large number of blow-ups. The yard is filled with them. Though it is still somewhat chaotic, there is order to the display. And joy. The blow-ups are fun and welcoming. Snoopy on the roof of his doghouse. Laughing pumpkins. Other decorations that focus on the fun of Trick or Treat. It is a yard that welcomes the children instead of frightening them. Even if you remove the horror from the holiday, I struggle with Halloween because of the other “deadly sins” that seem to be acceptable that night: greed, gluttony, lust, wrath, envy, pride, and even sloth. I even found a trend on the internet of groups that use the deadly sins as the basis for their costumes.
As a Lutheran, of course, October 31st has a special meaning. It was the day Martin Luther posted his ninety-five theses on the Wittenberg Church door. The act was meant to begin a conversation about the state of the church, but it kicked off the Reformation. I love to talk about Luther and the Reformation. My costume for the day is a pair of headbands, one with devil horns and one with a halo, which represents a popular phrase Luther used “simul justus et peccator” which means “simultaneously saint and sinner” and is a reminder that we are made saints by God’s grace through Jesus’ blood, but we remain stained by sin, constantly needing God’s mercy until the day we are welcomed into our heavenly home.
Both Halloween and Reformation Day have been the topic of this devotion multiple times over the past twenty-plus years. I wanted to do something different. A quick internet search revealed that today is National Knock Knock Joke Day.
Knock! Knock! Who's there? Witch. Witch who? Witch ever one of you has the candy, open up!
Knock! Knock! Who’s there? Martin Luther. Luther who? Martin Luther, who is busy nailing a document on a church door.
Ok, so the second one isn’t really very funny. Yet, we’ve all gotten caught up in the humor of children who present knock knock jokes, some are funny, but others just make us groan.
Knock! Knock! Who’s there? Snow. Snow who? Snow use in hiding from these jokes!
According to a website about National Knock Knock Joke Day, the earliest joke can be traced to Merely McEvoy around 1900. “Do you know Arthur? Arthur who? Arthurmometer!” The earliest written knock knock joke was in a book of jokes for children. “Knock knock. Who’s there? Buff. What says Buff? Buff says Buff to all his men, and I say Buff to you again.” This was apparently part of a popular game at the time. Knock knock jokes took their current form in the 1930s in a newspaper column. They lost popularity until the 1960s when the form had a comeback during the television show Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-in. The jokes are a staple in children’s human.
Humor is an important part of life. Though laughter is not always seen as a positive in the Bible, there are many scriptures that remind us of the value of joy. Ecclesiastes 3:4, “A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.” Psalms 126:2, “Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’” Proverbs 12:25, “Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.” Even Job could talk about joy, “He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.” Job 8:21
God promises to fill our lives with laughter and joy. This reminds us of His nature and desire for us to experience happiness. Even during trials, we can find hope in knowing that God will bless us with joy again. There is joy in Halloween and Reformation Day, despite the aspects that are troubling. Remember this, whatever you choose to celebrate. Today would be a good day to tell a joke or two, to post a knock knock joke on your social media or invite the children in your life to give you their best. The jokes might make you groan, but laugh anyway. Be happy. Be like the disciples who, “Day by day, continuing steadfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they took their food with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people.” Fellowship with others today, sharing joyful moments together as we nurture one another in our faith that brings the greatest joy to the world.