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Daily Readings:
Saints/Martyrs/Heroes/Feasts/Fasts to be observed/commemmorated/celebrated: Lent
Scriptural Readings:
March 18th, 2011
Friday of Invocavit (Lent 1)
Read today's Higher Things Daily Reflection
March 18, 2011 - Friday of the First Week of Lent
Today's Reading: 1 Samuel 17:40-51
Daily Lectionary: Genesis 13:1-18; Mark 5:1-20
Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. (1 Samuel 17:51)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. They never tell THAT part of the story in Sunday School—how David, after he knocked down Goliath with the sling stone then cut off his head! Why so gruesome? It's a picture of God's enemies. There's no nice treatment for God's enemies. They are utterly defeated.
Goliath kept the Israelites trembling in their sandals until David came and took him down. Just so, sin, death and the devil would keep us cowering in fear, despair and unbelief—unable to rescue ourselves. So we need a David to fight for us. That's Jesus, the Son of David. He comes to take down the Goliath of sin, death and the devil. He comes to fight for us and knock down our enemies.
On Calvary, Jesus let loose the sling of His salvation right into the devil's forehead. When He comes again in glory, the devil and his unholy angels and even death itself will all be cast away eternally. The final death blow! The five smooth stones of David used to take down Goliath remind us of the five wounds of Jesus (hands, feet and side) by which our enemies are taken down.
The devil likes to come and mock us still, as Goliath did. He likes to taunt us and tell us we're no Christians, that we can't be children of God, because of our sins. So our Lord stands among us again to fire those deadly stones of His Word and Sacrament: Baptism, Absolution, Preaching, Body and Blood which take down the enemies who want to laugh at you. But the last laugh is on them because your Savior has taken them down.
Lent is about the battle that Jesus fights for you. Where we could do nothing but cower and fear, the Lord has stepped up and saved you from your enemies. Booyah! In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
No strength of ours can match his might/. We would be lost, rejected. But now a champion comes to fight, Whom God Himself elected. You ask who this may be? The Lord of hosts is He, Christ Jesus, mighty Lord, God's only Son, adored. He holds the field victorious. (LSB 657:2)
Questions or comments regarding the Reflections may be sent to the Rev. Mark Buetow, Reflectons Editor, reflections@higherthings.org.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Collect
O Lord God, You led Your ancient people through the wilderness and brought them to the promised land. Guide the people of Your Church that, following our Savior, we may walk through the wilderness of this world toward the glory of the world to come; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
First Reading: Gen. 13:1-18
Abram and Lot Separate
1So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him,(A) into the Negeb.
2(B) Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. 3And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4to(C) the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the LORD. 5And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, 6so that(D) the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together, 7(E) and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. At that time(F) the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land.
8Then Abram said to Lot,(G) "Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen,(H) for we are kinsmen.[a] 9(I) Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left." 10And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the(J) Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like(K) the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of(L) Zoar. (This was before the LORD(M) destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other. 12Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. 13Now the men of Sodom(N) were wicked, great sinners against the LORD.
14The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, "Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are,(O) northward and southward and eastward and westward, 15for all the land that you see I will give(P) to you and(Q) to your offspring forever. 16(R) I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. 17Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you." 18So Abram moved his tent and came and(S) settled by the(T) oaks[b] of Mamre, which(U) are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the LORD.
Footnotes:Genesis 13:8 Hebrew we are men, brothers Genesis 13:18 Or terebinths
Cross references:Genesis 13:1 : Genesis 12:9 Genesis 13:2 : Genesis 24:35; Psalm 112:1-3; Prov 10:22 Genesis 13:4 : Genesis 12:7, 8 Genesis 13:6 : Genesis 36:6, 7 Genesis 13:7 : Genesis 26:20 Genesis 13:7 : Genesis 12:6 Genesis 13:8 : 1 Cor 6:1-8 Genesis 13:8 : Acts 7:26 Genesis 13:9 : Genesis 20:15; 34:10 Genesis 13:10 : Genesis 19:17, 25, 28; Deut 34:3; 1 Kgs 7:46; Matt 3:5 Genesis 13:10 : Genesis 2:8; Isa 51:3; Ezek 28:13; Joel 2:3 Genesis 13:10 : Genesis 14:2, 8; 19:22 Genesis 13:10 : Genesis 19:24, 25 Genesis 13:13 : Genesis 18:20; Ezek 16:49; 2 Pet 2:7, 8 Genesis 13:14 : Genesis 28:14 Genesis 13:15 : Genesis 17:8; 28:13; 35:12; Acts 7:5 Genesis 13:15 : Genesis 12:7; 15:18; 24:7; 26:4; Deut 34:4; 2 Chr 20:7 Genesis 13:16 : Genesis 22:17; 28:14; 32:12; Num 23:10; 1 Kgs 3:8; Genesis 15:5 Genesis 13:18 : Genesis 14:13 Genesis 13:18 : Genesis 12:6 Genesis 13:18 : Genesis 35:27
Second Reading: Mk. 5:1-20
Jesus Heals a Man with a Demon
1(A) They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes.[a] 2And when Jesus[b] had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 3(B) He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. 5Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. 6And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and(C) fell down before him. 7And(D) crying out with a loud voice, he said, "What have you to do with me, Jesus,(E) Son of(F) the Most High God?(G) I adjure you by God, do not torment me." 8For he was saying to him, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!" 9And Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" He replied, "My name is(H) Legion, for we are many." 10And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, 12and they begged him, saying, "Send us to the pigs; let us enter them." 13So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out, and entered the pigs, and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and were drowned in the sea.
14The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. 15And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed[c] man, the one who had had(I) the legion, sitting there,(J) clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 16And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. 17And(K) they began to beg Jesus[d] to depart from their region. 18As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. 19And he did not permit him but said to him, "Go home to your friends and(L) tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." 20And he went away and began to proclaim in(M) the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.
Footnotes:Mark 5:1 Some manuscripts Gergesenes; some Gadarenes Mark 5:2 Greek he; also verse 9 Mark 5:15 Greek daimonizomai; also verses 16, 18; elsewhere rendered oppressed by demons Mark 5:17 Greek him
Cross references:Mark 5:1 : For Mark 5:1-21, Matt 8:28–9:1; Luke 8:26-40 Mark 5:3 : Rev 18:2 Mark 5:6 : Matt 8:2 Mark 5:7 : Mark 1:26; Acts 8:7 Mark 5:7 : Matt 4:3, 6; Matt 14:33 Mark 5:7 : Gen 14:18; Num 24:16; Psalm 57:2; Dan 3:26; Luke 1:32; 6:35; Acts 16:17 Mark 5:7 : Matt 26:63; Acts 19:13; James 2:19 Mark 5:9 : Matt 26:53 Mark 5:15 : Luke 8:27 Mark 5:15 : Mark 5:9 Mark 5:17 : Luke 5:8; Acts 16:39 Mark 5:19 : Psalm 66:16; Mark 1:44 Mark 5:20 : Mark 7:31; Matt 4:25
Friday Father Reading
"To say that one takes and receives the forgiveness of sins in this Sacrament is not speaking incorrectly, for Where Christ is, there is the forgiveness of sins. Here are His body and blood according to His Word. He, then, who receives, eats, and drinks these elements and believes that the body of Christ was given for him and His blood was shed for the remission of sins - should he not have the remission of sins? This is the benefit! Indeed, it is the greatest and best one." [Luther. "Easter Sermon on 1 Corinthians 11:23-26." 1534]
All Scripture Readings: English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
Daily Readings:
Saints/Martyrs/Heroes/Feasts/Fasts to be observed/commemmorated/celebrated: Lent
Scriptural Readings:
March 18th, 2011
Friday of Invocavit (Lent 1)
Read today's Higher Things Daily Reflection
March 18, 2011 - Friday of the First Week of Lent
Today's Reading: 1 Samuel 17:40-51
Daily Lectionary: Genesis 13:1-18; Mark 5:1-20
Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. (1 Samuel 17:51)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. They never tell THAT part of the story in Sunday School—how David, after he knocked down Goliath with the sling stone then cut off his head! Why so gruesome? It's a picture of God's enemies. There's no nice treatment for God's enemies. They are utterly defeated.
Goliath kept the Israelites trembling in their sandals until David came and took him down. Just so, sin, death and the devil would keep us cowering in fear, despair and unbelief—unable to rescue ourselves. So we need a David to fight for us. That's Jesus, the Son of David. He comes to take down the Goliath of sin, death and the devil. He comes to fight for us and knock down our enemies.
On Calvary, Jesus let loose the sling of His salvation right into the devil's forehead. When He comes again in glory, the devil and his unholy angels and even death itself will all be cast away eternally. The final death blow! The five smooth stones of David used to take down Goliath remind us of the five wounds of Jesus (hands, feet and side) by which our enemies are taken down.
The devil likes to come and mock us still, as Goliath did. He likes to taunt us and tell us we're no Christians, that we can't be children of God, because of our sins. So our Lord stands among us again to fire those deadly stones of His Word and Sacrament: Baptism, Absolution, Preaching, Body and Blood which take down the enemies who want to laugh at you. But the last laugh is on them because your Savior has taken them down.
Lent is about the battle that Jesus fights for you. Where we could do nothing but cower and fear, the Lord has stepped up and saved you from your enemies. Booyah! In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
No strength of ours can match his might/. We would be lost, rejected. But now a champion comes to fight, Whom God Himself elected. You ask who this may be? The Lord of hosts is He, Christ Jesus, mighty Lord, God's only Son, adored. He holds the field victorious. (LSB 657:2)
Questions or comments regarding the Reflections may be sent to the Rev. Mark Buetow, Reflectons Editor, reflections@higherthings.org.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Collect
O Lord God, You led Your ancient people through the wilderness and brought them to the promised land. Guide the people of Your Church that, following our Savior, we may walk through the wilderness of this world toward the glory of the world to come; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
First Reading: Gen. 13:1-18
Abram and Lot Separate
1So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him,(A) into the Negeb.
2(B) Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. 3And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4to(C) the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the LORD. 5And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, 6so that(D) the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together, 7(E) and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. At that time(F) the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land.
8Then Abram said to Lot,(G) "Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen,(H) for we are kinsmen.[a] 9(I) Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left." 10And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the(J) Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like(K) the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of(L) Zoar. (This was before the LORD(M) destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other. 12Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. 13Now the men of Sodom(N) were wicked, great sinners against the LORD.
14The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, "Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are,(O) northward and southward and eastward and westward, 15for all the land that you see I will give(P) to you and(Q) to your offspring forever. 16(R) I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. 17Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you." 18So Abram moved his tent and came and(S) settled by the(T) oaks[b] of Mamre, which(U) are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the LORD.
Footnotes:Genesis 13:8 Hebrew we are men, brothers Genesis 13:18 Or terebinths
Cross references:Genesis 13:1 : Genesis 12:9 Genesis 13:2 : Genesis 24:35; Psalm 112:1-3; Prov 10:22 Genesis 13:4 : Genesis 12:7, 8 Genesis 13:6 : Genesis 36:6, 7 Genesis 13:7 : Genesis 26:20 Genesis 13:7 : Genesis 12:6 Genesis 13:8 : 1 Cor 6:1-8 Genesis 13:8 : Acts 7:26 Genesis 13:9 : Genesis 20:15; 34:10 Genesis 13:10 : Genesis 19:17, 25, 28; Deut 34:3; 1 Kgs 7:46; Matt 3:5 Genesis 13:10 : Genesis 2:8; Isa 51:3; Ezek 28:13; Joel 2:3 Genesis 13:10 : Genesis 14:2, 8; 19:22 Genesis 13:10 : Genesis 19:24, 25 Genesis 13:13 : Genesis 18:20; Ezek 16:49; 2 Pet 2:7, 8 Genesis 13:14 : Genesis 28:14 Genesis 13:15 : Genesis 17:8; 28:13; 35:12; Acts 7:5 Genesis 13:15 : Genesis 12:7; 15:18; 24:7; 26:4; Deut 34:4; 2 Chr 20:7 Genesis 13:16 : Genesis 22:17; 28:14; 32:12; Num 23:10; 1 Kgs 3:8; Genesis 15:5 Genesis 13:18 : Genesis 14:13 Genesis 13:18 : Genesis 12:6 Genesis 13:18 : Genesis 35:27
Second Reading: Mk. 5:1-20
Jesus Heals a Man with a Demon
1(A) They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes.[a] 2And when Jesus[b] had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 3(B) He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. 5Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. 6And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and(C) fell down before him. 7And(D) crying out with a loud voice, he said, "What have you to do with me, Jesus,(E) Son of(F) the Most High God?(G) I adjure you by God, do not torment me." 8For he was saying to him, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!" 9And Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" He replied, "My name is(H) Legion, for we are many." 10And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, 12and they begged him, saying, "Send us to the pigs; let us enter them." 13So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out, and entered the pigs, and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and were drowned in the sea.
14The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. 15And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed[c] man, the one who had had(I) the legion, sitting there,(J) clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 16And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. 17And(K) they began to beg Jesus[d] to depart from their region. 18As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. 19And he did not permit him but said to him, "Go home to your friends and(L) tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." 20And he went away and began to proclaim in(M) the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.
Footnotes:Mark 5:1 Some manuscripts Gergesenes; some Gadarenes Mark 5:2 Greek he; also verse 9 Mark 5:15 Greek daimonizomai; also verses 16, 18; elsewhere rendered oppressed by demons Mark 5:17 Greek him
Cross references:Mark 5:1 : For Mark 5:1-21, Matt 8:28–9:1; Luke 8:26-40 Mark 5:3 : Rev 18:2 Mark 5:6 : Matt 8:2 Mark 5:7 : Mark 1:26; Acts 8:7 Mark 5:7 : Matt 4:3, 6; Matt 14:33 Mark 5:7 : Gen 14:18; Num 24:16; Psalm 57:2; Dan 3:26; Luke 1:32; 6:35; Acts 16:17 Mark 5:7 : Matt 26:63; Acts 19:13; James 2:19 Mark 5:9 : Matt 26:53 Mark 5:15 : Luke 8:27 Mark 5:15 : Mark 5:9 Mark 5:17 : Luke 5:8; Acts 16:39 Mark 5:19 : Psalm 66:16; Mark 1:44 Mark 5:20 : Mark 7:31; Matt 4:25
Friday Father Reading
"To say that one takes and receives the forgiveness of sins in this Sacrament is not speaking incorrectly, for Where Christ is, there is the forgiveness of sins. Here are His body and blood according to His Word. He, then, who receives, eats, and drinks these elements and believes that the body of Christ was given for him and His blood was shed for the remission of sins - should he not have the remission of sins? This is the benefit! Indeed, it is the greatest and best one." [Luther. "Easter Sermon on 1 Corinthians 11:23-26." 1534]
All Scripture Readings: English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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