May 1, 2025

Today's Reading: John 14:1-14

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 25:1-22; Exodus 25:23-30:38; Luke 5:17-39

“‘Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” (John 14:1)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

There are many things that can trouble our hearts these days. It doesn’t take much: a quick check of the news, which is designed to trouble you; a quick scroll through social media that evolves into “doom-scrolling”; a recent diagnosis; a falling out with a friend or family member; or even just general concern about what the future holds. Mental health statistics suggest that in 2023, somewhere around 20% of high school students experienced serious bouts of depression. That is a lot of fear, stress, anxiety, and doubt, and is reflective of the world we live in. This is not the place to address the nation’s mental health struggles or to answer all the fears that may surround us; this is just a spot to sit and rest in the One who sees our troubled hearts, who knows our fears and sadness and is with us in these struggles. Looking at our troubled hearts, Jesus answers our fears and doubts, but maybe not in the way we wish He would. Instead of telling us not to worry because He’s just going to fix everything up as if it never happened, or will get back at the bully for us, or will at least make it all make sense, He invites us to believe, that is, trust, in Him. What does it mean to trust in Him? It means to know that He loves and cares for us, that He desires our salvation from sin, death, and the devil, and that He will never leave nor forsake you. He goes from asking us to trust in Him to telling us that He is preparing a place for us and that He is the way, the truth, and the life; he is showing us the way, even when the road is steep and rocky. Worry can be suffocating, looming large in our brains as we try to move forward in our lives, but by looking at Jesus, we see that there is a path for us that leads us in truth and life. We need not suffocate on fear and doubt; instead, we can be guided by the light of His word, fixing our eyes on Him, in the knowledge that even if things are not okay today or tomorrow, they are under the eye of the One who makes all things new, and who is leading us through the valley of the shadow of death; we need not fear evil, regardless of what should trouble us.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Yet even though I suffer The world’s unpleasantness, And though the days grow rougher And bring me great distress, That day of bliss divine, Which knows no end or measure, And Christ, who is my pleasure, Forever shall be mine. (LSB 713:6)

- Deac. Eleanor Corrow, Higher Things Board Member and coordinator in LCMS Missionary Services

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God’s people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

April 30, 2025

Today's Reading: Luke 5:1-16

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 24:1-18; Luke 5:1-16

“While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, ‘Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.’ And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, ‘I will; be clean.’ And immediately the leprosy left him.” (Luke 5:12-13)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

In today’s reading, we meet a man with leprosy. Leprosy is one of those diseases that most of us have never encountered but is frequently mentioned in the Scriptures, where it is kind of a blanket term for various skin diseases. It is so frequently mentioned in the Scriptures because there were many rules about how the community should treat someone with leprosy. Leprosy made its victims ceremonially unclean, which meant that their presence was an affront to God, so sufferers were cast out of communities so their uncleanliness would not spread. It was a terrible affliction to suffer with, not just physically but spiritually and socially, as you were cast away from your friends and family, but also separated from your God. When this leper approaches Jesus and asks for healing, he is not just asking for recovery from an aesthetic problem; he is asking for physical, emotional, social, and spiritual restoration. This leper understands on some level who Jesus is, calling Him Lord, then falling on his face before him in a posture of worship, and trusting that if Jesus wills it, the man will be clean (notice he didn’t say cured). Out of His mercy, Jesus wills this, but He goes even further and reaches out His hand and touches the leper. This was forbidden according to purity laws, and Jesus can be seen here intentionally making Himself impure with the man’s leprosy, but instead, the opposite happens: at the word and touch of Jesus, the man’s leprosy leaves him entirely. Then Jesus tells him to tell no one but to present himself to the priest and make an offering at the temple, that is regain entry to the religious community.

Have you ever felt like you would be shunned if people knew the real you? Or thought that though you know your sins are forgiven abstractly, but probably not that one that no one knows about because that’s just going too far. Do you feel like you’ve been contaminated by your sins or the sins of others against you? Know that our Lord is reaching out to you in His Word and in his mercy, declaring, “I will; be clean.”

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

“Come unto Me, ye weary, And I will give you rest.” O blessed voice of Jesus, Which comes to hearts oppressed! It tells of benediction, Of pardon, grace, and peace, Of joy that hath no ending, Of love that cannot cease (LSB 684:1)

- Deac. Eleanor Corrow, Higher Things Board Member and coordinator in LCMS Missionary Services

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God’s people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

April 29, 2025

Today's Reading: Revelation 1:4-18

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 23:14-33; Luke 4:31-44

“When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, ‘Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.’” (Revelation 1:17-18)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

How often do we see the words “fear not” in Scripture? I read somewhere that there are 365 “fear nots” —one for each day of the year—but I’m not sure that’s true. There are many encounters people have with God and His angels where they have to be admonished to not be afraid. We see this at Christmas when the angels tell the shepherds not to be afraid, we see it when God speaks to Abraham, we hear it from the prophets, and we hear it from Jesus during His earthly ministry. Why would John be afraid here? He is seeing his beloved friend and teacher, and yet he “falls at his feet as though dead.” John is seeing Jesus in His glory, who knows all and sees all, whose face is shining like a sun, and out of his mouth is a sharp, two-edged sword. The visual description is stunning, and that alone is enough to conjure fear, yet even more than that, John knows that the Lord knows all our sins and failings. That alone can be a terrifying prospect. At times, in our sinful nature, we think we can hide our sins from God; sometimes, we even try to hide them from our own consciences through excuses and self-justification, telling ourselves we didn’t really sin because we found a loophole. But John here cannot hide. He knows he is bare before not only his teacher and friend but the Lord of all, who, if he were to hold John’s sins against him, could strike him down for them. Yet Jesus answers here by reaching out and touching John and telling him not to be afraid, not because they’re friends and Jesus is nice, but because He is the first and the last, who has conquered sin and its wages—death and Hell. Jesus tells John that He holds the keys of death and Hades; this means that they are restrained on His behalf and that in order to get into either of them, you have to go through Jesus. Just as Jesus told John not to fear, as He is alive, He also tells you to take comfort in these truths. You need not fear death and Hell because they have been vanquished, locked up, and are restrained by our Lord, who is alive forevermore.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

At the name of Jesus Ev’ry knee shall bow, Ev’ry tongue confess Him King of glory now. ‘Tis the Father’s pleasure We should call Him Lord, Who from the beginning Was the mighty Word. (LSB 512:1)

- Deac. Eleanor Corrow, Higher Things Board Member and coordinator in LCMS Missionary Services

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God’s people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.