The Cross of Christ Is the Tree of Life, Which Bears
Abundant Fruit after Its Own Kind
The Parables of our Lord convey the mysteries of the Kingdom
of God to those who are “able to hear it,” that is, “to His own disciples,” who
are catechized to fear, love and trust in Him by faith (Mark 4:33–34). He
“scatters seed on the ground,” which “sprouts and grows” unto life, even as “He
sleeps and rises” (Mark 4:26–27). “On the mountain heights of Israel,” He
plants a young and tender twig, and it becomes “a noble cedar.” Indeed, His own
Cross becomes the Tree of Life, under which “every kind of bird” will dwell, and
in which “birds of every sort will nest” (Ezek 17:22–25). His Cross is our
resting place, even while now in mortal bodies, we “groan, being burdened” (2
Cor 5:1–4). Yet faith we live for God in Christ, who for our sake “died and was
raised” (2 Cor 5:15). We know that, in His resurrected body, “we have a
building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Cor
5:1).
Collect for Pentecost 3: Blessed Lord, since You have caused
all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning, grant that we may so hear
them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them that we may embrace and ever
hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, Your Son,
our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
forever. Amen.
Prayer for the Church: Almighty God, grant to Your Church
Your Holy Spirit and the wisdom that comes down from above, that Your Word may
not be bound but have free course and be preached to the joy and edifying of
Christ’s holy people, that in steadfast faith we may serve You and, in the
confession of Your name, abide unto the end;
Prayer for the mission of the Church and her missionaries:
Almighty and gracious God, You want all to be saved and to come to the
knowledge of the truth. Magnify the power of the Gospel in the hearts of Your
faithful people that Your Church may spread the good news of salvation.
Protect, encourage, and bless all missionaries who proclaim the saving cross
that Christ, being lifted up, may draw all people to Himself,
Prayer for those outside the Church: Almighty and
everlasting God, You desire not the death of a sinner but that all would repent
and live. Hear our prayers for those outside the Church. Take away their
iniquity, and turn them from their false gods to You, the living and true God.
Gather them into Your holy Church to the glory of Your name; through Jesus
Christ, Your Son, our Lord,
Prayer for persecuted Christians: Lord Jesus Christ, before
whom all in heaven and earth shall bow, grant courage that Your children may
confess Your saving name in the face of any opposition from a world hostile to
the Gospel. Help them to remember Your faithful people who sacrificed much and
even faced death rather than dishonor You when called upon to deny the faith.
By Your Spirit, strengthen them to be faithful and to confess You boldly,
knowing that You will confess Your own before the Father in heaven, with whom
You and the Holy Spirit live and reign, one God, now and forever.
Monday, 11 June 2012—Psalm 92:12–15; Antiphon, Psalm
92:1—This ‘Psalm for the Sabbath’ is a hymn of praise, in which the psalmist
gives thanks to the LORD for His steadfast love and faithfulness. He declares
us righteous and makes us flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in
Lebanon. From ancient times, even until to-day, Lebanon has been known for its
tall strong cedars: Cedars from Lebanon were used in constructing the temple, and
the cedar appears on Lebanon’s national flag. We who are planted in the house
of the LORD are strong in the LORD like these trees of renown.
Tuesday, 12 June 2012—Psalm 1—Luther wrote that the psalter
is the Bible in miniature. If so, then the opening six verses are the portal
leading into a treasure-house of communion with God. Who is the one who walks
not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners . . . but
his delight is in the law of the Lord and on His Law he meditates day in night?
First, it is Christ. Secondly, it is all of us who have been incorporated into
Christ—the holy Christian Church. The new man, created by Baptism, that comes
forth daily and arises to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.
Wednesday, 13 June 2012—Ezekiel 17:22–24—Things looked bleak
when Jerusalem fell and King Zedekiah died in exile (Ezekiel 17:11-21). Through
the prophet Ezekiel, the LORD proclaims that He will take a sprig from the
lofty top of the cedar and…I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain.
This tender sprig will never be uprooted, for it is the promised Messiah,
Jesus, who will be given the throne of His father David, and whose Messianic
kingdom will be established forever.
Thursday, 14 June 2012—2 Corinthians 5:1–10—In Sunday’s
epistle reading, St Paul looks forward to eternal life in heaven, when we shall
live forever in our glorified bodies, no longer made frail by the ravages of
sin. Paul has supreme confidence in what is to come, for his confidence rests,
not in the whims of man, but in the surety of God, who has given us the Spirit
as a guarantee. The Christian, who lives by faith in the promises of the Lord,
rejoices at the thought of being at home with the Lord.
Friday, 15 June 2012—Mark 4:26–34—These parables serve as
both warning and encouragement to us. We have a rôle to play in the furtherance
of God’s kingdom on earth by sharing the Good News of the Gospel with those
around us, but we must never think that the triumph of the Kingdom is our
triumph, for it is the Lord and His Word alone which are effective. But neither
should we despair if the growth of the Lord’s Kingdom seems somehow
unspectacular in our eyes. He alone is the Lord of the harvest (Mark 9:38); thus,
we never cease praying “Thy Kingdom come” with patience and confidence.
Saturday, 16 June 2012—Sunday’s hymn of the day, Creator
Spirit, By Whose Aid (LSB 500), is an eighth-century hymn written in praise of
the Holy Spirit and the gifts He bestows on the Church. It first proclaims the
Spirit as participating in the creation of all things, then testifies that He
creates Christians by His gifts to us. The final stanza is a doxology: a hymn
of praise to our Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Prayers from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia
Publishing House
Artwork by Ed Riojas © Higher Things
Lectionary summary on front page from the LCMS Commission on
Worship
The Revd Jeffrey M. Keuning has written this week’s Time in
the Word
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