The Ministry Of
Light
Epiphany
season continues its revelation of the glory of God in Jesus. We saw his glory
at his baptism (Epiphany 1). John the Baptist witnessed to His glory as Messiah
(Epiphany 2). Through His ministry, His glory was revealed as the light in a
dark world. Now, we see the glory of God in Jesus by His attitude and grace
toward the outcasts of society: the spiritually poor, the humble, and the
despised. His glory is seen in His love and concern for sinners. Though He is
the Son of God, He does not cater to the religious elite, the highly educated and
the economically rich. What a glorious God we see in Christ who humbles Himself
to serve the unfortunate and the spiritually impoverished!
Collects
for Epiphany: Lord God, on this day you revealed your Son to the nations
by the leading of a star. Lead us now by faith to know your presence in our
lives and bring us at last to the full vision of your glory.
Father,
You revealed Your Son to the nations by the guidance of a star. Lead us to Your
glory in heaven by the light of faith. We ask this through our Lord Jesus
Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God,
forever and ever.
Father,
You make known the salvation of humankind at the birth of Your Son. Make us
strong in faith and bring us to the glory You promise. We ask this through our
Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives, and reigns with You and the Holy
Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
Collects
for Epiphany 4: Almighty God, You know we live in the midst of so many
dangers that in our frailty we cannot stand upright. Grant strength and
protection to support us in all dangers and carry us through all temptations
through Jesus Christ Your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the
Holy Spirit, one God now and forever.
O God, you know that we cannot withstand
the dangers, which surround us. Strengthen us in body and spirit so that with
your help, we may be able to overcome the weakness that our sins has brought
upon us.
Collect for Psalm 15: Lord Jesus, You first chose to live
among us, and in returning to Your Father You made an eternal home for us. Help
us walk blamelessly in You ways and bring us at last to Your holy mountain,
where You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
forever. Amen
Monday,
27 January, 2014—Psalm
1:1-5; antiphon, Psalm 1:6—In the
Introit for Sunday, we pray, For the Lord knows the way of the righteous but
the way of the wicked will perish. This Psalm speaks of the
blessedness of those who derive their ideas of life from God’s Word rather than
from their worldly neighbors. Happiness and prosperity is theirs. Not so with
the wicked. Repeatedly the godly and the wicked are contrasted.
Thus the book of Psalms opens with
an exaltation of God’s Word. If David so loved the brief writings that then
constituted God’s Word, how much more should we love that same Word, which has
not been brought to completion, headed up around the beautiful story of Christ.
Other Psalms of the Word are Psalm 19 and Psalm 119. Note also the Psalm’s
first word is “blessed.” Blessed is
Beatitude: like the Sermon of the Mount in Matthew’s Gospel.
Tuesday,
28 January, 2014—Psalm
15 — This psalm gives instruction to those who wish to have access to God
at His temple. Thomas Jefferson called this psalm
the picture of “a true gentleman.” This is a testimonial of the man of God.
What does God require of the individual who seeks his company? He expects right
conduct, right speaking (verses 2-3a), right relationships with others (verses
3b-4), and a right use of wealth (verse 5) See also Psalm 24. Who swears… (verse 4) i.e. who keeps his
word whatever the cost; Verse 5, one of the Jewish laws, see Leviticus
25:36-37. It was not a total ban on lending at interest, but applied to fellow
Israelites.
Wednesday, 29 January 2014—Micah 6:1-8—Blessed are they who walk with
God. Micah pictures God as suing his
people. He takes Israel to court. The people are the defendants. The prophet is
God’s defense attorney. The cosmos consists of the witness. God has something
against His people: they have been unfaithful to the covenant, played the
harlot with pagan gods, and broke His commandments. They have been a
disobedient, faithless, and rebellious people. God has a right to a controversy
with His people.
Thursday, 30 January 2014—1
Corinthians 1:18-31—Blessed
are the lowly and despised. Paul reminds the church at Corinth that God chose
them when they were of no account in the sight of the world: slaves, women, and
children.
They had no education
(wisdom), no political power, and no blue blood. This harmonizes with Jesus’ example
as friend of publicans and sinners. He did not choose wealthy, high class or
scholarly men for disciples, but peasants and publicans. Why is God interested
only in “down-and-outers” and not in the “up-and-outers?” How can this truth be
applied to today’s church members who are generally from the middle to top
class, have comfortable incomes, are college graduates and among the socially
elite? It may be because the educated are educated out of their need for God.
The wealthy need nothing that money cannot buy. The powerful are too
self-sufficient and sophisticated to humble themselves before God as suppliants
and miserable sinners.
Friday,
31 January 2014—Matthew
5:1-12—Blessed
are those with spiritual qualities. The Beatitudes. They describe the condition
of a person in a right relationship with God through faith in Christ. “Blessed”
is often translated as “happy.” It is more than what the world considers
happiness — possessions, satisfaction, and peace. The blessed one is in favor
with God and man. However, the Beatitudes are applicable to the present, their
promises look to the future for fulfillment.
The Beatitudes are God-oriented: kingdom
of heaven, see God, on my account. The blessed estate does not depend upon
secular well-being for its fulfillment. It is conceivable a Christian can be
perfectly miserable on earth and yet blessed. Poor in spirit. Luke omits
“in spirit.” Certainly Matthew is not neglecting the physically poor. There is
no blessing in poverty. Poor people are not necessarily blessed. The
economically poor can be godly or godless. “Poor in spirit,” moreover, does not
mean a lack of spirit. Rather, the phrase describes a state of being which we
might call humility, unworthiness, a dependence on God for the fulfillment of
needs. The New English Bible helpfully translates 5:3: “How blest are those who
know their need of God.”
Saturday, 1 February 2014—1John 3:16-19; Hebrews 13:16; Matthew 25:40—Sunday’s Hymn of the Day is Lord of
Glory, You Have Bought Us
(LSB #851). This wonderful hymn tells the story of salvation and places
Christ at the center of everything the Christian does. We are still in a new
year. In everything that is begun, continued and ended, may Christ be the focus
of all that we do.
Sources:
Prayers from Lutheran
Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House
Lectionary
Preaching Workbook Series A by John Brokhoff © 1980 CSS Publishing Lima OH
For All the
Saints A Prayer Book for and By the Church Vol. II © 1995 by the American
Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi ,
NY
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