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” (Ezekiel 17:22–25). His
Cross is our resting place, even while now in mortal bodies, we “groan, being
burdened” (2 Corinthians 5:1–4). Yet by faith we live for God in Christ, who
for our sake “died and was raised” (2 Corinthians 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 Corinthians 5:1).
Monday,
8 June 2015—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,
9 June 2015—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,
10 June 2015—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,
11 June 2015—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,
12 June 2015—Mark 4:26–34—These parables serve as both warning and encouragement
to us. We have a role 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,
13 June 2015—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.
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.
Sources:
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
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