Thursday of Lent 5 – April 11, 2019 – Psalm 116:15
Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his saints.
All who are washed in the blood
of Christ are declared holy and are understood to be “saints.” A saint is one made holy by God’s grace. All
that happened to such a person is very important especially suffering and
death. This thought suggests the singing of this verse at funerals.[1]
Death is the last enemy. There is no glamour
in any part of its process. It is a thief coming to take away all we have
known. Yet, precious in the sight of the
Lord is the death of his saints. For the believer death is only a
transition. It is a gate, which leads to eternal life. Because of Jesus, we
pass from death to life. Thus, we can say boldly, Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.
As Christians, our confident expectation is
that God will save us all from death. Because of the atoning blood of Jesus, we
are God’s saints and all of his saints will once again “walk before the Lord in the land of the living.” Our hope is in the
Resurrection. Like Lazarus, Jesus may not save us from dying. We are still
living in a broken world outside of Eden.
But He will most certainly save us from staying dead. We will be raised -never to die again.
Lord God, bless Your Word wherever it is proclaimed. Make it a word of power and peace to convert those not yet Your own and to confirm those who have come to saving faith. May Your Word pass from the ear to the heart, from the heart to the lip, and from the lip to the life that, as You have promised, Your Word may achieve the purpose for which You send it; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.[2]
O God, You have called us to be Your children, and have promised that those who suffer with Christ will be heirs with him of Your glory: Arm us with such trust in him that we may ask no rest from his demands and have no fear in his service; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen[3]
[1] Lutheran
Study Bible © 2009 Concordia Publishing House St. Louis
[2] Collect
for the blessing of the Word, Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing
House, St. Louis
[3]Collect
for Thursday of Lent 5, http://www.liturgies.net/Lent/LentenCollects.htm
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