Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

These past several weeks we have pondered on the wounds that our Savior suffered during our Wednesday evening Vespers. As the hymn, O Sacred Head, Now Wounded led us on our way, we have seen how the wounds of betrayal, apathy, denial, and mockery were reflected in the events of the first Holy Week. Judas betrayed Him with a kiss; Peter, James, and John had such apathy for His request to pray with Him for but an hour; Peter denied Him despite his promise never to do so; and the soldiers jeered and mocked. For all of these reasons, Jesus faced His Passion and death. For these reasons and all the additional reasons of our own betrayal, apathy, denial, and mocking did Jesus choose to suffer and die. Yet even these wounds do not hurt as much as the wound of abandonment. For your sake, Jesus chose to accept the wound of being abandoned by His Father. He chose to face hell and aloneness so that you would never have to know what it is like to not have God. Jesus was abandoned so that you would know that He shall never leave nor forsake you. He will be with you until the very end of the age; and on to eternity.

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“For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.” 1 Corinthians 9:19 (ESV)

Do you remember winning over your sweetheart? Perhaps you are still in that process of winning her/his heart. Part of that process of winning another’s heart is to demonstrate that you love them enough to give of yourself; that you care enough about her/him to set your own concerns aside for their sake. Paul speaks in this verse from Sunday’s (Feb. 8) Epistle, of making himself a servant to all that he might win their hearts. His concern is for those he is with and not for himself. He is confident already in his own justification. Now he is giving himself over that Christ’s love for them might be known in him. Paul makes himself a servant so that they would comprehend and believe in the Lord who was made servant for all. Paul sacrifices himself to be their servant so that he may win their love and in so doing display Christ’s love for them and win their love for Him.

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Mark 1:21-28

Our Gospel reading from Sunday (Feb. 1) reveals to us how Jesus teaches with authority like those in the synagogue had never seen. “I shall put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak them all that I command him” (Deut 18:18). He teaches with divine authority. It also reveals to us the authority Jesus has over demons: “Even the demons believe – and shudder!” (James 2:19). Speaking and acting in the authority He possesses; the authority of God, He sets things right. He speaks the truth and creates faith. He castes a demon out, silencing its words and frees a man from such evil oppression. Jesus speaks and immediately things that have gone wrong are redirected into the right. Jesus still speaks to you today where He is constantly correcting what has gone wrong and redirecting, healing, and casting out evil. This He does in His Word preached and His Sacraments administered for the forgiveness of sins.

Greetings to all who wander here!

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Christmas should make us merry shouldn’t it? It should make us down right giddy, just like children waiting to open gifts on Christmas morning. Think on it for a moment – God gives the greatest gift we can imagine. He gives us the gift of His Son for our salvation. What could make us merrier?