Second Sunday in Lent: Matthew 15:21-28
I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.
Rev. Appold is pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Paducah, KY.
I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.
Son of man and son of David are not competing titles. Rather they are titles that converge in the one man, Jesus Christ.
Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.
Adam was created to work the ground and keep the Garden. Though his fall brought a curse upon the ground and labor, we still benefit from our work and labor. Understanding Adam’s purpose of working and keeping the garden assists us in how we view and carry out our labors.
Psalm 2 is the psalm of the week for Trinity XVII. Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot a vain thing? Why do they want to dethrone the Lord’s anointed? How does the Lord view all of this? How should we respond?
The 146th psalm is a psalm of praise. But what are we to praise the Lord for? His everlasting kingdom and reign are here contrasted with the kingdoms of man that rise and fall. By praying this psalm, our faith, hope, and love are centered in the Lord’s kingdoms and not man’s.
The psalm of the week for Trinity XIV is Psalm 119:9-16. The crucial question asked and answered: How can a young man keep his way pure?
While Paul doesn’t tell Timothy to, “love his people,” in those exact words, he shows what the minister’s love of the elect people of God consists in.
The Spirit of power gives the ministers of Christ and His church the power to fulfill their ministry. Following the example of Paul we see this power at work in discipline, preaching, and perseverance.
The pastoral ministry requires a spirit of power, love, and soundness of mind. God gives such a Spirit and urges us to put this gift to use.