Pious Lutheran

“ This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. ” Luther writes that these words “show us that in the sacrament forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given us through these words. For where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation.” The Lord’s Supper is medicine that heals.  Healing is exactly what people need today. “ For thus says the Lord: Your hurt is incurable, and your wound is grievous. ” The people in this world are sick and twisted. If you look at the news headlines, what are you going to see? Conflict in the middle east. Sexual assaults. Assassinations. Bombings. Shootings. People dying of the flu. Domestic violence. It’s not just others who are sick, but like God says YOUR hurt is incurable, and YOUR wound is grievous. But in our almighty, infallible, human wisdom we think we have the cure, the medicine for the sickness we see in our world. More people should have guns. No people should have ...

“ Remember your mercy, O Lord, and Your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. ” When we pray by calling upon the Lord to remember His mercy and His steadfast love, we’re also reminding ourselves that God is merciful and that He has steadfast love for His people. God really is merciful! God’s love really is steadfast and immovable! God’s mercy is incredible. Not too long before Jesus entered into Syro-Phoenicia where He met this Canaanite woman, He was at Gennesaret in Galilee. “ And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and brought to him all who were sick and implored him that they might only touch the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well. ”  The Old Testament itself is a testament to God’s steadfast love for His people. Countless times, again and again, the Israelites whored after foreign gods and ceased to worship the one true God. Yet He still loved His people so strongly that He would take on hu...

The first question asked in the Small Catechism concerning the Sacrament of the Altar is: “What is the Sacrament of the Altar?” That’s a good question! What is the nature of this meal? What is it? To which the answer is given: “It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under the bread and wine, instituted by Christ Himself for us Christians to eat and to drink.” This Holy Supper is Jesus who feeds us His body and blood. Now God feeding us is really nothing new whatsoever. God fed Adam and Eve by creating all of the trees from which they were to eat. “ Out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. ” God gave the earth to sprout forth plants yielding all sorts of food, He gave us animals from which we may eat of them, and in the wilderness He gave the Israelites bread from heaven. “ Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you.’” Now, it seems like Moses uses the term “...

“And lead us not into temptation,” we pray in the Lord’s Prayer. Open up your hymnal to page 324 where you’ll find the Small Catechism, let’s read together Luther’s explanation to the 6th petition: “ God tempts no one. We pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us so that the devil, the world, and our sinful nature may not deceive us or mislead us into false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice. Although we are attacked by these things, we pray that we may finally overcome them and win the victory. ” It is true that God tempts no one, however, God does permit us to be tempted by Satan. “ Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say...?” Or later we read about Job’s life, “ And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that Job has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. ”  Have you ever wondere...

The season of lent, and this evening in particular, Ash Wednesday, is a time for us to remember that we are dust and to dust we shall return, and that we have already been “ cleansed from our former sins. ”It’s a time for us to heed our Lord’s Words, who commands us “ return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. ” During lent we “ blow the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the people. Consecrate the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants. ” During this season of the church year we petition the Lord, saying “ spare your people, O Lord. ” And throughout this solemn assembly we remember especially that our heavenly Father looks upon us who discipline our hearts and He has pity on us. The lenten season is a time to discipline your hearts. You might notice Jesus’ words at the beginning of our Gospel reading: “ when you fast. ” He doesn’t say if you fast, He says when you fast. J...

“ As Jesus drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. ” The holy Evangelist St. Mark gives this blind man a name: “ Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus .” Thus blind Bartimaeus may have been blind and poor, but stupid he was not. He cleverly chose a location beside the road outside of Jericho, right before the time of the passover when many would be traveling that very road as they made their annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem. This was a roadside location prime for begging and asking for alms. Yet it apparently wasn’t only a location prime for collection of alms, but it was a place filled with much gossip and talk. For when the blind man heard that “ Jesus of Nazareth is passing by, ” he didn’t hesitate to cry out “ Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! ” The blind man knew, without seeing Jesus’ face, that this Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of David, the Messiah who has come to save them. Blind Bartimaeus hadn’t seen Jesus, nor likely had he met Him before, instea...