Pious Lutheran

Merry Christmas! “ And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed, so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” ” Saints Peter and Paul both refer to Jesus as the stone of stumbling and the rock of offense. St. Paul also says that Jesus is not just the stone of stumbling, but indeed the chief cornerstone of the holy temple of the Lord. And so, Christ is both the rock of stumbling, and the cornerstone upon which the whole church is raised up. What an incredible thing, that the very first Sunday after Christmas, we don’t meditate on a cute little baby, but we’re marveling with Joseph and Mary that Jesus is the stone of stumbling and that many will fall because of Him.  It’s a standard Hallmark movie notion that the holidays bring us closer to one another, that Christmas is a time for families to set aside their differences in order to put on a smile. But how does

Merry Christmas!  “ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. ” What’s in a word? What’s happening when you speak? I’ve heard it argued that words are only words and the only thing that matters is what you do with those words. As such, I’ve also heard people defend and argue for their small children using cuss words in daily parlance. Since after all, it’s argued that they’re only words, and the only important thing is that those words are used at appropriate times. Thus, words themselves are emptied of any innate value they might have.  However such is not the case. Words are more than just empty shells with which we impute meaning and significance. Words and the language that we employ are pictures into the heart. As St. Basil writes: “Our word is a reflection of all that we are thinking.” The words you use, your choice of language, reveals the inner workings of your heart and mind.  Our Lord Jesus teaches this to us when He says: “ Hear and understand: It is not what goes

“ And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. ” And when the shepherds heard by the word of the angels what had just happened, they said: “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us. ”  We are just like the Shepherds! It’s been announced to us that Christ is near with His cheer and never will He leave us! So we flock to and congregate in sanctuaries around the world to see this thing that has happened. We travel in haste so that we might find, with the shepherds, “ the baby lying in a manger. ” Truly I say to you, the reason

When you wake up in the middle of the night there are few things more jarring than turning on the glaring bright lights. So in order to annoy my younger siblings as a child I would wake them in the morning by shouting at them and turning on their lights. My mother on the other hand wouldn’t wake us up in such a jarring fashion. Before resorting to yelling at us to get out of bed, she’d first sit down on the edge of the bed, kiss you on your forehead, rub your hair and calmly speak to you.  Likewise, before Jesus, the bright Light of the world, began His earthly ministry to the world enshrouded in darkness, He sent forth His lamp to prepare His way. He sent forth John the Baptist, whose father Zechariah prophesied of him: “ And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit

Just as the past century and a half waged war against men, so has the past 150 years assaulted women as well. But while the attacks against men have been quite obvious, the attacks against women have been thinly veiled beneath claims of freedom and empowerment. Satan’s goal has been to strip women of the very distinguishing things which make women distinctly women! The goal of feminism has been to make women less like women and more like men. Yet, the great adornment of every woman is not to be a man, but it is the imperishable beauty of a humble faith in Christ. God in His inestimable wisdom made women to be quite distinct and in their own ways to be blessings to all the world, not by dressing up and acting like men, but by being who God made them to be: women, wives, and mothers.  This is evident throughout the scriptures in that women are given an equally important role as men to play. But the role of women is different than that of men. We see this already in Genesis! Adam is

Who’re your role models in life? Who’re the people you look up to and try to emulate? Your first thought might be a parent or a relative, a teacher or a friend. But let’s think a little more practically. Who’re your role models on a daily basis? I’d wager a guess that you don’t even know who all of your role models are or who influences you on a daily basis. Maybe it’s a politician you like to listen to, or a particular historical figure you’re interested in, maybe it’s a fictional character from a tv show or movie or a book. I’m sure each of us are influenced by many more people than we often realize.  As Christians it would be wise for us to pay attention and deliberately choose certain people to emulate and look up to for advice. Historically Christians have considered martyrs and other large figures in the history of the church to be worthy of emulation. The Bible is chock-full of good examples of Christians worth emulating!  Today Jesus introduces us to one of the greatest ro

“ An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” ” What a confusing thing! Why does the Lord call Joseph to be Mary’s husband and Jesus’ earthly father? Why do we trace Jesus’ lineage back to Abraham through Joseph, even though Joseph isn’t the biological father? Why does Mary need a husband if she can conceive without one? Why does the incarnate Word of God, Jesus the Christ, need an earthly Father when He’s perfect and already has a heavenly father? Why Joseph? Those can be confusing questions, but the answer is really quite plain and simple. God called Joseph to be Mary’s husband and Jesus’ earthly father because husbands and fathers are an important and significant blessing from God. God our heavenly Father gives us earthly fathers and husbands w