Verse for the week:
“the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his
life a ransom for many.” Mt 20.28
Prayer for the week:
Lord God, heavenly Father, in your Son you have given the world a
pioneer of salvation and made him the true and eternal priest and mediator of
his people. Grant that we may hold fast to him in love, learn obedience in his
discipleship, and so be brought into the heavenly sanctuary through him, who
lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. [K.B.
Ritter, Gebete fur das Jahr der Kirche, 2nd edition (Kassel:
Johannes Stauda-Verlag, 1948), p. 114.]
Bible reading for the day: Luke 10.25-37
25 And behold, a lawyer stood up
to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal
life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you
read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with
all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all
your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him,
“You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said
to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was
going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped
him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by
chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on
the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place
and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he
journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34
He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he
set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35
And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper,
saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I
come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a
neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The
one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
Prayer (based on TRIP** method): Gracious and almighty Father, thank you
for loving sinners like us as your own and justifying us in Jesus. Kill off our old pride which always seeks to
justify ourselves and to be the attorney for our own defense. Kill off that old sinner, Lord, and each day
raise me as your new creation… one who loves you with all my heart, soul,
strength, and mind… and who loves my neighbor as myself. I ask this in Jesus’
name, amen.
Hymn: follow
this link to a beloved, classic hymn that gives further voice to today’s
conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMY3ivdNzwE
The Fifth Commandment
You shall not kill.
What does this mean?
We should fear and love God so that we do our neighbors no
bodily harm nor cause them any suffering, but help and befriend them in every
need. (from The Small Catechism, by Martin Luther ©Reclaim Resources,
Sola Publishing, 2011)
Benediction: Now
may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through
grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and strengthen
them in every good work and word. Amen. II Thess 2.16-17
*There are many patterns
for devotions. This pattern has been followed
by God’s people for centuries.
**The T.R.I.P. approach to
prayer is based on the way Martin Luther prayed and taught others to pray. It was later developed by Walter and Ingrid
Trobisch and then adapted by Mount Carmel Ministries (Alexandria, MN www.dailytext.com). The method is founded on scripture and easy
to remember: T: thanksgiving
R: regret
(repentance)
I:
intercession (asking God to take a specific action)
P:
plan or purpose
Reading a biblical text and
then applying this method gives one a sound, simple way to form one’s
prayers...not to mention that it helps one learn how to faithfully reflect on
God’s Word and talk to God.
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