Verse of the week: “he shall divide the spoil with
the strong; because he poured out himself to death, and… he bore the sin of
many,” Is 53.12
Prayer of the week:
O God, holy and eternal, you call us into the fellowship of that holy
suffering by which your dear Son, our Savior, conquered sin, death and the
power of the devil. Bring your kingdom
to us. Give us your Holy Spirit that by your grace we may believe your holy
Word, that the stone that the builders rejected may indeed be for us the
cornerstone: Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Amen.
Bible reading for the day: Mark 12.12-17 (picking up right where
yesterday’s reading left off)
12 And they were seeking to
arrest him but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the
parable against them. So they left him and went away.
13 And they sent to him
some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in
his talk. 14 And they came and said to him,
“Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone's
opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly
teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or
not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” 15 But,
knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the
test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” 16 And
they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is
this?” They said to him, “Caesar's.” 17 Jesus
said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God
the things that are God's.” And they marveled at him.
Prayer (based on TRIP** method): Gracious and almighty Father, thank you
that Jesus is true and that he doesn’t care about my opinion, especially when
it comes to money. Repent me and my congregation of putting you to the test…
such attempts only showcase our hypocrisy. Put us instead where we belong: at
your feet in humble obedience… finally free from our proud selves. I ask this
in Jesus’ name, amen.
Hymn: follow this
link to a beloved classic hymn which gives further voice to today’s
conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW9zdAFfMXs
“I believe in Jesus
Christ, his only Son, our Lord…”
What does this
mean?
I believe that Jesus
Christ — true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man,
born of the Virgin Mary — is my Lord. He has redeemed me, a lost and condemned
creature, and has freed me from sin, death, and the power of the devil, not
with silver and gold, but with his holy and precious blood and his innocent
suffering and death. He has done all this in order that I might be his own,
live under him in his kingdom, and serve him in everlasting righteousness,
innocence, and blessedness, even as he is risen from the dead and lives and
reigns for all eternity. This is most certainly true! (from The Small Catechism, by Martin
Luther ©Reclaim Resources, Sola Publishing, 2011)
Benediction: The
peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. Phil 4.7
*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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