Jesus cripples your pride

...so that you may walk instead by faith in him.

Verse for the week:  ¹¹“I am the good shepherd… ²⁷My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.” John 10.11, 27-28

Prayer for the week:  O Savior Christ, you lead to immortal happiness those who entrust themselves to you.  Grant that we, being weak, presume not to trust in ourselves, but may always have your voice, Good Shepherd, in our ears; that you, who alone knows the way, may lead us to our heavenly fold. To you with the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory forever.  Amen.  (Primer, 1545, adapted)

Bible reading for the day:  Acts 4.1-12 (In Acts of the Apostles, Luke picks up where he left off in his “first book” to give us an historical account of the first decades of the Holy Spirit’s work to call, gather and grow Christ’s church. Subsequent to the healing of a lame man at the temple gate, the religious bigwigs are greatly annoyed at the preaching of Christ.)

¹And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, ² greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. ³ And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. ⁴ But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.

⁵ On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, ⁶ with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. ⁷ And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” ⁸ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, ⁹ if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, ¹⁰ let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. ¹¹ This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. ¹² And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men and women by which we must be saved.”

Prayer (based on T.R.I.P. method*): Gracious and almighty Father, thank you for sending Jesus to bring forgiveness, salvation and resurrection for dead sinners like us. Thank you! Since our rebellion in the Garden, our pride has been greatly annoyed by the gospel… but that hasn’t stopped you and the work of your Holy Spirit. So, cripple us when that is what it takes to heal us. Daily trip up my pride over the Cornerstone… that Christ’s name may be above, over and for me… in his name I ask this. Amen.

Hymn: follow this link to a beloved, classic that gives further voice to today’s conversation with our Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djaXi1ZBXcw

“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 God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing, that we may abound in hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.  (Romans 15.13)

 

*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.