Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?” Psalm 22.1
Prayer for the week: Ride on, ride on, O Christ. Ride on the donkey, the cross, on the devil’s
back. In low estate ride on to die… to triumph over captive death and conquered
sin now and forever. Amen.
Bible reading for the day: Mark 10.32-45,
32 And
they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead
of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And
taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, 33 saying, “See, we
are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the
chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death
and deliver him over to the Gentiles. 34 And
they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him.
And after three days he will rise.”
35 And James and
John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we
want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 36 And
he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 37 And
they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your
left, in your glory.” 38 Jesus said to
them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the
cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am
baptized?” 39 And they said to him, “We are able.”
And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and
with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, 40 but
to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for
those for whom it has been prepared.” 41 And
when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. 42 And
Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are
considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones
exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall
not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your
servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you
must be slave[e] of
all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be
served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Prayer for the day: Dear Lord Christ, you know exactly
what you are doing for our sake, for our rescue. To our shame, we esteem our
abilities and seek glory for ourselves. Accomplish the death of my pride that
is my baptism into you… that I might finally serve rather than be served. In
your name, O Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Hymn: this hymn gives further voice to today’s
conversation with the Lord.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHeIX8xTpYs&ab_channel=NorthStonehamandBassettparish
“What does baptism mean for daily living?”
It means that my sinful self, with all its evil deeds and
desires, should be drowned through daily repentance; and that day after day a
new self should arise to live with God in righteousness and purity forever.
In Romans 6, St. Paul writes: “We were buried therefore
with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from
the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” Romans
6.4 (from The Small Catechism, by Martin
Luther)
Benediction: Blessed be the Lord, the God of
Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, “Amen!”
Praise the Lord! Psalm 106.48
*This is now
our congregation’s 99th year in the Word. In 2025, we are reading
from Genesis to Revelation, with a few interludes along the way.
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