Friday within the Octave of the Feast of the Holy Trinity
Posted on May 31, 2024 by under
Scripture: Galatians 4:1-7 (NKJV)
4:1 Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, 2 but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. 3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. 4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
Devotion
In Christ, by the power of His Holy Spirit, we are no longer slaves. We are children of His household. But we all still serve! A good member of God’s house and kingdom obeys in humility and discipline. We teach children to serve and obey, not so they can become vain masters, but so they grow up to serve and work in greater ways. A petulant child is worse than a slave, because a good servant does what needs to be done, whereas a rebellious child seeks his own will.
Deuteronomy 6 reminded us that the faithful are to teach their children the commands of the Lord, and keep His name and truth in all parts of the household. We have a great blessing in the Table of Duties in Luther’s Small Catechism, where the Word of the Lord is emphasized according to particular vocations. Servants and masters alike are to be faithful to God’s wisdom and discipline. Masters are still servants to those over whom they have headship, just as the Lord serves His beloved Church. But those who despise serving and submitting to the Lord are not children of His house. They choose to be of the world that hates Him and His teaching. In Christ we are true heirs of His kingdom, and if His Spirit is in us, we truly love Him and obey His commands.
Collect: Almighty and Everlasting God, Who hast given unto us, Thy servants, grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity: We beseech Thee, that Thou wouldst keep us steadfast in this faith, and evermore defend us from all adversities; Who livest and reignest, One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
