Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America

Saturday after the Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity Sunday

Posted on October 24, 2020 by Pastor Dulas under Devotions
Leave a comment
Scripture: 3 John 1-14 (NKJV)
 
1 The Elder,
 
To the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth:
 
2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. 3 For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
 
5 Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, 6 who have borne witness of your love before the church. If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well, 7 because they went forth for His name’s sake, taking nothing from the Gentiles. 8 We therefore ought to receive such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth.
 
9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. 10 Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church.
 
11 Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.
 
12 Demetrius has a good testimony from all, and from the truth itself. And we also bear witness, and you know that our testimony is true.
 
13 I had many things to write, but I do not wish to write to you with pen and ink; 14 but I hope to see you shortly, and we shall speak face to face.
 
Peace to you. Our friends greet you. Greet the friends by name.
 
Devotion
 
Children learn by imitation. They learn to speak by hearing the sounds their parents made, then attempting to say the same. As children grow, they learn how to behave from their parents as well, observing them and imitating their behavior and attitudes.
 
This is how Christians learn the Word of God in the Divine Service. We hear God’s Word and we speak it back to Him in confession, prayer, praise, and thanksgiving. He opens our lips and brings forth His praise. We hear the Law and speak it in confession of sins, just as we hear the Gospel and console ourselves with it when our conscience is terrified.
 
St. John writes to Gaius, “Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.” Christians are sons of God because they believe in Christ Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins. Like earthly children, we are to imitate the good our Father in Heaven does. Since the Father is invisible and unseen, we imitate the good we see our elder brother Jesus do in the Gospels. St. Paul tells the Corinthians, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). So we imitate Christ and His Apostles, as well as the saints, following their faith and good works according to our calling (AC XXI.1).
 
Prayer: O Almighty and Most Merciful God, of Thy bountiful goodness keep us, we beseech Thee, from all things that may hurt us, that we, being ready, both in body and soul, may cheerfully accomplish those things that Thou wouldst have done; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever 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.

Leave a Comment