Saturday after the Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity Sunday
Posted on September 17, 2022 by under
Scripture: Jeremiah 22:13-19 (NKJV)
22:13 “Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness and his chambers by injustice, who uses his neighbor’s service without wages and gives him nothing for his work,
14 “who says, ‘I will build myself a wide house with spacious chambers, and cut out windows for it, paneling it with cedar and painting it with vermilion.’
15 “Shall you reign because you enclose yourself in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink, and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him.
16 “He judged the cause of the poor and needy; Then it was well. Was not this knowing Me?” says the Lord.
17 “Yet your eyes and your heart are for nothing but your covetousness, for shedding innocent blood, and practicing oppression and violence.”
18 Therefore thus says the Lord concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:
“They shall not lament for him, saying, ‘Alas, my brother!’ or ‘Alas, my sister!’ They shall not lament for him, saying, ‘Alas, master!’ or ‘Alas, his glory!’
19 “He shall be buried with the burial of a donkey, dragged and cast out beyond the gates of Jerusalem.”
Devotion
“Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness and his chambers by injustice, Who uses his neighbor’s service without wages And gives him nothing for his work,…”.
Again, like the rich man who did not love poor Lazarus, there will be those who imagine themselves to be righteous, even while they exploit the poor and neglect the needs of the downtrodden. The Lord beholds those who exploit the poor and needy, and He declares: “Yet your eyes and your heart are for nothing but your covetousness, For shedding innocent blood, And practicing oppression and violence.”
The Word teaches that all that we have has been given to us for use in such ways as are in keeping with the divine Law. And those who imagine that they might exploit others without fear of the judgment have the Lord declaring to them that He beholds their wickedness and will punish in due season if there is not repentance.
Throughout this week, we have heard much concerning the works which are the fruit of faith. It remains as we confess in the Formula of Concord, Epitome, Article III: “But after man has been justified by faith, then a true living faith worketh by love, Gal. 5:6, so that thus good works always follow justifying faith, and are surely found with it, if it be true and living; for it never is alone, but always has with it love and hope.”
Prayer: Almighty and Everlasting God, give unto us the increase of faith, hope, and charity; and that we may obtain that which Thou dost promise, make us to love that which Thou dost command; 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.
