The Monday after the Eighth Sunday after Trinity Sunday
Posted on August 11, 2025 by under
Scripture: St. Matthew 7:22-29 (NKJV)
7:22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, 29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
Devotion
Countless false teachers populate the world. They invoke the name of Jesus, but only in the sense that Jesus’ name functions as their own private rabbit’s foot, a lucky charm of sorts. What is missing from their preaching is really quite easy to spot: It is the forgiveness of sins. The devil’s never-ending ploy is to direct people away from what they really need from Jesus, His forgiveness.
So how are we supposed to “do” Jesus’ sayings? Quite simply, we are to believe what He says. You are a sinner without hope. Unless you look to Jesus, who is your only hope, and trust in His forgiveness secured for you on the cross, you have no hope. Thanks be to God that He gives us faith to believe that we are forgiven for Jesus’ sake. The faith that God gives rests upon the “Rock”, upon Jesus. Such foundation in Christ is unshakable, for it comes from God Himself through the working of the Holy Spirit. Even when you are overwhelmed by the troubles of this world and you feel like giving up, God does not give up on you. In the midst of all your troubles He holds fast to you according to that faith in Christ.
Collect: Grant to us, Lord, we beseech Thee, the Spirit to think and do always such things as are right; that we, who cannot do anything that is good without Thee, may by Thee be enabled to live according to Thy will; 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.
