The Saturday after the Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity Sunday
Posted on October 11, 2025 by under
Scripture: Ezekiel 3:17-21 (NKJV)
3:17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: 18 When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 19 Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.
20 “Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. 21 Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; also you will have delivered your soul.”
Devotion
Warnings, chastisement, and discipline all go together. God warns us through His Word and through His servants. If we despise correction, or if we despise the servant who rightfully has the responsibility to correct us, then we despise God and His Word.
This passage also reminds us that we are accountable for our own sins. Even if others have failed in their responsibilities to help us, we are each responsible for our own errors. False teachers think they are being wise or loving by twisting the Law and misapplying the Gospel to help sinners not feel guilty. But they are hurting the hearer and bringing serious judgment on themselves. From the beginning we see that Adam and Eve could not get away with shifting the blame for their wickedness to others.
If our focus is on avoiding correction or shifting blame, then our hearts are already guilty of wickedness. God teaches us to seek righteousness, love, and humility. Even if we are to endure adversity doing it, we should seek to do what is right, good, and beautiful in the eyes of God, not seek our own will and wisdom. The leaven of the Pharisees was to despise the Lord for telling the truth. But true disciples hear His warnings, repent, and embrace the eternal life that our Lord’s Word and Spirit give.
Collect: Lord, we pray Thee, that Thy grace may always go before and follow after us, and make us continually to be given to all good works; 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.
