Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America

Monday after Reminiscere

Posted on February 26, 2018 by Pastor Dulas under Devotions
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Scripture: St. Luke 13:1-17 (NKJV)

13:1 There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”

6 He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’

8 “But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9 And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.'”

10 Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. 12 But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” 13 And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

14 But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.”

15 The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? 16 So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?”

17 And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.

Devotion

In verses 1, 6, and 11, Jesus deals with the question “What about sin in the world?” What about the murdered Galileans, or the Galileans on whom the tower fell? Why didn’t the fig tree bear fruit? Why did the women suffer an infirmity for eighteen years? Did these things happen because they were worse sinners than others? Jesus says, “No!” He says that when we see the effects of sin in the world, we need to look at the sin in our own lives, and we need to repent.

Contrary to popular practice, the season of Lent is a season of repentance not of penance. We don’t give up something during Lent to please God. We do it to remind ourselves of how sinful we are.

In Psalm 51, written by David after the prophet Nathan confronted him about his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah, her husband, David cries out “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.” When David was confronted by the Word of God, it brought repentance! When we are confronted by the Word of God, Christ is calling us to repentance. In the words of absolution we too hear, “God be merciful to you and strengthen your faith. Amen.”

We pray: O God, who sees that of ourselves we have no strength, keep us both outwardly and inwardly that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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