Thursday after the Tenth Sunday after Trinity Sunday
Posted on August 8, 2024 by under
Scripture: St. Matthew 23:34-39 (NKJV)
23:34 Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, 35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.
37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 38 See! Your house is left to you desolate; 39 for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
Devotion
Our Lord Jesus said harsh things. Sometimes sinners need to hear harsh words. Unfortunately, obstinate sinners are sometimes so hardhearted that the harsh words are even more meaningless to them than the gentler warnings that came before. In such cases, harsh words spoken to the unrepentant are more of a benefit for others who hear the rebuke and understand the seriousness of the warning. If the prideful hypocrites won’t repent and submit to the Lord, then they serve as an example to others.
Our Savior preached, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matt. 7:21). His harsh warning to the hypocrites that “you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘BLESSED is HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!’” is also a warning that their pious-sounding words are empty. The lawlessness of their actions confess their vanity. The multitudes who cried out “Hosanna to the Son of David!” would also be persuaded by the hypocrites to cry out for Barabbas to be freed and Jesus to be crucified.
In Acts 2 some would hear the Apostolic preaching that reminded them of the seriousness of these events and repent. Even if the wicked leaders refused to turn and died in God’s condemnation, others would be cut to the heart and learn to fear, love, and trust in God’s truth.
Collect: O God, Who declarest Thine Almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Mercifully grant unto us such a measure of Thy grace, that we, running the way of Thy commandments, may obtain Thy gracious promises, and be made partakers of Thy heavenly treasure; 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.
