And Jesus answered, "O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to Me."[Matthew 17:17]
Irwin Horwitz is a teacher at Texas A&M. He is also a teacher with two decades' experience.
Now any teacher who has been at it for 20 years has seen some profound changes in the students, which have been entrusted to his care. We shouldn't be surprised. Over the last decades we also have seen changes in the world, its attitudes, and its morals.
Sadly, Professor Horwitz has found himself overwhelmed by the negative attitudes of his students. He says many of them had felt quite comfortable lying, cheating and swearing at him ... both in class and outside of it. He reports false rumors had been spread about him, and it had become difficult for him to face and teach those students. Indeed, things became so strained between the professor and one of his classes the school brought in security guards.
Last month the professor reached the breaking point and decided to do something.
In an e-mail to his class, Professor Horwitz wrote he, "will no longer be teaching the course, and all (of you) are being awarded a failing grade." He also told the class they lacked "honor," "maturity," "competence," and a "desire to do ... the work necessary to pass the course."
Justified or not, the students went ballistic and complained to the university. As of this writing, the school's administration has said, "None of them (the students) have failed until the end of the class, meaning the only reason a student would fail (is) because he or she has not performed the expectations for that particular class."
Now I have no way of knowing if the professor's charges are justified or not.
On the other hand, there is no doubt the Lord's negative and punishing judgment against sinful humanity is fully warranted. All of us have disobeyed His holy will and, as Scripture says, "the soul which sins will die" (Ezekiel 18:20a). God's decision could never be overturned by a higher authority. There is no higher authority than the Lord. There is no possible appeal.
Seeing that we were going to get a failing grade and be destined for eternal punishment, the Lord had mercy.
So we might be forgiven and saved the Lord sent a Substitute into this world. His Son, our Savior, came and did all that was necessary to give us a passing grade. By fulfilling the Law and resisting every temptation Jesus passed the tests we had failed. His third-day resurrection from the dead says He graduated with honors and all who believe on Him will, on Judgment Day, do the same.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I give thanks You were not content to fail sinners for their transgressions. May I always show my gladness for the Savior's sacrifice and His success in giving me a passing grade. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Through the Bible in a Year
Today Read:
2 Samuel 8:1 Some time afterwards, David attacked the P’lishtim and subdued them; David took Meteg-Amah out of the hands of the P’lishtim. 2 He also defeated Mo’av; making them lie down on the ground, he measured them with a length of cord; for every two lengths to be put to death he designated one length to be kept alive. The people of Mo’av became subjects of David and paid tribute.
660 Mason Ridge Center Drive
St. Louis, Missouri 63141 United States
1-800-876-9880
www.lhm.org
____________________________
Irwin Horwitz is a teacher at Texas A&M. He is also a teacher with two decades' experience.
Now any teacher who has been at it for 20 years has seen some profound changes in the students, which have been entrusted to his care. We shouldn't be surprised. Over the last decades we also have seen changes in the world, its attitudes, and its morals.
Sadly, Professor Horwitz has found himself overwhelmed by the negative attitudes of his students. He says many of them had felt quite comfortable lying, cheating and swearing at him ... both in class and outside of it. He reports false rumors had been spread about him, and it had become difficult for him to face and teach those students. Indeed, things became so strained between the professor and one of his classes the school brought in security guards.
Last month the professor reached the breaking point and decided to do something.
In an e-mail to his class, Professor Horwitz wrote he, "will no longer be teaching the course, and all (of you) are being awarded a failing grade." He also told the class they lacked "honor," "maturity," "competence," and a "desire to do ... the work necessary to pass the course."
Justified or not, the students went ballistic and complained to the university. As of this writing, the school's administration has said, "None of them (the students) have failed until the end of the class, meaning the only reason a student would fail (is) because he or she has not performed the expectations for that particular class."
Now I have no way of knowing if the professor's charges are justified or not.
On the other hand, there is no doubt the Lord's negative and punishing judgment against sinful humanity is fully warranted. All of us have disobeyed His holy will and, as Scripture says, "the soul which sins will die" (Ezekiel 18:20a). God's decision could never be overturned by a higher authority. There is no higher authority than the Lord. There is no possible appeal.
Seeing that we were going to get a failing grade and be destined for eternal punishment, the Lord had mercy.
So we might be forgiven and saved the Lord sent a Substitute into this world. His Son, our Savior, came and did all that was necessary to give us a passing grade. By fulfilling the Law and resisting every temptation Jesus passed the tests we had failed. His third-day resurrection from the dead says He graduated with honors and all who believe on Him will, on Judgment Day, do the same.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I give thanks You were not content to fail sinners for their transgressions. May I always show my gladness for the Savior's sacrifice and His success in giving me a passing grade. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Through the Bible in a Year
Today Read:
2 Samuel 8:1 Some time afterwards, David attacked the P’lishtim and subdued them; David took Meteg-Amah out of the hands of the P’lishtim. 2 He also defeated Mo’av; making them lie down on the ground, he measured them with a length of cord; for every two lengths to be put to death he designated one length to be kept alive. The people of Mo’av became subjects of David and paid tribute.
3 David, on his way to establish his dominion as far as the Euphrates River, also defeated Hadad‘ezer the son of Rechov king of Tzovah. 4 David captured 1,700 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers. He reserved enough horses for 100 chariots and disabled the rest. 5 When people of Aram from Dammesek came to the aid of Hadad‘ezer king of Tzovah, David killed 22,000 men of Aram. 6 Then David put garrisons among the people of Aram in Dammesek; Aram became subject to David and paid tribute. Adonai gave victory to David wherever he went. 7 David took the gold shields which Hadad‘ezer’s servants were wearing and brought them to Yerushalayim. 8 From Betach and Berotai, cities of Hadad‘ezer, King David took a great quantity of bronze.
9 When To‘i king of Hamat heard that David had defeated Hadad‘ezer’s entire army, 10 To‘i sent Yoram his son to King David to greet and congratulate him on fighting and defeating Hadad‘ezer, for Hadad‘ezer had been at war with To‘i. Yoram brought with him articles of silver, articles of gold and articles of bronze, 11 which King David dedicated to Adonai, along with the silver and gold that he dedicated from all the nations he conquered — 12 Aram, Mo’av, the people of ‘Amon, the P’lishtim, ‘Amalek, and the spoil taken from Hadad‘ezer son of Rechov, king of Tzovah. 13 David gained more fame on returning from killing 18,000 men from Aram in the Salt Valley. 14 David stationed garrisons in Edom; he put garrisons throughout all of Edom, and all the people of Edom became subject to him. Adonai gave victory to David wherever he went.
15 David ruled over all Isra’el; David administered law and justice for all his people. 16 Yo’av the son of Tz’ruyah was commander of the army, Y’hoshafat the son of Achilud was chief adviser, 17 Tzadok the son of Achituv and Achimelekh the son of Evyatar were cohanim, S’rayah was secretary, 18 B’nayahu the son of Y’hoyada was in charge of the K’reti and P’leti [serving as the king’s bodyguards], and David’s sons were cohanim.
9:1 David inquired, “Is there anyone still alive from the family of Sha’ul, to whom, for Y’honatan’s sake, I can show kindness?” 2 In Sha’ul’s household there had been a servant named Tziva, and they summoned him to David. The king asked him, “Are you Tziva?” and he answered, “At your service.” 3 The king said, “Is there anyone still alive from the family of Sha’ul, to whom I can show God’s grace?” Tziva said to the king, “There is still Y’honatan’s son with the lame legs.” 4 The king said to him, “Where is he?” and Tziva answered, “He’s there in the house of Makhir the son of ‘Ammi’el, in Lo-D’var.” 5 King David sent and took him from the house of Makhir the son of ‘Ammi’el in Lo-D’var. 6 M’fivoshet the son of Y’honatan, the son of Sha’ul, came to David, fell on his face and prostrated himself. David said, “M’fivoshet!” and he answered, “Here is your servant!” 7 David said to him, “Don’t be afraid, for I am determined to be kind to you for the sake of Y’honatan your father. I will restore to you all the land of Sha’ul your [grand]father, and you will always eat at my table.” 8 He prostrated himself and said, “What is your servant that makes you pay such attention to a dead dog like me?” 9 The king called to Tziva, Sha’ul’s servant, and said to him, “I have given everything Sha’ul and his family owned to your master’s [grand]son. 10 You are to work the land for him, you, your sons and your slaves. Harvest the crops, so that your master’s [grand]son will have food to feed his family; but M’fivoshet your master’s [grand]son will always eat at my table.” Tziva had fifteen sons and twenty slaves. 11 Tziva said to the king, “Your servant will do everything my lord the king commands his servant, although M’fivoshet has been eating at my table as one of the king’s descendants.” 12 M’fivoshet had a young son whose name was Mikha. Everyone living in Tziva’s house was a servant of M’fivoshet. 13 But M’fivoshet lived in Yerushalayim; he always ate at the king’s table, and he was lame in both legs.
Psalm 60: (0) For the leader. Set to “Lily of Testimony.” A mikhtam of David for teaching about 2 when he fought with Aram-Naharayim and with Aram-Tzovah, and Yo’av returned and killed 12,000 from Edom in the Salt Valley:
3 (1) God, you rejected us; you crushed us;
you were angry; but now revive us.
4 (2) You made the land shake, split it apart;
now repair the rifts, for it is collapsing.
5 (3) You made your people suffer hard times,
had us drink a wine that made us stagger.
6 (4) To those who fear you because of the truth
you gave a banner to rally around, (Selah)
7 (5) so that those you love could be rescued;
so save with your right hand, and answer us!
8 (6) God in his holiness spoke,
and I took joy [in his promise]:
“I will divide Sh’khem
and determine the shares in the Sukkot Valley.
9 (7) Gil‘ad is mine and M’nasheh mine,
Efrayim my helmet, Y’hudah my scepter.
10 (8) Mo’av is my washpot; on Edom I throw my shoe;
P’leshet, be crushed because of me!”
11 (9) Who will bring me into the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
12 (10) God, have you rejected us?
You don’t go out with our armies, God.
13 (11) Help us against our enemy,
for human help is worthless.
14 (12) With God’s help we will fight valiantly,
for he will trample our enemies.
John 2: On Tuesday[a] there was a wedding at Kanah in the Galil; and the mother of Yeshua was there. 2 Yeshua too was invited to the wedding, along with his talmidim. 3 The wine ran out, and Yeshua’s mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” 4 Yeshua replied, “Mother, why should that concern me? — or you? My time hasn’t come yet.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Now six stone water-jars were standing there for the Jewish ceremonial washings, each with a capacity of twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Yeshua told them, “Fill the jars with water,” and they filled them to the brim. 8 He said, “Now draw some out, and take it to the man in charge of the banquet”; and they took it. 9 The man in charge tasted the water; it had now turned into wine! He did not know where it had come from, but the servants who had drawn the water knew. So he called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone else serves the good wine first and the poorer wine after people have drunk freely. But you have kept the good wine until now!” 11 This, the first of Yeshua’s miraculous signs, he did at Kanah in the Galil; he manifested his glory, and his talmidim came to trust in him. 12 Afterwards, he, his mother and brothers, and his talmidim went down to K’far-Nachum and stayed there a few days.
13 It was almost time for the festival of Pesach in Y’hudah, so Yeshua went up to Yerushalayim. 14 In the Temple grounds he found those who were selling cattle, sheep and pigeons, and others who were sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 He made a whip from cords and drove them all out of the Temple grounds, the sheep and cattle as well. He knocked over the money-changers’ tables, scattering their coins; 16 and to the pigeon-sellers he said, “Get these things out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market?” 17 (His talmidim later recalled that the Tanakh says, “Zeal for your house will devour me.” )[b] 18 So the Judeans confronted him by asking him, “What miraculous sign can you show us to prove you have the right to do all this?” 19 Yeshua answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.” 20 The Judeans said, “It took 46 years to build this Temple, and you’re going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the “temple” he had spoken of was his body. 22 Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his talmidim remembered that he had said this, and they trusted in the Tanakh and in what Yeshua had said.
23 Now while Yeshua was in Yerushalayim at the Pesach festival, there were many people who “believed in his name” when they saw the miracles he performed. 24 But he did not commit himself to them, for he knew what people are like — 25 that is, he didn’t need anyone to inform him about a person, because he knew what was in the person’s heart.[Footnotes:
John 2:1 Greek: the third day, equivalent to Hebrew yom shlishi
John 2:17 Psalm 69:10(9)]
The Lutheran Hour660 Mason Ridge Center Drive
St. Louis, Missouri 63141 United States
1-800-876-9880
www.lhm.org
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