Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour of Saint Louis, Missouri, United States "Wasp or Butterfly?" for Saturday, 30 May 2015

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour of Saint Louis, Missouri, United States "Wasp or Butterfly?" for Saturday, 30 May 2015

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the Law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.[Romans 8:1-4]
The Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha has a butterfly pavilion. This is a garden space enclosed by a net, which holds thousands of butterflies inside. With hundreds of people going through daily, the pavilion is one of the zoo's more popular exhibits.
I've heard of many such butterfly exhibits, but I've never heard of an attraction that housed wasps. Not surprising. Who would enjoy sitting in a pavilion full of vicious stinging insects?
When a wasp flies into a room, what is your reaction? You want to avoid it; you may want to kill it.
Why? Does the wasp sting every time it lands on someone? Have you been stung every time you have encountered a wasp? Has it stung you at that point when you first spot it? No. In fact, if you measured the amount of time a wasp stings compared to the time it actually lives, it probably uses less than one percent of its life engaged in actively stinging.
But stinging is how we define a wasp. By nature, it stings. Bees sting too, but usually only when defending their hive or they encounter a perceived danger to themselves. That's part of the reason we associate bees with sweetness and industry while wasps make us think of aggressiveness and mayhem.
How do you define people?
Every Sunday, in my church, worshippers confess that they are "poor, miserable sinners" who are, by nature" sinful and unclean." Like a wasp which is defined by its stinging nature, we humans are defined by our sin. We are not sinners because we sin; we sin, because we are sinners.
Here's another similarity: a wasp cannot, by its own choice, change its nature and not sting. To be waspish is to sting. Similarly, humans cannot change their sinful nature. To be human is to sin.
Thankfully for us, God loves us (see John 3:16) and wants us to be with Him (see John 14:2).
True, God cannot tolerate sin any more than we can tolerate being stung, but God has made a way by which He can change our nature. That way is ours through His Son Jesus who came to earth as a man, but who was also God (see Philippians 2:6).
For us, Jesus lived a perfect life and fulfilled God's Law (see Matthew 5:17). His sacrifice completed, the conquering Christ was able to enter God's presence (see Hebrews 10:12). At the same time, He forgives our sins. As St. Paul says, (Philippians 3:8-10a) "Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the Law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith -- that I may know Him and the power of his resurrection ...."
By the Holy Spirit's power we are given the Savior's blood-bought righteousness, and we can -- forgiven and without fear -- stand in the presence of God.
It would be as if the next time a wasp flew into our room, its nature was turned into that of a butterfly.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I, a poor, miserable sinner give thanks for a Savior who sacrificed Himself so I might be forgiven and saved. May I live a life which proclaims the wonders of Your love. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Biography of Author: Today's devotion was written by Michael Burger who owns a screen printing and sign company in Davenport, Nebraska. A number of years ago I had the opportunity to be the guest at his home. Burger is a layman at St. Peter Lutheran in Davenport where he has been the high school Bible class teacher for 18 years. God has blessed him with a wonderful wife and children. This devotion is the product of a sleepless night spent in fellowship with the Lord.

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:
Psalms 31:(0) For the leader. A psalm of David:

2 (1) In you, Adonai, I take refuge;

let me never be put to shame;

in your justice, save me!

3 (2) Turn your ear toward me,

come quickly to my rescue,

be for me a rock of strength,

a fortress to keep me safe.

4 (3) Since you are my rock and fortress,

lead me and guide me for your name’s sake.

5 (4) Free me from the net they have hidden to catch me,

because you are my strength.

6 (5) Into your hand I commit my spirit;

you will redeem me, Adonai, God of truth.

7 (6) I hate those who serve worthless idols;

as for me, I trust in Adonai.

8 (7) I will rejoice and be glad in your grace,

for you see my affliction,

you know how distressed I am.

9 (8) You did not hand me over to the enemy;

you set my feet where I can move freely.

10 (9) Show me favor, Adonai, for I am in trouble.

My eyes grow dim with anger,

my soul and body as well.

11 (10) For my life is worn out with sorrow

and my years with sighing;

my strength gives out under my guilt,

and my bones are wasting away.

12 (11) I am scorned by all my adversaries,

and even more by my neighbors;

even to acquaintances

I am an object of fear —

when they see me in the street,

they turn away from me.

13 (12) Like a dead man, I have passed from their minds;

I have become like a broken pot.

14 (13) All I hear is whispering,

terror is all around me;

they plot together against me,

scheming to take my life.

15 (14) But I, I trust in you, Adonai;

I say, “You are my God.”

16 (15) My times are in your hand;

rescue me from my enemies’ power,

from those who persecute me.

17 (16) Make your face shine on your servant;

in your grace, save me.

18 (17) Adonai, don’t let me be put to shame,

for I have called on you;

let the wicked be put to shame,

let them be silenced in Sh’ol.

19 (18) May lying lips be struck dumb,

that speak insolently against the righteous

with such pride and contempt.

20 (19) But oh, how great is your goodness,

which you have stored up for those who fear you,

which you do for those who take refuge in you,

before people’s very eyes!

21 (20) In the shelter of your presence

you hide them from human plots,

you conceal them in your shelter,

safe from contentious tongues.

22 (21) Blessed be Adonai!

For he has shown me his amazing grace

when I was in a city under siege.

23 (22) As for me, in my alarm I said,

“I have been cut off from your sight!”

Nevertheless, you heard my pleas

when I cried out to you.

24 (23) Love Adonai, you faithful of his.

Adonai preserves the loyal,

but the proud he repays in full.

25 (24) Be strong, and fill your hearts with courage,

all of you who hope in Adonai.

Psalm 35:(0) By David:

(1) Adonai, oppose those who oppose me;

fight against those who fight against me.

2 Grasp your shield and protective gear,

and rise to my defense.

3 Brandish spear and battle-axe

against my pursuers;

let me hear you say,

“I am your salvation.”

4 May those who seek my life

be disgraced and put to confusion;

may those who are plotting harm for me

be repulsed and put to shame.

5 May they be like chaff before the wind,

with the angel of Adonai to drive them on.

6 May their way be dark and slippery,

with the angel of Adonai to pursue them.

7 For unprovoked, they hid their net over a pit;

unprovoked, they dug it for me.

8 May destruction come over him unawares.

May the net he concealed catch himself;

may he fall into it and be destroyed.

9 Then I will be joyful in Adonai,

I will rejoice in his salvation.

10 All my bones will say,

“Who is like you?

Who can rescue the weak

from those stronger than they,

the poor and needy

from those who exploit them?”

11 Malicious witnesses come forward,

asking me things about which I know nothing.

12 They repay me evil for good;

it makes me feel desolate as a parent bereaved.

13 But I, when they were ill, wore sackcloth;

I put myself out and fasted;

I can pray that what I prayed for them

might also happen to me.

14 I behaved as I would for my friend or my brother;

I bent down in sorrow as if mourning my mother.

15 But when I stumble, they gather in glee;

they gather against me and strike me unawares;

they tear me apart unceasingly.

16 With ungodly mocking and grimacing,

they grind their teeth at me.

17 Adonai, how much longer will you look on?

Rescue me from their assaults,

save the one life I have from the lions!

18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly,

I will give you praise among huge crowds of people.

19 Don’t let those who are wrongfully my enemies

gloat over me;

and those who hate me unprovoked —

don’t let them smirk at me.

20 For they don’t speak words of peace

but devise ways to deceive

the peaceful of the land.

21 They shout to accuse me, “Aha! Aha!

we saw you with our own eyes!”

22 You saw them, Adonai; don’t stay silent.

Adonai, don’t stay far away from me.

23 Wake up! Get up, my God, my Lord!

Defend me and my cause!

24 Give judgment for me, Adonai, my God,

as your righteousness demands.

Don’t let them gloat over me.

25 Don’t let them say to themselves,

“Aha! We got what we wanted!”

or say, “We swallowed them up!”

26 May those who gloat over my distress

be disgraced and humiliated.

May those who aggrandize themselves at my expense

be covered with shame and confusion.

27 But may those who delight in my righteousness

shout for joy and be glad!

Let them say always, “How great is Adonai,

who delights in the peace of his servant!”

28 Then my tongue will tell of your righteousness

and praise you all day long.

John 11:30 Yeshua had not yet come into the village but was still where Marta had met him; 31 so when the Judeans who had been with Miryam in the house comforting her saw her get up quickly and go out, they followed her, thinking she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

32 When Miryam came to where Yeshua was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Yeshua saw her crying, and also the Judeans who came with her crying, he was deeply moved and also troubled. 34 He said, “Where have you buried him?” They said, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Yeshua cried; 36 so the Judeans there said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “He opened the blind man’s eyes. Couldn’t he have kept this one from dying?”

38 Yeshua, again deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying in front of the entrance. 39 Yeshua said, “Take the stone away!” Marta, the sister of the dead man, said to Yeshua, “By now his body must smell, for it has been four days since he died!” 40 Yeshua said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you keep trusting, you will see the glory of God?” 41 So they removed the stone. Yeshua looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I myself know that you always hear me, but I say this because of the crowd standing around, so that they may believe that you have sent me.” 43 Having said this, he shouted, “El‘azar! Come out!” 44 The man who had been dead came out, his hands and feet wrapped in strips of linen and his face covered with a cloth. Yeshua said to them, “Unwrap him, and let him go!” 45 At this, many of the Judeans who had come to visit Miryam, and had seen what Yeshua had done, trusted in him.

46 But some of them went off to the P’rushim and told them what he had done. 47 So the head cohanim and the P’rushim called a meeting of the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we going to do? — for this man is performing many miracles. 48 If we let him keep going on this way, everyone will trust in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both the Temple and the nation.” 49 But one of them, Kayafa, who was cohen gadol that year, said to them, “You people don’t know anything! 50 You don’t see that it’s better for you if one man dies on behalf of the people, so that the whole nation won’t be destroyed.” 51 Now he didn’t speak this way on his own initiative; rather, since he was cohen gadol that year, he was prophesying that Yeshua was about to die on behalf of the nation, 52 and not for the nation alone, but so that he might gather into one the scattered children of God.

53 From that day on, they made plans to have him put to death. 54 Therefore Yeshua no longer walked around openly among the Judeans but went away from there into the region near the desert, to a town called Efrayim, and stayed there with his talmidim.

55 The Judean festival of Pesach was near, and many people went up from the country to Yerushalayim to perform the purification ceremony prior to Pesach. 56 They were looking for Yeshua, and as they stood in the Temple courts they said to each other, “What do you think? that he simply won’t come to the festival?” 57 Moreover, the head cohanim and the P’rushim had given orders that anyone knowing Yeshua’s whereabouts should inform them, so that they could have him arrested.

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