And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.[2 Corinthians 3:18]
There are all kinds of names for the Sunday after Easter. One of those names is "Pascha clausum," meaning the closing of Easter. Another name is "St. Thomas Sunday." That name refers to Sunday's reading, which speaks of Thomas' encounter with the risen Redeemer. For other, obvious reasons, I always referred to the Sunday after Easter as "Poor Attendance Sunday."
If you are a lover of tradition you will relish the Latin name for the Sundayafter Easter: "Quasimodo geniti." That name is a reference to the introit for the day which begins, "As newborn babies ...."
Some of you working with this Daily Devotion may have been jolted to see the name Quasimodo. Yes, you're right. Quasimodo is the name of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. In Victor Hugo's story, as well as in numerous movie presentations, the deformed baby is left at the great church on Quasimodo Sunday, and he is christened with that name.
So there you know all that any person needs to know about Quasimodo ... except for the ten-year-old pit bull-Dutch shepherd hunchbacked dog that carries that name.
Quasi Modo has a shortened-spine birth defect, which has made him into a bit of a hunchback. This year Quasi Modo has captured the prize of $1,500 and has won the title: "World's Ugliest Dog." Competing in Petaluma, California, Quasi Modo managed to best 25 other dogs, including an intensely ugly Chinese crested hairless-Chihuahua.
And if you're wondering just how ugly Quasi Modo is, I can share that it took a special person to see Quasi Modo's inner beauty and rescue him from an animal shelter, where he had been dropped off by his previous, unappreciative owners. Quasi Modo is so ugly some have run from him because they thought he was a hyena or a Tasmanian devil.
Yes, Quasi Modo is ugly, and so are we.
Because of the spiritual birth defect of original sin, we were not the perfect people God had intended. But there's a difference between us and Quasi Modo. The World's Ugliest Dog is gentle, kind, loving and caring. In spite of his exterior, Quasi Modo has a beautiful interior.
That's not us. The ugliness of sinful disobedience touched our every aspect.
But for a reason known only to Him, the Lord still managed to love ugly us. Not only did He love us, He wanted to adopt us. To do that, He sent His Son to take our ugly sins unto Himself. This Jesus did, and when He gave up the ghost on Calvary's cross, He took our sins with Him.
Now, as adopted members of God's household of faith, we are rescued, redeemed and saved. In short we are transformed and made beautiful by the Savior's work and the Holy Spirit's nurture.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, grant that I may rejoice in the transformation that has come about in me because of the Savior's sacrifice. As one of Your forgiven children, may I point others to Your love and grace. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
There are all kinds of names for the Sunday after Easter. One of those names is "Pascha clausum," meaning the closing of Easter. Another name is "St. Thomas Sunday." That name refers to Sunday's reading, which speaks of Thomas' encounter with the risen Redeemer. For other, obvious reasons, I always referred to the Sunday after Easter as "Poor Attendance Sunday."
If you are a lover of tradition you will relish the Latin name for the Sundayafter Easter: "Quasimodo geniti." That name is a reference to the introit for the day which begins, "As newborn babies ...."
Some of you working with this Daily Devotion may have been jolted to see the name Quasimodo. Yes, you're right. Quasimodo is the name of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. In Victor Hugo's story, as well as in numerous movie presentations, the deformed baby is left at the great church on Quasimodo Sunday, and he is christened with that name.
So there you know all that any person needs to know about Quasimodo ... except for the ten-year-old pit bull-Dutch shepherd hunchbacked dog that carries that name.
Quasi Modo has a shortened-spine birth defect, which has made him into a bit of a hunchback. This year Quasi Modo has captured the prize of $1,500 and has won the title: "World's Ugliest Dog." Competing in Petaluma, California, Quasi Modo managed to best 25 other dogs, including an intensely ugly Chinese crested hairless-Chihuahua.
And if you're wondering just how ugly Quasi Modo is, I can share that it took a special person to see Quasi Modo's inner beauty and rescue him from an animal shelter, where he had been dropped off by his previous, unappreciative owners. Quasi Modo is so ugly some have run from him because they thought he was a hyena or a Tasmanian devil.
Yes, Quasi Modo is ugly, and so are we.
Because of the spiritual birth defect of original sin, we were not the perfect people God had intended. But there's a difference between us and Quasi Modo. The World's Ugliest Dog is gentle, kind, loving and caring. In spite of his exterior, Quasi Modo has a beautiful interior.
That's not us. The ugliness of sinful disobedience touched our every aspect.
But for a reason known only to Him, the Lord still managed to love ugly us. Not only did He love us, He wanted to adopt us. To do that, He sent His Son to take our ugly sins unto Himself. This Jesus did, and when He gave up the ghost on Calvary's cross, He took our sins with Him.
Now, as adopted members of God's household of faith, we are rescued, redeemed and saved. In short we are transformed and made beautiful by the Savior's work and the Holy Spirit's nurture.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, grant that I may rejoice in the transformation that has come about in me because of the Savior's sacrifice. As one of Your forgiven children, may I point others to Your love and grace. 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:
Amos 1:1 The words of ‘Amos, one of the sheep owners in T’koa, which he saw concerning Isra’el in the days of ‘Uziyah king of Y’hudah and Yarov‘am the son of Yo’ash, king of Isra’el, two years before the earthquake; 2 he said:
St. Louis, Missouri 63141 United States
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Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Through the Bible in a Year
Today Read:
Amos 1:1 The words of ‘Amos, one of the sheep owners in T’koa, which he saw concerning Isra’el in the days of ‘Uziyah king of Y’hudah and Yarov‘am the son of Yo’ash, king of Isra’el, two years before the earthquake; 2 he said:
Adonai is roaring from Tziyon
thundering from Yerushalayim;
the shepherds’ pastures will mourn,
and Mount Karmel’s summit will wither.
3 Here is what Adonai says:
“For Dammesek’s three crimes,
no, four — I will not reverse it —
because they threshed Gil‘ad
with an iron-spiked threshing-sledge;
4 I will send fire to the house of Haza’el,
and it will consume the palaces of Ben-Hadad.
5 I will break the bars of Dammesek’s gates.
I will cut off the inhabitants from Bik‘at-Aven,
and him who holds the scepter from Beit-‘Eden.
Then the people of Aram will go into exile
in Kir,” says Adonai.
6 Here is what Adonai says:
“For ‘Azah’s three crimes,
no, four — I will not reverse it —
because they exiled a whole population
and handed them over to Edom;
7 I will send fire to the wall of ‘Azah,
and it will consume its palaces.
8 I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod,
and him who holds the scepter from Ashkelon.
I will turn my hand against ‘Ekron,
and the rest of the P’lishtim will perish,”
says Adonai, God.
9 Here is what Adonai says:
“For Tzor’s three crimes,
no, four — I will not reverse it —
because they exiled a whole population to Edom
and did not remember the covenant with kinsmen;
10 I will send fire to the wall of Tzor,
and it will consume its palaces.”
11 Here is what Adonai says:
“For Edom’s three crimes,
no, four — I will not reverse it —
because with sword he pursued his kinsman
and threw aside all pity,
constantly nursing his anger,
forever fomenting his fury;
12 I will send fire on Teman,
and it will consume the palaces of Botzrah.”
13 Here is what Adonai says:
“For the people of ‘Amon’s three crimes,
no, four — I will not reverse it —
because they ripped apart pregnant women
just to expand their territory,
14 I will set fire to the wall of Rabbah,
and it will consume its palaces
amid shouts on the day of battle,
amid a storm on the day of the whirlwind.
15 Their king will go into exile,
he and his princes together,” says Adonai.
2:1 Here is what Adonai says:
“For Mo’av’s three crimes,
no, four — I will not reverse it —
because he burned the bones of the king of Edom,
turning them into lime;
2 I will send fire on Mo’av,
and it will consume the palaces of K’riot.
Mo’av will die with turmoil and shouting,
along with the sound of the shofar.
3 I will cut off the judge from among them
and kill all his princes with him,” says Adonai.
4 Here is what Adonai says:
“For Y’hudah’s three crimes,
no, four — I will not reverse it —
because they rejected Adonai’s Torah
and haven’t observed his laws,
and their lies caused them to fall into error
and live the way their ancestors did;
5 I will send fire on Y’hudah,
and it will consume the palaces of Yerushalayim.
6 Here is what Adonai says:
“For Isra’el’s three crimes,
no, four — I will not reverse it —
because they sell the upright for silver
and the poor for a pair of shoes,
7 grinding the heads of the poor in the dust
and pushing the lowly out of the way;
father and son sleep with the same girl,
profaning my holy name;
8 lying down beside any altar
on clothes taken in pledge;
drinking wine in the house of their God
bought with fines they imposed.
9 “I destroyed the Emori before them;
though tall as cedars and strong as oaks,
I destroyed their fruit above
and their root below.
10 More than that, I brought you up from Egypt,
led you forty years in the desert,
so that you could have the Emori’s land.
11 I raised up some of your sons to be prophets,
other young men of yours to be n’zirim.
People of Isra’el!
Isn’t that true?” asks Adonai.
12 But you gave the n’zirim wine to drink
and ordered the prophets, ‘Don’t prophesy!’
13 “Enough! I will make all this crush you,
just as a cart overloaded with grain
crushes what’s under it.
14 Even the swift won’t be able to flee;
the strong won’t be able to use their strength,
the warriors won’t save themselves.
15 Archers won’t be able to stand,
the fastest runners won’t save themselves,
those on horses won’t save themselves.
16 On that day even the bravest warriors
will throw off their weapons and flee,” says Adonai.
3:1 “Listen to this word which Adonai has spoken against you, people of Isra’el, against the entire family that I brought up from the land of Egypt:
2 “Of all the families on earth,
only you have I intimately known.
This is why I will punish you
for all your crimes.”
3 Do two people travel together
without having so agreed?
4 Does a lion roar in the forest
when it has no prey?
Does a young lion growl in his lair
if it has caught nothing?
5 Does a bird get caught in a trap on the ground
if it hasn’t been baited?
Does a trap spring up from the ground
when it has taken nothing?
6 When the shofar is blown in the city,
don’t the people tremble?
Can disaster befall a city
without Adonai’s having done it?
7 Adonai, God, does nothing without
revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.
8 The lion has roared. Who will not fear?
Adonai, God, has spoken. Who will not prophesy?
9 “Proclaim it on the palaces in Ashdod
and on the palaces in the land of Egypt; say:
‘Assemble yourselves on the hills of Shomron!
See what great tumult is seething within it,
how much oppression is being done there.’
10 For they don’t know how to do right,” says Adonai.
“They store up violence and robbery in their palaces.”
11 Therefore, here is what Adonai Elohim says:
“An enemy will surround the land.
He will strip you of your strength,
and plunder your palaces.”
12 This is what Adonai says:
13 “As a shepherd rescues from the mouth of a lion
a couple of leg bones or a piece of an ear;
so the people of Isra’el in Shomron will be rescued,
huddled under cushions in the corners of their beds.
“Hear, and testify against the house of Ya‘akov,”
says Adonai Elohim Elohei-Tzva’ot.
14 “For when I punish Isra’el’s crimes,
I will also punish the altars of Beit-El.
The horns of the altar will be cut off,
and they will fall to the ground.
15 I will tear down winter houses
as well as summer houses;
houses adorned with ivory will be destroyed;
the mansions will be no more,” says Adonai.
Acts 15:22 Then the emissaries and the elders, together with the whole Messianic community, decided to select men from among themselves to send to Antioch with Sha’ul and Bar-Nabba. They sent Y’hudah, called Bar-Sabba, and Sila, both leading men among the brothers, 23 with the following letter:
From: The emissaries and the elders, your brothers
To: The brothers from among the Gentiles throughout Antioch, Syria and Cilicia
Greetings!
24 We have heard that some people went out from among us without our authorization, and that they have upset you with their talk, unsettling your minds. 25 So we have decided unanimously to select men and send them to you with our dear friends Bar-Nabba and Sha’ul, 26 who have dedicated their lives to upholding the name of our Lord, Yeshua the Messiah. 27 So we have sent Y’hudah and Sila, and they will confirm in person what we are writing.
28 For it seemed good to the Ruach HaKodesh and to us not to lay any heavier burden on you than the following requirements: 29 to abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from fornication. If you keep yourselves from these, you will be doing the right thing.
Shalom!
30 The messengers were sent off and went to Antioch, where they gathered the group together and delivered the letter. 31 After reading it, the people were delighted by its encouragement. 32 Y’hudah and Sila, who were also prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers. 33 After they had spent some time there, they were sent off with a greeting of “Shalom!” from the brothers to those who had sent them. 34 [Acts 15:34 Some manuscripts include verse 34: But it seemed good to Sila to stay there.] 35 But Sha’ul and Bar-Nabba stayed in Antioch, where they and many others taught and proclaimed the Good News of the message about the Lord.
36 After some time, Sha’ul said to Bar-Nabba, “Let’s go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we proclaimed the message about the Lord, and see how they’re doing.” 37 Now Bar-Nabba wanted to take with them Yochanan, the one called Mark. 38 But Sha’ul thought it would be unwise to take this man with them, since he had gone off and left them in Pamphylia to do the work by themselves. 39 There was such sharp disagreement over this that they separated from each other, with Bar-Nabba taking Mark and sailing off to Cyprus.
40 However, Sha’ul chose Sila and left, after the brothers had committed him to the love and kindness of the Lord. 41 He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the congregations.
The Lutheran Hour
660 Mason Ridge Center DriveSt. Louis, Missouri 63141 United States
1-800-876-9880
www.lhm.org
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