The Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour from Saint Louis, Missouri, United States "A Dead Witness" for Wednesday, May 11, 2016

The Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour from Saint Louis, Missouri, United States "A Dead Witness" for Wednesday, May 11, 2016 

And he (the rich man) said, "Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house -- for I have five brothers -- so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment." ... He (Abraham) said to him, "If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead."[Luke 16:27-28, 31]
Songkran is the week-long New Year's celebration of Thailand.
To get an idea of its scope, imagine Christmas, Thanksgiving, and the Fourth of July rolled up into one giant festival. During this time of celebration, people return to their homes for a reunion and do some serious celebrating. Sometimes, some folk celebrate too seriously.
In short, drunken drivers and irresponsible drivers do some serious carnage on Thailand's roads.
How serious is the destruction? The authorities call the week "The Seven Days of Danger." It is estimated 2.3 people die every hour during the celebration. Taken altogether, this means that Thailand has the second worst record in the world for traffic fatalities.
To combat the problem, earlier this year the government decided it could impound the cars of drunk drivers for the entire week of festival. More recently, they put into effect a new punishment. From now on those who are found guilty of repeated traffic violations will be sentenced to doing public service in a hospital morgue. It is hoped that seeing the carnage which is brought about by traffic accidents will make them fearful of their future.
In the parable of "The Rich Man and Lazarus," a similar shock-treatment request is made.
From his place of punishment, the rich man pleads that dead Lazarus be sent to redirect his brothers toward repentance. The rich man probably thought that nothing is more likely to scare someone out of hell and into heaven than the appearance of a dead man. Seventeen centuries later, Charles Dickens would agree when he sent deceased Marley to pay a visit to Scrooge.
Of course, you know the reply: "If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead."
When I was little and heard that parable for the first time, I thought why not send a dead man to the brothers? A dead man sure would make me repent.
It took me a long time before I realized the Lord did indeed look favorably on the rich man's request. Three days after His lifeless body was placed into a borrowed tomb, Jesus rose from the dead and showed the world His sacrifice was accepted; His work was done.
And has the world believed Moses or the Prophets or Someone who rose from the dead? By the Holy Spirit's power some have, but the fate of others -- some of our fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters -- still are hanging in the balance. The Lord is calling them, and it is our privilege to share that invitation.
This is our time and moment to tell the world that the devil's darkness is dark indeed, and the Lord's light is a wondrous, blessed thing.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, the fear of hell should be enough to scare people. It should be, but often it is not. Far better for people to hear the Lord's invitation to forgiveness, salvation, hope, happiness and peace. May we share the Law and Gospel of that invitation with those around us. 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 8-9; Psalm 60; John 2
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 60:1 (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 2:1 On Tuesday[John 2:1 Greek: the third day, equivalent to Hebrew yom shlishi] 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.” )[John 2:17 Psalm 69:10(9)] 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.

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