Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour "Willing to Give Back" for Saturday, May 26, 2018
Mark 10:45 - (Jesus said) "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many."Matthew and Maria Colonna Immanuel of Staten Island, New York, didn't pay much attention to the electric box which was hidden by bushes in their backyard. No, they didn't mind it at all until some animals chewed up the bushes. Without the protective foliage, the electric box was a real eye sore.
Matthew and Maria hired a professional to landscape their yard.
Everything was going great until he came to the electrical box which wasn't an electric box at all. After the landscaper had dragged it up on their porch, Matthew and Maria could readily see the "electric box" was a small safe.
It took considerable coaxing to convince the safe to reveal its secrets.
Eventually, the contents were brought out, and Matthew and Maria made an inventory. The two listed
1. piles of wet $100 bills, which had to be peeled apart and hung out to dry;
2. jewelry, dozens of rings, gold, jade, and diamonds, etc.
Altogether, the contents of the safe were valued at $52,000. Oh, there was one other thing Matthew and Maria found: at the bottom of the safe they found the names of their next-door neighbors. Armed with a single question, Matthew wandered next door. He asked, "Have you ever been robbed?"
The question opened a floodgate of responses. "Yes, they had been robbed ... back in 2011 ... their safe had been taken ... they had filed a report with the police ... the officer said it would be highly unlikely for them to regain any of their valuables."
It was then that Maria and Matthew turned the safe, and its contents, over to its rightful owners.
Maria noted many people disagree with what they did. Indeed, more than a few have called them "crazy" for returning the contents of the safe. Her reply to all who feel this way is a wonderfully simple, black-and-white answer. She said, "Why did we return it? That's simple. It wasn't ours."
During the time Jesus was doing His earthly ministry, nobody ever asked, "Jesus, why did You leave the comforts of heaven to battle sin, the devil, and death? Why are You willing to sacrifice Yourself to reclaim those souls?"
If someone had asked that question of Jesus, I think His answer would also be wonderfully simple. Quite possibly, He could have said, "I'm going to suffer and die to buy back the kidnapped souls of damned humankind. Why would I do that? Easy, I do that because those souls shouldn't be owned by sin, the devil, and death. The best case that can be made for them is they are kidnappers and murderers. I'm doing what I'm doing to free those souls and bring them home."
Now that may sound like foolishness to the world, but for us who are saved it is the power and wisdom of God.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I give thanks for the Savior's sacrifice. Because of the greatness of Your love, I have been saved and someday will return home. In Jesus' Name, I give thanks. Amen.
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Today's Bible in a Year Reading: Psalms 17, 19; John 9:24-41Psalms 17:1 (0) A prayer of David:
(1) Hear a just cause, Adonai, heed my cry;
listen to my prayer from honest lips.
2 Let my vindication come from you,
let your eyes see what is right.
3 You probed my heart,
you visited me at night,
and you assayed me without finding evil thoughts
that should not pass my lips.
4 As for what others do, by words from your lips
I have kept myself from the ways of the violent;
5 my steps hold steadily to your paths,
my feet do not slip.
6 Now I call on you, God, for you will answer me.
Turn your ear to me, hear my words.
7 Show how wonderful is your grace,
savior of those who seek at your right hand
refuge from their foes.
8 Protect me like the pupil of your eye,
hide me in the shadow of your wings
9 from the wicked, who are assailing me,
from my deadly enemies, who are all around me.
10 They close their hearts to compassion;
they speak arrogantly with their mouths;
11 they track me down, they surround me;
they watch for a chance to bring me to the ground.
12 They are like lions eager to tear the prey,
like young lions crouching in ambush.
13 Arise, Adonai, confront them! Bring them down!
With your sword deliver me from the wicked,
14 with your hand, Adonai, from human beings,
from people whose portion in life is this world.
You fill their stomachs with your treasure,
their children will be satisfied too
and will leave their wealth to their little ones.
15 But my prayer, in righteousness, is to see your face;
on waking, may I be satisfied with a vision of you.
19:1 (0) For the leader. A psalm of David:
2 (1) The heavens declare the glory of God,
the dome of the sky speaks the work of his hands.
3 (2) Every day it utters speech,
every night it reveals knowledge.
4 (3) Without speech, without a word,
without their voices being heard,
5 (4) their line goes out through all the earth
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he places a tent for the sun,
6 (5) which comes out like a bridegroom from the bridal chamber,
with delight like an athlete to run his race.
7 (6) It rises at one side of the sky,
circles around to the other side,
and nothing escapes its heat.
8 (7) The Torah of Adonai is perfect,
restoring the inner person.
The instruction of Adonai is sure,
making wise the thoughtless.
9 (8) The precepts of Adonai are right,
rejoicing the heart.
The mitzvah of Adonai is pure,
enlightening the eyes.
10 (9) The fear of Adonai is clean,
enduring forever.
The rulings of Adonai are true,
they are righteous altogether,
11 (10) more desirable than gold,
than much fine gold,
also sweeter than honey
or drippings from the honeycomb.
12 (11) Through them your servant is warned;
in obeying them there is great reward.
13 (12) Who can discern unintentional sins?
Cleanse me from hidden faults.
14 (13) Also keep your servant from presumptuous sins,
so that they won’t control me.
Then I will be blameless
and free of great offense.
15 (14) May the words of my mouth
and the thoughts of my heart
be acceptable in your presence,
Adonai, my Rock and Redeemer.
John 9:24 So a second time they called the man who had been blind; and they said to him, “Swear to God that you will tell the truth! We know that this man is a sinner.” 25 He answered, “Whether he’s a sinner or not I don’t know. One thing I do know: I was blind, now I see.” 26 So they said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 “I already told you,” he answered, “and you didn’t listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Maybe you too want to become his talmidim?” 28 Then they railed at him. “You may be his talmid,” they said, “but we are talmidim of Moshe! 29 We know that God has spoken to Moshe, but as for this fellow — we don’t know where he’s from!” 30 “What a strange thing,” the man answered, “that you don’t know where he’s from — considering that he opened my eyes! 31 We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners; but if anyone fears God and does his will, God does listen to him. 32 In all history no one has ever heard of someone’s opening the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he couldn’t do a thing!” 34 “Why, you mamzer!” they retorted, “Are you lecturing us?” And they threw him out.
35 Yeshua heard that they had thrown the man out. He found him and said, “Do you trust in the Son of Man?” 36 “Sir,” he answered, “tell me who he is, so that I can trust in him.” 37 Yeshua said to him, “You have seen him. In fact, he’s the one speaking with you now.” 38 “Lord, I trust!” he said, and he kneeled down in front of him.
39 Yeshua said, “It is to judge that I came into this world, so that those who do not see might see, and those who do see might become blind.” 40 Some of the P’rushim nearby heard this and said to him, “So we’re blind too, are we?” 41 Yeshua answered them, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin. But since you still say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains. (Complete Jewish Bible).
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Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
CHANGE THEIR WORLD. CHANGE YOURS.
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING.
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