Isaiah 11:1-12:6 - Here we have a beautiful picture of what the Lord will do on earth through Jesus ("The Root of Jesse". Note how Chapter 11 focuses solely on God's "yet to be accomplished" work through Jesus before Chapter 12 moves on to desribe our response of praise. There is a qualitative difference between empty-minded praise (praise offered simply because it feels good to praise someone / something) and the praise offered here and throughout the Psalms. Why is it so important that we remember God's saving work in history? How is this reflected in our liturgy (our order of worship) on Sunday morning?
2 Peter 2:1-22 - In this passage we see Peter's stern warning about false prophets and teachers. Taken as a whole, this is a word of Law which provokes fear and distress in the mind and heart of the reader. But our hope rests in verse 9. "The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, . . ." I find in this passage a warning about becoming too "comfortable" in the gospel. As a high school theology teacher , I wonder if I tremble enough as I proclaim the gospel to my students. Do I assume I have the gospel down pat or do I return to the fresh living waters of God's Word on a daily basis?
Here I find Luther's theology of baptism helpful in estabishing a healthy fear in my heart as I contemplate my standing in the gospel. Luther calls us to remember our baptism each morning as we wash our face - metaphorically drowning the old sinful flesh and arising anew in Christ. Being reminded of this baptismal reality is comforting in at least two ways:
1. It reminds us that our original connection to the Gospel is effected by God's work in baptism - not by the sincerity of our own belief.
2. It reminds us of the ongoing struggle between the flesh and the spirit - allowing us to recognize that each day we walk in the gospel by the miraculous work of God in the Spirit giving and strengthening our faith in Christ alone.
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