Emmanuel Lutheran Church

Matthew 9:27–31 (NKJV)

²⁷ When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” ²⁸ And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” ²⁹ Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.” ³⁰ And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, “See that no one knows it.” ³¹ But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country.

In the beginning of Matthew’s 9th chapter Jesus healed a paralytic man and forgave his sins—all with simply a word. Jesus’ Word always does what it says. Later in the chapter Jesus raised from the dead a ruler’s daughter and healed a woman with a twelve-year flow of blood—all with simply a word. Jesus’ Word always does what it says.

Leaving that scene, two blind men follow Jesus. It is quite possible that they had heard of the Lord’s miraculous deeds. They seem to know at least this much: that He can do something about their situation. They cry out to Jesus. They don’t ask Him to heal them; they ask simply that He have mercy on them. They express their belief in His ability, and they put themselves in the Lord’s hands.

Mercy and compassion go hand in hand with Jesus, for He is the very embodiment of both; He is mercy in the flesh. And He bids us do as the two blind men did—to place our God-given faith in His ability to deal with whatever beleaguers us. Like the blind men, we do not even have to ask our Lord or inform Him of our need because, in His omniscience, He knows this in advance. However, it is always good to ask the Lord to address our needs for our sake, in order that we continue to learn to come to Him for all things—to praise Him when things go well and to cry out when they don’t.

“Have mercy on us!” That’s the cry of faith. That’s the cry of the Christian. We sing this prayer in the Divine Liturgy. We pray that God not give us what we deserve for our sins, but that He bless us for the sake of His Son who took our sins into His body and paid for them on the tree of the cross.

“Kyrie eleison; Lord have mercy.” And He has done so.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, strengthen our faith so that we never fail to cry out to You in all things. Amen.

Philippians 4:8–23 (NKJV)

⁸ Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. ⁹ The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. ¹⁰ But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. ¹¹ Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: ¹² I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. ¹³ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. ¹⁴ Nevertheless you have done well that you shared in my distress. ¹⁵ Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only. ¹⁶ For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities. ¹⁷ Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. ¹⁸ Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. ¹⁹ And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. ²⁰ Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. ²¹ Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you. ²² All the saints greet you, but especially those who are of Caesar’s household. ²³ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Paul teaches the saints of the Church to meditate on good and positive things, and to see what contentment looks like. But his message is different from the world’s ideas about positive thinking and contentment. When the world talks about “the power of positive thinking” or being content its focus is self-centered. People are taught to be positive or content for the sake of insulating themselves from the sin and evil that are always around. But bliss is not found by being willfully ignorant—as the saying goes: “Ignorance is bliss, but once it’s willful, it’s denial.”

St. Paul’s inspired message, not so shockingly, is different from the world’s. He is revealing to Christians that we are to meditate on the things above. His words to the Christians in Collosae were similar: “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. (Col. 3:2). Or, as our Lord says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…” (Matt. 6:33). That which is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, or praiseworthy is not always considered to be “joyful” according to the world and our sinful hearts. Sometimes the true and praiseworthy Word of God proclaims “Woe to you, hypocrites…,” and “Repent!”—and rightly so! Again, simply ignoring and avoiding such just and virtuous admonitions does not bring peace and contentment. Rather, Christ is our peace and our contentment! Meditating on Him and His fully atoning merits for the forgiveness of sins is how He strengthens us!

Let us pray: Almighty and Everlasting God, who is always more ready to hear than we to pray and to give more than we either desire or deserve, pour down upon us the abundance of Your mercy, forgiving those things of which our conscience is afraid and giving us those good things that we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Philippians 4:1–3 (NKJV)

¹ Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved. ² I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. ³ And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.

Seeing our brothers and sisters as beloved friends and family is part of belonging to the catholic (universal) Church. We should be of the same mind in the Lord—and we should see ourselves as fellow workers in serving the Gospel of Christ crucified. This is why it saddens us to see how other denominations of Christendom misinterpret God’s Word to the point that it maligns God’s Gospel and needs to be called a false teaching. God’s Holy Scripture is most important, and we all should work together in loving service to that shared focus.

One false teaching focuses individuals on their own sense of accomplishing heaven (in other words, being “good enough”). They promote “self esteem” and ‘superficial’ piety over godly repentance and humility. St. Paul could have done this, as he revealed in yesterday’s text, but he didn’t. His new nature brought him to forfeit those merits—to sacrifice himself—to put off the old man, and put on the new man—to lose ones life, in order to gain it—to die (crucify the flesh), in order to live (in Christ Jesus) all through God-created faith.

Repentance and belief in Christ’s merits alone for salvation are, surprisingly, not popular in a majority of the teachings of today. Christ Jesus, however, teaches His followers to humbly repent and to observe all that He has commanded to His Church. We are to be of the same mind in His Word and His will. Being in Christ is how we confidently stand fast!

Let us pray: Almighty and Everlasting God, who is always more ready to hear than we to pray and to give more than we either desire or deserve, pour down upon us the abundance of Your mercy, forgiving those things of which our conscience is afraid and giving us those good things that we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Philippians 3:1–11 (NKJV)

¹ Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. ² Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! ³ For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, ⁴ though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: ⁵ circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; ⁶ concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. ⁷ But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. ⁸ Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; ¹⁰ that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, ¹¹ if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

As yesterday’s devotion spoke of the understanding of two natures within a Christian, so Paul is inspired in this text to reveal that difference between confidence in the flesh versus confidence in Christ. The flesh presumes itself to either be righteous or have the ability to earn a righteousness by way of the Law. Paul, in his flesh, could have boasted of how merits and goodness before the eyes of the world. But, instead, because of that new nature given by God, he counts it all as nothing before God. Indeed, he regards all of his deeds as “rubbish”.

Try as you might at being righteous, yet there will always be flaws. Before God the only thing that counts is perfection. To have true righteousness (perfection) before God one must have the righteousness of the only One who is truly righteous, Jesus Christ. So how does one get such perfection, such righteousness? It is yours through faith in Christ, as Paul notes, “which is from God.” In other words, what God expects from you, perfect righteousness, He gives to you through faith in Jesus and for Jesus’ sake. Thus, nothing of Paul and his life is taken into consideration by God regarding Paul’s salvation. God took Paul’s sins and placed them upon Christ as He hung on the Cross. The same goes for you who believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins. What a joyful, relieving, rescuing Gospel!

Let us pray: Almighty and Everlasting God, who is always more ready to hear than we to pray and to give more than we either desire or deserve, pour down upon us the abundance of Your mercy, forgiving those things of which our conscience is afraid and giving us those good things that we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.