Lent - Week 2 - Tuesday

Welcome to Luther for the Busy Man, the week of Reminiscire Tuesday, our scripture reading

comes from the book of Colossians chapter 1 verses 21 through 23.

Once you are alienated from God and more enemies in your mind because of your evil behavior,

but now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you

wholly in his sight without blemish and free from accusation.

If you continue in your faith, establish and firm and do not move from the hope held

out in the gospel.

This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven

and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

Our scripture lesson comes from the book of Matthew chapter 15 verses 23 and 24.

His disciples came and begged him, saying, send her away for she is crying after us.

He answered, I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

When the cries and faith of the Canaanat woman proved fruitless, the disciples of Christ

lodge an appeal on her behalf in the belief that they will certainly be heard, but when

they suggest that Christ should become more lenient, he actually becomes harder and renders

the faith and prayer of both parties ineffective as it seems to their feelings.

He does not remain silent here and leave them in doubt.

He declines their pleas and declares, I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of

Israel.

This rebuff is even more severe for not only our own persons rejected, but the only consolation

still available to us is also cut off, namely the consolation and intercession of godly

and holy people on our behalf.

For when we feel that God is no longer gracious to us and we find ourselves entangled in a

very distressing situation, it is our last resort to turn for counsel and help to godly

men who are led by the Spirit of God.

If these men are willing to do for us what loved demands of them, but nothing comes of

all their efforts and they have not even been given a hearing, we really find ourselves

in a worse plight than before their intervention on our behalf.

Even this rebuff did not weaken the faith of this Canaanat woman.

She still believed and trusted in the good report she had heard of Christ.

Your promises and assurances to us, O Lord, are true and steadfast.

Grant us at all times such confidence in the declarations of your gospel that we never

waver in faith, but ever stand fast in your grace for Christ's sake.

Amen.

Find the print version of the Luther for the Busyman Daily Devotional at ambassadorpublications.org.

Luther for the Busyman is produced by the free Lutheran Bible College and seminary in

Plymouth, Minnesota.

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