Lent - Week 3 - Tuesday

Welcome to Luther, for the busy man, the week of Oculi Tuesday, our scripture reading

comes from the book of Titus chapter 3 verses 8 through 11.

This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to stress these things so that those who

have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good.

These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law

because these are unprofitable and useless.

Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time.

After that, have nothing to do with them.

You may be sure that such people are warped and sinful, they are self-condemned.

Our scripture lesson comes from the book of Mark chapter 1 verses 25 and 26.

Be quiet, said Jesus sternly, come out of him.

The impure spirit shook the man vile in the inn came out of him with a shriek.

No one should imagine that the evil spirits at times present an appearance of disunity,

and that one yields to the other to deceive men.

For it is quite evident that they offer resistance, demure, cry out in storm, tear and rage

when they sense that an earnest effort is being made to drive them out.

They are opposed to Christ and at variance with him, yielding to him under compulsion

and unwillingly.

Nothing is left here, but the patented and blasphemous lie in which they are held fast and disgraced

so that they seize upon God's work out of poison as hatred and jealousy in the interests

of the devil.

From this we should learn not to be unduly surprised if our doctrine and conduct is blasphemed,

and if hardened hearts are never satisfied and converted, even though they have been overcome

by palpable truth and their mouths have been stopped.

It is enough that their hardened folly has been disclosed by our answer before the

godly, recognized for what it is, and brought to not so that the godly may not be misled

in any mere appearance of good.

Thereafter let them go their own way, such people are perverted and sinful, and even self-condemned

as Paul reminds us in Titus 3-11, let us pray.

In your mercy and grace, O Lord, direct and govern all our efforts as your disciples

that the best interests of your kingdom are always served, and our neighbor's welfare

is promoted in the name of Jesus our Savior.

Amen.

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

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Plymouth, Minnesota.

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