February 21, 2025

Today's Reading: John 7:1-13

Daily Lectionary: Job 16:1-22; John 7:1-13

For not even his brothers believed in him. Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.” (John 7:5–8)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Are you more comfortable with the truth or with what is popular? Tough question, isn’t it? You want to say the truth, but you’re often more likely to stick with what is popular; it is easier, after all.

People fret over what Jesus will do for the Feast of Tabernacles. Its ceremonies of light and water clearly point to Jesus as the Light of the world and the One from whom living water truly comes. Will Jesus be baited into going to the place of sacrifice (the temple) early by his enemies? What is the Messiah to do? Be rash, or wait until his time fully comes?

Satan tempted Jesus for forty days in the wilderness, but that wasn’t the end of his work. He never stops. He always wants to disrupt and harm, you know this. Which is what he does here through these “brothers” of Jesus. He is trying to get Jesus to act rashly and get himself in trouble.

That is why I asked about truth or popularity. No one spoke openly of Jesus during the feast because they were afraid of the religious authorities. It was almost as if they could believe in Jesus secretly, as long as it didn’t impact their lives.

But that is where they are wrong. Confessing Christ is always a finger in the eye to this sinful world. That is what most of the New Testament is about; proclaiming Christ crucified gets you into trouble! But does that really matter? Is that the end of it?

Of course not! Jesus eventually does go to Jerusalem openly on Palm Sunday. He dies for the sin of the world, is raised to life again, and sends his disciples out to proclaim his salvation for you. This truth may not be popular, but as Jesus says a bit later in St. John’s gospel, this truth sets you free.

It will always be a struggle to be faithful in this sinful world. But because Jesus has washed that sin away in his death for you, you have the promise that he forgives your failures even when they hide the truth. So be bold; Jesus has your back.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

What is the world to me! My Jesus is my treasure, My life, my health, my wealth, My friend, my love, my pleasure, My joy my crown my all, My bliss eternally. Once more then I declare: What is the world to me! (LSB 730:4)

-Rev. Duane Bamsch, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Grass Valley, CA.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

February 20, 2025

Today's Reading: Catechism: The Ninth Commandment

Daily Lectionary: Job 15:1-23, 30-35; John 6:60-71

You shall not covet your neighbor's house. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not scheme to get our neighbor's inheritance or house, or get it in a way which only appears right, but help and be of service to him in keeping it. (Luther’s Small Catechism – The Ninth Commandment)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Covet: (v.) to sinfully desire what is not yours. This is not meant to be political, but what follows is sometimes used politically. We hear that the “Top 1%” are only seeking more. That the bottom end of the income scale is in terrible shape.

But if you look around the world, the poorest Americans are richer than most of the rest of humanity. Billions of people live on around $2.00 per day. Yes, two dollars. It puts into perspective that desire for a new iPhone, doesn’t it? A new car for graduation sounds a bit…much when billions of people don’t have running water at home. I don’t say this to make you feel guilty (unless you are coveting something fiendishly right now!) but to put things into perspective.

Your neighbor is anyone on earth who isn’t you. So, how can you be a faithful Christian who loves all of your neighbors and doesn’t just think of yourself? By remembering what Jesus did for you. We can love only because Jesus first loved us. Jesus showed his perfect love for you in his life, death, and resurrection. He still shows that love in his Word, in Holy Absolution, in Baptism, and in the Lord’s Supper— Gifts freely given to you in love.

Because he piles this love and these Gifts upon you, you are able to love your neighbors near and far. You can consider how to love them both spiritually and materially by remembering how Jesus has already loved and forgiven you. Yes, Jesus will forgive your covetousness just like every other sin you bring before him in repentance.

Do you need an iced coffee every day, or could you help the local food bank with that money? Do you need another pair of sneakers (that everyone else in your class has!), or might you be able to love your neighbors by giving those dollars to the mission society your church supports?

You aren’t going to solve world poverty by giving up Starbucks and Vans, but that’s not the point. Instead, focus more on your neighbors than yourself. Love those around you as you can and as you are able with the love of Christ, and that will help you to think less about what you want and more about your family in Christ.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

"You shall not crave your neighbor's house Nor covet money, goods, or spouse. Pray God He would your neighbor bless As you yourself wish success." Have mercy, Lord! (LSB 581:10)

-Rev. Duane Bamsch, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Grass Valley, CA.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

February 19, 2025

Today's Reading: John 6:41-59

Daily Lectionary:Job 14:1-22; John 6:41-59

“I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” (John 6:48–51)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen

Bread that brings life to the world. That’s what Jesus is, the source of life and sustenance for people who hunger, for people in need. These days, with our suspicions about gluten and refined carbohydrates, it can be hard to see simple bread as something so important for life. But that is exactly who and what Jesus is: the foundation of life itself.

Elijah ate bread brought by the angel and went forth in that strength for forty days. The Israelites lived on manna all throughout their wilderness wandering, bread also given by God.

Even though this miraculous Old Testament bread fed and sustained them, it didn’t last. The Israelites died, and Elijah eventually found food elsewhere. For us, though, that bread pointed to the importance of Jesus as the living bread from heaven. Our ears are already tuned to the sound of God’s Gift of bread being given to feed us.

And the fantastic thing about this bread is that it doesn’t come in only one form. You don’t only find it upon the altar in the Sacrament. Jesus gives us a bread that we eat with our mouths and with our ears. He doesn’t restrict his life, your life, to one source only, but he gives it in many ways.

Baptism, Holy Absolution, Holy Scripture, the preached Word, the Supper. Christ Jesus never wants you to go hungry, so he gives his bread, his life, his Gifts, in many ways so that you will never be hungry for a lack of it, and so that it is always available in your time of need.

This bread is given to you in faith, the living faith created in you by the work of the Holy Spirit. You receive it in faith as well, knowing that the good and gracious Gifts of God, especially the Gift of his Son Jesus for you, will keep and strengthen you throughout all your days.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Praise the Father, who from heaven To His own this food has given, Who, to mend what we have done, Gave into death His only Son…Let this food your faith so nourish That its fruit of love may flourish And your neighbor learn from you How much God’s wondrous love can do. (LSB 627:4, 10)

-Rev. Duane Bamsch, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Grass Valley, CA.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

February 18, 2025

Today's Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:(1-11) 12-20

Daily Lectionary: Job 13:13-28; John 6:22-40

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:12–14)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

There is only one reason that we gather for worship. It is because Christ has been raised from the dead. That is how fundamental the resurrection of the body is to the Christian faith.

If there is no resurrection, there’s no reason to get up and go to church when you’d rather stay in bed on Sunday morning. Plenty of people in other church bodies hint at a “spiritual resurrection,” that “Jesus is raised in our hearts,” and that if you believe in the idea of the resurrection, that’s what really counts.

Except, St. Paul says the opposite. It doesn’t matter what you think; it doesn’t matter what science seems to say; if Jesus did not come back to life after he was crucified, then there is no reason to be a Christian. Period. That is how important the bodily resurrection is.

You are flesh and blood, just as Jesus, the God-Man, is. When he died for your sins, it wasn’t just for some abstract idea of resurrection, but that your body would also be redeemed, not just your mind, not just your spirit, but all of you; everything God our Father created and made holy is to be saved and renewed in the resurrection. So real water washes your physical body in Baptism. And real bread/Body and wine/Blood touch your physical tongue in the Lord’s Supper.

This is how important you are to God. This is why the universe even exists! God created all you see so that he would have a place for you to live, grow, and enjoy his creation. He made you so that you would have an eternity with him in a New Creation that has no sin.

So yes, the bodily resurrection of Jesus on Easter morning is a really big deal. This is how you know that God the Father has made a place for you in eternity— because he has made you a body, and he promises to raise it up on the Last Day, perfect, so that you and all the faithful may enjoy his creation as he intended. With the body he has given you.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Christ is risen, Christ is living, Dry your tears, be unafraid! Death and darkness could not hold Him, Nor the tomb in which He lay. Do not look among the dead for One who lives forevermore; Tell the world that Christ is risen, Make it known He goes before. (LSB 479:1)

-Rev. Duane Bamsch, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Grass Valley, CA.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

February 17, 2025

Today's Reading: Jeremiah 17:5-8

Daily Lectionary: Job 13:1-12; John 6:1-21

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7–8)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The prophet Jeremiah meditates on the state of the sinner and the saint. No, he doesn’t use those exact words, but that is certainly what he means in this passage.

In whom do you trust: man or the Lord? Are you trying to make it through life on your own power and strength, or do you rest in the Lord’s power and strength and let him guide you? Are you grasping at things to make your own way, or are you letting the Gifts the Lord gives to you inform your life?

The sinner, the one who trusts in his own way, is lost. He’s in the wilderness, withering away to nothing, using all his energy just to try and make it through each day. The saint, the one who trusts in the Lord, on the other hand, is sustained, strengthened, and borne up by the Lord’s power and Word.

You can almost see a baptismal reference here, that the one watered by the Lord has the strength to flourish, regardless of what comes his way. And really, that’s the point. You can try to work your way through life, and yes, there is hard work to be done. Studying, training, sports, vocational skills—they can all be tough, they can drive you to frustration. But they aren’t ends in themselves.

These are all means by which you love your neighbors and serve your Lord. Keeping in mind that you do these things because he has gifted you and has given you the ability to do so helps you remember that it isn’t all up to you.

So when life gets tough, when the blazing sun of hard times and frustration threaten to wear you down, stop for a moment. Take a deep breath and remember your Baptism. Remember that the Lord God himself has called you by name, that he has planted you where you are, and he waters you there through his Word and Sacraments.

He gives you everything you need to be successful in his eyes. He empowers you and strengthens you to bear fruit that grows into love for those around you. And he does it in his way, on his schedule. Trust that he has you in his hands. Hear his voice, and rest in his goodness.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Lord, when the tempest rages, I need not fear, For You the Rock of Ages, Are always near. Close by your side abiding, I fear no foe, For when Your hand is guiding, In peace I go. (LSB 722:2)

-Rev. Duane Bamsch, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Grass Valley, CA.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

February 16, 2025

Today's Reading: Luke 6:17-26

Daily Lectionary: Job 12:1-6, 12-25; John 5:30-47

And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all. (Luke 6:17–19)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

What should we make of this strange event? Power coming out of Jesus and healing all who sought his help? Clearly, Jesus has compassion on his followers, and healing them is a way to both show his love for them and to show what following him will lead to: a kingdom of perfect health and life, free of pain, sin, illness, and death.

Admit it, though. You are a bit miffed that Jesus doesn’t heal you immediately when you call out in your time of sickness or injury. I mean, why did these people receive healing and you don’t?

Can’t Jesus see that you are worthy of his attention? Of course, he can see that you are worthy! He is the one who made you worthy in your Baptism. He is the one who washed and redeemed you! And that’s the thing most people miss about these healing miracles. They think Jesus only pays attention to those right in front of him, those who need help right now.

Even though these are effective healings, and these people walked away in much better shape than they arrived, they still died eventually. It wasn’t perfect healing after all. Death still came for them. Just as it will for all of us should Our Lord delay his return.

These healings pointed to the eternal future Jesus would usher in with his own death and resurrection. They point to our future because we will be alive in that eternal kingdom of God, the life of the world to come, the presence of God with the angels, archangels, and all of the company of heaven.

As hard as it may be, don’t worry that Jesus may not heal you bodily right now; rejoice that he has already healed you for eternity in your Baptism when he raised you from the dead and placed his name upon you in water and Word, a miracle even more potent than any healing in the Gospels.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O Lord, graciously hear the prayers of Your people that we who justly suffer the consequence of our sin may be mercifully delivered by Your goodness to the glory of Your name; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Collect for the Sixth Sunday After the Epiphany)

-Rev. Duane Bamsch, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Grass Valley, CA.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

February 15, 2025

Today's Reading: Introit for Epiphany 6 - Psalm 119:1-2, 4-5; antiphon: Psalm 119:7

Daily Lectionary: Job 11:1-20; John 5:19-29

Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart. (From the Introit for the Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

There is a difference between blessedness and happiness. Happiness is a fleeting emotion, while blessedness is a state of being given by God. You can start out as happy as can be, but then something will come along and ruin your day. Your happiness is now a memory.

Blessedness, on the other hand, is something that doesn’t come and go based on how your day plays out. It also doesn’t depend on you, how you feel, or your behavior. Too many people want to hear this Introit say that IF you are blameless, and IF you walk in the law of the Lord, THEN you will be blessed.

But there is a reason this part of Psalm 119 was chosen for tomorrow’s Introit. Look at the Gospel reading from St. Luke 6. Jesus speaks the Beatitudes and not once says you are blessed because of your actions. It is all passive. You are declared blessed by God.

So also with this psalm. The Word of God has had its way with you; it has reshaped you into God’s child. You hear him calling you and teaching you, and you are glad to walk in his ways. He has made you a blesséd one. He has blessed you in your Baptism, and out of deep love and respect for what he has done for you, you are glad to seek him, to keep his testimonies, to be one who lives as he has called you to do because he has re-made you as his own child.

Good or bad, happy or sad, nothing can change the fact that God your Father has declared you blessed because of Jesus. When your day goes badly, when you feel that things aren’t working, remember these words of the psalmist and Jesus’s words of truth. You are blessed by God. You are his child. You are safe in his hands, no matter what this world does to you.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O holy and most merciful God, You have taught us the way of Your commandments. We implore You to pour out Your grace into our hearts. Cause it to bear fruit in us that, being ever mindful of Your mercies and Your laws, we may always be directed to Your will and daily increase in love toward You and one another. Enable us to resist all evil and to live a godly life. Help us to follow the example of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and to walk in His steps until we shall possess the kingdom that has been prepared for us in heaven; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. (Collect for obedience to the Word)

-Rev. Duane Bamsch, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Grass Valley, CA.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

February 14, 2025

Today's Reading: John 5:1-18

Daily Lectionary: Job 10:1-22; John 5:1-18

When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. (John 5:6–9)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

There is a lot going on here. If you keep reading, you see that this healing took place on the Sabbath, which led to a huge discussion a bit later. What is the nature of the day of rest? What is the nature of this healing? Can something so strange really be done with God’s approval on a holy day?

We can easily look back and say that of course it was good and right for Jesus to do this. But, in the moment, it was a strange thing for faithful Jews to try and understand. How could someone sent by God violate God’s own law about working on the Sabbath?

But look closely at what Jesus both says and does. There is much more happening here than ‘just’ a healing miracle. He speaks words of creation and resurrection. He asks if the man wishes to become “whole.” He tells him to “rise” and walk. And all of this happens near water.

What Jesus essentially does is raise this man from the dead and restore him fully to the people of God. This is why the authorities were so angry; to them, Jesus, who they saw as only a man, had done something with evil intent to destroy God’s holy law because there was no way God would allow this.

On the other hand, the man healed saw the whole promise of God fulfilled in Jesus’s words and work for him. Only God could work such a miraculous thing, so of course, Jesus was from God.

Creation came forth from water, and our rebirth and resurrection is done through Baptism, but Jesus’ words also remind you that “Let there be” came even before that. Here again is the promise that Jesus is indeed God in the flesh, that everything he does is for the love and salvation of his people.

It may not always make sense, and it may sometimes be hard to understand, but everything Jesus does, even if it upsets the religious authorities, is a promise that his work is for you.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Ev’ry wound that pains or grieves me By your wounds, Lord, is made whole; When I’m faint, Your cross revives me, Granting new life to my soul. Yes, Your comfort renders sweet Ev’ry bitter cup I meet; For Your all atoning passion Has procured my soul’s salvation. (LSB 421:4)

-Rev. Duane Bamsch, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Grass Valley, CA.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.