May 27, 2026

Today's Reading: Genesis 11:1-9

Daily Lectionary: Numbers 23:4-28; Luke 22:47-71

“Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth.” (Genesis 11:9)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

When Noah and his family left the ark, God sent them forth with the blessing He had first given to Adam and Eve; “And you, be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it,” (Genesis 9:7). Maybe it was just sinful pride or perhaps it was out of fear that God would go back on His promise and send another flood upon the earth, Noah’s descendants willfully disobeyed God’s directions. Instead of multiplying on the earth, they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth,” (Genesis 11:4).

In response to this sinfulness, God came down and confused their language, and He dispersed them across the earth. This event not only explains the origins of the different races and languages on the earth, it also teaches us an important lesson about the nature of sin. Sin always causes division. Sin divides us from God, and it divides us from one another.

Whether in sinful pride or because we fail to trust God as we should, every sin we commit is a crime against God or our neighbors, or both. We hurt ourselves and we hurt others. Our relationship with God is strained, and our earthly relationships are also hampered. Many of you have probably seen that sin has the power to destroy even the strongest bonds.

Thankfully, on Pentecost, the Holy Spirit shows us that there is something even stronger than sin, with the power to heal broken relationships and bring us back together. That, of course, is the blood of Jesus, which covers all our sins. When the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles that day, He gave them the ability to preach the Gospel in different languages, so that each person might hear “in our own tongues the mighty works of God” (Acts 2:11). With that, the curse of Babel began to unravel.

Today, as the Holy Spirit comes to us through God’s Means Of Grace, He cleanses us in the blood of Jesus and reconciles us to God. That means that our relationship with God has been restored. God no longer regards us as enemies, but as His own beloved children (Romans 5:10, Ephesians 2:12-13).

And with that, God also begins to reconcile us to each other. In forgiving our sins, the Holy Spirit is both teaching and empowering us to forgive others as we have been forgiven by God (Matthew 6:12, Colossians 3:13), so that we might live as God’s children, united and at peace with those around us.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O God, through Your Son, Jesus Christ, You reconciled the world to Yourself and have given to Your Church the ministry of reconciliation. Strengthened by Your forgiveness, grant that Your whole Church may live in the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord. Amen.

Rev. Aric Fenske, Executive Director of Lutherans for Life.

May 26, 2026

Today's Reading: John 10:1-10

Daily Lectionary: Numbers 22:21-23:3; Luke 22:24-46

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

In the Small Catechism, Luther names the sources of temptation as the devil, the world, and our own sinful nature (Lord’s Prayer, 3rd Petition). Very often (if not always), these temptations to sin come as the promise that your life will be better or more pleasing if you just give in.

“You’ll have much more fun if you just disobey your parents and lie about what you’re really doing.” “If you skip church every weekend to play ball, you could get a scholarship and eventually end up rich and famous. Going to church won’t do that for you!” “You and your girlfriend will feel so much better and grow closer together if you quit fighting your urges and give in already.”

But Jesus reminds us that these are always empty promises. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” The devil, the world, and our sinful natures are nothing more than thieves and robbers, which are opposed to God’s will and design for our lives. Instead of making our lives better or more pleasurable, sin will always leave us in pain and misery and drive us away from God.

The truly good life isn’t found outside of God’s word, but in it! “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly,” Jesus promised. (John 10:10). Jesus came, taking on our human likeness, to suffer under the law and die as the payment for our sins so that He could grant us life; life offered in His Word and Sacrament and received by faith. That is true life - the good and blessed life.

This is not a promise that we’ll get everything we want; an easy life full of riches and fame with little pain or suffering. Remember, the things that our sinful flesh desires are likely to turn us away from God. The abundant life that Jesus promises is a life lived in communion with God. We live with the confidence that our sins are forgiven and that God loves us in Christ. We live with the hope that God cares for us and provides for all our needs of body and soul. We live with the promise that not even death will separate us from the love of Christ. And we live with eyes opened to see the emptiness in the promises of the thieves and robbers, and the goodness of God’s will for our lives as expressed in His Commandments.

The devil, the world, and our sinful nature will try to convince us that our life in Christ is dull and dreary and that we must run away from God and His Word to find goodness and pleasure. But we know that our life in Christ is an abundant life, full of contentment, peace, and joy.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

I am content! My Jesus is my light, My radiant sun of grace. His cheering rays beam blessings forth for all, Sweet comfort, hope, and peace. (LSB 468: 3)

Rev. Aric Fenske, Executive Director of Lutherans for Life.

May 25, 2026

Today's Reading: John 3:16-21

Daily Lectionary: Numbers 22:1-20; Luke 22:1-23

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:17)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Why did Jesus come down from heaven to dwell on the earth? Easy, right? To die for the sins of the world. The familiar words of John 3:16 tell us that. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

But don’t stop there! John 3:17 expresses the same thought but in the opposite way. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved.” Why did Jesus come? Because God doesn’t want to condemn the world, He wants to save it!

It seems so obvious, and yet the devil, the world, and our own sinful nature are constantly trying to convince us that God is sitting in heaven like a crabby old man just waiting to punish all those who disobey Him. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. “God is love” (1 John 4:8), and He wants all people “to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth,” (1 Timothy 2:4).

This should be some of the most comforting news we’ve ever heard! God wants us to be saved. God does not want to condemn you or anybody else, for that matter. I don’t know about you, but when I consider my own sins, and the terrible things that I’ve done and the awful things I’ve thought, I wonder how God could possibly not condemn me. Yet Jesus reminds us that He lived, suffered, and died precisely so that I wouldn’t have to be condemned.

Sadly, not everyone will receive this salvation. Many will choose to live outside of God’s love and condemn themselves. But this is not what God wants. He tells us that He has “no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live,”(Ezekiel 33:11).

There are people that I know and love who are currently choosing to live without Christ’s forgiveness. I’m sure you do too. And while that makes us sad, we can rejoice knowing that God doesn’t want them to be condemned. He’s given Jesus to the world because He doesn’t want them to be condemned. This means that God will continue to reach out to them all with His love through His Means Of Grace, His Word and Sacraments, offering forgiveness and working through the Holy Spirit to bring them to faith. Therefore, we can rest assured that God won’t give up on them, just as He hasn’t given up on us.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

God would not have the sinner die; His Son with saving grace is nigh; His Spirit in the Word declares How we in Christ are heaven’s heirs. (LSB 571:3)

Rev. Aric Fenske, Executive Director of Lutherans for Life.

May 24, 2026

Today's Reading: John 14:23-31

Daily Lectionary: Numbers 21:10-35; Luke 21:20-38

“Jesus answered him, 'If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.’” (John 14:23)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

“Jesus answered him, 'If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.’” (John 14:23)

I love Jesus. I’m sure most of you do too. Jesus says that if we love Him, we will keep His words. The word “keep” here doesn’t just mean to obey; it also means to treasure or hold on to. If we love Jesus, we will love and obey His Words.

That totally makes sense. If we love Jesus, we’ll love the things that He tells us to love and cling tightly to them. If we love Jesus, we’ll love the things that Jesus loves. If we love Jesus, we’ll want to make Him happy and do the things that He wants us to do. This is all most certainly true.

So, how’s that going for you? Do you always appreciate everything Jesus has said to you? Do you love Jesus’ words that say you should forgive that girl at school who’s always mean to you? Do you love God’s plan for chastity and sexual purity the way that Jesus does? Do you always want to make Jesus happy, or are you preoccupied with making yourself happy? We all know the answers to these questions, and it’s not good.

But remember, when Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit to us, He promises that the Spirit will bring to our remembrance all that Jesus has said to us (John 14:26). And Jesus doesn’t just preach the Law to us, He gives us the promises of the Gospel! You are washed by Jesus’ blood. Your Baptism has joined you to Christ’s death and resurrection. The Heavenly Father loves you and has made His home in you. Jesus will feed you with His own Body and Blood to strengthen you unto everlasting life. And all of this is given to you as a Gift, by grace through faith, apart from any merit or worthiness in you.

If we love Jesus, we will love these words! In fact, that’s pretty much what it means to be a Christian! We love the Gospel, and we live in the peace that Jesus promises, with hearts untroubled by the accusations of the Law (John 14:27). At the same time, in response to the Gospel, the Holy Spirit begins to create in us a love for the other words that Jesus has spoken to us, the words of His holy law, that we might obey them to the pleasure of God.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O God, on this day You once taught the hearts of Your faithful people by sending them the light of Your Holy Spirit. Grant us in our day by the same Spirit to have a right understanding in all things and evermore to rejoice in His holy consolation; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Collect for Pentecost)

Rev. Aric Fenske, Executive Director of Lutherans for Life.

May 23, 2026

Today's Reading: John 14:8-21

Daily Lectionary: Numbers 20:22-21:9; Luke 20:45-21:19

“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Let’s be honest. At first glance, this is a difficult reading.

First, there’s Jesus’ criticism of Philip, who made a very pious-seeming request to see God the Father. “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (Jn 14:9) Maybe a little stung, would our self-talk reply, “C’mon, Philip! Don’t bring your silly requests to Jesus! You should know better!”

Then Jesus makes the connection between loving Him and obeying His Commandments. “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (v. 15) And again, “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him” (v. 21). Again, consciences pricked by the Law, our poor record of keeping the Commandments makes us ask how sincerely we love Jesus.

So, do you really know Jesus? Do you really love Jesus? Not very well, it seems.

And yet, in the very middle of this reading is a promise from Jesus: He will ask the Father who will send the Holy Spirit, the Helper, the Spirit of truth.

We confess in the Catechism, “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His Gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.”

On our own, we cannot know Jesus. On our own, we cannot keep His Commandments. But we are not on our own. Jesus has given us the Holy Spirit to be with us forever. It was not up to us to make ourselves Christian. It is not up to us to keep ourselves Christian. The Spirit does for us what we could never do for ourselves. And He does not abandon us once He has given us the Gift of faith. He both gives the Gift of faith and enables us to live as faithful people. The Helper remains with us forever.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Almighty and ever-living God, You fulfilled Your promise by sending the gift of the Holy Spirit to unite disciples of all nations in the cross and resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ. By the preaching of the Gospel spread this gift to the ends of the earth; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Collect for Pentecost Eve)

Rev. Jeffrey Hemmer, pastor of Bethany Evangelical Lutheran Church in Fairview Heights, IL and Signal Hill Lutheran Church in Belleville, IL

May 22, 2026

Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost - Psalm 68:1, 4a, c, 11a, 33b, 35a; antiphon: Liturgical Text; Psalm 68:3

Daily Lectionary: Numbers 20:1-21; Luke 20:19-44

“God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered; and those who hate him shall flee before him!” (Psalm 68:1)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Have you ever done one of those eating challenges? “Finish this 144oz steak in 5 minutes and your whole bill is free!” If you can eat this 44lb burrito in 15 minutes, we’ll put a small Polaroid of you on the wall with your name in Sharpie underneath!” At first, it’s delicious. After a few bites, the deliciousness wears off. Suddenly, what might have once been your favorite food now evokes revulsion at every bite.

Who can endure 50 days of Alleluias? We gave up our Alleluias, the joyful “Praise the Lord” for 40 days of Lent (plus three extra weeks if your congregation observed Pre-Lent!). And it was nice when it came back at Easter. But sometimes the joy feels a little forced. What once felt like pure joy in the octave of Easter now sometimes feels forced.

But now we’re on the cusp of a transition. We’ve had 48 days of Alleluias, and we’re just 2 days before the Church Year returns to normal, but still the Psalm with its Easter Alleluias beckons us, “The righteous shall be glad. They shall exult before God; they shall be jubilant with joy! Alleluia.”

That’s not an imperative, not a command. It doesn’t compel our rejoicing or force us to put on an Alleluia face. Sometimes in this Christian life, our alleluias feel more scripted than spontaneous. And that’s ok.

Even the Psalmist acknowledges that not everything goes according to the Divine ideal. “Shall” implies a “not yet”. “Shall be glad.” “Shall exult before God.” “Shall be jubilant with joy.” And then in the middle of the psalm, “God shall arise.” “His enemies shall be scattered.” “And those who hate him shall flee before him!” But those aren’t fully realized yet.

Sometimes we have to wait for the fulfillment of the “shall.” But in the Church, shall is certain. The future is guaranteed. God made a promise to you in Baptism that he cannot and will not break. You have been joined to Christ’s death and resurrection. All your enemies–sin, death, and Satan–have been scattered. Their future is also certain. They will flee before the Lord on the Day of His return.

You, the righteous, shall be eternally glad. And on that day, no one will need to script the Alleluias.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Scatter the darkness, break the gloom; Sun, reveal an empty tomb Shining with joy for all our sorrows, Hope and peace for all tomorrows, Life uneclipsed by doubt and dread: Christ has risen from the dead! (LSB 481:1)

Rev. Jeffrey Hemmer, pastor of Bethany Evangelical Lutheran Church in Fairview Heights, IL and Signal Hill Lutheran Church in Belleville, IL

May 21, 2026

Today's Reading: Catechism: The Lord's Prayer - 1st Petition

Daily Lectionary: Numbers 16:41-17:13; Numbers 18:1-19:22; Luke 20:1-18

“God’s name is certainly holy in itself, but we pray in this petition that it may be kept holy among us also.” (The Small Catechism, The Lord’s Prayer- First Petition)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

What’s in a name? What is a name? It’s a label. It’s the way in which we are known. It carries with it our reputation, an impression of our character. A new teacher may think they know you because they know your older sibling who came before you, and assume you will be the same because you share the same last name. A name is more than a word used to get our attention; it carries with it our very identity.

Yahweh, God, and Father are all names by which we know God. They are holy, like nothing else. He is like no one else. He is not like other “gods.” He is gracious, merciful, compassionate, and forgiving. He desires and makes possible your forgiveness by sending His own Son, the second Person of God, being of the same substance, the same stuff, God Himself to die for you. What God does that? What God sacrifices Himself to save His people? Your God does. He is not like other “gods.”

He is not like us, though, either. We are frail, weak, and prone to making mistakes and failures. We are imperfect, unholy sinners who drag His name through the mud. He is perfect, righteous, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent. Yet He becomes like us, flesh of our flesh and bone of our bones, born of woman, born under the law, born under the consequence of sin and death. He is like us in every way, even tempted as we are, but without sin. Though He is not without death. Through faith, that death is for you, that forgiveness is for you. God is for you. He is your God, and you are His.

So He puts His name on you. In the waters of Holy Baptism, the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit is put on you. You are labeled. You are marked. You are known; your character and identity are in Him. You are not your weakness, your frailty, your mistakes, or your sins. They have no part with you anymore. Leave them behind, dead on the cross, buried in the tomb, drowned in the waters of your Baptism. You are Christian. You are forgiven. God, our Father, knows you because He knows Christ. So He knows, and you may know, that just as Christ is risen from the dead, so, too, shall you rise each day new and eternally new to live in His Kingdom. After all, His name, your name, is on it.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Our Father, hallowed be Thy name. O holy God, keep me holy today and to life everlasting in Your name. Amen.

Rev. Brett Simek, pastor of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls, SD.

May 20, 2026

Today's Reading: Numbers 16:23-40

Daily Lectionary: Numbers 16:23-40; Luke 19:29-48

“If these men die as all men die, or if they are visited by the fate of all mankind, then the Lord has not sent me. But if the Lord creates something new, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, then you shall know that these men have despised the Lord.” (Numbers 16:29-30)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The time for God’s choice between Moses and Korah has come. If Korah dies a natural death and nothing outrageous happens, then Moses isn’t God’s guy to lead Israel. If Korah lives to see tomorrow, he will take Moses’ place and be declared God’s chosen servant and leader. However, if something outrageous does happen, if something new and different happens, like the earth opening its mouth and swallowing Korah, then Moses remains. The odds appear to be in Korah’s favor, at least they do if you ignore the plagues that God brought upon Egypt through Moses and the whole bit with the Red Sea. If you can forget about that, it seems Korah is a guaranteed winner.

As long as you are willing to overlook history and the facts, Korah has everything on his side. His revolt against Moses and his authority is a sure thing, or it would be if his authority didn’t come from God. As long as you’re blind to everything except this moment, rebellion is a great idea. That’s the way it seems, after all, what does authority know? What do parents know about growing up in this world? What do teachers know about having a social life? What do pastors know about living in the real world? Who are they to tell me what to do? As long as you are willing to overlook God establishing them as authorities over you for your good, you’re totally right.

But if you’re not, you, like Korah, might be in trouble. If you’re honest with yourself, your history, your rebellion, wanting to do things your way rather than God’s way, you might want to keep an eye on the ground beneath your feet. You are in danger unless something even more outrageous than that happens. Unless God would actually choose you. Unless something as outrageous as God becoming Man, a finite infant, would happen. Unless God would choose you over His own Son, deliver up Christ to be crucified that you might live. Unless Jesus rises from the dead to put an end to the power of death and the grave, you might live in fear. Fear not. Your sins are forgiven. Christ is risen!

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Lord God, our gracious Father, deliver us from the fear of punishment and death along with the guilt of our sin that we would live boldly and confidently in your mercy and forgiveness for the sake of your crucified and risen Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, in whose name we pray. Amen.

Rev. Brett Simek, pastor of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls, SD.