September 27, 2026

Today's Reading: Luke 14:1-11

Daily Lectionary: Malachi 3:6-4:6; Matthew 4:12-25

“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Notice the certainty of Jesus, “everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Jesus wants you to have humility. One way or another, it’s going to happen. You can either have humility or be humbled. For the Pharisees, it was important to make sure everyone saw them as someone worthy of praise and honor, even if they had to fight to shuffle around for the best seats. In the end, their own pride makes them enemies of Christ. We can be tempted to do the same in our own pride. Many have pride overtake them as they place the praise of men above the Word of God. Adjusting the Scriptures to fit modern ideas, such people place themselves above the authority of God to keep their seat of honor in the world. They enjoy their time of public approval from a world that does not want the truth. Jesus promises that such exaltation will end with humbling.

The antidote to pride is humility given by the Holy Spirit through faith. Baptized into the Triune Name of God, you have been bound up in Christ. You have died to the desires of the devil, the world, and your sinful nature. Pride is always seeking a way in, but it has been drowned. Humbling yourself comes by remembering how much of your life is a gift. God is the one who fashioned us (Psalm 139:13-14). God provides for our daily bread, even the daily needs of the wicked, as explained by the Fourth Petition to the Lord’s Prayer. Most importantly, God provides you with faith to cling to the promises of Christ, the forgiveness of sins, salvation, and life everlasting. Christ rescued you from sin, death, and the power of the devil. Did you earn this? Do you deserve it? Not a bit. What we deserve is death, Hell, and damnation. Instead, Christ cleanses us, and when God sees you, He doesn’t see your imperfect sins; He sees Jesus. Therefore, one day you will be in Paradise in the house of the King.

This week, God’s Word will cause us to think about humility. As you read His Word, pray for this virtue to be cultivated in you through the Holy Spirit, which has already been poured out on you. You aren’t playing some “game” where you pretend to be humble in order to get the better seat; instead, you can recognize that God has already given it to you by grace through faith.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Lord, we implore You, grant Your people grace to withstand the temptations of the devil and with pure hearts and minds to follow You, the only God; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Rev. Miguel Gonzalez-Feliciano, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church of Klinger and St. Paul Lutheran Church in Readlyn, IA.

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Today's Reading: Matthew 3:1-17

Daily Lectionary: Malachi 1:1-14; Matthew 3:1-17

“and behold, a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.’” (Matthew 3:17)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Israel, as God’s people, never held up their end of the bargain. They said they would do all the things that God had asked them to do, and they did not. They were warned repeatedly and fell short each and every time. The reading from Malachi contains a very sharp criticism of the religious leadership of Israel. They are called ‘priests who despise my name’ and are accused of offering polluted food on the altar. In our reading from Matthew, the Jewish leadership faces similar criticism from John, who calls them a brood of vipers and questions the status of their salvation. Their ethnic connection to Abraham is of no help. When it comes to God, there is no family hook-up.

The same critique can be made for each of us. We do not keep our promises to God, and we constantly fall short of the standards that He has set out for us. We have a lot in common with priests in Malachi and the Pharisees and Sadducees of Jesus’ time. We do not give our best to God and only begrudgingly offer him what is blemished. All too often, we do not bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Left to ourselves, God is not pleased with us. By ourselves, we are nothing more than a brood of vipers.

This is what makes the Baptism of Jesus so significant. He begins his public ministry standing in a place meant for sinners. The one who had no need to repent receives a Baptism for repentance. Where the people of God fell short, Jesus will not. Where Israel failed, Jesus will not. He is Israel reduced to one. Where Israel did not do what they said they would, Jesus will. Where Israel was critiqued by God’s accusatory voice, Jesus is hailed as ‘my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.’ Jesus now stands in Israel’s place, and because of Jesus, all Israel’s shortcomings are forgotten. When God looks at His people now, he does not see their sins; He only sees Jesus. Because God is pleased with Jesus, He is pleased with you. Your sins, your failures, and your shortcomings have all been washed away in the waters of Baptism.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

These fruits on Jordan’s banks were shown By mighty word and wonder. The Father’s voice from heav’n came down, Which we do well to ponder: “This man is My beloved Son, In whom My heart has pleasure. Him you must hear, and Him alone, And trust in fullest measure The word that He has spoken.” (LSB 407:3)

Rev. Grant Knepper, pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Modesto, CA.

September 26, 2026

Today's Reading: Introit for Trinity 17 - Psalm 119:1-2, 5-6; antiphon: Psalm 119:137, 124

Daily Lectionary: Malachi 2:1-3:5; Matthew 4:1-11

“Righteous are you, O LORD, and right are your rules. Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love, and teach me your statutes.” (Psalm 119:137, 124)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

You have heard the famous question about the chicken and the egg: which one came first? The same could be asked about the law and the gospel. The problem is that what can be a fun thought exercise when it comes to poultry is of almost no use when it comes to the things of God. Asking which came first, the law or the gospel, does not help to properly distinguish between them, understand them, or apply them to your life. Look at the words quoted above from Psalm 119. The Psalmist confesses that God and His rules are just and righteous, but at the same time does not want God to deal with him according to those rules. Instead, he asks that God deal with him according to His steadfast love and teach him his statutes. If God upholds his just decrees, then there is no hope for us. If God ignores our sins, then His righteousness is called into question.

Here, it does not matter which one came first. In fact, that question is irrelevant to how they function. The interplay between law and gospel is complex and does not depend on which one came first. Absent the gospel, the law can only bring despair, while absent the law, the gospel is almost meaningless. The law cannot give life, and the gospel makes no demands. The question of which one came first is of no help in making sense of either one.

The Psalmist understands this, and this is why he can at the same time call God righteous and ask that God deal with him according to his steadfast love. He asks that God deal with him according to the gospel and not the law. This is the same kind of language that Paul uses in Romans 3:26, where he calls God just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Here is the great truth of what Jesus did for you on the cross. The law has been fulfilled, and your relationship with it has changed. Jesus silenced the accusing voice of the law. God has dealt with you according to His steadfast love, and you can learn his statutes. Because of Jesus, your ways are steadfast, and you shall not be put to shame.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

You have led in Your steadfast love the people whom You have redeemed; You have guided them by Your strength to Your holy abode. (LSB, 925:9)

Rev. Grant Knepper, pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Modesto, CA.

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