Romans 1:1-7 Bound and Free

Romans 1:7 NIV
We have finished reading the book of the Acts of the Apostles and have heard much about Paul. Paul is the accepted author of this Epistle to the Romans. We have to back track a bit from where we were yesterday to being Romans. The letter was written before his bondage by the Romans. Paul begins the letter by stating that he is a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God. It is through Christ that this Roman Jew has received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for his name, among whom we are also the called of Jesus the Christ.


Paul is a bondservant of Jesus Christ. He has been call apart from the world to proclaim the name of Jesus to the world. So have we. So have all who believe. By the grace of God we are bondservants to Christ; bound by faith to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom. We are bound to Christ. Even while we are free in this world; we are bound to the Word of God. Thanks be to God!


Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!


God's Peace - Pr. J

Mark 3:1-6 - Sabbath Healing

So what exactly is lawful to do on the Sabbath? Jesus and the leaders in the church were having a bit of a go-a-round in the last part of chapter two and the first part of this chapter regarding the Sabbath. He dares to heal a man of a shriveled hand in the synagogue on the Sabbath.

I note, with joy, that this was done in the synagogue. He was not neglecting to worship the LORD or study His word. He was there in the synagogue on the Sabbath. He didn't say, I can do whatever pleases me on the Sabbath; rather, he reminds us of the commandment that "thou shalt not kill." This includes not killing on the Sabbath. And... what does "thou shalt not kill" mean? According to what we teach our children in confirmation classes, from the Small Catechism, it means: "We should fear and love God so that we do our neighbors no bodily harm nor cause them any suffering, but help and befriend them in every need." The Pharisees, you see, would have a person hungry, or sick, or dying; rather than have one of the heaps of ordinances the church had created to regulate the Sabbath observance, broken. Their written laws and traditions were placed above the spirit of the law.

When we regulate or manipulate the law in such a manner that it does not leave us room to do God's will and serve our neighbors in need, we are indeed breaking the spirit of the law. Jesus was once asked what the greatest commandment was. “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29:31 NIV) In our reading today, we see an example of how Jesus did both.

May God grant that we should follow in the footsteps of Jesus, worrying less about the letter of the law and more about the spirit of the law, which is loving God; as well as our fellow man.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Job 30 - Job's Good Works?!

“But now they mock me, men younger than I, whose fathers I would have disdained to put with my sheep dogs." (vs 1)

That's how a righteousman talks!  I am sorry.  I know that Job is supposed to be a righteous man, but I am getting just a little tired of all of his whining about and judging others and glorifying his own good works. I realize that these friends have first attacked him; but, obviously, Job has not heard about turning the other cheek. 

I realize that many of us can fall into the same trap that Job appears to have fallen into - that is depending on and trusting in on our own good works - but, it doesn't make it right or good.  This story is a good reminder to us that we should probably avoid that trap.  In the end, it appears that Job is all about doing good works.  He knows the letter of the law.  Apparently, the spirit of the law had not yet been revealed.

Lord, help us to still our lips if the only thing that is going to come out of them are insults to destroy the pride of others and build up our own.

God's Peace - Pr. J