by Steve Liersch
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Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him (Matthew 26:3,4).
Read Matthew 26:1–16
It’s easy to get frustrated and even angry with people who should know better. People who do the wrong thing, even to the point of being outright evil. Think here of adults abusing children in their care. Or financial advisors ripping off their clients for large sums of money. Or experienced drivers leaving their passengers seriously injured or dead as a result of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol. They should all know better. They are in a position of trust. No-one would have ever thought it possible that they would do such a thing.
God knows what you and I are all capable of because we’re sinful. Because, given the right circumstances, everyone is capable of something terrible sooner or later. Thankfully, most of the time, we are guided by our values and principles, maintaining a healthy balance between right and wrong, and we choose what is right. But not always – especially if we can get away with it.
The story leading up to Jesus’ death reflects poorly on the chief priests and elders of the Jewish society at that time. Peter exposed their evil plans in Acts 2:23: ‘This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.’ Ouch. That’s a bit hurtful, isn’t it?
Thankfully, God did use their evil ways to ensure we and the whole world are forgiven our sins. God can transform evil situations and turn them around for some good. Romans 8:28 reads, ‘And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.’
At Pentecost, we read:
When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’ (Acts 2:37,38).
Ahh! Now there’s grace at work.
Recall a time when God used a bad situation and turned it out for the good. Thank him.
Dear God, you never waste a moment to help lead people back to you in repentance. Please continue doing that in my life as well. Amen.
Pastor Steve Liersch and his wife, Angelyn, are now empty-nesters living in Port Kennedy in the southern coastal suburbs of Perth. Steve says that he sees every day as a gift from God, allowing him to discover new ways to journey with Jesus and learn more about the guidance of the Holy Spirit, as well as how his Heavenly Father wants to use him in some small or great way.
by Steve Liersch
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After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go (Luke 10:1).
Read Luke 10:1–11,16–20
I’ve always enjoyed mathematics, although I know that not everyone shares this sentiment. When my children were in primary school, we had a times tables chart inside the toilet on the wall facing the seat. All that time for them and anyone else who visited our house to learn or get a refresher course in multiplication. It isn’t until you get to 6 x 12 that we first encounter the number 72. That’s a lot for a kid to get their head around. Not for Jesus.
Often, we only think of Jesus having 12 disciples. Yes, there might have only been that number in his inner circle that we read and hear about, but there were more – lots more. By the time he was ready to give them one of their first practical exercises in sharing the good news about the kingdom of heaven, we learn from Luke 10 that there were 72 of them. Not only that, but even if the 12 disciples each took one more person, that would still total only 24.
Where did the other 60 come from? And who were they? And how did they get to be included in such a daunting task as going to neighbouring villages? How did they muster up enough courage to talk to strangers? And fancy not taking a purse, bag or sandals, not to mention not greeting anyone on the road, until they found a ‘house of peace’.
After the 72 returned with joy (verse 17), they reported that even the demons submitted to them in Jesus’ name. There’s the clue and the ‘glue’ that makes God’s ‘Great Commission’ possible. They, like us, go in Jesus’ name, speak about Jesus and go in the power of the Holy Spirit because he is with us all to the close of the age (Matthew 28:20).
Practise speaking about your friend and Saviour Jesus with someone you know, and see what the results may be as the Holy Spirit leads you. (Give it a bit of time to bear fruit, too.)
Lord of the harvest, you promise to be with me like you were with your first disciples. Give me the courage and willingness to speak of you as my Lord and Saviour to help your kingdom grow. In your name, I pray, Amen.
Pastor Steve Liersch and his wife, Angelyn, are now empty-nesters living in Port Kennedy in the southern coastal suburbs of Perth. Steve says that he sees every day as a gift from God, allowing him to discover new ways to journey with Jesus and learn more about the guidance of the Holy Spirit, as well as how his Heavenly Father wants to use him in some small or great way.
by Dianne Eckermann
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds among mortals (Psalm 66:5).
Read Psalm 66:1–9
The word ‘awesome’ is used so frequently in everyday life that its meaning could well become tired. All kinds of things are described as awesome. It might be a completely unexpected victory in a game of football, a wonderful holiday or a stunning sunset. It might also refer to something super exciting or amazingly beautiful. In short, ‘awesome’ sums up all sorts of human experiences that we find hard to put into words.
The psalmist uses the word ‘awesome’ twice in today’s reading to praise what God has done. God’s amazing deeds are so profound that the psalmist cannot help but shout for joy. He recognises how much God has done and continues to do for all people. God’s awesome deeds and his great power invoke a deep emotional response in the psalmist.
Essentially, this is what ‘awesome’ means. It is not a particularly biblical word. In fact, in the original King James translation of this psalm, the word ‘terrible’ is used instead. That no longer translates in the same way in Modern English. However, in context, both words attempt to capture the reverence, majesty and awe of trying to comprehend the full completeness of God’s love and care for all people. It is no wonder the psalmist sings and praises God, as there is nothing on Earth that can compare with God and his awesome deeds.
Perhaps if we hear someone say they had an awesome day, or if we feel we had an awesome experience, we can take that emotion and identify it as just a fraction of the awesomeness that is God. We can remind ourselves again of his continual presence in our everyday lives.
Lord, we shout for joy when we consider all you have done for us. We praise and thank you for your awesome love for all people and ask that you help us share that love with one another. Amen.
Dianne has served in Lutheran education as a teacher, school leader and system leader at Lutheran Education Australia. Now retired from full-time work, she continues to volunteer on several committees and as a school board member. She lives in the Adelaide Hills with her husband, Robert, and is in strong demand as a babysitter for her three grandchildren.
by Dianne Eckermann
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ (Matthew 25:21)
Read Matthew 25:14–30
Like the other parables in the two chapters of Matthew we have been reading this week, this parable about the three servants tells us about how people have behaved while waiting. This parable appears to be about a demanding master, which sounds strange to our modern ears. Similarly, the treatment of the third servant seems unduly harsh in our world, with employment laws intended to protect workers.
The parable also seems to justify giving even more to those who already have a lot and punishing those who have little; however, we know this is not at all how Jesus works. The master going on a journey and promising to return sounds much like Jesus promising to return. Jesus is not harsh or unjust, so this message is not so much about judgement but about using the gifts we have.
When the master in the parable goes away on a long journey, promising to return, he entrusts a great deal to his servants. Each servant is given an amount according to their ability, so the master is not expecting more from the servants than they can deliver. He trusts each of them. What he offers to the first two servants, who use what they have been given for his benefit, is a share in his happiness. The trust the master has given them has been nothing to be afraid of, but an opportunity to share in his joy.
In contrast, the third servant buries his gift from the master. He does not even attempt to use what he has been given, apparently because he fears what has been entrusted to him. In doing so, he is not responding to a share in the happiness his master is willing to share with him.
This parable, therefore, is about looking for opportunities to use what we have been given wisely and effectively for the sake of Jesus, who loved us so much he gave all for us.
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the individual gifts you have entrusted to us, and we ask you to help us to use what we have been given in your service and for your glory. Amen.
Dianne has served in Lutheran education as a teacher, school leader and system leader at Lutheran Education Australia. Now retired from full-time work, she continues to volunteer on several committees and as a school board member. She lives in the Adelaide Hills with her husband, Robert, and is in strong demand as a babysitter for her three grandchildren.
by Dianne Eckermann
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour (Matthew 25:13).
Read Matthew 25:1–13
The parable of the 10 young women reminds us of just how human we are, even the most organised people among us. We can identify with the young women who did not have enough oil for their lamps because we all, at some time, will have forgotten something crucial. We might have remembered the birthday candles but forgotten the matches, gone on holiday with the mobile phone but forgotten the charger, or arrived at the airport and left the passport at home.
This parable also continues the theme of the readings for this week, namely the need to be prepared and to keep watch because there is much we do not know. Let’s examine the parable in more detail. We realise the young women waiting to light the way for the bridegroom did not have a particularly onerous task. Their role during the whole complex wedding celebration was clear and simple. All they had to do was be prepared with their welcoming lamps to light the darkness. It didn’t matter that they had fallen asleep because they were all awoken in time for the delayed arrival of the groom.
They really only had one task: to light the way to the celebration. And this task only required two things: a lamp and some lamp oil. The arrival of the bridegroom was delayed, but it was certain that he would eventually arrive; therefore, it was important to be prepared when the big arrival finally happened.
The parable tells us that those who were prepared were included, and those who were not prepared were excluded. The bridegroom is Christ; the wedding feast is the promise of his kingdom. This parable is not just about the certainty of Christ’s arrival; it is also about recognising he might be delayed. To be prepared is to anticipate the arrival of Jesus, even though the world has been waiting a long time. It is for this reason that we live our lives knowing the certainty of Jesus’ promise to return.
Dear Jesus, we hope for your return and ask that you keep us strong in faith as we pray, ‘Come, Lord Jesus.’ Amen.
Dianne has served in Lutheran education as a teacher, school leader and system leader at Lutheran Education Australia. Now retired from full-time work, she continues to volunteer on several committees and as a school board member. She lives in the Adelaide Hills with her husband, Robert, and is in strong demand as a babysitter for her three grandchildren.
by Dianne Eckermann
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him (Matthew 24:44).
Read Matthew 24:32–51
In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted, catching the population of Pompeii virtually unaware. When the site of the formerly busy city was rediscovered about 1,700 years later, it was as if Pompeii had been frozen at the precise moment of the eruption. Everyday life continued right up until time stopped for those who lived there. Small bread rolls were even found inside an oven, placed there by the baker who never had the chance to remove them.
Just like the people of Pompeii, we do not know when life will change forever. We do not know when Jesus will come again. Over and over again, today’s passage tells us that no-one knows the hour, yet that does not stop some people from predicting the day and the time. God has not set us a challenge to predict the Second Coming. We are not supposed to know. It is enough for us to know with certainty that Jesus will come again, as this is mentioned repeatedly in today’s reading. The timing is irrelevant.
Instead of trying to predict the time when Jesus will come again, we are instead urged to be ready. It may sound like an impossible task. How can we be prepared for such an important event when we have no idea when it might happen? To be ready is to be like the servant who is serving their master faithfully and wisely, and not like the servant who abuses their position.
While this might sound threatening, even frightening, the emphasis of today’s passage is the certainty that Jesus will return, and it is, therefore, filled with hope. When we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, ‘Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven’, we are filled with hope for the promised return of Jesus. Until that time, our ordinary, everyday life continues to be filled with the extraordinary love and hope we find in Jesus.
Thank you, Jesus, for your promise to come again. Keep us filled with hope, and help us share your love with those who need it most as we wait for your kingdom. Amen.
Dianne has served in Lutheran education as a teacher, school leader and system leader at Lutheran Education Australia. Now retired from full-time work, she continues to volunteer on several committees and as a school board member. She lives in the Adelaide Hills with her husband, Robert, and is in strong demand as a babysitter for her three grandchildren.
by Dianne Eckermann
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation’, spoken of through the prophet Daniel – let the reader understand – then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains (Matthew 24:15,16).
Read Matthew 24:15–31
Whenever we board a flight, we are taken through what to do in the ‘unlikely event of a flight emergency’. In today’s reading, we hear about a devastating emergency, which is not an unlikely event but an absolute certainty. However, there is no equivalent to the ‘fasten your seatbelt and adopt the brace position’ safety guide. The only advice is to ‘flee to the mountains’ – if you can do so.
Reading about the events leading up to the end of the world is not an easy read. It sounds like a compilation of every disaster movie ever made. To make it even more difficult to understand, there is no indication of when this might happen, other than that it is a time of what seems like unprecedented uncertainty. False prophets, whose main intention is to deceive, add to the great distress we can expect. Nor does there seem to be a safety guide to help people survive.
However, the advice to ‘flee to the mountains’ contains more depth than it initially seems. Frequently, mountains are a source of refuge in the Bible and are symbolic of being closer to God. Many important events took place atop mountains: Moses received the Ten Commandments, Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, the Transfiguration of Jesus occurred, plus more. In Psalm 121:1,2, we read, ‘I lift my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.’ In Psalm 125:1, we read, ‘Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.’
To flee to the mountains, therefore, is to flee towards God. It is God who is our source of help; it is God who endures forever, and it is God whom we can trust. We don’t need a safety briefing. We need only to live in the light of the risen Christ.
Heavenly Father, we ask you to send us your Holy Spirit to help us hold on to our faith in your protection and to flee to you in times of trouble. Amen.
Dianne has served in Lutheran education as a teacher, school leader and system leader at Lutheran Education Australia. Now retired from full-time work, she continues to volunteer on several committees and as a school board member. She lives in the Adelaide Hills with her husband, Robert, and is in strong demand as a babysitter for her three grandchildren.
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
‘Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?’ But Jesus turned and rebuked them. Then he and his disciples went to another village (Luke 9:54b–56).
Read Luke 9:51–62
While today’s extended reading has a clear focus on the demands and difficulties of following Jesus, the opening verses direct our focus on the importance of setting our face towards Jerusalem. As Jesus is entering the last stages of his ministry, he is resolutely fixed on Jerusalem. When a Samaritan village is not prepared to host Jesus overnight, James and John’s all-too-human reaction is a dramatic call to totally destroy the village.
In the historical tradition of hospitality, there would be an expectation that the village would host travellers; however, the fiery destruction suggested by James and John for this perceived slight is an extraordinary overreaction. They have now been following Jesus for some time. Following Jesus has meant travelling and eating with him and listening to his teachings. Despite this close contact, they still allow their anger towards the Samaritan village to overrule anything they have learnt from being in Jesus’ constant company. However, before judging James and John, we should look at our reactions.
We live in a world where the reaction to any difference of opinion is frequently extreme. Whether it is a road rage incident, trolling on social media or a disproportionate response to world events, we would do well to follow the example Jesus set for the two disciples. After he rebuked them, he simply moved on – in this case, to the next village.
As we follow in Jesus’ footsteps, we move on from dwelling on the wrongs of others and from the assumption that we must be right. Instead of anger, we can pause, pray and identify what it is, in this moment, that is keeping us from unreservedly following Jesus. Then we, too, can move on.
We thank you, Lord Jesus, for showing us your way and example. We ask for help to follow you freely in a world where many obstacles and temptations divert us. Please support us in moving on with you. Amen.
Dianne has served in Lutheran education as a teacher, school leader and system leader at Lutheran Education Australia. Now retired from full-time work, she continues to volunteer on several committees and as a school board member. She lives in the Adelaide Hills with her husband, Robert, and is in strong demand as a babysitter for her three grandchildren.
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand (Psalm 16:11).
Read Psalm 16
There are some days when I think it would be really nice to have a table-sized map to spread out in front of me that would show the trajectory of my life – where I’ve been, where I am and where I’m going. From that distance, I could see the big picture and have a bird’s-eye view of my timeline. Maybe for the first time, I could see how all the dots of pain and pleasure are connected.
Maybe that’s what David wanted from God?
He recognised God’s power and providence in all things, whether David’s fear or fealty; he knew deeply God’s hand in making him king, conquering his enemies and encountering the delights of existence.
David writes, ‘Therefore,’ or in our more common parlance, ‘Because of all these things, my heart is glad, and my tongue rejoices; my body will also rest secure’ (verse 9). Wouldn’t that be nice to know, to deeply understand that gladness would touch my soul, not just in a brief moment of laughter, but in weighty joy. I could speak and sing the assurance of my salvation – praise is as close to my lips as the ‘good morning’ to my family. My body could finally rest – stress shed like an old skin, and take on the new one that is soft, comfortable and wrinkle-free.
Therefore … because God has been so good, I don’t have to worry about this present moment but believe in my heart, speak with my mouth and feel in my rested body that I will be filled with joy in God’s presence and experience eternal pleasure once this life is done.
And in this trust, I don’t have to worry about spreading the table-sized map to make sure of my path. And I don’t have to stress about where I’m going because it’s already planned. And I don’t have to worry that death will be a finality (verse 10).
This is the good news, friends. God has not abandoned us but is always present.
Therefore, rest securely.
Jesus, thank you for being my portion, my cup and my delightful inheritance. Help me to experience a glad heart, a praising tongue and a body that rests in you. Amen.
Reid Matthias is the school pastor at St Andrews Lutheran College in Tallebudgera, Queensland. Reid is married to Christine, who, together with their three incredible daughters, Elsa, Josephine and Greta, have created a Spotify channel (A 13) where they have recorded music. Reid has recently published his seventh novel, A Miserable Antagonist, and maintains the blog ireid.blogspot.com