Thursday of the First Week After Christmas

January 2, 2025 Today's Reading: Catechism: The Second CommandmentDaily Lectionary: Isaiah 62:1-12; Luke 2:1-20“For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch.” (Isaiah 62:1)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.In today’s Old Testament lesson, the prophet writes, “For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet” (Isaiah 62:1). This Word of God was spoken at a time in Israel’s history when life had been devalued, when God’s Word had been ignored, and when it would have been much easier to simply be silent and let evil have free course instead of speaking out. But, in complete contrast to the culture of his day, Isaiah spoke God’s Word. He proclaimed a message of life and a promise of deliverance, even as the destruction of his nation and the judgment of God knocked at the door.In the safety of our sanctuaries, we can talk about the sanctity of human life, but how are we to respond when faced with a world that devalues life and ignores God’s word? The answer to this question is found in today’s reading. Isaiah said, “For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch.” In these words, Isaiah calls us as the Church to announce the truth of God’s Word and the salvation He came to bring. You see, even in a world gripped by death and the delusions of the devil, the call of Jesus Christ remains: “Go make disciples of all nations,” and, my friends, we can only speak the Word of God when we have first listened to it.We cannot give what we do not have, and listening to God’s voice is the only thing that can properly prepare us to speak. Our message cannot come from a political agenda or a radio show; it cannot come from a generic moral imperative or from a social gospel or theology of glory. Our message of life can only come from the Word of God because only when we have truly listened to God do we clearly understand that it’s our sin that is under judgment, that it is for our transgressions that Christ suffered and died, and that it is for our salvation and our eternal life with God that Jesus was raised from the dead. The demands of God’s Law are for me! And the Word of God’s judgment is for me! And the promise of grace is God’s promise to me! And once I have listened to the Word in this way, I can then listen to someone else whose broken and sinful life is equally sacred to God.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Lord, help me to listen to your word of Law and Gospel so that I can speak it to others.-Rev. Thomas Eggold, pastor of Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, IN.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.