A brief prayer is offered that you can add to your daily
prayers this week. The scripture is from our Sunday Service Bulletin. Today we
celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. We reflect on
the impact this movement had on politics, life, art, culture, and the Church.
Gospel Reading- Matthew
18: 15-20
15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell
him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you
have gained your brother.16 But if he does not listen, take one or
two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the
evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to
them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the
church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly,
I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and
whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed[a] in heaven. 19 Again I say to
you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be
done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three
are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
Devotion: Helping Other
Disciples
Dr Martin Luther’s strong opposition to indulgences [buying certificates
from the church to reduce or eliminate time in Purgatory] was a major driving force
in his efforts to reform the Church. The changes he caused were much more impactful
than eliminating those things not supported by the bible, such as those
indulgences. Luther wanted Christians to believe in God’s free gift of
salvation through His grace. He wanted people to have faith through a personal
relationship with God. All this, guided by what could be read in the bible [it
helped that 500 years ago, the printing press was starting to produce affordable
bibles in the native language]. Today’s Gospel text is talking about how to
help a fellow disciple who has sinned. Jesus wants a humble approach, He uses “brother”
and does not want us to act as superiors and/or inferiors with someone who has
fallen into sin. We are to try to
produce in our brother an awareness of guilt, so he can have restoration [God’s
forgiveness, not ours] of his personal relationship with God. We are not to judge,
but in a loving way, help our brother mend his relationship with God. It is all
about making loving disciples.
We pray: “Lord make
us more like you – help us love one another.
Amen”
