Saint Matthew's

The following is the reading for tonight’s (Wednesday, October 29, 2008) Midweek Divine Service here at Saint Matthew’s:

1 John 3:1-3

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

(Taken from the English Standard Version)

Texts: Isaiah 25:6-9; Philippians 4:4-13; Matthew 22:1-14

The basis for today’s meditation is taken from our Old Testament reading, Isaiah, Chapter 25, specifically versus 7 through 9:

And he will swallow up on this mountain
the covering that is cast over all peoples,
the veil that is spread over all nations.
He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,
and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the Lord has spoken.
It will be said on that day,
“Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.
This is the Lord; we have waited for him;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”

(more…)

(For a download of this weekend's readings, click here)

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 25:6-9

“On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,
of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.
And he will swallow up on this mountain
the covering that is cast over all peoples,
the veil that is spread over all nations.
He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,
and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the Lord has spoken.
It will be said on that day,
“Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.
This is the Lord; we have waited for him;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”

(more…)

(Wednesday's Reading from Philippians - click here)

I wonder if Saint Paul would be as rejoiceful, to pen a word, if he lived in an economic time like were living through now. OK. While our economic times aren’t the worst ever, they are pretty bad. Credit is drying up. Jobs are being lost. Banks made terrible loans to people who didn’t have the money to pay them back. And who knows what is wrong with other investment banks, insurance companies, and other Wall Street staples that are crumbling under bad debt, terrible management, and poor decision making.

And the stock market — down more than a thousand points in a few days. Today alone the Dow dropped nearly 200 more points.

On top of that, companies are laying off workers left and right. More than 150,000 people lost their jobs in September alone. I can’t tell you how many people are worried about whether they will have a job come Christmas time. It seems that the only people hiring are Wal-Mart and fast food restaurants, and even they are getting selective.

And the government? They’ll helped create this mess and now they’re telling us they know how to fix it. They recently passed a $700 Billion law that gives much power to the Treasury Secretary who can take that money and dole it out to banks to purchase their bad loans. All of this with zero guarantee that the American taxpayer will ever be made whole.

Is it no wonder that those poor TV anchors and reporters on the Fox Business Network look so glum?

Yet … in our reading tonight from Philippians, Saint Paul implores us to rejoice in the Lord always. And he says it twice!

Rejoice? How can we rejoice while we fear for our investments and jobs? Some people have their life savings invested in banks and 401(K) plans that are basically worthless tonight. Rejoice in the Lord? He’s got to be crazy.

Not even close – Saint Paul gives us this most blessed advice: Rejoice in the Lord always because He is the One who saved us from our sin!

Rejoice in the One who was begotten before creation.

Rejoice in the One who was promised so long ago, the one who the Father promised would rescue His people from eternal death.

Rejoice in the Son of Mary, the Son of God, who humbled Himself to take on human flesh in order to die for each one of us.

It is in this God we rejoice … both now and always, my friends! It is in this God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – who created us, redeemed us, and kept us in the true faith. While the world is falling all around us, it is our Triune God who keeps us close.

But how, you may ask, can we rejoice when we’re feeling so down?

Well, snap out of it!! Think about who and what you are. Would you be anything without God? What defines you as a person – your faith or your status in life? If you answer your status in life, then you better re-read our lesson tonight.

Saint Paul faced innumerable obstacles in his life after his conversion, but there is one thing that never changed: Now matter what he faced, he always remembered who he was in Christ. Nothing in this world could get him down since He was a child of God, redeemed by Christ. In captivity. Being shipwrecked. Escaping with his life from dangerous situations. All of it bad; but he never lost sight of the greater prize — salvation that was his through faith alone in His Savior, Jesus Christ. That defined him more than anything else.

And it defines you. It is your faith in Christ, born of God, that makes you the person you are. Nothing on Wall Street or at your local bank branch can change that since you have the blessed gift of salvation by faith in Christ.

Saint Paul says to rejoice in Lord always.

That seems like good advice.

Our reading for tonight’s Midweek Divine Service:

Philippians 4:4-13
(Rejoice, for the Lord is at hand.)

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

(Reading is taken from the English Standard Version)