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As Thanksgiving arrives, lots of folks will be traveling to see family and friends and loved ones. Togetherness is important on holidays. In November, we have two grandchildren celebrating birthdays, and we would like to be with them for that and for Thanksgiving Day. But that won’t happen this year. We will not return home from Germany until the first part of December. While we have frequent contact with our children and grandchildren through texts and phone calls and video chats, it is not the same as being there in person. Sitting next to someone, being physically present, allows you to touch and hug and interact in a way not possible otherwise.

I was reminded of the imposed isolation four years ago during the Covid-19 lockdown. Everyone became acutely aware of the importance of being with other people because that was taken away for a while. At that time, I started doing almost Daily Devotions for my congregation in a video format to try to stay in touch with them, and I did one on this very topic (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDSC3mvC2yc&t=11s).

I mentioned that while we sometimes have to be separated from each other, we have the assurance that nothing can separate us from God’s love.

Romans 8:31–39 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I hope all of you get to spend some time with family and friends over the holidays. And I hope you will also hold onto the Good News that for those who have been brought to faith in Jesus as their Savior from sin and death, nothing can separate you from the love of God in Him. We all need that comforting assurance in our lives on a regular basis.

My last devotion was on about how Law and Love are intertwined in God’s way of thinking. I want to share some more thoughts on that today.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.   1 John 4:7-12

God didn’t say, “I love you so the Law doesn’t matter.” Instead, He said that His love led Him to send Jesus to keep all the law for us and then take our place in punishment as “the atoning sacrifice for our sins.”  Jesus did what only He could do: live a perfect life and pay for our sins. And in the process, He was showing us what love is all about. Since God so loved us, we ought to love Him first and foremost. We also ought to love one another.

A big part of the message to the Pharisees in Jesus’ day was that God’s emphasis is not about how well we keep the rules. That was the mindset of the Pharisees. They had a checklist of laws and rules and regulations that they developed from their study of the Old Testament. They thought that if they kept all those rules that God would love them. But they had it backwards. God already loved them. He wanted them to obey Him for their own good. Obedience to God and His Laws is not in order to be saved, but because you know you have been saved by what Jesus did for you.

This message needs to be shared still today because we all have some Pharisee in us. So let me say it this way: Your behavior does not make you a Christian. Faith in what Jesus did through His life and death and resurrection makes you a Christian. And when you believe in Jesus and know His love, your behavior will change as a result of your faith.

What does that look like? It is really very simple. We need to move from saying that we love everyone in general to showing God’s love to individuals. It happens in everyday encounters and interactions with others, and not just the people you know.

• When someone is rude to you, will you respond in kind, or will you show the kind of love God has shown you in Christ?
• When you see someone is upset, will you try to ignore them and pass by on the other side, or will you offer an encouraging word and offer to pray with him or her?
• When you see that car broken down on the side of the road, will you zip past like everyone else in hurry to get somewhere, or will you try to help in whatever way you can?

Something I have discovered in my life is that the most effective way to show God’s love in this world is not through big events and grand gestures. It is through one on one encounters with those people you meet throughout the course of your day.

Love the Lord your God and love your neighbor as yourself. As those who know and have experienced the love of God in Christ, we understand that Jesus is telling us how to respond to His love that saved us from sin and death. You and I live in the conviction that our sin has been forgiven and we will spend the rest of eternity with our Lord. Therefore, as a result of and in response to the Love God has already shown you, love God and love your neighbor. What will that look like in your life?

Luke 4:33–35 In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, ³⁴ “Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” ³⁵ “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him.

Jesus was in Capernaum, a city in Galilee, when the event recorded above took place. It was the demon speaking through the man who said, “I know who you are…”

I have encountered a lot of people in my life who have knowledge of Jesus. Some of them believed He was their Savior, many of them did not. Knowledge is not enough when it comes to Jesus. Demons know who Jesus is, but it does them no good. In order for someone to be saved, they must have faith that Jesus is who He says He is: The Son of God and the Savior of all people.

When I taught the catechism to my confirmation classes, I told them there are three parts to faith: knowledge, acceptance, and trust. I often used the following Illustration.

I was walking down a hiking trail and came to a narrow suspension bridge designed for foot traffic. It was made from cables and old boards and had a sign that said, “Weight Limit 250 lbs.”  I know that I weigh less than that, so I have the knowledge that I need, but at this point I have not yet used it.

I look over the bridge. The cables that run under the boards and that provide had rails seem to be large enough to carry the load. The boards also look like they are in good enough shape to support me. I accept that this bridge should be safe for me to use to cross the stream far below it.

Trust is stepping out onto the bridge and walking across it.

Romans 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Our time in Germany has been wonderful and the people have been extremely welcoming and helpful. We have used the public transportation system around Frankfurt as well as the trains to take us to other cities. People have gone out of their way to assist us and make sure we get to where we need to be. This has been greatly appreciated, since my knowledge of German has proven to be insufficient to be of any real use.

Having said that, we did have one encounter around rush hour that was different. We were at a mall and trying to get the U1 train back to the parsonage where we are staying. The train is supposed to run every 10 minutes, but three of the scheduled trains did not show up. When the correct train/subway did arrive, there was a large crowd waiting to get on. We had been walking quite a while and stood waiting on the platform for over thirty minutes, so my old knees were tired and I was ready to sit down.

Cheryl took the first seat she could find, but there was not one next to her. I noticed not too far away that a woman was sitting in the aisle and had her backpack on the window seat next to her. I asked her (in what I’m sure was terrible German), “Excuse me, can I sit here?” She ignored me. I said it again, and without even looking up, she huffed to make her displeasure known, begrudgingly picked up her backpack, and turned so that her back was facing the seat where I finally was able to sit down. Cheryl said the man across from that woman got wide-eyed when I asked her if I could sit there, and Cheryl got the impression that he had tried to sit there as well but she would not let him.

I wondered why she was being so unpleasant, but knew better that to try to have a conversation with her. Instead, I had a conversation with God. I thanked Him for all that we have been able to experience during our time here, and the kindness we had been shown. And I prayed for the lady sitting next to me. I told the Lord that while I didn’t know what she was going through, I knew He did, and asked Him to put someone in her path that would show and share His love and mercy and kindness and grace with her.

Matthew 5:43–45 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Yesterday I shared some thoughts on “The Image of God.” While he made man in His image, that changed all too soon. On the day Adam and Eve sinned, this image of God was lost. It was gone. No longer did they fear and love God as they should, and that sin was passed on to us. No longer do we have a natural knowledge of God as our loving Father. No longer do we have confidence in him, but we take matters into our own hands. Sin broke creation. Sin broke us. We are different from what God made and what He intended, and we look at others differently.

Not wanting to be seen “naked” (Adam, Gen 3:10), or as we are without the image of God, we try to create substitute images for ourselves. We use masks to hide behind, so that others will think a certain way about us. Perhaps you’ve created a religious image or mask, so that people will think you’re holier than you really are. Perhaps you have an image or mask of bravery to hide your fear. But when all is said and done, we’re still broken. We’re still sinners. We may be able to hide who we are from each other, but you can’t hide who you are from God. Whatever mask you wear, whatever images you create, are poor images indeed. We lost the image of God.

But the God who created man in his image does not leave us fallen and broken. The God who created is restoring His image in a fallen and broken world. We create images for ourselves, but only God can create something out of nothing. He did it in the beginning and is still able to do it today. After sin entered the world, after the image of God in us was lost, God acted. The Father sent his Son into the world, the true and exact image of God the Father. And the Son of God incarnate shows us true man, without sin. In Jesus, the image that we lost lives. Jesus knows his Father. Jesus trusts and has confidence in his Father. Jesus is the righteous one.

Jesus came to restore the image of God in the world, not just by being that image, but by giving it back to us. That is why He took upon Himself your sin, your punishment and death, your broken image, and in return gives you His Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit, the image of God is again given to you – not perfect nor complete, but the image is partly restored. Through the Holy Spirit, you are re-created, made new, and being conformed into the image of Christ, who is the image of the Father. It is an ongoing process.

That attack in the Garden of Eden caused devastation to our world. It has affected every one of us. The task of recovering what was lost that day fell to one man, and He determined that each life was worth His own. So He gave His life for your life. He suffered the shame and nakedness of the cross and then rose from death, that all who believe in him might be raised from death with him and live not only forever, but already now, in His image. After Jesus completed His task, He said it need never be done again. It is finished. You are whole. You are healed.  You are forgiven. You are re-created. You have the image of God.

Genesis 1:26-27 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

I know a lot of people who spend a lot of time and energy worrying. Maybe you are one of them. Jesus warned

Luke 21:34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life…”

Stress and anxiety are part of life in this sinful world. But the reality is that worriers spend most of their time worrying about things in the past that they can’t change or things that will never happen in the future.

Robert Frost once said “the reason worry kills more people than work is because more people worry than work.” An honest examination of your lives will probably show this to be true.

It is easy to put so much effort into your worries, whether or not they are legitimate concerns, that you don’t try to do anything to overcome them. Just think how much more productive you could be in your life if you would put the same amount of time and effort into working out solutions to your problems that you presently spend in worry. If you think about it, worry is like a rocking chair – it gives you something to do, but you won’t get you anywhere.

Here’s a strong dose of the law for you to consider: Worrying is an insult to the God who has told you “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Do you believe that God is in control?

You have heard and believed the message of salvation! You know that no matter what you have done wrong in your life, it was covered by the blood of Jesus Christ. You know the way to eternal life. Instead of worrying, trust in Jesus, who has provided these things, and so much more, as a free gift!

Philippians 4:6–7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

One of my favorite verses, one that my dad shared with me constantly, is a little later in that same chapter:

Philippians 4:19 “My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” 

In other words, don’t worry. Turn over your cares, worries and anxieties to the one who cares for you.

Genesis 2:18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

This is one of those passages in Scripture that often upsets women. They read it and resent the implication that they are somehow “less than” the man. But let’s take a closer look at what is actually said here.

The Hebrew word used in Genesis 2:18 is EZER (ay’-zer), the noun “helper.” It comes from a root word that is a combination of two words: one means “to rescue” or “to save” and the other means “to be strong.” Variations of this root word occur more than a hundred times in the Old Testament. The same word that is in the passage above occurs about twenty times, and fifteen of them are in reference to God. As in “God is my helper” or “the LORD is my helper.”  The name Eliezer appears repeatedly in Scripture and means “My God is my helper.”

At no time in Scripture is God portrayed as inferior or subservient to man. Quite the contrary. The Lord is the strong, powerful and almighty Savior. He is over us, not the other way around. From a position of strength and power He chooses to help His fallen creation. That is why He came down here to rescue us from sin and death. He reconciled us to Himself by taking our sin, carrying it to the cross, and paying its price for all people. Our strong, mighty deliverer.

Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Mankind – men and women – were made in the image of God. And God spoke of woman using the same word He used to describe Himself – EZER. That puts an entirely different spin on the relationship that is to exist between men and women. Consider also these words of our Lord Jesus.

Mark 10:42–45 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Take all of this into account when you look at that other passage that is troubling for some, the one that speaks of wives submitting to their husbands as to the Lord (Ephesians 5:22-33). I would suggest you include the verse just prior to that passage in your meditation.

Ephesians 5:21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Not too long after we moved into our log home outside of Bells, Texas, my wife decided she wanted to host a Women’s Retreat there on a Friday and Saturday. The ladies were invited to stay overnight. Our dear friends and neighbors, who have a log home right next to us, agreed to let some of the women take over their house as well for sleeping accommodations. That meant the husbands had to make themselves scarce and find somewhere else to sleep, which we did. The ladies had a good time enjoying each other’s company and studying God’s Word. I went back home on Saturday evening after they had all left.

The next morning, I was standing in the narthex of our church building welcoming people to worship. One of the ladies who attended the retreat walked up to me and gave me a hug like she always did. While she was hugging me she said, “I really enjoyed sleeping in your bed!” Several of the Elders were standing there when she said it. Everyone, including me, could not believe what we just heard. She then realized what she had said and turned bright red. Everyone had a good laugh, but you can imagine how some people who heard that remark might have jumped to conclusions that were not correct.

This is part of our fallen, sinful nature. God even gave us a commandment against bearing false witness. Luther suggested that meant we should “put the best construction on everything” or “explain things in the kindest way possible.” But we tend to do just the opposite.

This is nothing new. Scripture includes accounts of people jumping to conclusions, like they did after Paul was shipwrecked and arrived on the island of Malta.

 Acts 28:1–6 Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. ² The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. ³ Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. ⁴ When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.” ⁵ But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. ⁶ The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.

Neither conclusion they arrived at was correct! This made me think of the people on both sides of the recent election jumping to wrong conclusions about the people who voted for the candidate they were not supporting. Many hateful and harmful words have been spoken and shared on social media. We need to be careful about our conclusions. We are not the ones called to judge our neighbors. God will take care of that.

Matthew 7:1–5 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Whenever we encounter the Law in God’s Word, it reminds us that we are all sinful and in need of forgiveness. It reminds us of the log in our eye. That is why it is so wonderful to hear the Gospel message as well, that assures us that Jesus has paid our penalty and bought us back from sin and death. That was the message Paul was sharing, and I am sure he tried to share it with those who jumped to wrong conclusions about him.

It is a message we all need to be reminded of everyday.

(P.S. The lady in this story knows I am sharing this in my devotion. I am sure her face will be just as red today as it was on that Sunday morning. I also know – as she does – that she is a dearly loved child of God and is covered by the righteousness of Jesus Christ.)