May 30, 2024
Today’s Reading: The Lord’s Prayer – Seventh Petition
Daily Lectionary: Ecclesiastes 7:11-29; John 8:39-59
The Seventh Petition
But deliver us from evil.
What does this mean? We pray in this petition, in summary, that our Father in heaven would rescue us from every evil of body and soul, possessions and reputation, and finally, when our last hour comes, give us a blessed end, and graciously take us from this valley of sorrow to Himself in heaven.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Evil is ugly. And evil is something we must contend with here on this fallen earth. Ever since the Fall into sin (Genesis 3), evil has been stalking humanity. And what is evil? Evil is not just a cartoonish phrase, as if evil is some man with an eyepatch and a twirly mustache plotting world domination. Evil is death. Evil is sin. Evil is what stalks us, tempting us. Evil is certainly manifested in the person and work of the devil and all his minions, but as sinners, we have evil within us, too. Concupiscence (now there is a fancy word) is the inborn desire that all humans have, that is, the inclination to evil. It is what St. Paul writes about when he says, “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. (Romans 7:19)
Evil is something we must be rescued from, and fortunately, Jesus is in the business of rescuing. That is what we pray in this Petition of the Lord’s Prayer. We pray that our Father would give us delivery and safety from all the things that a fallen world throws at us. But we Christians ultimately do not need to fear evil. Regardless of what this tired, evil world throws at us, our God delivers us from them all. Even the final plan of sin, that is death, is transformed in Jesus from everlasting torment to a blessed sleep awaiting the sure and certain hope of the resurrection. Will evil come? Absolutely. But Christ will deliver you from it. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Though hordes of devils fill the land All threat’ning to devour us, We tremble not, unmoved we stand; They cannot overpow’r us. Let this world’s tyrant rage; In battle we’ll engage.
His might is doomed to fail; God’s judgment must prevail! One little word subdues him.
God’s Word forever shall abide, No thanks to foes, who fear it; For God Himself fights by our side With weapons of the Spirit. Were they to take our house, Goods, honor, child, or spouse,
Though life be wrenched away, They cannot win the day. The Kingdom’s ours forever!
(LSB 657:3,4)
-Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.
Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.
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