Home > Reading > Daily Reading – January 16, 2019

Bag O’ Glass

 

33 “No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. 35 Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. 36 If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.”

– Luke 11:33–36 ESV

Back in 1976, “Saturday Night Live” once found humor in a bag of glass. Actor Dan Aykroyd played a sketchy toy company executive. An investigative reporter interviewed him about several of the business’ wares. After dismissing “Mr. Skin-Grafter,” “General Tron’s Secret Police Confession Kit,” and, “Doggie Dentist,” this host took particular issue with “Johnny Switchblade Action Figure,” and “Teddy Chainsaw Bear” (complete with protruding power tool).

What the reporter really couldn’t fathom was the “Bag O’ Glass” toy, which is “simply a bag of jagged, dangerous glass bits” that retails for $1.99. Aykroyd’s arrogant character, Irwin Mainway, just straightens his tie and admits the merchandise is “ya know, glass, it’s broken glass,” before adding that “it sells very well, as a matter of fact.” “We got a whole ‘Bag O’ line: ‘Bag O’ Nails,’ ‘Bag O’ Bugs,’ ‘Bag O’ Vipers,’ ‘Bag O’ Sulfuric Acid’ – decent toys.” He completes the comical absurdity by defending the sack of fragments. “It’s a creative toy. Hold this up and you see all the colors in the rainbow. It teaches ‘em about light refraction, prisms and that stuff, ya know what I mean?”

The world similarly scoffs at the sanctity of human lives. Embryos come in the wrong size. Unborn babies have the wrong shape, the wrong space. Elderly neighbors exhibit the wrong behaviors. They’re labeled “clumps of cells,” “blobs of tissue,” “tumors,” and “parasites.” They’re regarded as “being in a persistent vegetative state,” as “burdens,” and “better off dead.” Surprisingly, Scripture actually calls us worse: “sinners.” Indeed, according to the Bible, “All have sinned and fall short” (Romans 3:23 NIV). We are “sinful from the time [our] mother[s] conceived” us (Psalm 51:5 NIV) and “all [our] righteous acts [are] like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6 NIV). We are selfish, rebellious, lawbreakers, evildoers, enemies of God and are little better than bits and bags of broken glass, dangerous to each other and fit for the landfill.

Only in an artist’s eyes would we be worth anything. And the Almighty has made Himself the Artist of us all. He beholds not only what we once were but who we will become. Jesus willingly bloodies His hands—picking up the parts and pieces. He stains and arranges even the worst of our race into mosaics and windowpanes. He resurrects us by connecting us to His own risen-again sparkle. He can imagine no better Tiffany lampshade to kaleidoscope His brilliant forgiveness, acceptance, communion and joy.

The Lord God’s priceless light of love and wonder twinkles undimmed in every life and every body. All the portions have their purposes—His purposes. He creates, redeems and calls every last scrap, no matter how prickly, and every last shard, no matter how small. Looking with His compassion and confidence, we can see undiscovered colors that eclipse the darkness of tear-blinded eyes and sin-broken hearts. His gracious promises ignite and fuel the shine in you and me. And as we lend our glow to the smoldering ones around us, Jesus Christ kindles their gleam as well.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, let Your light shine in our voices and movements to scatter all darkness. Amen.

Pro-Life Action: Try to see others as God sees them this week: in all the beloved colors of His creation.

Today’s devotion was written by Rev. Michael Salemink, executive director of Lutherans for Life.

This year’s Advent devotions are written by the members of NALC Life Ministries. The devotional follows the daily Revised Common Lectionary for Advent and includes a Bible reading, commentary, prayer and pro-life action for every day until Christmas Eve.

As we move through the season of Advent, Scripture reveals the anxiety of an unplanned pregnancy, as Mary and Joseph ponder this miracle and seek to understand who this precious child might be. This devotional examines our responsibility to protect all human life in light of Mary and Joseph’s protection of Jesus, the savior of the world.

Our authors include Rev. Dr. David Wendel, Rev. Mark Chavez, Rev. Dr. Dennis Di Mauro, Rev. Dr. Cathi Braasch, Rev. Scott Licht, Rev. Sandra Towberman, Rev. Steve Shipman, Ms. Rebecka Andrae, Rev. Melinda Jones, Rev. David Nelson, Ms. Rosemary Johnson, Rev. Mark Werner and Rev. Steve Bliss.

Learn more about NALC Life Ministries

Judges 20:26–48 (ESV)

26 Then all the people of Israel, the whole army, went up and came to Bethel and wept. They sat there before the Lord and fasted that day until evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. 27 And the people of Israel inquired of the Lord (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, 28 and Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, ministered before it in those days), saying, “Shall we go out once more to battle against our brothers, the people of Benjamin, or shall we cease?” And the Lord said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will give them into your hand.”

29 So Israel set men in ambush around Gibeah. 30 And the people of Israel went up against the people of Benjamin on the third day and set themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times. 31 And the people of Benjamin went out against the people and were drawn away from the city. And as at other times they began to strike and kill some of the people in the highways, one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah, and in the open country, about thirty men of Israel. 32 And the people of Benjamin said, “They are routed before us, as at the first.” But the people of Israel said, “Let us flee and draw them away from the city to the highways.” 33 And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place and set themselves in array at Baal-tamar, and the men of Israel who were in ambush rushed out of their place from Maareh-geba. 34 And there came against Gibeah 10,000 chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was hard, but the Benjaminites did not know that disaster was close upon them. 35 And the Lord defeated Benjamin before Israel, and the people of Israel destroyed 25,100 men of Benjamin that day. All these were men who drew the sword. 36 So the people of Benjamin saw that they were defeated.

The men of Israel gave ground to Benjamin, because they trusted the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah. 37 Then the men in ambush hurried and rushed against Gibeah; the men in ambush moved out and struck all the city with the edge of the sword. 38 Now the appointed signal between the men of Israel and the men in the main ambush was that when they made a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city 39 the men of Israel should turn in battle. Now Benjamin had begun to strike and kill about thirty men of Israel. They said, “Surely they are defeated before us, as in the first battle.” 40 But when the signal began to rise out of the city in a column of smoke, the Benjaminites looked behind them, and behold, the whole of the city went up in smoke to heaven. 41 Then the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed, for they saw that disaster was close upon them. 42 Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel in the direction of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them. And those who came out of the cities were destroying them in their midst. 43 Surrounding the Benjaminites, they pursued them and trod them down from Nohah as far as opposite Gibeah on the east. 44 Eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell, all of them men of valor. 45 And they turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon. Five thousand men of them were cut down in the highways. And they were pursued hard to Gidom, and 2,000 men of them were struck down. 46 So all who fell that day of Benjamin were 25,000 men who drew the sword, all of them men of valor. 47 But 600 men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon and remained at the rock of Rimmon four months. 48 And the men of Israel turned back against the people of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword, the city, men and beasts and all that they found. And all the towns that they found they set on fire.

Psalm 15 (ESV)

Who Shall Dwell on Your Holy Hill?

15 A Psalm of David.

O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent?
Who shall dwell on your holy hill?

He who walks blamelessly and does what is right
and speaks truth in his heart;

who does not slander with his tongue
and does no evil to his neighbor,
nor takes up a reproach against his friend;

in whose eyes a vile person is despised,
but who honors those who fear the Lord;
who swears to his own hurt and does not change;

who does not put out his money at interest
and does not take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things shall never be moved.

Acts 21:1–16 (ESV)

Paul Goes to Jerusalem

21 And when we had parted from them and set sail, we came by a straight course to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. And having found a ship crossing to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. When we had come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left we sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre, for there the ship was to unload its cargo. And having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days. And through the Spirit they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. When our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey, and they all, with wives and children, accompanied us until we were outside the city. And kneeling down on the beach, we prayed and said farewell to one another. Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home.

When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for one day. On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied. 10 While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ ” 12 When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 14 And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, “Let the will of the Lord be done.”

15 After these days we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. 16 And some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us, bringing us to the house of Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we should lodge.

Luther’s Lectures on the Psalms, 1513-1515, contain many declarations concerning the Scriptures. “What pasture is to the beast …, the nest for the birds, the stream for fish, the Scriptures are for believing souls. To the arrogant, of course, they are a stumblingblock; he will have nothing to do with them, since they offer him nothing. But to him who approaches the Scriptures with humility they open themselves and themselves produce humility, change man from a desperate sinner into a child of God. They give everything which the soul needs, and it is to tempt God, if anyone will not be satisfied with the Scriptures. They are the fountain from which one must dip. Each word of the same is a source which affords an inexhaustible abundance of water to everyone who thirsts after the saving doctrine. God’s will is completely contained therein, so that we must constantly go back to them. Nothing should be presented which is not confirmed by the authority of both Testaments and agrees with them. It cannot be otherwise, for the Scriptures are divine; in them God speaks and they are His Word.” (13–14)

–Johann Michael Reu, Luther on the Scriptures

This daily Bible reading guide, Reading the Word of God, was conceived and prepared as a result of the ongoing discussions between representatives of three church bodies: Lutheran Church—Canada (LCC), The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) and the North American Lutheran Church (NALC). The following individuals have represented their church bodies and approved this introduction and the reading guide: LCC: President Robert Bugbee; NALC: Bishop John Bradosky, Revs. Mark Chavez, James Nestingen, and David Wendel; LCMS: Revs. Albert Collver, Joel Lehenbauer, John Pless, and Larry Vogel.

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