Zeph. 3:1–8
3:1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles 2if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3that by revelation the mystery was made known to me, as I wrote before briefly. 4When reading this, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ 5(which was not disclosed to people in former generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit), 6namely, that through the gospel the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus. 7I became a servant of this gospel according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the exercise of his power. 8To me—less than the least of all the saints—this grace was given, to proclaim to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ (NET Bible)
Ps. 119:49–56
119:49 ז (Zayin)
Remember your word to your servant,
for you have given me hope.
50This is what comforts me in my trouble,
for your promise revives me.
51Arrogant people do nothing but scoff at me.
Yet I do not turn aside from your law.
52I remember your ancient regulations,
O Lord, and console myself.
53Rage takes hold of me because of the wicked,
those who reject your law.
54Your statutes have been my songs
in the house where I live.
55I remember your name during the night, O Lord,
and I will keep your law.
56This has been my practice,
for I observe your precepts.
(NET Bible)Luke 22:54–65
22:54 Then they arrested Jesus, led him away, and brought him into the high priest’s house. But Peter was following at a distance. 55When they had made a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. 56Then a slave girl, seeing him as he sat in the firelight, stared at him and said, “This man was with him too!” 57But Peter denied it: “Woman, I don’t know him!” 58Then a little later someone else saw him and said, “You are one of them too.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!” 59And after about an hour still another insisted, “Certainly this man was with him because he too is a Galilean.” 60But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” At that moment, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. 61Then the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter, and Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before a rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62And he went outside and wept bitterly.
63Now the men who were holding Jesus under guard began to mock him and beat him. 64They blindfolded him and asked him repeatedly, “Prophesy! Who hit you?” 65They also said many other things against him, reviling him.
(NET Bible)In connection with Jeremiah 23:16, [Luther writes], “O pope, O bishop, O parson, O monks, O theologians, how can you get by here? Do you think it is a small matter when lo y Majesty forbids what does not come from the mouth of God and some- thing else that is not God’s Word?” “God’s Word is so hard that it will suffer no additions, that it alone will be or will not be at all. God may suffer it that unclean additions run through our works and lives but in His Word, which should cleanse me from all addition and filth, He can suffer no addition, or our lives would never become clean in all eternity.” (21)
–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.