Home > Reading > NALC Devotions – June 7, 2017

Today’s readings: Isaiah 65:1-12; 2 Timothy 2:14-26; Luke 11:53–12:12

My mother would make yeast rolls, especially during the holidays. The aroma of them baking filled the whole house with deliciousness. From time to time, the rolls would not rise as they were supposed to, and my mother would throw that batch out and start over. The leavening was bad; the yeast had not done its job. In the scripture from the Gospel of Luke, Jesus warns the crowd about the hypocrisy of the religious rulers. Jesus compares their hypocrisy to leavening used in baking. If the leavening agent is not good, the whole loaf will be ruined.

So it is with those who claim to be followers of Christ. If your actions and your words do not proclaim Christ, then your hypocrisy can corrupt the faith of other people. The Pharisees had not done their job of proclaiming the spirit of God’s law. They had concentrated on the letter of God’s law. Their regulations about worship and everyday life burdened the people and made religion not about worshiping God, but about personal glory. When you proclaim Christ you need to show both the commands of Christ and the good news that God forgives us and brings new life!

Prayer: Gracious God, help me to be good leavening that brings new life to my world, through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

Today’s devotion was written by Randy Conley, Pastor of Hope Lutheran Church in Hubbard Lake, MI.

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