Northwoods Table Talk

Lection for Jubilate Monday  Leviticus 9:1-24       Luke 9:18-36 Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. How many times have you slept through the sermon?   Yeah, I know, you weren’t sleeping, just nodding in agreement. Either that, or you were just trying to work out a kink in your neck. OK, you weren’t sleeping, but you certainly weren’t coherently paying attention. Maybe you were day dreaming, or watching someone nearby. Whatever it was, you could not have told anyone what the sermon was about. There is much in our live that we could say we sleep through.   No, not sleeping with eyes closed, heavy breathing, or loud snoring, but sleeping through it through in terms of missing it altogether. I remember and evening I was sleeping pretty soundly when the phone rang. I ran out of the house that Tuesday morning hoping it wasn’t ...

Lection for Jubilate        Leviticus 8:1-13, 30-36        Luke 9:1-17    Jesus withdrew by himself with His disciples, and as often happened, a crowd following Him. Jesus spoke to them about the kingdom of God and healing people. He kept on speaking till the day was ending. Can you imagine listening to someone speaking God’s Word all d ay, even to the point of skipping meals? There were about five thousand men who did so (and women and children). But at the end of the day, without the apparent means of feeding them, the disciples suggest that Jesus send them away. He says, “You give them something to eat!” I can only imagine the look of incredulity on their faces as they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless perhaps we go and buy food for all these people.” There is no way they can afford to feed them all with what they have – what is more, they could not even afford to purchase enough. Jesus is not de...

Lection for Misericordias Domini - Saturday  Exodus 40:17-38      Luke 8:40-56 In our text, we have an account of Jesus healing a little girl.   Did you pay attention to it?   I want you to listen again to just a portion of that lesson, the interaction between Jesus and the people gathered When He came to the house, He did not allow anyone to enter with Him, except Peter and John and James, and the girl’s father and mother. Now they were all weeping and lamenting for her; but He said, “Stop weeping, for she has not died, but is asleep.” And they began laughing at Him, knowing that she had died. (vv. 51-53) They laughed at Jesus? Why? Simply put, they did not believe in Him. They could not believe what he was saying because they knew that she was dead, and death is the ultimate end of all things. After a certain amount of time, even with today’s medical advance, there is no coming back from death. When it comes, death is the one thing that cann...

Lection for Misericordias Domini - Friday  Exodus 39:32-40:16       Luke 8:22-39 With tomorrow being Opening Day of fishing Wisconsin, my memory wandered a bit to a past trip with a friend in his boat fishing. We were out in the middle of the lake, leaned back with feet up on the gunwale relaxing, soaking up the sun. Fishing was slow, you’re a bit relaxed. I finally got a bite, put my feet down and they splash as water comes up over my shoe-tops and fills them. The fish on the end of my pole took a secondary priority as the 6 inches of water in the bottom of the boat was a bit of a shock and quickly got my attention. It did not scare me, but I was a bit concerned, we were in the middle of the lake after all. I shouted at Steve, in the same leaned back position, “Hey, where’d all the water come from?” He looked down and immediately scrambled to the back of the boat.   I grabbed the empty coffee can and proceeded to bail water as Steve began the frant...

Lection for Misericordias Domini - Thursday Exodus 38:21-39:8       Luke 8:1-21 What is it that scares you? Lions? Tigers?   Bears?   And yes, you need to have a hearty,” oh my,” come at the end of that phrase. How about this, “birds, rocks, thorns, oh my.” You are not worried about lions or tigers or bears because they are all out of sight, and hence, out of mind. According to our text we should be a little concerned about birds, rocks, and thorns.   These are things which Jesus uses in today’s parable, to explain that which can rob us of faith and leave us in a seriously ugly condition for eternity. Our text is a parable, so we need to understand some things. First, the sower is our Heavenly Father, and the seed is Christ, the very Word of God which became flesh for us. Birds, rocks, and thorns, for these are the things that can rob us of our faith in Christ. Satan is like the bird that eats the seed on the path, who takes the Word from t...

Lection for Misericordias Domini - Wednesday Exodus 34:29-35:21       Luke 7:36-50 Jesus goes to a Pharisee’s home because He was invited to do so. While there, a “woman in the city who was a sinner” came to the house and washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and anointed them with perfume. In the meantime, the Pharisee who had invited him said to himself, “If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner.” Jesus knew, He knew it full well. Here is Jesus, very God of very God, the Son of the Father, the One who spoke things into existence,…AND…who was present in human flesh for one single purpose. What is that purpose? He came to give His life unto death to pay the ransom owed by sinners. So yes, Jesus knew her sins, and more to the point, He knew Simon’s. Jesus then gives the teaching of the moneylender who forgave debts. Which debtor is more grateful of a forgiven debt? The obvious answ...

Lection for Tuesday of Misericordias Domini  Exodus 34:1-28       Luke 7:18-35 John had been thrown in prison, his disciples were distraught – they wondered if John was truly a prophet of the most high God and was his message true? They were, at the very least, uncertain what to do with themselves now. John, knowing that he wasn’t going to be set free, sent them to Jesus to ask if He was the One who was going to come. After assuring them that He was indeed the Christ, the Son of Man, they left. After John’s disciples left, Jesus asked the crowds. “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are dressed in splendid clothing and live in luxury are in kings' courts. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, 'Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepar...

Daily Lection for Misericordias Domini Exodus 33:1-23      Luke 7:1-17 Jesus went to Nain with a great crowd and his disciples.   As they drew near to the gate another crowd was coming out of the city.   You can well imagine that there were some of those with Jesus who were hoping to see some great miracle, for it often seems that many of the people who followed Him were doing so because they were looking for next great sign or miracle. You might say that on that day, death was coming out of the city and life was walking in.   A dead man was being carried out of the city as the Author of life, hidden in the garb of human flesh, was walking in.   Sorrow was heading to the burial ground and excited anticipation was coming into the city. It was at the gates of the city that the two parties met. How often had those following Jesus asked for healing?   How often had they begged for His mercy?   How many times did they want the mir...