κήρυξον τὸν λόγον

Then the woman said to Elijah, ‘Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the Word of YHWH in your mouth is truth’ (v 24). [Prayer] Lord God, Heavenly Father, bless Your Word wherever it is proclaimed. Make it a word of power and peace to convert those not yet your own and to confirm those who have come to saving faith. May Your Word pass from ear to heart, and heart to lip, and lip to life that, it may achieve the purpose for which you give it, through Jesus Christ, your son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. [Catechism] Last week we focused on the first commandment, the one of the heart: You shall have no other gods before [above or in addition to YHWH] . This week we turn to the second commandment, which our Large Catechism says leads us forward and directs us to the mouth and tongue of God: You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God . Please turn now to page 321 in your service book, and let’s remember what th...

And the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know this that you are a man of God, and that the word of Yahweh in your lips is truth” (v 24). Jesus Christ is the Lord of Life. No objections, right? In the beginning, he created life. He continues to sustain life. And in the end, he will resurrect and renew life. The eternal life is yours in Christ. We know this because God’s word is truth. This truth is as plain as day in our Old Testament and Gospel readings, which are practically mirrors of each other. In our readings today from 1 Kings 17 and Luke 7, God sends forth his Word to intervene in the lives of grieving mothers to create saving faith, to give us life and to provide a glimpse of the resurrection into eternal life.  God’s Word, which is life, defeats death. And on this Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity, the news of this should be spreading like wildfire. The light of life defeats death. Death has no more dominion over you. Death is dead and dying. He is risen! He is risen, indeed! Ha...