Readings for Pentecost 13

Is. 66:18-23        

Heb. 12:4-24 (25-29)      

Luke 13:22-30

Passage for meditation: “Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.' "But he will answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from.'” Luke 13:25  

Devotion:  Ever since the 2007 movie “The Bucket List” was released, news stations across the country decided to “investigate” what locals put on their list of things to do before they die.  If you search online, you can find all sorts of examples of peoples personal “bucket lists”. 

It seems that people who make such lists do so because they understand, to some extent, that life is short.  Now is the time to do these things on the list, because once you die- it’s too late.  And so, lists include all things exciting, like skydiving, scuba diving, driving race cars, riding roller coasters, etc.  Other lists include the seemingly mundane, like stopping to smell the roses or telling someone special that you care about them.

After looking at a few online “bucket lists”, one thing I’ve noticed isn’t on them.  No one (that I’ve come across anyway) has on their list “live the rest of my life trusting in Jesus”.

Of all the things on the lists, exciting or mundane, there is nothing more important than living the rest of one’s life trusting in Jesus.  Today is the day of salvation.  Today is the day to live by faith in Christ.  There is no guarantee for tomorrow.  Today is the day to trust that Jesus has come to pay the debt of your sin.  Today is the day to believe that Jesus has risen to give you new life.  Today is the day to live by faith in Jesus who was crucified and risen for you.  Why is living the rest of our lives trusting in Jesus the most important thing?  Because we who believe and trust in Jesus and His work for us on the cross, his victory over death, live now with the promise of life that never ends!  A life of faith in Jesus goes beyond the grave, beyond sin, beyond death.  A life of faith in Jesus means we are a new creation now that looks for the resurrection of the dead and the fullness of the life everlasting! 

This new life of faith in Jesus is given to us the Holy Spirit through Word and Sacraments for us to live now.  So, if you have a “bucket list”, I encourage you to put “live the rest of my life trusting in Jesus” as number one.  Hear God’s Word regularly.  Receive His Supper often.  Remember your baptism daily.  Here the Holy Spirit creates and sustains life giving faith in our life giving Lord.  There is nothing more important.