Epaphras Letters

“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Ro. 15:4). Paul is adamant when he declares hope to be the product of endurance and encouragement. We must remember, though, that Paul has in mind here a special sort of endurance and particular form of encouragement. For Paul, the endurance that produces hope results from suffering. He has told us so. “We also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance” (Ro. 5:3). Enduring suffering establishes us in hope. The form of encouragement which Paul has in mind is simply the promises of God—that is, the encouragement of the Scriptures. Those promises… that encouragement is simply Jesus Christ, the very Word of God. Paul uses the name Jesus, Christ Jesus, or Christ four times in four verses, calling to mind all the promises of the coming Messiah delivered to the people of Israel. The Israelites hoped in his coming; the Gentiles will now hope in his coming. The God of both the Israelites and of the Gentiles is a God of hope so that through faith in him all people will abound in hope because “the Holy Spirit has poured the love of God into their hearts” (Ro. 5:5).

Prayers from those who need hope…

Heavenly Father, your love in our hearts brings hope, so grant us to hear your Word, Jesus Christ, that through him the Holy Spirit pours your love into our otherwise barren, hard hearts. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, your love in our hearts brings hope, hold us fast in your promises as we suffer the work of the devil, the world, and our sinful selves to be done unto us. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, your love in our hearts brings hope, as we endure such suffering, encourage us in Christ so that the suffering indeed leads to hope and casts out despair. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, your love in our hearts brings hope, let us hope for the future of the Institute of Lutheran Theology that it would hold generations-worth of valuable training for preachers of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, your love in our hearts brings hope, grant, during these days of our baptism, that this hope does not disappoint us because we, held in your love, anticipate eagerly the coming of your Son, Jesus Christ, the very Word of promise that encourages us all our days. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

“Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy” (Ro. 13:13).

The Apostle Paul catches us out. His list of vices that describe the antithesis of walking properly in the daytime begins with those vices easy for us to disavow, e.g., orgies, drunkenness, sexual immorality and sensuality. “Easy, peasy,” says the old sinner in us, confident in a self-congratulatory chastity. But, before we can pop any buttons with our inflated self-importance or break an arm patting ourselves on the back, the Apostle goes on to add more vices to the list: quarrelling and jealousy. These catch us out. Their universal applicability exposes every person who reads or hears this witness, exposing them in their sinfulness… in their improper walk… in their participation in the works of darkness… in their provision to gratify the desires of the flesh. Once caught out… once exposed in sinfulness, our pretense of walking properly through the other vices falls away. We may not have sinned in our deeds, but our words and our thoughts convict us. The light of our armor, the Lord Jesus Christ, exposes us as sinners who are dead in our sin.

Prayers from those whose sinfulness is painfully exposed by the light of Christ…

Merciful Father, you gave your Son, Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of my sin. Grant that this forgiveness is delivered to me by my preacher so that I do not fear being exposed by the light of Christ, through Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

Merciful Father, you gave your Son, Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of my sin. Grant that as I receive the absolution from the lips of my preacher, I would in turn pronounce an absolution upon the sins of my neighbor. Through Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

Merciful Father, you gave your Son, Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of my sin. Grant that as my neighbor and I come to live together in mutual forgiveness we would be of some use one to another in this sin-broken and chaotic world. Through Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

Merciful Father, you gave your Son, Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of my sin. Grant that as the Institute of Lutheran Theology teaches and preaches Christ alone and him crucified, the forgiveness of sins would abound among its faculty, students, and staff. Through Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

Merciful Father, you gave your Son, Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of my sin. Grant that this forgiveness of sins attends me all the days of my baptism so that I may wait without anxiety for that day when sin and death shall lose their power and the light of Christ is manifestly visible to all. Through Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

“Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves” (Mt. 25:9). “Nah, nah, na nah, nah. We have oil and you don’t!” Can’t you just hear those teenagers taunting the oil-less ones in that snide, sing-song voice so irritating to those on the receiving end? Those five virgins may have been called “wise,” but they weren’t necessarily “nice.” Regardless of that display of selfishness, that little bunch of teenage girls went in to celebrate the wedding while those with whom they refused to share were denied entrance. As the parable began, all ten of the virgins counted themselves as a part of the wedding celebration. They were included. Even as they are roused from their sleepiness by the announcement of the bridegroom’s impending arrival, all ten—wise and foolish—were there, ready to be admitted. Only in the wake of the wise virgin’s (perhaps we should call them “wise acres”) selfish refusal to share and suggestion to go to the dealers, do those foolish ones absent themselves from the imminent arrival of the bridegroom with his beloved. Notice that when the bridegroom did arrive, he didn’t conduct a lamp inspection, checking to see if they were well-lighted and well-oiled. Those awaiting the bridegroom’s presence, including the wise virgins, simply trusted the groom’s invitation that those present would go in with him and his bride to celebrate the marriage. And so, they did.

Prayers from those feeling inadequate as they wait…

Holy Father, you have bid us wait until the time of your Son’s glory, while we wait hold us in eager confidence that your promises are sure, and your Word is certain. For Jesus’ sake. Amen

Holy Father, you have bid us wait until the time of your Son’s glory, while we wait put your Word on our lips that we would encourage our neighbors to wait in confidence as well. For Jesus’ sake. Amen

Holy Father, you have bid us wait until the time of your Son’s glory, while we wait set our hands to useful tasks for the building up of our families, our neighbors, and our communities. For Jesus’ sake. Amen

Holy Father, you have bid us wait until the time of your Son’s glory, while we wait grant to the Institute of Lutheran Theology the fulfillment of its purpose and the joy of seeing its purpose fulfilled. For Jesus’ sake. Amen

Holy Father, you have bid us wait until the time of your Son’s glory, while we wait let us not lag in the hearing of your Word for that Word and that Word alone sustains us through these days of our baptism. For Jesus’ sake. Amen

“But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short” (Mt. 24:22). “Those days” of tribulation… “those days” of affliction… tribulation and affliction so great and severe as to have never been seen before and will never be seen again… “those days” will be cut short, minimized for the sake of the elect. In other words, those chosen by God to believe will not suffer as much tribulation and affliction as would have been possible for them to suffer. What a blessing for them! But… but it is also a blessing for everyone else. The days of tribulation will be cut short for everybody on account of the elect. Surely, the elect are the children of Abraham for they believe in the Lord as Abraham did and it is reckoned to them as righteousness (Ge. 15:6). These elect, the descendants of Abraham, bring the fulfillment of the covenant made by God with Abraham that all the nations of the world would be blessed through him (Ge. 18:18). In the coming of those days… those days of affliction and tribulation… those days which will be cut short on account of the descendants of Abraham… those days will see all the nations blessed because of Abraham.

Prayers from those thankful for the mercy shown upon the children of Abraham…

Father God, your mercy and steadfast love have been of old, thank you for cutting short the anticipated days of tribulation and affliction so that the coming of the Son of Man will arrive even sooner. Praise be to him! Thanks be to God.

Father God, your mercy and steadfast love have been of old, grant to us the fruits of your love and mercy that we may live these days without fear of “those days” and live these days in anticipation of the coming of the Son of Man. Praise be to him! Thanks be to God.

Father God, your mercy and steadfast love have been of old, as we live these days in anticipation and hope, grant that your Word fill our ears so that the wicked one would have no power over us. Praise be to him! Thanks be to God.

Father God, your mercy and steadfast love have been of old, in these days of anticipation and hope, turn our attention to our neighbors that we may be of use to them while we await the coming of the Son of Man. Praise be to him! Thanks be to God.

Father God, your mercy and steadfast love have been of old, as we are of use to our neighbors, grant that our families and communities grow stronger and live at peace one with another while together we anticipate the coming of the Son of Man. Praise be to him! Thanks be to God.

Father God, your mercy and steadfast love have been of old, raise up students for the Institute of Lutheran Theology so that they may be trained in the faith and sent out as preachers of the Good News of the Son of Man. Praise be to him! Thanks be to God.

Father God, your mercy and steadfast love have been of old, in these days of anticipation and hope, return us again and again to the promise of our baptism: the forgiveness of sins and our being joined to Jesus’ death and resurrection, so that we do not flounder in our faith but confidently face toward the coming of the Son of Man. Praise be to him! Thanks be to God.

“And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment…” (Mt. 9:20). “Unclean! Unclean!” The curse this woman bore made her unclean and unfit for society. People would have ostracized her either by turning a cold shoulder toward her or by actively driving her out of their presence. One must wonder how she made it through the crowd to get close to Jesus. After twelve years of this curse, unhealable by the professional physicians, the woman turned to a more spiritual approach. The curse she suffers under is the result of someone putting an evil eye on her. The fringe of Jesus’ garment would have been tassels dyed purple, commanded by Moses, and bearing two historic meanings. One meaning gave the tassels as a reminder to obey the commandments. The older meaning, though, considered the tassels a talisman to ward off the evil eye. The woman’s touch of the tassels would claim the talisman’s power and reverse the curse of the evil eye. Jesus doesn’t let her get that far. He turns, sees her, and claims her, “Daughter!” Jesus does not permit the woman’s confidence in religious talismans to be the agency of her healing… nor does he let your confidence in your religious talismans to be the agency of your healing. Jesus claims that agency for himself when he declares, “Your faith has made you well.” Her faith—that is, Jesus, who is standing right in front of her. Jesus… who has come to be the woman’s life… who has come to be your life… Jesus comes bringing not only his life but his faith to you. The faith you might possess compares only to a mustard seed, small and meager (Mt. 17:20), unable to accomplish much of anything. Jesus’ faith, though… his faith is the faith that possesses you, heals you, and saves you. Jesus, your faith, indeed makes you well.

Prayers from those prone to boast of the faith that they themselves possess…

Father in heaven, you have sent your Son to be my life, grant that I enjoy his righteousness and his faith, trusting not in my own understandings. Amen

Father in heaven, you have sent your Son to be my life, grant that I know it is no longer I who live but that it is Christ who lives in me. Amen

Father in heaven, you have sent your Son to be my life, grant me such confidence in Christ as my life that I live out my mortal days being useful to my neighbors. Amen

Father in heaven, you have sent your Son to be my life, let me look upon the Institute of Lutheran theology with an eye of mercy and forgiveness even as I work to further its mission. Amen

Father in heaven, you have sent your Son to be my life, during these days of my baptism provide me with opportunity to hear your Word, receive your Sacraments, and confess my sin, so that the life of Christ would be restored within me. Amen

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account” (Mt. 5:11). Blessing comes under the sign of its opposite. Jesus tells his disciples they will be most fruitful (blessed) when they are reviled, persecuted, and accused. As these blessings come under the sign of the opposite, they express Luther’s theology of the cross. Indeed, the cross stands over all the beatitudes present here. The nine conditions given for being blessed (poor in spirit, mourning, meek, hungering and thirsting, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, persecuted, and reviled) are not conditions of triumphalism or glory. No, the conditions present you with humility and suffering. However, beneath these conditions… beneath these opposite signs… you will find your true theology: Jesus Christ, him crucified, and him alone. Jesus promises those who come after him… those who are ultimately sent out to bear witness to him… that they will be most fruitful—that is, bear the truest witness to him—not by preaching glory or triumphalism but by preaching Jesus Christ as the way, the truth, and the life (Jn. 14:6).

Prayers from those who hear triumphalism and glory in these verses rather than the cross…

Father in heaven, open my ears that I might hear your Word and receive the kingdom of heaven through the work of your Holy Spirit rather than my own poor spirit.

Father in heaven, open my ears to receive your Word of comfort in the midst of my mourning.

Father in heaven, train me up to be meek beneath your direction such that my inheritance is the earth of the New Creation.

Father in heaven, grant that your Word so work upon me that I am stripped of all my pretense at righteousness and, being famished for it, satisfy me with Christ’s righteousness.

Father in heaven, hold me in the peace established by your Word so that I do not seek justice for my own sake but, instead, exhibit mercy in all that I do.

Father in heaven, so deliver Jesus Christ, your Word, to me that my heart of stone is taken away and Jesus provides me with a pure and clean heart, his own heart, and then I will know you.

Father in heaven, so establish your promise within me that I can seek peace between any disparate factions because I have nothing of my own to gain.

Father in heaven, open my ears that I might hear your Word promising me the kingdom of heaven when all other words are words of accusation and persecution.

Father in heaven, so call, gather, and enlighten me through your gospel that I would know the fruitfulness of Jesus Christ as I find him beneath the signs of his opposite.

“From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force” (Mt. 11:12). Jesus gets pretty forceful here. The language is reminiscent Christ’s church withstanding an assault from the gates of hell (Mt. 16:18). Heaven, of course, has always been under assault by those who demand entry. Those who demand entry are the ones who think they have a right to be there. They are the deserving ones. This point—demanding entry in heaven because you deserve it—results from works righteousness. This righteousness obligates God and places him in your debt. You, yes you, become the violent person. You coerce God by reason of your deserving. And you, by that coercion, storm heaven by force. Anything less than God having his way with you, salvation or not (Job 13:15), is merely your particular form of works righteousness. Faith alone! God does not lie.

Prayers from citizens of a world that knows only force and coercion…

Heavenly Father, your mercy and steadfast love have been ever present. Remember them for our sake because they are of old. Hear us for Jesus’ sake!

Heavenly Father, your mercy and steadfast love have been ever present. Turn us from knowing your wrath; repent us into your love and mercy, have your way with us that we may trust you.  Hear us for Jesus’ sake!

Heavenly Father, your mercy and steadfast love have been ever present. As we come to trust you, establish within us a desire to help our neighbors in their every need so that our communities may be ones of mutual helpfulness. Hear us for Jesus’ sake!

Heavenly Father, your mercy and steadfast love have been ever present. Grant this mercy and love to those of the Institute of Lutheran Theology, fill their ears with your Word, and strike deep in their hearts with your stroke of grace. Hear us for Jesus’ sake!

Heavenly Father, your mercy and steadfast love have been ever present. During these days of our baptism, as the generations rise and fall before us, grant that we will not fear the end of our mortality and that day of going down to the dust for you will not cease to be our life even as the last breath leaves us and we await our first inhalation of the New Creation. Hear us for Jesus’ sake.

“When he [the royal official] heard that Jesus had come back from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and begged him to come down and heal his son, who was about to die” (Jn. 4:47).  The Greek word that is translated as “begged” is the word “erota.” John favors the word as about half of its uses in the New Testament are found in his gospel. Its core meaning is simply “to ask” but it has these overtones of imploring and begging. The overtones deliver a sense that the one asking has a lack and the one being asked holds the fulfillment of that lack. The royal official begs because he lacks healing for his son, and he has heard that Jesus works miracles. In numbering the official among those who need a sign in order to believe, Jesus gives him no sign but only a word, “Go home, your son will live.” That word fulfilled the official’s lack. It carried the certainty of a promise. God’s Word… Jesus’ Word… fulfills all that your life lacks. It lacks order (In the beginning, the Word of God brought order out of chaos.). Your life lacks freedom from guilt and is in bondage to sin, death, and the power of the devil (Your sins are forgiven for Jesus’ sake.). Your life is your mortality because you are dead in your sin (It is no longer you who live but Christ who lives in you.). Ask! Beg! Implore! Beseech your Lord to fill your lack… to fill the emptiness of your mortality with the fulness of his presence.

Prayers from those who lack a multitude of things…

Father in heaven, we are empty and poured out, we beg you to fill us with the presence of your Son, Jesus Christ, that he may be our life. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

Father in heaven, we are empty and poured out, confessing that we are dead in sin and have only the hope of life as your Son, Jesus Christ comes to give it. Fill us, Father, with your Son. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

Father in heaven, we are empty and poured out, grant that even empty as we are that we would be filled enough to fill our neighbor’s needs. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

Father in heaven, we are empty and poured out, existing only by your providence, The Institute of Lutheran Theology awaits your pleasure in providing the support it needs. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

Father in heaven, we are empty and poured out, grant that the fullness of your Son, Jesus Christ sustain us until that day when he comes in glory. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

“The rest seized his slaves, insolently mistreated them, and killed them. The king was furious! He sent his soldiers, and they put those murderers to death and set their city on fire” (Mt. 22:6-7). Jesus fills this parable with murder after murder. The corpses pile up. First the king’s messengers are seized, scourged, and slaughtered—one pile of corpses. Then, in response, the king’s soldiers execute those who killed the messengers—a second pile of corpses. The soldiers go about wreaking the king’s vengeance and raze the messenger-killer’s cities by fire—yet a third pile of corpses. Jesus fills this parable with murder after murder, making a point—that is, the fatal consequences of rejection. According to the parable those who killed the messengers and were themselves rewarded by the sword; they were the ones with a right to be at a royal wedding. Their lifestyle… their achievements… their pizzazz… would dress up and liven up any royal banquet. But… but they lacked one thing: trust. Lack of trust proved them unworthy while their murdering of the messengers proved them worthy of vengeance. The ultimate attendees at this great wedding feast… the celebration of the bridegroom (Jesus) being united with his bride (the church) … the eschatological banquet… those who made up the crowd feasting upon the king’s largess were simply those who had no right to be there. They were the ones gathered without regard for good or for bad; theirs was a simple trust in the authenticity of the messengers’ invitation. They came.

Prayers from those to whom the messengers are sent…

Holy Father, the messengers of your Son are the preachers in my life. Grant me ears to hear the truth and authenticity of their words. For Jesus’ sake. Amen

Holy Father, the messengers of your Son are the preachers in my life. Grant that, as my ears hear my preacher deliver your invitation to that great banquet in the kingdom of God, my heart would come to trust you and take you at your Word. For Jesus’ sake. Amen

Holy Father, the messengers of your Son are the preachers in my life. Grant that, as I come to take you at your Word, I enjoy the reality of the banquet now by faith. Further, I anticipate with joy the banquet’s manifestation to my senses. For Jesus’ sake. Amen

Holy Father, the messengers of your Son are the preachers in my life. Grant to the Institute of Lutheran Theology the determination to fulfill its calling: the preparation of preachers and teachers for yet another generation. For Jesus’ sake. Amen

Holy Father, the messengers of your Son are the preachers in my life. Grant me to wait in patience with the words of your messengers filling my ears that I would enjoy rest, peace, and contentment until that day when Jesus comes in all his glory. For Jesus’ sake. Amen

“But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” (Mt. 9:6). Jesus then goes on to deliver the paralytic out of his paralysis and into mobility. Ears or eyes… sight or hearing? Those scribes gathered there as part of the crowd witnessing this healing of the paralytic confronted this very dilemma. They couldn’t believe their ears. This fellow Jesus declared the paralytic’s sins forgiven. “Blasphemy!” they charged. Jesus then gave them evidence their eyes could take in. The paralytic got up and walked! Ears or eyes… sight or hearing? There’s a common retort among sinners, “I’ll believe it when I see it!” The underlying assumption in this retort—that seeing is believing—is as old as humanity. There in that ancient Garden, the woman—perhaps not quite believing the serpent’s words—went to that forbidden tree and looked. She looked and she saw that the tree was good for food, that it was a delight to the eyes, and it was desirable for wisdom (Ge. 3:6). The assumption that seeing is believing is a lie; it is not true. Scripture tells us that we walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7) and that faith comes by hearing (Ro. 10:17). Not eyes… not the miracles that we see… not visibly convincing proofs. Rather, it’s ears… the words they hear… specifically the Word of Christ.

Prayers from those who would rather see and then believe…

Father in heaven, your Word has come to us in Jesus Christ. Give us ears to hear so that in our hearing we might believe. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Father in heaven, your Word has come to us in Jesus Christ. Pour upon us the promise of your Word as the water of baptism is poured upon us so that in our believing we would walk by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Father in heaven, your Word has come to us in Jesus Christ. Feed us your Word as the Bread of Life so that when we feast upon the bread and wine at your Table, our faith is nourished, and our walk is strengthened. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Father in heaven, your Word has come to us in Jesus Christ. Speak the Word of absolution over our sins such that, when the evidence of our eyes belies such forgiveness, we can hold to your truthfulness. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Father in heaven, your Word has come to us in Jesus Christ. Send us out to speak this Word into the ears of the world that it would forgo the evidence of its eyes and come to believe and trust in you. In Jesus’ name. Amen