September 2, 2024

Today's Reading: Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9

Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 18:20-40; Ephesians 2:1-22

“And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you. (Deuteronomy 4:1)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” This was the question asked of Jesus by a Jewish lawyer, an expert in the Law of Moses. How did Jesus answer him? He pointed the lawyer back to the words Moses had written down in the Law; “Do this and you will live.” It’s really not all that complicated, inheriting eternal life. It’s actually quite simple: keep the Law given to Moses, and you will live forever with God in the Promised Land of Paradise. 

It's true; you can climb the ladder into heaven without Jesus – you can save yourself. God promises eternal life to you, but there is one condition. You must keep the entire law of God perfectly from the heart. To simplify things further, you could reduce the whole Law of God into just two: love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself– that’s it. Do this, and you will live. God guarantees it.  

God isn’t playing games with us by making an impossible promise. He knows we can’t be perfect, as He is perfect. He knows we do not and cannot love Him perfectly from our hearts, let alone love others in complete selflessness – but that really is the point, isn’t it? God uses the Law to bring us to the point where we realize we can’t keep our end of the bargain. God wants to bring a confession out of us, “Who then can be saved?” When the Law has done this, we are ready for Jesus’ answer: “With man it is impossible, but not with God” (Mark 10:27).

Jesus has done what we cannot do. He alone whole-heartedly loved and obeyed His Father. God sent His own Son not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it, every bit of it. Jesus has made what is impossible for us possible! He fulfilled the righteous requirement of the law for you (Romans 8:3-4). What’s the catch? What’s the condition so that we might be certain that eternal life is ours? There is no condition; there is only the promise: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life” (John 5:24). There is nothing left to do that Jesus has not already done, and Jesus has done it all for you! In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

-Rev. Darrin Sheek, pastor at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Anaheim, CA.

The new Guiding Word series takes you through all the books of the Bible in six volumes. Starting with the Books of Moses—Genesis through Deuteronomy—you will explore every passage of every chapter of each book with the help of maps, diagrams, links between the testaments, and clarification points.