455. Tuesday after Twenty-sixth Sunday after Trinity.
Let thy light shine for us,
thou Spirit of God;
and drive the darkness
out of our soul. Amen.
1 Corinthians 1, 17-21. For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
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Christ thanks the Father, “because he hath hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hath revealed them unto babes”; and to us he says: “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Be, then, simple as a child; admit that with your natural wisdom you understand nothing of the truth unto salvation; and pray that God the Holy Ghost may kindle in you the light of faith. They have not entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. These things are too foolish and too glorious to have been invented by man. If we ourselves were to have prepared a scheme of salvation, would we, do you think, have ordained that the Son of God should die for us, and we be justified freely by faith in him? No; this plan of saving sinners could have originated only with God; nor could we by any possibility have established this rule of life, that “he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” We never would have hit upon this plan; to us it would have seemed altogether too simple. — Nevertheless, because these things are of God, and are exalted above all wisdom, we must become foolish in order to learn them. Never think to be able with your reason to grasp the divine truth unto salvation; but become a little child, and believe the gospel. Look to him who hangs on the cross, and live; for it has pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. Bless the Lord for this in all eternity! Merciful God, give us grace to believe, by thy Holy Spirit, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.*
All our knowledge, sense, and sight
Lie in deepest darkness shrouded,
Till thy Spirit breaks our night
With the beams of truth unclouded.
Thou alone to God canst win us,
Thou must work all good within us.
Glorious Lord, thyself impart!
Light of light, from God proceeding,
Open thou our ears and heart,
Help us by thy Spirit’s pleading;
Hear the cry thy people raises,
Hear, and bless our prayers and praises.
[TLH 16, LSB 904, ELH 1; listen here]
* Here the head of the family says a short morning or evening prayer in his own words, and closes with the Lord’s Prayer and the Benediction. This is to be done every day. If the stanzas are not sung, they may be read in their proper place before the impromptu petition and the Lord’s Prayer.