Mourning and Dancing
In Psalm 12, King David cries out, "Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases! For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men" (v. 1). The Lord God's anointed king lives in a troubling world! Many centuries later, Martin Luther paraphrased the words of David, writing in a hymn text in 1523: "O Lord, look down from heav'n, behold and let Thy pity waken; . . . dark times have us o'ertaken" (TLH 260:1). Looking at our world today, we can relate to both King David and Martin Luther. Yet both men expressed hope in their written words. In his psalm, David writes, "The words of the Lord are pure words, . . . You shall keep them, O Lord" (vv. 6a, 7a). And Luther confidently writes, "So through God's Word shall men endure each trial and temptation" (TLH 260:5). Reformation Day echoes the call to faithfulness heard by God's people through the ages. May we listen well.
Sermon Text: Matthew 11:12-19