Tag Archives: Matthew

Jesus is the Messiah

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on June 19, 2015
Tags: , , Matthew   

Who Am I? I Am Thine! — Rev. David J. Schreffler

June 19, 2015

“When Jesus had finished…he went away from there, and coming to his own country he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s son?” Matthew 13:54-55

“Who am I? They often tell me
I would step from my cells’ confinement
calmly, cheerfully, firmly,
like a squire from his country-house.

Who am I? They often tell me
I would talk to my warders
freely and friendly and clearly,
as though it were mine to command.

Am I then really all that which other men tell of?
Or am I only what I know of myself,
restless and longing and sick, like a bird in a cage,
struggling for breath, as though hands were
compressing my throat…

Who am I? They mock me, these lonely questions
of mine.
Whoever I am, thou knowest, O G*d, I am thine.”

Letters and Papers from Prison
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906 – 1945)
(P. 107 – 108) “For All The Saints” volume II

“Is not this the carpenter’s son?”, comes the question of the hometown folk. “Who am I?” comes the question of Dietrich Bonhoeffer in his poem. It begs the question we must ask ourselves every day: Am I a carpenter, a lawyer, a butcher, a pastor, or am I a child of G*d? No matter how others look to define us, or how society wants to label us, we have one important identity: child of G*d. Jesus was both, the child of G*d and the child of a carpenter. We too carry multiple labels within us — but only one is truly defining: child of G*d.

A Closing Prayer for the Evening

Forgive me, Lord Jesus, for the things I have done that make me feel uncomfortable in Your presence. All the front that I polish so carefully for men to see, does not deceive You. For You know every thought that has left its shadow on my memory. Thou hast marked every motive that curdled something sweet within me. I acknowledge, with sorrow and true repentance, that:

I have desired that which I should not have;
I have toyed with what I knew was not for me;
I have been preoccupied with self-interest;
I have invited unclean thoughts into my mind and entertained them as honored guests;
My ears have often been deaf to Your whisper;
My eyes have been often blind to the signs of Your guidance.

Make me willing to be changed, even though it requires surgery of the soul, and the therapy of discipline. Make my heart warm and soft, that I may receive and accept now the blessings of Your forgiveness, the benediction of Your “Depart in peace….and sin no more.” In Jesus’ name…….Amen

Peter Marshall (1902 – 1949) “For All The Saints” volume II (p. 103-104)

Pastor Dave

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on June 6, 2015
Tags: , , Matthew   

Good Fruit / Bad Fruit — Rev. David J. Schreffler

June 6, 2015

“Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil.” Matthew 12:33ff

“Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, ‘See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?’ He replied, ‘Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’ ” Luke 13:6-9

We have a saying in our society that goes something like this: “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” We usually use this saying when we are talking about the son or daughter of someone we know – and usually when they are following in the footsteps of their parent, in a not-so-good way. In other words, a tree that is bad produces fruit that is bad. The parable of the fig tree is one of the more powerful parables about the Grace of G*d. G*d does not want trees that are bad — and so looks to do all that G*d can to help make the tree good. The tree, speaking of humans of course, makes its own decisions about being fruitful or not, and bearing fruit — the choice to be good or bad fruit — is within our decision-making. But the implication about the parable is that G*d does not give up on us. G*d will continue to give us fertilizer through G*d’s Word, to water us with the spirit, and to provide sunshine through the Son, but it is our choice if we will allow all of this to transform us. The parable allows for either ending — we have no idea if the tree is cut down, and since it is not cut down immediately, we must assume that there are endless opportunities to turn things around, and produce good fruit.

The tree is known by its fruit. What kind of fruit will you be today?

Pastor Dave