Luther Seminary

A daily devotion brought to you by the alumni of Luther Seminary

Archives for October 21, 2021

Thursday, October 21, 2021

Mark 10:46-52 (NRSV)

Read Mark 10:46-52 on biblegateway.com

Verse 46They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. Verse 47When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Verse 48Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Verse 49Jesus stood still and said, "Call him here." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart; get up, he is calling you." Verse 50So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Verse 51Then Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man said to him, "My teacher, let me see again." Verse 52Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

Devotion

Martin Luther once referred to the letter of James as an “epistle of straw” because it didn’t seem to bear a strong enough witness to Jesus Christ and the message of God’s grace. Quoting Ephesians 2:8-9, Luther taught that we are saved by God’s grace through faith as a gift from God. But faith was not simply knowledge of God and of Christ’s sacrifice. For Luther, faith naturally bears fruits. Ephesians 2:10 continues, “we are…created in Christ Jesus for good works.” Today’s gospel reading demonstrates that faith is active. The blind man not only believed that Jesus could heal him, he also got up and went to Jesus when called. The world can leave us feeling defeated, tempted toward complacency and inactivity. Our faith calls us to get up and bear fruit. Through active faith, we and the world around us experience the healing of the risen Christ.

Prayer

“Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart; naught be all else to me, save that thou art: thou my best thought both by day and by night, waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.” In the name of our Triune God. Amen. (Text: Irish, 8th cent)

Albert W. Triolo ’19 D. Min. Senior Pastor, St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, Springfield, VA