Ears To Hear The phrase, “He who has ears, let him hear,” pops up throughout scrip-

ture. In Matthew 13, for instance, as Jesus teaches the crowds and His disciples, He says the phrase, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear,” targeting those who, by faith and the work of the Holy Spirit, have been given Ears to Hear. Who is Jesus referring to with this mysterious, prover-bial phrasing?

In the chapters preceding Matthew 13, there are three groups listening to Jesus as He teaches them about the kingdom. 1. Those who believe Jesus is the Messiah. 2. Those who question if He is the Messiah. 3. Those who reject Him as the Messiah. As Jesus begins teaching by means of parables in chapter 13 He is addressing each of these groups. And He is addressing us, today, too.

As people today hear the teachings and parables of Jesus, how do they hear His words? Do they understand and accept them by faith, or do they reject and not understand them? How do WE hear them? Only those with Ears to Hear will truly understand.

As baptized Christians we have been given Ears to Hear by the Holy Spirit. The parables are allegorical and have deeper meaning, but we are well equipped to understand Jesus’ teaching. We can hear and understand scripture through the gift of faith. We have Ears to Hear so let’s listen to Jesus! And, by the Spirit’s directing, let us understand Him, strengthen our faith, and praise God!

We invite you to join us each week, too! Daily devotional books like this one will be provided each week in an effort to con-nect the Sunday messages with your daily life. The devotions have all been written by either lay members or ministry staff of Holy Trinity.

The Sunday devotional offers a review of the Scriptures and message from that day’s worship service, allowing opportunity to further reflect on the sermon. The rest of the week offers a daily Scripture passage with a few thoughts to consider. On the back of the booklet is our weekly prayer list to assist in your prayers.

If you’ve missed any Sunday, you can always find our services and sermons online at www.holytrinityedmond.org/sermons.

July 12, 2020: Sow What? | Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

July 19, 2020: Sort When? | Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

July 26, 2020: Secure Who? | Matthew 13:44-52

Secure Who? Sunday Sermon Review

July 26, 2020

Jesus teaches a variety of shorter parables at the end of chapter 13. Jesus seems to be repeating Himself, restating His parables with minor variations. This duplication is clearly to make a point, helping His disciples to really hear and un-derstand His message about the kingdom.

For instance, the third parable in this section seems like a variation on Jesus’ Parable of the Weeds, only using fishing imagery to instruct His disciples. So also two brief parables have many similarities to one another. Scholars, exegetes and theologians have differing opinions and interpretations on every one of Jesus’ par-ables, and that is especially true for these two short parables: the Parable of the Hidden Treasure and the Parable of the Pearl of Great Value.

Some say these two parables are about the cost of discipleship—that a believer must be ready to give up everything for the kingdom. But others argue these par-ables are about Jesus, who gave up everything to secure us, His prized posses-sion. Jesus’ entire ministry culminated in His death and resurrection where He gave up everything to secure us and save us. The kingdom is ours because Jesus has purchased us. That was an encouragement for the first hears of these para-bles and it is an encouragement for us still, today!

Reflecting on Today’s Sermon:

1. At what point was I confronted with the Law?

2. What comfort did the Gospel bring?

3. What story/phrase/teaching stuck out to me?

4. What did I learn about God from this sermon?

5. In response to the Word of God, I will…

Pray: Lord Jesus, I marvel at Your great love for me! The devil, the world, even my own guilty conscience all try to convince me I am of no worth. Yet, You see me as a priceless treasure, and have given up everything to secure me as Your own! I praise You, O Lord! Guide me with Your Holy Spirit to live as one who is so dearly loved; and also to love others with the knowledge that You love them, too, and that You came to secure them, too. Come soon, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Treasure Hunters By Kyle and Nikki Young

Monday, July 27, 2020

Proverbs 2:1-5: My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my command-

ments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to

understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understand-

ing, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will

understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. (ESV)

In 1969, Mel Fisher began a journey to find the wreckage of a Spanish ship that

sank in the Caribbean Sea in 1622. Translated manifests indicated the ship was

carrying a great treasure from America: gold, silver, jewels, the works. The ship

was the Nuestra Senora de Atocha and would become Mel’s obsession.

For several years Mel’s obsession was rewarded with only bits of treasure scat-

tered along the ocean floor. Little by little, the finds began to form a pattern. Still,

no treasure was found. Things got worse in 1975 when Mel’s oldest son, and other

members of the crew, drowned when one of their boats capsized. The family de-

cided to continue through the pain and sorrow.

Then, in 1985, they finally found what they had been searching for. They found

the main hull of the Atocha, as well as the majority of the treasure she had been

carrying. However, they continue, still, to search for the bow of the ship and even

more treasure. The value of the treasure at this point is about $400 million, but

they are not satisfied. The obsession lives and the search continues.

Proverbs 2 shows us the multitude of treasures God provides for us. His Word

and commandments give us ears to hear and understand. This leads to wisdom,

Godly wisdom. The result is our obsession with God’s Word. Whether it be scat-

tered verses in a devotional or the ultimate “mother lode” of the Bible. The more

we get, the more we seek. Though we suffer sorrow and pain, this treasure hunt

goes on. Unlike the search for the Atocha, our finds don’t leave us desperate and

doubting, but they enlighten us to God’s love and knowledge.

This is not a treasure hidden from us, hoping to not be found. Our Triune Treas-

ure seeks us out! We are God’s obsession and He longs to be with us. Seek your

treasure today by digging in the Word.

Pray: Father God, I pray You lead us in our search for Your heavenly treasure.

Make it our obsession and passion. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Treasured Possessions By Myrna Lou Meyer

July 28, 2020

Psalm 135:3-4: Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praise to his name, for

that is pleasant. For the Lord has chosen Jacob to be his own, Israel to be his

treasured possession. (NIV)

What does the word treasure mean to you? Maybe family members come to

mind: parents and siblings, spouse and children, grandchildren and close friends.

Or perhaps you look around your home and see treasures: family photos, mother’s

favorite candy dish, grandpa’s watch, grandma’s handmade quilt.

All of those are good. They are people and things that are dear to us, reminding

us of happy times. But the word treasure in Psalm 135 has much more meaning.

God chose Israel to be His treasured possession. Because God knows all things,

He knew that Israel would be unfaithful to Him time and time again. Yet He re-

mained faithful to His people, forgiving them time after time. After all, they were

His treasured possession.

The same is true of us. We, the people living in 2020, are God’s treasured pos-

session. He has chosen us to be His people, and we became His through baptism.

Like Israel, we are not perfect; we sin every day. And every day, our loving God

forgives us when we come to Him in repentance and faith.

What a blessing it is to know that! And what a relief to know that, because of

Jesus’ death and resurrection, we can be sure that we are God’s treasured pos-

sessions. Because the Holy Spirit has given us faith to believe, we can say with

the psalmist, “The Lord is good.” And we can sing His praises, not just in familiar

hymns on Sunday morning but in what we say and do each and every day.

Pray: Dear Lord, thank You for choosing me when I did not and could not choose

You. Thank You for making me Your treasured possession. As I go about my daily

life, whether at work or play, help me to remember Your love and to share it with

those around me. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.

Dogs, Pigs, and Buses By Pastor Jonathan Meyer Wednesday, July 29,2020

Matthew 7:6: “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.”

My two dogs, Barley and Hops, are notorious in our house for “miraculously” appearing wherever human food is being consumed. It never fails! With two little girls at home, dropping crumbs wherever they go, Barley and Hops are constantly showing off their vacuum cleaner impressions.

Sometimes, however, it’s not simply that the girls got a little sloppy with their snacks; nor even that they weren’t paying attention as the dogs quickly snagged a bite from their plates. These things happen, but they can be excused of kids. No, the problem comes when Lydia or Eleanor choose to not eat the good food we provided, and instead purposefully feed it straight to the dogs! The dogs LOVE them for it, but it sure gets Daddy flustered! After all, I paid good money for that food, and I don’t want it wasted on the dogs!

Our passage for today is a famous phrase, though it is sometimes taken out of context to mean something Jesus did not. “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs…” Often, when I hear people reference this phrase, they seem to use it like how in reference to not wasting something nice/good/valuable on someone who won’t appreciate it. (Much like I do when my daughters waste good food on the dogs.) Some even interpret Jesus as telling His disciples to not waste imparting wisdom, or even the Gospel, on someone who will only reject it. (As if the Gospel were only for believers, which leads to “double predestination.”) This cannot be!

Leading up to our verse, Jesus is discussing judging others. “Judge not, that you be not judged” (7:1), Jesus says prior to talking about pointing out the speck in a brother’s eye while ignoring the log or plank in your own eye (7:4-5). Only THEN does Jesus speak our verse for today.

In the context of not judging others, Jesus is teaching us how to love one an-other. He has made us holy by grace in Baptism—so don’t throw His holy ones to the dogs by judging them. We are His priceless treasures, His pearls of great value (13:45-46)—so don’t cast Jesus’ priceless pearls, your fellow believers, to the pigs to be trampled. A modern way of saying it is, “Don’t throw someone under the bus.” Otherwise, we may just find ourselves being trampled upon, too; for we, with logs in our eyes, are not without sin and deserve our own judgment.

Our calling as followers of Jesus is to love. Sure, sometimes love means point-ing out sin—there is a time for that. But first and foremost, we love for the sake of Christ, who loved us and was thrown to the dogs in judgment for us.

Pray: Lord Jesus, I thank You for being trampled upon in judgment on my behalf. Lead me to faithfully follow You in humble service and love for others. Amen.

More Than Conquerors By Betsy Allie

Thursday, July 30,2020

Romans 8:32: He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all –

how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? (NIV)

This whole section of Romans, starting with verse 28, is called “More Than Con-

querors” and is, I believe, a favorite for many of us. The verse just before our

reading, verse 31, says, “What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is

for us, who can be against us?” Our Sanctuary Choir, earlier this Spring, was work-

ing on a song taken from this very section of Romans, called “If God is For Us.”

We were just waiting for an appropriate Sunday to sing it. Everyone likes the song,

because everyone likes (and needs) to be reminded that nothing can separate us

from the love of Christ.

I’m sure all of us have felt under attack at times in our life. We’ve had disap-

pointments, illnesses, setbacks, difficulties, tragedies, losses. Sometimes it feels

as though everything is against us, kicking us when we’re down. But we don’t face

adversity like the world does. We are never alone – God is for us.

We must remember that God “did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for

us all” and Jesus gave up everything to secure us for His kingdom. I can’t even

imagine being loved that much, especially when I know I’m not being very lovable.

But I thank and praise God that He does love us that much, so much that He gives

us all things, starting with forgiveness, adding the Holy Spirit and culminating in

eternal life in heaven.

And we’re told that we are more than conquerors. That means we are more than

winners, more than survivors, more than champions. We are beloved of God, re-

deemed by Christ Jesus, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Wow! But lest I start feeling

too conceited, I have to notice that none of these things were done by me. They

were all done for me. How amazing is our God!

This is especially comforting and inspiring to hear now during these trying times.

Mark this section of Romans so that it’s handy when you’re feeling lonely or

stressed. Read it and you’ll find yourself (virtually) running up those stairs with

Rocky Balboa and raising your hands to Heaven.

Pray: Thank you, Father, for giving us the Scriptures, so that we can read and

hear Your Word at any time, and be reminded of everything You have done for us.

Thank You that nothing can separate us from You. Help me live in such a way that

all will know that I am more than a conqueror in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Net Influence By John Grunow

Friday, July 31, 2020

Deuteronomy 7:6-9: For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord

your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his

people, his treasured possession. The Lord did not set his affection on you and

choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were

the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the Lord loved you… and redeemed

you from the land of slavery…Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he

is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of

those who love him and keep his commands. (NIV)

The internet has become an essential tool in the way our world communicates.

Extensions of the net, such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, make it possible

to engage in conversation with people we don’t even know and many economic

and political groups take advantage of that. They use the opinions and preferences

of social influencers in an effort to shape the way we shop and think.

Jesus implies that His kingdom is a “social influencer” when He describes the

kingdom of heaven as a net (Matt 13:47-50). Like a net, it quietly moves through

the culture. It sets boundaries and changes the direction that people are swimming

and they are not even aware that they are being influenced. Jesus also indicates

that within our culture, swimming all together, are both “good fish” and “bad fish”

and He will sort them out at the end of time.

In our text for today, Moses helps us to understand who the “good fish” are. The

“good fish” are simply those chosen by God. They are “holy to the Lord…chosen

to be his people, his treasured possession”. They are not chosen for special qual-

ities, “but it was because the Lord loved you…and redeemed you from the land of

slavery.” And “good fish” are influenced by the net to respond to God as they “love

him and keep his commands”.

As a “good fish” in the kingdom of heaven, God does not change where you

swim but He does give you a new heart that is faithful and loving like His. His net

influence makes it possible for you, as a “good fish,” to be a guide for those swim-

ming around you.

Pray: Lord God, thank You for choosing me and changing my heart. May Your life

in me influence the culture around me. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Critical to Mission Support By John Grunow

Saturday August 1, 2020

I Peter 2:9: But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s

special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of

darkness into his wonderful light. (NIV)

I retired from my position as a physician at the OU Health Science Center on

June 30, 2020. Two weeks later, when I returned to campus to update my laptop,

I swiped my new “Retiree” badge on the scanner to unlock the door and nothing

happened. Access denied. Then I read the notice on the locked door that said,

“Staff Critical to Mission Support.” I was no longer a part of the mission.

That is the way of the world’s economic systems. One day we are an important

component with access to all things important, and the next day we are irrelevant.

Be it retirement, furloughs, sickness, family matters, company problems, when our

contribution to the economic system is no longer needed, we are locked out.

But God’s system, His kingdom, is not like the world’s systems.

Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field…a mer-

chant looking for fine pearls.” (Matt 13:44-45) In the kingdom of heaven you are

the hidden treasure; you are the pearl of great price. God sold all he had to pur-

chase you: He sent His own Son to die in your place. He paid the price.

Peter echoes this thought. You have enduring relevance in God’s kingdom. You

are chosen, royal, holy and special. And the reason is so “that you may declare

the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

God wants the world to know what life is like when you live in His kingdom. As

a citizen of His kingdom you demonstrate “kingdom life” to the world around you.

God is love; you are loving. God forgives; you are forgiving. God is compassionate;

you are compassionate. God serves; you are serving. As your light shines before

others, “they will see the good that you do and give glory to your father, who is in

heaven.” (Matt 5:16).

Only those in God’s kingdom can do this. You are critical to mission support!

Pray: Lord God, thank You for making us a part of Your kingdom. Help us display Your character to the world around us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Cop-yright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

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