Thursday of the Fourteenth Week After Trinity

September 10, 2026 Today's Reading: Catechism: How can bodily eating and drinking do such great things?Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 9:1-13; 10:18-29; 2 Kings 13:1-18:8; Philippians 2:12-30 How can bodily eating and drinking do such great things? Certainly not just eating and drinking do these things, but the words written here: “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” These words, along with the bodily eating and drinking, are the main thing in the Sacrament. Whoever believes these words has exactly what they say: “forgiveness of sins.” (Small Catechism - The Power of the Sacrament of the Altar) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. You eat, and a few hours later, you're hungry again. You listen to a teacher or boss tell you something, and 5 minutes later, you can’t remember what they said. This seems to be our normal course of life.When it comes to the things of God, suddenly it changes. When you come to the Lord’s table to eat of His body and drink of His blood, let’s be honest, physically, what you consume isn’t much. A small wafer and a sip of wine. That’s it. The reality is much greater than what your human eyes see and your senses experience. In that wafer of bread is the very body of Christ Jesus that hung dying on the cross for your forgiveness. In that wine is the very blood of Christ Jesus, poured out on the cross for your forgiveness. That is what Jesus says through the voice of your pastor. Jesus’ very Body and Blood, which you eat and drink, is “given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” Jesus cannot lie, and so you have exactly what He says.So why both? Why can’t we just hear Jesus’ words, “given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins,” and skip the eating and drinking? Because our God works through means, through earthly, visible, tangible things. He does this in order that you might not doubt but believe. Your Lord puts His body into your body, puts His blood into you, so that you have no question who the “you” is of His statement. You have eaten of His body; you have sipped of His blood; His forgiveness is “for you” who have eaten and drunk believing Jesus so that you can experience what He promises: the forgiveness of all your sins.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. We eat this bread and drink this cup, Your precious Word believing That Your true body and Your blood Our lips are here receiving. This Word remains forever true; All things are possible with You, For You are Lord Almighty. (LSB 622:4) Rev. Daniel Voth, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Grand Forks, ND.