Hearing and Doing
Friday’s Verse:
From Luke 8:21 ESV
But (Jesus) answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”
Jesus is not denying the honor due to His mother or the value of family. He is redefining family around the Word of God. In a world where bloodlines, heritage, and outward religiosity often take priority, Jesus says that the true family of God is formed by hearing and doing His Word.
For Lutherans, this is deeply consonant with justification by grace through faith. We do not “do” to become God’s children; we hear the Gospel, receive Christ by faith, and then—by the Spirit’s power—our lives begin to bear the fruit of obedience. Hearing comes first; doing follows as faith’s living response.
Hear: The Word is not background noise. It is God’s address to you—Law to convict, Gospel to save. In preaching, Scripture, and Sacrament, Christ comes near.
Do: Small acts of love, patience, and faithfulness are the “doing” that flows from being claimed by Christ.
✝️ A Prayer for Today:
Gracious Father, make us hearers of Your Word who thus receive Your Gospel in faith, and doers who live out that faith in love. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
The photo above was licensed through Unsplash+