Old and New
Monday’s Verse:
From Matthew 13:52 ESV
And (Jesus) said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”
Jesus taught in today’s gospel about how treasures in heaven should be valued. This saying paints a pastoral picture of what it means to teach Christian faith. The “old” represents the trustworthy teaching of God’s Word as found in the Law and the Prophets; the “new” is Jesus Christ, who fulfills that teaching. God wastes nothing in His kingdom. All Scripture points to Jesus, and the Church’s treasure is not her teaching traditions, but the life-giving words of God.
We should find comfort in this verse that the Gospel does not negate the Old Testament. Rather, it fulfills it. We crack open the Scriptures, and there we find Christ—promised, revealed, and given for us. The faithful teacher is like a householder who feeds the family well, offering both the ancient promises of God and their fulfillment in the cross and resurrection of Jesus.
Today, open up God’s Word with thanksgiving. Allow the “old” to teach you about Christ as the “new” reveals Him to you. Jesus is the Church’s treasure and the treasure of sinners like you and me.
✝️ A Prayer for Today:
Lord Jesus, teach us by Your Word and Spirit to value both the old and new. Give us hearts that faithfully teach and live by Your Gospel. 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.
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