October 30, 2026
Today's Reading: Introit for Trinity 22 - Psalm 130:1-2, 7-8; antiphon: Psalm 130:3-4
Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 31:30-32:27; Matthew 20:1-16
“If You, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.” (Psalm 103:3-4)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
“Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD!” That’s how Psalm 130 begins. The depths. Not the shallows, not the comfortable middle ground, but the depths - the place where you’re in over your head, where the water is closing in, where you can’t save yourself.
Maybe you know what that feels like. The guilt of something you’ve done that you can’t undo. The shame of falling into the same sin again. The fear that God is keeping score and you’re losing badly. The depths are where you go when you realize you can’t fix yourself, when all your excuses run out, when you’re finally honest about how much you need help.
The psalmist asks the question we’re all afraid to ask: “If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?” If God kept a record of our sins, if He tallied up every wrong thought, every selfish word, every broken promise, every moment of pride or lust or hatred - who could stand before Him? The answer is obvious: nobody. Not one person. We’d all be condemned.
But then comes the word that changes everything: “But with you there is forgiveness.” Not because we’ve earned it. Not because our good deeds outweigh our bad ones. Not because we’ve finally gotten our act together. But because with God there is forgiveness. It’s who He is. It’s what He does.
And you know where we find this forgiveness: at the cross. Jesus went into the depths for you - into the depths of suffering, the depths of God’s wrath against sin, the depths of death itself. He took your iniquities upon Himself so that God wouldn’t mark them against you. He stood in your place so that you could stand before God forgiven, clean, and righteous.
That’s why the psalm says, “that you may be feared.” The fear of the LORD isn’t terror; it’s awe, reverence, and trust. When you realize that the God who has every right to condemn you has instead forgiven you, when you understand that the depths you deserved were suffered by Jesus in your place, you can’t help but fall to your knees in wonder.
“O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption.” That’s the promise. It’s not just a little redemption, not barely enough to squeak by, but plentiful redemption. It’s more than enough. It's overflowing, abundant. It’s for you.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
“From depths of woe I cry to Thee, in trial and tribulation; Bend down Thy gracious ear to me, Lord, hear my supplication. If Thou rememb’rest every sin, who then could heaven ever win or stand before thy presence? Though great our sins, yet greater still is God’s abundant favor; His hand of mercy never will abandon us, nor waver. Our shepherd good and true is He, who will at last His Israel free from all their sin and sorrow.” LSB 607:1, 5)
Rev. Dr. Thomas Brown, pastor of Saint Paul Lutheran Church in Spearfish, SD.
Where are you looking for meaning? In Lift Your Eyes: How to Live Outside Yourself author Joshua Pfeiffer charts a compelling path outward: upward to God in faith and gratitude, outward to our neighbors in love and service, and forward in joyful anticipation of resurrection.
