He (Jesus) put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away." Matthew 13:24-25

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

The salvation story of Jesus Christ reaches around the world. So that the readers of our Daily Devotion may see the power of the Savior on a global scale, we have asked the volunteers of our international ministry centers to write our Sunday devotions. We pray that the Spirit may touch your day through their words.

In Christ, I remain, His servant and yours,
Kenneth R. Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour

Last week, when I was going home after the service, a car cut in front of me at a fast speed. He continued on, dodging between other vehicles.

Less than 10 minutes later traffic began to slow down. It was stop-and-go driving for a very long time. Eventually, I could see four vehicles who had been involved in rear-end collisions.

And yes, there was the car that had been piloted so very dangerously.

Such a thing happens not only on the highway. In our society, there are a lot of people who damage others. There are people who steal, people who fool others, people who damage others' lives, and those who oppress or exploit others to achieve wealth or power. These people are common.

What prayer comes from your mouth when you see those people doing harm?

Do you say, "God, why are a lot of people suffering because of them? God, why do You leave them in peace? Why do You not judge them?" In today's passage, the servants ask the same thing. They want to know why the bad deeds of some are allowed to stand.

Jesus answers His disciples and lets them know that evildoers will not go unpunished.

Jesus lets His followers know that God is not ignoring evil, nor will he allow illegality and injustice to prevail forever. Despite the evil in the world, God still rules. As long as we are in this world, there will be God's children and, at the same time, there will be the children of evil. In this world both kinds of people live together.

Today's Word asks God's children not to be discouraged or disillusioned because of the incomprehensible injustice and evil in the world. Instead, we are taught to be patient and faithful in living a righteous and good life.

We wait patiently because, by the Holy Spirit's power, some of those who are children of evil will eventually be called by the Gospel and granted forgiveness and eternal life. For those blessed conversions, the Lord is waiting and it is why we wait also. And while we wait, we pray for them; we embrace, help and love them.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I earnestly pray that we can become people who have faith in Your timing. In the time we have, may we preach the Gospel without despair and be of assistance in moving souls from damnation to the Savior's salvation. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Biography of Author: Today's international devotion was written by Rev. Won Jong-Ho. He is the associate pastor in National Church Council in Korea (NCCK). At present he serves as the Korea Lutheran Hour Broadcasting speaker.

Since reopening in 2003, the Lutheran Hour Ministries center in South Korea has been working to spread the Gospel and create a youthful vibrancy within the church. The Christian resources produced by our ministry in Korea are valuable evangelistic tools that incorporate Korean traditions. Its youth programs, including Project JOEL, retreats, and music festivals, are making positive inroads with younger audiences. Theater events sponsored by our center, as well as seasonal television specials and Advent and Lenten devotions, provide opportunities for non-Christians to connect with Christians and local Lutheran congregations. Our ministry in Korea, by collaborating with the Korea Lutheran Church, is also taking steps to spread the Gospel in North Korea and China.

You can visit LHM-Korea's blog by clicking here.


To learn more about our International Ministries, click here or visit www.lhm.org/international.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: Proverbs 25-26    Acts 4:23-37

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