I wanted to highlight an opinion piece that appeared in the Houston Chronicle last month: When I look at Donald Trump, I do not see a Christian.

Polls show that 82 percent of white evangelical Protestants support President Donald Trump. As a white evangelical Christian who has read the Bible, I find this hard to understand. When I look at Donald Trump, I do not see a Christian. I do not see a conservative. And when I look at Trump from a Biblical perspective, I certainly don’t see the “chosen one.” I don’t think believers should have anything to do with Trump.

I am probably what you would call a conservative evangelical. I am not a theologian or an academic, but I have read the Bible cover to cover twice. I registered to vote when I turned 18 in 1977, and I’ve voted in every presidential election since then. I have never voted for a Democratic presidential candidate. Politically, I’ve always considered myself a Republican. However, today’s Republican Partly is an embarrassment. This is not the party of Abraham Lincoln. This is not the sunny, optimistic party of Ronald Reagan. That changes in November. Given the mendacity and incompetence of Trump and his administration, I will have no trouble voting for Joe Biden in November.

The writer gives specific examples from the Bible:

In the third chapter of Colossians and the fifth chapter of Galatians, we are given a list of attributes of those living their Christian faith: compassion, kindness, humility and gentleness. I do not associate any of these words with Trump.

But in those same two chapters we are given a list of attributes of those who do not know Christ: anger, fits of rage, malice, slander, filthy language, sexual immorality, and envy. Trump checks most of these boxes.

It’s all worth reading. This is someone who actually takes the Bible seriously. You can tell by the content of the piece. But I know it especially because the author is the brother of my brother-in-law.

Nice job, Bob.

It is the twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost. Today’s Bach cantata is “Herr Christ, der einge Gottessohn” (Lord Christ, the only Son of God):

Today’s Gospel reading is Matthew 22:34-46:

The Greatest Commandment

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Whose Son Is the Messiah?

While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”

“The son of David,” they replied.

He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says,

“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
under your feet.”’

If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.

The text of today’s piece is available here. It contains these words:

Lord Christ, only Son of God,
of the Father in eternity,
sprung forth out of His heart,
just as it is written,
He is the morning star,
His gaze extends far and wide
and is more brilliant than other stars.

Happy listening! Soli Deo gloria.