“When an unclean spirit comes out of a person, he roams through waterless places looking for rest, and not finding rest, he then says, ‘I’ll go back to the house I left.’ After returning, he finds the house swept and put in order. Then, he goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than himself, […]
Christ’s Glory is Hidden in the Rejection by His Own: Matthew 26: 57-68
March 23, 2011 by
Wherever and whenever Jesus and His cross appear, hostility will eventually follow. Opposition and, sometimes, even persecution will follow–not outward glory. For Christ hides His glory under the cross of rejection. What should surprise us, however, is the source of that opposition and persecution! Who is the most hostile and has the most hatred toward […]
The Forgotten Battle of Spiritual Warfare
March 21, 2011 by
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. (Ephesians 6:12) Martin Luther ends his Large Catechism with these words: “They [the contents of the Large Catechism] must all certainly help […]
Lent 2: Matthew 15:21-28
March 20, 2011 by
Sometimes, it’s hard to tell the difference between God and the devil. Think of Old Testament Abraham: was it God or some demonic voice that told him to sacrifice his son, his only son, Isaac? How could Abraham be sure that it was God and not Satan who was speaking to him? And closer to […]
Hidden in our Savior’s Sighs: Luke 22:39-46
March 16, 2011 by
Lent is a distinctive season of the Church year. In Lent, we follow Jesus to Jerusalem and to the cross. Lent is also a glorious season of the Church year, but its glory is hidden in the cross. Those who don’t take Lent seriously will never see God’s glory. This evening, we examine how God’s […]
Lent 1: Genesis 3:1-21
March 13, 2011 by
Satan is smoldering in patience, slowly stoking the power of evil that he believes is stronger than God. He devises a scheme and becomes one with a snake. And there he waits. He will wait as long it takes to entrap and ensnare. And so he waits. He waits for Eve to walk past the […]
Hidden in our Savior’s Solitude: Luke 18:31-34
March 9, 2011 by
In Jesus’ call to us on Ash Wednesday, He gives us a blood-curdling preview of what we are about to see in this momentous drama of Lent. It is horrible. And it is shocking. We, His creation, will mock and insult the Creator of the universe. How can that be? The one who gave us […]
Sample Sermon: 1 Maccabees 4:36-56 and John 10:22-30 (Easter 4C)
March 7, 2011 by
To go the first article in this series, click here. This is a “sample sermon” on preaching from the Apocrypha (Anagignoskomena/Deuterocanon), which is in a presentation I will lead for a pastoral circuit conference. This sermon is more didactic than usual because the average listener is clueless as to how the Feast of Dedication ties […]
Transfiguration: Matthew 17:1-9
March 6, 2011 by
Behold your Lord, Jesus Christ–the greatest rerun you’ll ever see. That’s right: Jesus is the rerun you want to watch, the one you don’t ever want to miss. For that is exactly what Jesus does: He re-runs the entire Old Testament. Jesus is called out of Egypt, He is tempted in the desert, He is […]
The Americanization of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
March 6, 2011 by
The process of “Americanization” within the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod began at its very formation. One of our founders, Wilhelm Loehe, noticed as much when he stated our constitution showed signs of Americanization, which he likened to “mob rule.” Even so, despite the initial Americanization that had already taken place, further inroads were held at bay […]
