During these Lenten midweek services, we have pondered passages from the Prophet Isaiah. We considered the startling contrast between what Christ physically looked like in His suffering and how beautiful He is based on what He did, and does, to save us. Jesus had no stately form or majesty that we should look at Him, […]
John 6:1-15: Jesus calls into being what was earlier not there
March 15, 2015 by
Like the crowd in today’s Gospel reading, you have many worries. They were hurting. They started to follow Jesus because they had seen Him heal the sick. Like you, they were sick and tired of being sick and tired. And when they saw Jesus feed the crowd, when they saw Him multiply bread and feed […]
Isaiah 52:14, 53:2-3: No one is too ugly for Jesus
March 11, 2015 by
Let’s face it: we’ve all seen people who aren’t considered the height of beauty. Some of you may even look at yourselves in the morning and remember days gone by when your skin was smooth, glowing brightly with life and vigor. But now, you may feel as if your skin is sallow and dry, the […]
Matthew 15:21-28: Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table
March 8, 2015 by
Did you ever feel that God has ignored your prayers, not by answering “no,” but by taking no notice of them? If so, then today’s Gospel is for you. Have you ever felt that God has treated you in a cold or cruel way, allowing you to experience so much pain in this life? If […]
Isaiah 48:17-22: Flee!
February 25, 2015 by
Last week, on Ash Wednesday, we heard God call Himself “your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” And that’s where our Old-Testament reading for today begins: “The Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” But then God gets wistful and reminisces. We hear Him speak some of the saddest words in any language: “You […]
Genesis 3:1-21, Matthew 4:1-11: Jesus Succeeds where Adam Failed
February 22, 2015 by
Can you believe it? The serpent attacks, not through brute force, but through words. And Adam just stands there. He doesn’t say or do anything. He just stands there next to Eve as the serpent twists the truth. Did you catch that in our Old-Testament reading? After Eve tasted the forbidden fruit, she gave some […]
Ash Wednesday Sermon: What’s the deal with being a worm?
February 22, 2015 by
When you read through the Scriptures, you may find something that, at first, seems odd. But then, as you make your way through more books of Scripture, you start to see a pattern. At first, it’s a phrase here, and then a phrase there. What was, at first, an odd turn of phrase then becomes […]
Matthew 17:1-9: Jesus’ Glory
February 22, 2015 by
A chapter before today’s Gospel reading, we hear Peter tell Jesus that He is “the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). And “from that time, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer much… be killed, and be raised on the third day” (Matthew 16:21). And […]
1 Corinthians 13: Love
February 8, 2015 by
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus told His disciples of His impending death. Someone will betray Him; others will ridicule, spit on, and kill Him. And although Jesus’ words were straightforward and clear, His disciples didn’t understand them. For this world doesn’t understand true love, the love that drove Jesus to die to give us His […]
Luke 8:4-15: The Parable of the Sower and the Four Soils
February 1, 2015 by
When we say, “The Bible is the Word of God,” we mean that it originates from God. After all, God the Holy Spirit inspired various writers of old to put words to parchment. And the Holy Spirit inspired His Church to copy, preserve, and collect those writings into what we, today, call the Bible. But […]
