The Parable of the Vineyard Owner Don’t look for the world’s justice in God’s kingdom. What passes for justice in this world lacks the grace and mercy of our Lord. God rules by grace and mercy, which the Parable of the Vineyard Owner clearly shows us. In the parable, God doesn’t understand a day’s pay […]
Epiphany 5: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
February 6, 2011 by
The parables dealing with God’s rule over us in the book of Matthew are full of promise and hope, especially in the 13th chapter, which we heard in our Gospel reading. The sower goes out to sow his seed. Some of his seed falls on rich soil and produces a generous harvest. Then there is […]
Epiphany 4: Jonah 1:1-17
January 30, 2011 by
God called Jonah to go and preach to the wicked city of Nineveh, to preach repentance into the forgiveness of sins. The book of Tobit tells us that Nineveh was part of the Assyrian Empire, and so was Israel’s enemy (Tobit 14:15). That’s why Jonah didn’t want Nineveh to repent. He would rather see the […]
Epiphany 3
January 23, 2011 by
Intro Naaman, the Syrian, was the Commander in Chief of the armies of Aram. He was a decorated war hero with many victories under his belt. But he had a serious problem: he had an appalling skin disease, for which the Syrian doctors had no cure. So what happens? Naaman pays a house call on […]
Epiphany 2: Wedding at Cana
January 16, 2011 by
Intro You never get a second chance to make a first impression. It’s the first minute that’s critical. That’s why we put on false fronts. That’s why we try to say the right words, so we won’t have to undo what we think cannot later be undone. We bring out the good wine first, because […]
Epiphany
January 9, 2011 by
Intro Epiphany is God showing us His Son, Jesus–not just for the Jews–but as the Savior of the whole world. And so Epiphany becomes the Gentiles’ Christmas. Epiphany is God further revealing, unfolding, and unwrapping His earlier Christmas gift for all people. In God’s Christmas gift of His Son to us, we have received […]
Christmas 2: Jesus’ Flight to Egypt
January 2, 2011 by
Intro It all happened so quickly: The trip to Bethlehem, the birth of Jesus, the angels, and the shepherds. Then after a year or so, the Magi visit. Like the shepherds before them, they fall to the ground to worship the infant Jesus, the Lord of all creation, the promised Messiah. But as we […]
Eve of the Circumcision and Name of Jesus
December 31, 2010 by
Intro Circumcision is not a pleasant experience. It is cutting off a piece of flesh from a male’s penis. That doesn’t sound like something smart to do. It sounds painful. It sounds foolish. But then, God says much that may sound foolish to our ears. God told Abraham to leave his country and go […]
St. Stephen, Deacon, Martyr
December 26, 2010 by
Intro We have an old 13th-Century Christmas carol, later paraphrased in the 1850s, called “Good King Wenceslaus.” King Wenceslaus was a real person. In the 10th century, he was the Duke of Bohemia. He was also a devout Christian. One morning, on his way to the Divine Service, a band of ruffians, led by his […]
The Nativity of our Lord
December 25, 2010 by
Intro Today, we celebrate the birth of life. For that is who Christ Jesus is. He’s not simply the holiest among those who think themselves as holy. He’s not simply a man of historical renown. Such understatements fail to recognize Christ Jesus as Life. They don’t recognize Him as Life eternal. Jesus is the […]
