Every so often, you furrow your brow at the paper or glower at the television news. The police arrest an individual for a horrific offense. A jury soon convicts him. After serving time in prison, fresh evidence comes to light, and another judge exonerates him. Whenever we blunder upon such a scandal, we may picture […]
Luke 15:1-7: The Divine Shepherd Restores Lost Sheep to His Fold
September 11, 2022 by
Furious, unforgiving, and smitten into stone, the Pharisees rail against Jesus. “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Such sufferings of unbelief as they moan and mutter over God’s mercy. To them, this teacher from Nazareth deserves their hate for befriending foreigners and prostitutes who pollute their society. Such graven mutterings often fly from […]
The Parables of Jesus: Lesson 14: Two Parables in a Vineyard Setting
February 13, 2018 by
The Unusual Vineyard Owner: Matthew 19:30-20:16 Immediate Setting In Matthew 19:16, a man approached Jesus: “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?” Jesus then brought up God’s Law (vs. 18-19), to which the man responded, “I have kept all these.” So, Jesus told him something He knew he couldn’t do, “Go, sell […]
Parable of the Seed: Mark 4:26-34
June 17, 2012 by
A question I have sometimes pondered is this: “Does preaching do any good?” When I look at how many lives are NOT changed based on what I’ve preached, I can all-too-easily conclude that sermons are a waste of time. What do you think? But the real question isn’t what we may think, but what Jesus […]
Luke 14:1-14, “Friend, Move Up Higher”
October 16, 2011 by
It’s a dangerous decision to make when planning a wedding reception, to decide who sits where. Some folks will value where you place them to sit, near the bride and groom, near the place of honor. Others will feel insulted, having to sit too far way from where they think they belong. But if you […]
Epiphany 7: Luke 8:4-15, The Parable of the Sower and the Seed
February 20, 2011 by
About every week, somebody sends me mail, mail that promises to make my church grow, mail that promises to bring life to a dying church. Obviously, many churches must be shrinking for so many companies to send out such advertisements. Yet, every one of those mailings focuses–not on God–but on people’s wants and wishes. They […]
Epiphany 6: Matthew 20:1-16
February 13, 2011 by
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 […]
