Claimed, gathered and sent

  This is the message I preached Sunday, at St. Timothy Lutheran Church. The text was John 8:31-36 . Today's gospel reading is all about freedom. The whole Reformation is all about freedom as well. From Paul's declaration that we have been justified by grace to Luther's hammering his 95 Theses on the Wittenburg Church door, we are reminded of the supremacy of God's grace. What the Reformation tells us is that there is nothing we can do, say or accomplish to earn God's love. God's love is a free gift. We have problems when we forget that we already have love as a gift from God and try to earn it on our own.  Over the years, many songs have been sung about the longing for freedom--from “We Shall Overcome” to the song, “People Got to Be Free,” by the Young Rascals.  What does this have to do with the Reformation and today's gospel? Everything. As a monk, Martin Luther struggled mightily to be free from the sin he was convinced permeated his very being. He took...

  This is the sermon I preached Sunday, 10/22 at St. Timothy Lutheran Church. The text was Matthew 22:15-22.   The question the Pharisees and Herodians present to Jesus is a yes or no question. It sounds simple enough: “Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor or not?” (v. 17). That’s like someone asking if such and such is in the Bible or not. But from the beginning, we’re told it’s a trap. Before they even open their mouths, suspicion has been aroused. Here, together, were Pharisees and Herodians—most unusual bedfellows.    The Pharisees were popular with the people. They disdained the actions of religious leaders who kowtowed to the Roman occupation and they were a kind of renewal movement in Judaism. In principle, they resented and resisted the tax, but did not go as far as the radical nationalists who publicly resisted its payment. Then there were the Herodians who wanted to maintain their standing and wealth, resulting from their support of the Roman occupatio...

  This is the sermon I preached Sunday, Oct. 15 at St. Timothy Lutheran Church . The text was Matthew 22:1-14.  Many of Jesus’ parables in Matthew are hard to understand. It seems like God is very harsh and judgmental, what Lutherans would call emphasizing law instead of gospel.  In this parable, sometimes it seems we can equate the king with God, who graciously invites everyone to the banquet. But, what about when the king had those who did not accept his invitation killed and their cities destroyed? Does that sound like God? After the servants invited everyone, good and bad, to the banquet, the king picks on one man who was not appropriately dressed. Did he have time to change? In those days, the king provided the proper clothing for those attending the banquet. Was it the fault of one of the servants? Did the man just make light of this banquet and dishonor the king by not changing? We don’t know, but there are certainly plenty of possibilities. The king/God seems to h...