Claimed, gathered and sent

  This is the sermon I preached at St. Timothy Lutheran Church last Sunday. The text was Matthew 5:1-12.   Have you ever asked someone how they are, and they respond, “I’m blessed!” What often follows is a litany of all the wonderful things happening in their lives. Sometimes it makes us feel that we’re like chopped liver.  We see this too when there are disasters, whether because of weather or violence.  When survivors are interviewed, they mention that they just kept praying, or it was God’s will to save them, or they’re just “blessed.” What does that say about everyone else? Were those who died any less blessed by God? Didn’t God hear their prayers? Does God only save those who deserve it? Jesus withdraws to a mountain to be alone with his disciples and to teach them. That’s an important characteristic of Jesus in Matthew’s story – he is a teacher, an interpreter of God’s law, meeting with his disciples on the mountain like a new Moses training the twelve disciple...

Here are some thoughts on this coming Sunday's gospel. Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12 1 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:   3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.   4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.   5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.   6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.   7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.   8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.   9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.   10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.   11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in h...

This is the sermon I preached on Sunday, 2/2/20 at St. Timothy Lutheran Church . The text was Matthew 5:1-12 . What is meant by “having it made” or “living the dream?” We all have thoughts about what that means and we usually don’t think of the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek or pure in heart, of those who thirst for righteousness. In our world, when we think of someone being blessed, it may mean wealth, power, fame, success or beauty. Blessing, according to the standards of this world, is often of the material kind. Just what is a beatitude? They are not just some moral commandments—if we do, then God does. They are blessings promised by God to those who already have what the beatitude describes: poor in spirit, mourning, meek and so on. They serve as an invitation to come into the grace God offers ( New English Translation , notes). In looking at the beatitudes we need to think about who Jesus is addressing. Here, Jesus is only speaking to his disciples. Jesus ha...

Here are some thoughts about this coming Sunday's gospel. I'd love to know what strikes you. What message is God speaking to your heart. This was shared with the people of St. Timothy Lutheran Church. Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12 1When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: 3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11“Blessed are you when people revile you and p...

  This is the message I shared with God's people at St. Timothy Lutheran Church and St. Mark Lutheran Church on Sunday, 11/5/17. The scripture text is Matthew 5:1-12 . Today we celebrate the Feast of All Saints. We remember those who have gone before us in the faith as well as the living church of Christ, God’s saints today. Then we get to today’s gospel reading, the Beatitudes, the beginning of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. It all sounds so beautiful and churchy, but what does it mean? What does it take to be a saint and to be among the blessed of the Beatitudes? In my pre-Lutheran days, we used to talk about the Beatitudes being be-atttidues. It was how we were supposed to be! Others put the values of the Beatitudes off into eternity because of their difficulty, while others strive and strive to obey them because they are Jesus’ commands. Luther’s view concerning the Sermon on the Mount is that it represents an impossible demand, much like th...

This is the sermon I preached at St. Timothy and St. Mark Lutheran Churches on Sunday, 1/29. The scripture text is Matthew 5:1-12 . So sorry I couldn't add an apropos picture to this post. The computer was not cooperating. Today's gospel is the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, which is called the Beatitudes. Prior to this trip up the mountain, Jesus was healing and speaking while the disciples basically observed. They had a lot to process, so Jesus put some distance between himself and the crowd. Then his disciples joined him. Jesus' teaching was primarily for his disciples. Jesus is meeting on the mountain like a new Moses training his disciples in a new kind of righteousness. What exactly are the Beatitudes? To better understand what they are, let's look at what they are not. Some of you may be familiar with this explanation where the beatitudes are understood as the Bee------attitudes. Simply put, we are to try and try and try as hard as we can to live...