Claimed, gathered and sent

  This is the sermon I preached at St. Timothy Lutheran Church on Sunday, 11/10. The text was Mark 12:38-44, At United Lutheran Seminary, each year there is the Luther Bowl, the annual flag football tournament that the Gettysburg seminary hosts each year. One year, after the game, was Eucharist and dinner. I had volunteered to make chili. One of the necessary ingredients for chili is onions. I picked up a nice, fresh looking onion and cut it open. It was all black and moldy on the inside. I could not tell that from the beautiful exterior, but only from going to the heart of the onion. That onion was not suitable for chili because it was rotten. I obviously needed an onion that was good on the inside to accomplish the task of flavoring the chili. And by the way, that year, Gettysburg lost. In our Gospel lesson today, Jesus shows us that the heart of true discipleship is not about what’s on the outside, but what’s on the inside of us, our hearts.  In this passage, we first hear...

This is the message I shared with the people of St. Timothy on Sunday, 11/11/18. The text was Mark 12:38-44. Ahhh…a passage like this is music to the ears of all those involved in church finances. Here we have the selfish scribes pitted against the generous, sacrificially giving widow. Jesus lifts the widow up as an example of how we should give, doesn’t he…or does he?  This incident occurs at the end of Jesus’ public ministry. Other chapters include incidents that point to the corruption of the Temple and the growing opposition of the religious authorities to Jesus. The scribes’ habitual behavior as a group gets severe criticism. But beyond the scribes’ actions, are the desire to do such things. It is the scribes’ inward desires and wants that are the ultimate issue. The Jewish community was centered in its regard for God’s Law, Torah, its interpretation and application. The scribe was an important and duly honored person. However, their practices were pretentious: str...

Here are some thoughts about this coming Sunday's gospel that were sent out to the people of   St. Timothy Lutheran Church.  Gospel: Mark 12:38-44 38 As [Jesus] taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces,  39 and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets!  40 They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”   41 He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums.  42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny.  43 Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury.  44 For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of ...