Claimed, gathered and sent

This is the sermon one of my parishioners, Trish Pecuch,  preached on Sunday, 9/22 at St. Timothy Lutheran Church . The text was Mark 9:30-37.  I was home with COVID.         After Jesus had taught the disciples, he gives them a demonstration. He takes a small child to illustrate what he is trying to teach them. Our response is, “Oh, how sweet!” Our ideas of children and childhood are far different from those of first century Palestine.   Parents loved their children, but in general, small children were considered non-persons. The Greek word used by Mark indicates a young child.There was no reason to interest oneself in serving a small child. There was nothing they could do for you. Children represented “the least.” By embracing a child, Jesus is demonstrating his love of the unlovable.    Now the answers to who is the greatest. The first answer Jesus gives the disciples is “Whoever wants to be first must be least of all and the ser...

This is the sermon I preached on Sunday, 9/23/18 at St. Timothy Lutheran Church. The gospel test was Mark 9:30-37.   This is the second of Jesus’ three predictions in Mark of his death and resurrection. Between the first instructions and the second passion prediction, there are: The transfiguration where Peter doesn’t know what to say and the three disciples are terrified. There is a discussion coming down the mountain and the disciples don’t understand Jesus’ comment about “rising from the dead.” And they had just come down the mountain where the dead were alive! Finally, the other disciples fail to cast out a demon and Jesus is appalled at their faithlessness.  On the way to Capernaum, Jesus taught his disciples for the second time that he would be crucified and would rise from the dead. The dense disciples didn’t understand Jesus’ teaching and they were afraid to ask Jesus what he meant. Why would they be afraid? Were they maybe thinking back to...

Here are some thoughts on this coming Sunday's gospel text. This was sent electronically to the people of St. Timothy Lutheran Church . Let me know what your thoughts are.  Gospel: Mark 9:30-37 30[Jesus and the disciples went on] and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it;31for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.” 32But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.   33Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” 34But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. 35He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” 36Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, ...

This is the sermon I preached at St. Timothy Lutheran Church and St. Mark Lutheran Church on Sunday, 9/20. The text is Mark 9:30-37.  "Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow black and white they are precious in his sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world." Don't we get all mushy gushy when we read of Jesus' interaction with little ones? They're so cute and innocent. How we wish we had more of them here at church. Today, our gospel is about the second of Jesus' three predictions about his approaching suffering and death. There is an identical pattern in each of the three predictions. First, Jesus teaches that he will suffer and die. Second, the disciples are confused and misunderstand Jesus' meaning. Third, Jesus spends more time   teaching his disciples. In today's gospel, the whole point of the secrecy about Jesus and the disciples passing through Galilee until they got to Capernaum...