Claimed, gathered and sent

Here are some thoughts on Sunday's gospel. Let's talk about it. Gospel: Matthew 4:1-11 1 Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  2 He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished.  3 The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”  4 But he answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”   5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple,  6 saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’ ” 7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”   8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all...

This is the sermon I preached on Sunday 2/23/20 at St. Timothy Lutheran Church . The gospel was Matthew 17:1-9. The season of Epiphany begins and ends with a heavenly voice in Jesus’ baptism and Transfiguration, making Jesus known to the world. After all, Epiphany means “to make known.” The Transfiguration marks the midpoint in a series of scenes that define who Jesus is. At both his baptism   and transfiguration, we hear the heavenly voice announcing that he is God’s Son. At his temptation, in Gethsemane and at his crucifixion, Jesus struggles with the humiliation, suffering and abandonment that he, as God’s Son, must endure. Finally, the resurrected Christ claims his identity, sending his disciples out to teach and baptize in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Judith Jones, workingpreacher.org). It’s easy to get caught up in the special effects in movies and other stories. Such things can either enhance or distract from the story line. There ar...

Here are some thoughts on this Sunday's gospel. What do you think? How does it strike you? Let's talk. Gospel: Matthew 17:1-9 1 Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves.  2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white.  3 Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.  4 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”  5 While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!”  6 When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear.  7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.”  8 And when they looked up, they saw no o...

This is the sermon I preached last Sunday, 2/16 at St. Timothy Lutheran Church . The gospel text was Matthew 5:21-37. The Ten Commandments don’t sound that hard, do they? Is Jesus doing away with the law? After all, that’s the Old Testament. It doesn’t really apply to us today…or does it? Jesus’ interpretation makes it sound like he’s making it a lot harder. Jesus doesn’t let any of us off the hook but levels the playing field. We all fall short and we’re all guilty. Jesus is not giving us a new, harder list of rules. Rather, he is talking about the intention of the commandments. Jesus is saying, “Yes, I am challenging interpretations of the law that are not consistent with its heart: whole-hearted love of God and neighbor." In today’s gospel, Jesus uses various examples to demonstrate that simply committing the act is not the root of the problem. The root is the intention behind the action. Another way to put this is that it’s not the letter of the law, but the spirit o...

What are your thoughts about this Sunday's gospel? This was sent to the people of St. Timothy Lutheran Church. Gospel: Matthew 5:21-37   [Jesus said to the disciples:] 21 “You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown ...

This is the sermon I preached at St. Timothy Lutheran Church last Sunday, 2/9/20. The gospel text was Matthew 5:13-20 . Some people can put together all kinds of things and make wonderful, flavorful soup. I cannot. Now, I can make a great cream of broccoli or cauliflower soup because I have a good recipe. But to just throw it all together…something is always missing—is it this or that spice or do I need more salt? Today’s gospel continues the Sermon on the Mount, following the Beatitudes. Today, Jesus expands on the call to discipleship. The metaphors of salt and light set the terms of their calling. Jesus told his disciples, “You ARE the salt of the earth.” What does that make you think of? Don’t we know people whom we describe in such terms? They are reliable, good people who would do anything for anyone. Jesus did not tell his disciples they would BECOME salt or that they are SUPPOSED to be salt but said they ARE salt. This is a descriptive statement of the disciples’ ...

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...