Claimed, gathered and sent

This is the sermon I preached at St. Timothy Lutheran Church on Sunday, 11/24. The text is John 18:33-37 When confronted with a question, Jesus seems incapable of providing a definitive response. Here in today’s gospel, we have three sets of questions and answers. I want you to listen to them and then tell me if Jesus answered Pilate’s questions. First question: “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus responded, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?”  Next: “ What have you done?” Jesus answered this one, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” Jesus is a different sort of king. He is the King o f truth, love, mercy and forgiveness. His kingdom is a different kind of kingdom. It is the now, but not yet, kingdom, earthly and spiritual. His kingdom is where he, the king, is. Pilate’s last question in this pas...

  This is the sermon I preached at St. Timothy Lutheran Church on Sunday, Nov. 17. The text was Mark 13:1-8. Do you remember the story of the Country Mouse and the City Mouse? The city mouse went to visit the country mouse in the country and found out that it was better suited to city life. In the case of today’s gospel, we have Jesus’ disciples, the country boys, visiting the crowded city of Jerusalem.  They were overwhelmed by seeing the temple complex. The thoughts of people were that nothing could harm it. But the problem was that the Babylonians had destroyed it in the past. The temple in Jesus’ time was not the one built by Solomon, but was the second temple, later enhanced by Herod the Great. For this reason, it was referred to as Herod’s temple.  How did Jesus respond to the country boys’ excitement? As impressive as all this may be, it will be destroyed. That certainly took the wind out of their sails. As Pastor Rob Myallis says, “if you think these rocks are sec...