Category: Pentecost Sermons

Date: Pentecost XXIV (Proper 28A) + 11/19/17
Text: Matthew 25:14-30

As we close in on the end of another liturgical year next Sunday, today we hear of our eternal reward as the most joyous and hopeful goal of our faith. In fact the parable of the Talents is all about faith. The joy and the hope is that on our last day we will hear our Lord and Master welcome us with the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” The joy and hope is that released from sin and death, we will finally see our Savior face to face. Continue reading “We Shall See Him Face to Face”

Text: Matthew 25:1-13
Date: Pentecost XXIII + 11/12/17

(After singing LSB 764 – When Aimless Violence Takes Those We Love:)

It seems that we are singing this hymn too often these days, these dark days, at the aimless violence in Las Vegas, then in New York, and now in Sutherland Springs, Texas. Though for otherwise misguided political reasons, California Representative Ted Lieu said about a moment of silence in the House of Representatives, “I can’t do this again; I’ve been to too many moments of silences. In just my short period in Congress, three of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history have occurred.” To a degree his grief expresses everyone’s, a cry of helplessness. Continue reading “With Him in the Marriage Feast”

Date: Pentecost XX Proper 24 + 10/22/17
Text: Matthew 22:15-22

We are nearing the end of Matthew’s Gospel and therefore the end of our Lord’s earthly ministry. In a matter of only a couple more days Jesus will stand condemned by “the church” before the governor of state, Pontius Pilate. When Jesus would not answer him Pilate threatened Him asking, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?” It was then that Jesus answered him, saying, “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above” (Jn 19:11). Far from any consideration of a so-called separation of church and state Jesus here deepened the truth we heard Him speak to the Pharisees and Herodians just days before of rendering unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. What things after all are Caesar’s and what things are God’s? We won’t understand the distinction between the two until we understand that, ultimately, there is no such distinction, but God is above all, Creator of all, Possessor of all. All things belong to God. Christ is King of heaven and also King of the universe. Continue reading “Thou Art King, O Christ”

Text: Matthew 22:1-14
Date: Pentecost XIX Proper 23A + 10/15/17

Our approach to the end of another liturgical year continues as we hear divine words of promise and invitation, the promise of deliverance, salvation and eternal life in the day of the resurrection of all flesh. The promise is, “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev 2:10). Revelation 7:9 predicts the redeemed will be “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages.” Today we sing of that hope in words inspired by Jesus in Matthew 8, saying,
A multitude comes from the east and the west
To sit at the feast of salvation
With Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the blest,
Obeying the Lord’s invitation.
Have mercy upon us, O Jesus! Continue reading “The King's Feast – A Surprise Party”

Text: Matthew 21:33-46
Date: Pentecost XVIII (Proper 22A) + 10/8/17

In the shadow of the largest mass killing in American history last Sunday night/early Monday morning the appointed Gospel for this day gives us an insight into God’s perspective, His view of our world, of our troubles, of evil, and of our sufferings. When everyone is desperately searching for a reason, for some explanation for the aimless violence we witnessed in Las Vegas, we look to God alone who is Lord over all, the good and the bad, the joyful and the tragic, who alone can help us understand how we are to deal with especially the evil days. Continue reading “Wild Grapes Kill, God Loves Still”

Text: Matthew 21:23-27
Date: Michaelmas + Pentecost XVII (Proper 21)  10/1/17

Last Friday celebrated St. Michael and All Angels Day introducing the final days of the season of Sundays after Pentecost. The appointed Gradual for these last weeks is from Psalm 91, “He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways” (Ps 91:11). Beginning today the appointed Gospel readings therefore gradually move to consider the doctrine of the Last Things, the coming final judgment and the glorious deliverance of the Holy Church into the very courts and presence of God in paradise on the Last Day. Continue reading “To Wrest the Kingdom from Your Son”

Text: Matthew 20:1-16
Date: Pentecost XVI (Proper 20) + 9/24/17

Salvation unto us has come
By God’s free grace and favor;
Good works cannot avert our doom,
They help and save us never.
Faith looks to Jesus Christ alone,
Who did for all the world atone;
He is our one Redeemer. (LSB 555)

Today we are asked to put away our calculators, time clocks, and bucket lists. For these are the things of the work-a-day world, of employment, of union negotiations, of wages, bonuses and paychecks, the world of equity and fairness. And indeed, when we gather here as a Christian congregation this morning we gather, to quote The Great Seal of the United States, E Pluribus Unum, out of many, one. When the first thing we say here are the baptismal words, “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” we are declaring our identity all other distinctions and differences aside. We all are equal to each other in Christ, for we stand before God as sinners-all, redeemed-all by God’s grace alone, by God’s free grace and favor. Continue reading “By God's Free Grace”

Text: Matthew 18:21-35
Date: Pentecost XV (Proper 19A) + 9/17/17

Now, wait a minute! “And in anger his master delivered him to the jailer, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your hearts.” Wait a minute! “This is the Gospel of the Lord”? No. This is NOT the Gospel of the Lord! This is threatening Law, bad news, not good news. So again You are coming down on us about forgiveness! “Matthew 18, Matthew 18!” they shout. First You tell us unless we become like children we will not enter the kingdom. Like children we are to act like and admit that we’re dependent on You for everything, like a child. Then we’re commanded to bring forgiveness to everyone who might be falling away. Now today it’s forgiveness again. What? Haven’t we done enough forgiveness yet that we have to hear about it over and over and over again? “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Well then how about 70? No? Then 490? No. Now You tell us a parable that says literally we are to forgive other people “gazillions” of times.[1]
Continue reading “Then His Master Summoned Him”

Text: Matthew 18:1-20
Date: Pentecost XIV (Proper 18A) + 9/10/17

In my first parish as a pastor they used to have voters’ meetings every month, a sign, by the way, that there was very little trust of one another. There was one gentleman, I don’t know why he always attended the meetings because, at some point there would be a heated discussion. A lot of the time the issue wasn’t even one of doctrine or of a program aimed at helping someone in need but one of much less importance and significance. I remember one heated discussion on what color the new phones ought to be! Anyway, it didn’t seem to matter what the particular issue was but this man would, (believe me) every month, get so worked up he would issue one final blast and then stomp out of the meeting, slamming the door behind him. There were other incidents in that and other congregations I served where someone had sinful, offensive thoughts or words against someone else calling for the need of repentance and forgiveness. How many times have we heard, when confronted with some difficult situation, someone calling out “Matthew 18!”? In this chapter of Matthew’s gospel, we seem to be attracted to these verses where our Lord gives an outline of the Christian way of calling forth someone away from their sin and toward the way of repentance and faith. Unfortunately, we quite often think of the words more from an attitude of how to punish or get back at someone who has offended us but maybe “in a little more Christian way.” Continue reading “His Rule is Over All”

Text: Matthew 16:21-28
Date: Pentecost XIII (Proper 17A) + 9/3/17

In Matthew chapter 16 the evangelist brings us to the climax of everything that went before, namely, the big question of the identity of Jesus. Opposition to and rejection of Him have increased from the very beginning. We have followed Him increasingly so far avoiding the conflict that will surely be His end-goal. The disciples are gradually coming to faith in the truth, as they said in that wind-battered boat, that Jesus is the Son of God. Now, however, in a place almost furthest away from Jerusalem He teaches them what His ultimate purpose and work and goal is. At His own inquiry God the Father reveals to and inspires Peter to confess Jesus to be the promised Christ, that is the Savior anointed to bring the Kingdom of God and to be its King. Jesus says Peter was blessed by the Father for that confession which certainly had to increase Peter’s boldness and maybe even pride. Continue reading “The Son of Man Coming in His Kingdom”