Text: Mark 6:30-44
Date: Pentecost VIII + Proper + 11B + 7/19/15
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Jesus and the apostles took a break for rest in a desolate place. But the crowds figured it out and ran ahead of them. When Jesus saw this huge crowd, as many as ten thousand or more, St. Mark says, “he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.” Surely the people knew and often prayed Psalm 23. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Jesus saw them as sheep. Do you think they saw Jesus as this shepherd, this Lord? Continue reading “Symposia”
Text: Mark 6:14-29
Date: Pentecost VII + Proper 10B + 7/12/15
Did you notice what’s missing in today’s Gospel? We are called every Sunday to worship and to proclaim the name of Jesus, yet His name doesn’t even appear once here. Oh, it is supplied in your printed version but our Lord is there actually only referred to with the pronoun “his” in the original. Why all of a sudden does St. Mark go on and on here about Herod Antipas tetrarch (not really “king”) of Galilee and Perea (4 bc-ad 39), and all of the confusing actors and actresses of Herod’s family, Herodias, his brother Philipp (spelled with one “l” and to “p”s at the end!), and the daughter of Herodias by another marriage? Very confusing; and how all of this gives us the most detailed information regarding the martyrdom of John the Baptist than we get from any of the other Gospels. So what are we to make of all this that it may allow us to preach about Jesus? Continue reading “A Man of His Word”
Text: Mark 6:1-13
Date: Pentecost VI + Proper 9B + 7/5/15
The call to salvation of the Christian gospel begins with the word “repent.” When the prophet Ezekiel was called, summoned, commissioned by God he was sent to preach repentance “to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me,” said the Lord (Ezek 2:3). When John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way for the Lord he “appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Mark 1:4). The first sermon Jesus preached was identical to John’s saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). Today we hear of our Lord sending out the twelve to proclaim “that people should repent” (Mark 6:12). Martin Luther said as of first importance that the Christian life consists in daily repentance. And so today, as every Sunday and every day, we hear the call again, “Repent.” We need to hear that divine summons because we sin daily, “Repent.” The community of those around us need to hear that call, for all have sinned, “Repent.” The whole world and especially our nation needs to hear the command, though leaders and people, all clans, all races, all mobs, all gangs be flying off the tracks of morality and sanity, “Repent.” Continue reading “Receiving or Rejecting the Word–"Repent"”
Text: Mark 6:1-13
Date: Pentecost VI + Proper 9B + 7/5/15
The call to salvation of the Christian gospel begins with the word “repent.” When the prophet Ezekiel was called, summoned, commissioned by God he was sent to preach repentance “to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me,” said the Lord (Ezek 2:3). When John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way for the Lord he “appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Mark 1:4). The first sermon Jesus preached was identical to John’s saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). Today we hear of our Lord sending out the twelve to proclaim “that people should repent” (Mark 6:12). Martin Luther said as of first importance that the Christian life consists in daily repentance. And so today, as every Sunday and every day, we hear the call again, “Repent.” We need to hear that divine summons because we sin daily, “Repent.” The community of those around us need to hear that call, for all have sinned, “Repent.” The whole world and especially our nation needs to hear the command, though leaders and people, all clans, all races, all mobs, all gangs be flying off the tracks of morality and sanity, “Repent.” Continue reading “Receiving or Rejecting the Word–"Repent"”
Text: Lam 3:32 / Mark 5:21-43
Date: Pentecost V + Proper 8B + 6/28/15
Lamentations today says the comforting words, “For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men” (Lam 3:32-33).
It takes faith, faith in Christ and faith in the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come to believe those words. It takes faith in Christ and in the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come to sing as we will shortly, Continue reading “After Grief God Gives Relief”
Text: Mark 4:35-41
Date: Pentecost IV + Proper 7B + 7/21/15
I’ve always been reluctant to sing the hymn “Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me” because it just didn’t sound “Lutheran.” Instead of a strong, rhythmic or beautiful tune, “Pilot” has the syrupy sound of the Baptist and Methodist hymnals in which it is found.[1] It was written in 1871 by Edward Hopper when he was requested to provide a hymn for the anniversary of the Seaman’s Friend Society of New York where it appeared in The Sailor’s Magazine. Yet here it is in our Lutheran Service Book! But the text is stronger and sturdier than the tune that carries it. Based on St. Matthew’s record of today’s Gospel from Mark the hymn is a prayer imploring the help of the Lord in the midst of the storms of life as here He stilled a literal storm on the sea. Continue reading “Wondrous Sovereign of the Sea”
Text: Mark 4:26-34
Date: Pentecost III + Proper 6B + 7/14/15
The first parable in today’s Gospel reading, while it has similarities to many others, is found only here in Mark chapter 4. Indeed, St. Mark tells us, “with many such parables [Jesus] spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.” Which makes us wonder, “How many other parables did Jesus tell of which we have never heard?” We can suppose that Jesus often used parabolic language when He was teaching. Why? He was teaching about the reign and rule of God, the kingdom of God, spiritual realities. Fallen sinners are not able to grasp these things on their own power or by their own wisdom. Jesus teaches in parables so that they may be remembered and there, in a person’s mind and heart, be the “seed,” if you will, the powerful Word of God through which the Holy Spirit can operate and create the understanding of faith. In fact that’s what this parable is all about: your faith. Continue reading “The Planting of the Lord”
Text: Mark 3:20-35
Date: Pentecost II + Proper 5 + 6/7/15
God sent His Son to save us from sin, death and the devil. Not everyone understands that or accepts Him for what He is.
Our first reading sets the stage. It is the famous “curse oracle” in the account of the fall into sin. God’s Word tells us how sin began with the temptation by the devil, called the serpent. First he casts doubt on God’s Word asking, “Did God say you should not eat of every tree in the garden?” When countered by God’s Word of Law, “you shall not eat of the tree in the midst of the garden…or you shall die,” the Old Evil Foe then flatly and brazenly contradicts God’s Word, saying, “you will not die!” Finally the devil removes God’s Word completely and replaces it with his own false promises, his own lie, saying, “for in the day you eat of it you will be like God knowing good and evil.” The temptation worked and the first family transgressed God’s clear Word of warning. Continue reading “"Don't Get Me Wrong!"”
Text: Mark 3:20-35
Date: Pentecost II + Proper 5 + 6/7/15
God sent His Son to save us from sin, death and the devil. Not everyone understands that or accepts Him for what He is.
Our first reading sets the stage. It is the famous “curse oracle” in the account of the fall into sin. God’s Word tells us how sin began with the temptation by the devil, called the serpent. First he casts doubt on God’s Word asking, “Did God say you should not eat of every tree in the garden?” When countered by God’s Word of Law, “you shall not eat of the tree in the midst of the garden…or you shall die,” the Old Evil Foe then flatly and brazenly contradicts God’s Word, saying, “you will not die!” Finally the devil removes God’s Word completely and replaces it with his own false promises, his own lie, saying, “for in the day you eat of it you will be like God knowing good and evil.” The temptation worked and the first family transgressed God’s clear Word of warning. Continue reading “"Don't Get Me Wrong!"”
Text: John 3:1-17
Date: The Holy Trinity + 5/31/15
At first glance the scripture readings appointed for the Sunday of The Holy Trinity don’t seem to have much to say about that doctrine. So I decided to go to Martin Luther to see how he handled today’s Gospel. To my surprise I discovered he had the exact same question as I, beginning his sermon, saying, “I don’t know why this Gospel lesson was selected to be read on this Trinity Sunday, for it really doesn’t deal with the subject of Trinity.”[1] You don’t see a specific reference to Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Rather you have an example of how beyond all understanding is not only this doctrine but any and all spiritual things. Continue reading “What Wisdom Cannot Bear”
