Sermon Archive (Page 4)

In our texts for this second Sunday in Lent, we encounter Peter rebuking Jesus and Jesus doing the same as he calls Peter and us not to focus on those things of the human world but to focus on the divine. To also ensure we are not looking away from the pain and suffering of Christ. Our text this week calls us to pay attention and not skip ahead. To tear down the barriers between us and our neighbor and see Christ within us and those we meet. To not look away.

Sometimes, we forget that we are called to name the evil in the world around us. Today’s Gospel reminds us that Jesus calls us in to name and claim those evils around us and ensure we aren’t missing those on the margins. Just as he spoke the name of the unclean spirit in the synagogue, we, too, must name the injustices of our times and work to uproot them. We are also being called to see those who are often left on the margins, those who might not be seen if we aren’t purposefully looking for them.

What does it mean to be called by name by Jesus? To be asked to cast aside our worldly concerns to attend to the needs of others and become fishers of people. Our text today calls us to consider those very questions.

Tonight, we hear the story of Jesus’ birth and the miraculous story of God choosing humble, ordinary people to be a part of this miraculous event.

As we journey with Mary and Joseph to the manger, we experience the miracle of Jesus’ birth through the witness of everyday laborers tending their fields nearby.