Sermons on Teaching of Jesus
Maundy Thursday
John 13:1-17, 31b-35 Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come…
Good Friday, A Cycle-Breaking Violence
John 18:1-19:42 Jesus went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley to a place where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, because Jesus often met there with his disciples. So Judas brought a detachment of soldiers together with police from the chief priests and the Pharisees, and they came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. Then Jesus, knowing all that was to happen to him,…
The ‘Promised Land’ of Ashre
Luke 6:17-26 Jesus came down with the twelve apostles and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed…
The First Sunday After the Epiphany
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor…
The Destitute Widow and the Destruction of the Temple
Mark 12:38-44 Year B Proper 27 – 25th Sunday after Pentecost Based heavily (and quoting some passages) from commentary by Sung Soo Hong, www.workingpreacher.org. Today’s passage from Mark’s gospel tells a story—one familiar to many—of the window who comes to the temple and gives all that she has, a pittance, in contrast to the wealthy who are giving from their abundance. In this understanding the widow is the “model of discipleship”, in contrast to the scribes who are the opposite.…
Sit in the question
In seminary, I took a class on Leadership Practices. It was a truly formative course for me as it not only gave me some new ways of understanding my own leadership style within a church context but also helped me dive deeper into my own spiritual practices. One important exercise we engaged in, in this class, was sitting with questions. Questions like “Says who,” “Why,” “Where is God in this,” or “What is being asked of me here”? These…
Transformed
Mark 10:35-45 35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” 36 “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. 37 They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” 38 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” 39 “We can,”…
How About a Smaller Camel?
Last century I had the privilege of growing up surrounded by four generations of mymother’s family. My great grandmother lived with my grandparents across the streetfrom our house. I still have a vivid memory of my great grandmother Zura, short for herfull name Missouri, seated in a bentwood rocker, attired in her Church of the Brethrenblack dress, talking to her pet parakeets. I spent many summer weeks in the 1960’s with my mother’s father on a Christmas Treefarm he had…
Bread of Life
In today’s Gospel, we begin John’s Bread of Life discourse and are called to sit with the confusion of those who have gathered as Jesus begins to teach them what it means to be a people of faith, yet realize they are not ready to hear the full message so leaves them and us to wonder what might come next. Asking us to sit with the question, have we come only for the bread or to follow Jesus?
Travel Light
In our text for today, we find Jesus being rejected in his hometown, resulting in the authorization of his disciples to go on to continue their work in his place.