[Jesus] said to [his disciples], “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah!” Today’s gospel reading offers us one of the most profound questions in all of scripture, asked by Jesus to his…
“Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” ……………… We have to wonder how long the silence is after the Canaanite woman pleads for Jesus to heal her daughter. Then, the disciples complain that she annoys them. And then Jesus insults her with his declaration that the mission…
It is among the masses in Galilee that Jesus starts his healing and teaching ministry. Jesus’ popularity as a man who can heal whatever ails a person spreads beyond the Galilean borders. His newly acquired celebrity attracted enormous crowds; the crowds consisted of the infirm and their caregivers and friends, as well as curious, fascinated,…
James Liggett Several years ago, one of the Public Opinion companies, it was probably Gallup, did a survey of Americans and asked a very interesting question. They asked several thousand people whether they had ever had what they would call “a religious experience,” a personal experience of whatever sort, that brought them somehow into the…
You may have noticed that the Gospel readings in Matthew 13 over the past three weeks have all been split apart. Two weeks ago, we heard the Parable of the Sower. Last week, we heard the Parable of the Wheat Among the Weeds. Today, we started with the Parable of the Mustard Seed, which is…
When I was younger, and even today – I must admit – I enjoyed watching Scooby Doo, the premise of which always involved a gang of teenagers and their dog chasing after a villain, foiling the villain’s plans, and ensuring that good prevailed. Today’s Gospel reading made me think of an episode when Scooby and…
A parable is a story – and it usually compares something to something else in order to make a point or teach a lesson. In the Hebrew Bible – what we often call the Old Testament – these stories are relatively rare. But in the New Testament, we hear them a lot from Jesus. In…
“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28). What does it mean to you to be “fatigued and burdened”? (Allow people to answer if desired) We might be tired of trying to live up to our own expectations. We might be tired…
Our Gospel reading this week is a fast one, so I’m going to start by reading it once more: Jesus said, “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a…
Thanks to Bruce Epperly for the seed for this sermon. God is faithful and invites us to look beyond our own resources and self-interests to a larger vision of life. When trouble surrounds us, we are not alone; God is with us. Keep these thoughts in mind as we journey through today’s readings… I’ll repeat…
Matthew’s Jesus journeys to built-up areas as well as the villages we hear about in Mark. Matthew’s Gospel is for those who live in towns as well as farmers and those who fish. In other words, Matthew’s Gospel is for the well-to-do pillars of society as well as for those who are on the wrong…
Being a Christian involves believing that certain things are true – especially, and most importantly, that God was incarnate in Jesus Christ, and that God raised him from the dead for us. But faith is something quite different from belief – it is not just a matter of “believing that…” or holding that certain things…
