By Paul R. Raabe This gospel lesson records part of Jesus’s Galilean ministry, after he went down from Nazareth to Capernaum. Here we see Jesus teaching, casting out demons, and healing the sick. It is important when preaching on this text to put it into the right slot or category. Here the malady is not human ..
By Bruce Schuchard The goal of the human person who wishes to achieve everything that there is to achieve in life is _____. How would each one of us fill in the blank? According to the Hellenistic philosophers of the apostle Paul’s day, the pinnacle of human experience, of human existence and achievement, was not faith, hope, and love ..
By William Carr In spring 2013, I taught an elective to our Residential Alternate Route students on the book of Micah. Early in the term, one of the students asked how the Seminary can afford to offer a full ten-week course to the study of just one book, as brief as Micah. I can imagine that most of ..
By Jeffrey Kloha Some texts don’t need sermons. What more needs to be said about love than the praise that the apostle lavishes on it in 1 Corinthians 13? Perhaps nothing more needs to be said, but showing love within the body of Christ as it lives in the present day is far easier said ..
by Rick Marrs When considering each text for preaching, pastors are called upon to ponder how the law of that text is speaking to the pastor as well as to the parishioners who will hear his sermon. In this case, the law of verse 20 (“But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my ..
by Tom Egger In this pericope, Jesus is proclaiming the blessings of his reign to those gathered around him on the mountain. His words address a repentant, lowly people with the assurance of God’s presence and reign over them (in Jesus: Immanuel) and the promise of eschatological blessings. These blessings which are yet to come ..
By Reed Lessing Introduction “Blessed Lord, who hast caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning, grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them….” This familiar Collect for the Word is an apt theme for Jeremiah 1:4—10, as this pericope is all about Yahweh’s Word. This ..
By Gerhard Bode The Epiphany season highlights the revelation of Jesus as Savior to the world. The Gospel reading for this Sunday continues the identification of Jesus as God’s own Son and the promised Messiah, with a focus on Jesus as one who speaks and acts with divine authority. At the same time Jesus’ authority ..