Editor’s note: David Schmitt provides this homiletical help as the third of four in a sermon series on the lectionary’s successive readings from Paul’s letter to the Philippians. By David Schmitt, Textual Connection At this point in his letter, Paul opens his heart and offers a personal confession of faith to the Philippians (3:4–14): having the righteousness ..
By Rick Marrs This is a difficult text for Lutherans to hear. We are more comfortable with texts about God’s grace, and being his children and heirs of his promises, but Jesus is prone to saying things that challenge our regular metaphors, and that will increase our faith. This is also a difficult text for ..
By Travis J. Scholl I am consistently in awe of the poetic beauty, the intimacy, the sincerity of Paul’s second letter to Timothy. The eloquence of the letter makes it so easy for me to envision Paul, imprisoned in his last days, writing this farewell letter to his disciple, his companion, his “beloved child,” with ..
By Michael J. Redeker There are many things that are basic in life. The basics are needed for a person to build on. Learning the ABCs is basic for education. Learning to boil water is a basic for culinary skills. And the great coach of the Green Bay Packers, Vince Lombardi, brought his team back ..
By William Carr Context Matthew 21 begins with the “Palm Sunday” entry to Jerusalem. For the moment, Jesus is “riding high,” even if on a lowly donkey and its colt. Who is this guy? Here’s the “buzz”: “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee” (21:10). The chapter ends with an emphasis on the ..
by Travis J. Scholl The prophet’s cry in the first chapter echoes with the laments of the Psalms and Jeremiah. “O Lord, how long shall I cry for help?” (1:2). Oil in the Gulf … O Lord, how long? Handguns on the streets of Chicago … O Lord, how long? The millions unborn … O ..
By Victor Raj “Bending the Rules” The question of divorce is what first meets the eye as one reads this text. To be sure, the OT reading for this day, Genesis 2:18-25, attests to it. The epistle lesson, Hebrews 2:13, however, adds a new perspective to our text. There it clearly states that disobedience of ..