Hope, inheritance, and power
I’m sure we can all agree that unity is a good thing to strive for in any context, but especially the church, but we’re historically terrible at maintaining it. It is faith in Christ that truly unites the church and gives us hope.
Risk and reward
Last week, we heard the Parable of the Ten Virgins. This week, we have the Parable of the Talents. We can take three main points from the parable today: the master trusts the servants; fear cripples while faith produces; faith involves risk.
Ready and waiting
Jesus tells a series of parables about what will happen on Judgment Day and how God will sort the righteous from the unrighteous. Like anything to do with the end times, the parable of the ten virgins (or ten bridesmaids) is both a warning and a promise.
Back to basics
500 years after the Reformation, we are still susceptible to the same temptations: taking control of God’s Church and our salvation. As we commemorate the Reformation, let’s return to the truth of God’s Word and trust in Him to save us and sustain His holy people.
Freedom in faith
In Romans 14, St. Paul provides some helpful advice for a group of Christians who are finding it hard to get along because of their differences in opinion. Sound familiar?
How to gain your brother
Jesus often speaks in riddles and cryptic language, but not today. Here, He offers some practical advice for resolving conflict and encourages us with His promise to be present, even with all our issues.
The counter-cultural cross
The cross of Jesus is counter-cultural in almost every way. Christians are called to carry their own crosses, going against the grain just as much.
The kingdom of heaven
The kingdom of heaven (or the kingdom of God) is hidden, it is more valuable than anything else, and it is available to us.
Becoming good soil
The Parable of the Sower is one of the most well-known parables, but potentially one of the most misunderstood. Of course, we all want to be good soil and like to think that’s what we are when we hear God’s Word, but there’s always a bit more to it.
The joyful exchange
Today, Jesus has some things to say about how sin weighs on us, how He deals with it, and what that means for how we carry on.
Receiving our reward
We receive our due rewards in this life, and sometimes we receive what we don’t even deserve. But, every time we receive Christ through His Word and sacraments, we receive our eternal reward: life forever with Him.
Division, persecution, and salvation
Being a Christian person is not always rewarding—it’s a tough world out there. Jesus says that faith in Him will bring division and persecution, but also salvation.
All-in faith
All three of Jesus’ interactions—calling Matthew, healing the woman, raising the dead girl—involve very similar things. All three involve social outcasts, Jesus not only calling but also following, and Jesus’ powerful touch.
Gather, grow, go
The disciples get a sneak peek before the rest of the believers receive the Spirit with tongues of fire fifty days later. It is that same Spirit whom we believe “calls, gathers, and enlightens the whole Christian church on earth,” even today.
Love and obedience
Our world makes people obey the rules out of fear of what the consequences might be of breaking them. Jesus speaks about rules in a radically different way—He puts them in a context of love.
Knowing the way
In John 14, Jesus is speaking to His disciples on the night of His betrayal. These words from Jesus are known as the ‘farewell discourse’ which is actually a very poor title. These words are focussed on arrival rather than farewell and it is not a discourse but a proclamation of the gospel.
Sheep, shepherds, and thieves
On Good Shepherd Sunday, our gospel reading stops one verse short of that particular statement of Jesus. Instead, in John 10:1–10, Jesus identifies himself as something else as part of this illustration.
Fear, forgiveness, and faith
The disciples were first forgiven their own sin before they were equipped and sent out to forgive. May our risen Lord do the same with us.
Radically weird
Once Jesus revealed himself to Mary Magdalene that morning, the story didn’t suddenly make complete sense. It was still radically weird. But, in standing risen before her and speaking her name, Jesus caused Mary to believe.
Salvation in the silence
By his silence, God announces the salvation of the world. The action of his beloved Son on the cross does the talking.