Sermon for Pentecost 8

A sermon preached at Trinity-Mount Rainier on the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost (LSB Proper 12A), July 26, 2020

A Chosen People! But Why?
Deuteronomy 7:6-9
(Other Readings Appointed: Romans 8:26-39; Matthew 13:44-52)

In this moment of time and of history in which we currently find ourselves as we wrestle with issues dealing with the differences that we see between people, it is interesting that today’s Old Testament Reading places before us words that speak of God’s choosing and setting apart the people of ancient Israel as “a people for His treasured possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth” (Dt. 7:6). It is important for us to remember and to be reminded that every person on this earth by virtue of their creation is indeed a child of God, invested with all the dignity which that fact entails. As human creatures created by God, we all have equal value in His eyes, and each of us are called to have God’s eyes and wisdom in our looking at our fellow creatures, seeing one another as God sees us—as a people who are equal with one another and equally loving of each other.

With this in mind, we could say that each and every child of God’s creating is chosen by Him, making each and every people of this world His “chosen people”. But today’s reading shows us that God did indeed at one time choose one people out of all of the peoples of the world to be His own. Does this then mean that God loved the rest of the world less? Is God somehow turned racist by insisting that only one people can be His and that everyone else is just somehow “left on the outs”? Being a part of a “chosen people” does sound great, but only if you know that you’re a part of that number. And whether one is chosen or not, there’s always a lingering question: “Why am I, or why am I not, chosen?”

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Sermon for Pentecost 7

A sermon preached at Trinity-Mount Rainier on the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost (LSB Proper 11A), July 19, 2020.

Another Lesson in God’s Field
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
(Other Readings Appointed: Isaiah 44:6-8; Romans 8:18-27)

As we heard the Gospel proclaimed to us this Lord’s Day, there may have almost been a sense of “Liturgical déjà vu”—that feeling of “haven’t we already heard this before?” And it may seem that way because as we go through some of the parables of Jesus found in the thirteenth chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, last week’s “Parable of the Sower” and today’s “Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds” have certain similarities to each other. Both are about the planting of fields, and both are the only parables where Jesus gives to His disciples the explanation of the parables’ meaning.

So as we prepare for another lesson in God’s Field today, we are asked to pay attention to what makes this story that Jesus told different from the one we have already heard. The Parable of the Sower was all about how the seed of God’s Word is spread through its proclamation and sharing, and how that seed takes root and grows in the hearts, minds, and lives of those who have heard it—in both good and not so good conditions. This Parable then is a visual description of what Saint Paul meant when he declared, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17).

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Sermon for Pentecost 6

A sermon preached at Trinity-Mount Rainier on the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost (LSB Proper 10A), July 12, 2020.

Planting God’s Field
Isaiah 55:10-13 and Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
(Other Reading Appointed: Romans 8:12-17)

Preaching on the parables of Jesus is always a challenging yet rewarding task for a preacher. The reason for this is that one is really tasked with having to do the hard work of interpretation. One must correctly assign the “who” behind each character in Jesus’ story, and then apply it just as did the original hearers of these parables, asking that important question: “And who are you in this story?” And this task can be sometimes difficult since there really isn’t a guide to “crack the code” in these parables, giving us the key we need to correctly interpret them.

What is interesting about the parable we heard today is that it is one of the few times where Jesus gives us the meaning of His words. After He tells the crowds the Parable of the Sower, it is the disciples who come to Jesus asking why He teaches the people in parables. Jesus’ answer is really found in the closing words of His parable: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

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Sermon for Pentecost 5

A sermon preached at Trinity-Mount Rainier on the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost (LSB Proper 9A), July 5, 2020.

Rest for the Laborer
Matthew 11:25-30
(Other Readings Appointed: Zechariah 9:9-12; Romans 7:14-25a)

It is interesting that on a holiday weekend filled with people enjoying rest and relaxation, the Gospel for today is that great text where our Lord Jesus promises His people the gift of rest. And perhaps even more so in these days we find ourselves in, that promise is something which we want to cling to and believe in even more strongly. “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

What a wonderful, hopeful, and peace-filled promise that our Blessed Lord gives to us here. To hear that we can “lay our burdens” down and have rest is an assurance which comforts us and helps us to know that whatever oppresses us, burdens us, and causes us grief is in essence nullified by Jesus. The burden of our labor is lifted off of us by Christ, and we live in peace and find the rest that our wearied lives need.

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