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Text: Matthew 18:21-35 Date: Pentecost XIII + Proper 19 + 9/11/11 What a terrible choice of scripture to be read on this day, don’t you agree? this day on which we commemorate the tenth anniversary of the evil attacks of our enemies on the United States on September 11, 2001? A terrible choice! Forgiveness? Wouldn’t [...]

Text: Matthew 18:1-20 Date: Pentecost XII + Proper 18 + 9/4/11 First, I suppose I ought to explain the sermon title. For it sounds quite boastful, don’t you think? Who among us would even consider much less talk about our own greatness? Yet that’s what Jesus’ disciples do in our text today. The last two [...]

Text: Matthew 16:21-28 Date: Pentecost XI + Proper 17 + 8/28/11 Before entering into the third and most crucial part of his Gospel account St. Matthew gives us a seminar on the topic of faith. It began with Peter walking to Jesus on the water and, when he almost drowned, Jesus addressed him as “you [...]

Text: Matthew 16:13-20 Occasion: 50th Anniversary of Trinity Lutheran School Date: Pentecost X + Proper 16 + 8/21/11 Trinity Lutheran Church, Jackson, Michigan “Who do you say that I am?” asked Jesus of His disciples. Peter answered, “The Christ, the Son of the living God.” “Good for you, Pete!” “Blessed are you” responded Jesus. “For [...]

Text: Matthew 15:21-28 Date: Pentecost IX + Proper 15 + 8/14/11 It is interesting how St. Matthew contrasts the “little-faith” of water-walking Peter in our reading last week with the “great faith” of a Canaanite woman in today’s Gospel. It is interesting, for one thing, because while Peter and those to whom the promise of [...]

Text: Matthew 14:22-33 Date: Pentecost VIII + Proper 14 + 8/7/11 What is frightening you of late? What is it that causes your deepest fears? Is it the state of the economy and your sincere doubt that those currently in control of it have the first clue as to how to turn it around? What [...]

Text: Matthew 13:44-52 Date: Pentecost VI + Proper 12 + 7/24/11 Dearly Beloved, God loves you. Now, that may not strike you as being any big, new news. And that would be unfortunate. God loves you. But you’ve heard it before. Don’t we already know that? John 3:16 and all; ‘God so loved the world,’ [...]

Text: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 Date: Pentecost V + Proper 11 + 7/17/11 This is the way the kingdom of heaven is, the way God rules His Church and His world for now. “For now” is all the days between our Lord’s earthly ministry and the Last Day of His return in judgment. We’re not there [...]

Text: Matthew 13:1-23 Date: Pentecost IV + Proper 10 + 7/10/11 Up to now Jesus had been teaching the people and His disciples in a pretty straightforward manner. Today, suddenly something changed. And His disciples noticed. He got into a boat when the crowds gathered, and He sat down in the boat, the crowd standing [...]