Jesus Only, Matthew 17.1-8, Philippians 3.7-14

In Jesus’ transfiguration we are given a glimpse of the salvation that he is bringing to us through his death and resurrection. Because of this glimpse our eyes are to be drawn to Jesus only, to look upon he who has been pierced for us and to find the whole of our salvation through him. Listen now to hear more from Father Jeremiah

Image: Photo by Lawrence OP, Transfiguration of the Lord, Mosaic by Marko Rupnik SJ in the relic chapel of the National Shrine of Pope St John Paul II, Washington DC. Used under license CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. No changes made.

Jesus' Mission, Our Mission, Matthew 9.35-38

In our Gospel today, Jesus goes about teaching, proclaiming, and healing. He does this as he looks upon the crowds with deep compassion. How does this come down to us today? What does Jesus’ response teach us about our own condition? What does Jesus’ actions toward our condition mean for us in response?

Image: Jesus preaching before a crowd, woodcut. Part of the Wellcome Collection. Image location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christ_preaching_before_a_crowd._Woodcut._Wellcome_V0034716.jpg and https://wellcomecollection.org/works/svbe5hgz?wellcomeImagesUrl=/indexplus/image/V0034716.html License: CC BY 4.0, No changes made.

Salt, Light, and Righteousness, Matthew 5.13-20

Jesus speaks of us as being salt and light and then of his coming to fulfill the Law. How does his fulfilling the Law bring about our being salt and light? Listen now to find out from Father Jeremiah.

Image: Ywain and his lion fighting a dragon, an illumination from the 14th-century Italian copy. [Public Domain] Image Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ywain_and_his_lion_fighting_a_dragon.jpg

Redeemed for Us, Luke 2.22-40, Hebrews 2.14-18

Jesus being presented in the Temple may seem like a random even from his life, yet it contains a great amount of redemptive significance. It pushes us to realize how seriously the writers of the New Testament took Jesus’ full humanity and how it was necessary that he be incarnate. It is a reminder that everything that he did was for us and our salvation.

Image: Presentation of Christ in the Temple, Stefan Lochner, 1447 (Public Domain). Image location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stefan_Lochner_-_Presentation_of_Christ_in_the_Temple_-_WGA13347.jpg

Redemptive Conflict, Amos 3.1-11, Matthew 4.12-22

As Jesus enters into his Galillean ministry, he preaches about repentance in light of the coming of the Kingdom of God. What does this mean, especially when coupled with Amos 3.1-11? We see that God enters into conflict with his people in order to bring about their redemption. Find out more from Father Jeremiah in this sermon.

Image: Christ Preaching in the Temple, Russia (MSTERA). Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Icon_of_Jesus_among_the_Doctors_(Mstera,_c._1800).jpg

John and the Lamb of God, John 1.29-42

When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he called him the Lamb of God. What did he mean by this statement? Why did it draw his disciples from himself and to Jesus? How can this strange statement affect us today? Listen now to hear what Father Jeremiah teaches us from this passage.

Image: Behold the Lamb of God, by Lawrence OP (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0). No changes made. Statue of John the Baptist pointing to the Lamb of God is located in Fribourg. Image Location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/12028234743

Changed by Jesus' Baptism, Matthew 3.13-17

When Jesus was baptized, he transformed what baptism was about. His baptism was unexpected for John the Baptist, but to do what was necessary and needful, he baptized Jesus and saw the transformation of baptism into something new and even more glorious. This is what we participated in when we were baptized and what we participate in when we remember that baptism.

Image by Dimitris Vetsikas from Pixabay 

How Lovely is Your Dwelling Place!

The birth of Christ meant that God had entered into his own creation and made his dwelling amongst man in a man. Psalm 84 begins with the words, “How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD God of Hosts.” These words take on a new and deeper meaning in light of the incarnation and connects us also to the coming of the Magi at Epiphany. Listen now to hear Father Jeremiah expand upon this beautiful truth.

Image: From The 'De Grey' Hours, depicting the adoration of the Magi. Author of the book is unknown. [CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication] Image location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:De_Grey_Hours_f.71.r_Adoration_of_the_Magi.png

The Blessings of the Incarnation, John 1.1-18, Galatians 3.21-4.7

Father Jeremiah’s friend, Thomas Haviland-Pabst, preached on this first Sunday after Christmas. He considers the incarnation and birth of Jesus from John 1 and Galatians 3. The incarnation results in beautiful things for us! We are able to be adopted as children and can receive the Holy Spirit within.

The Son of God Incarnate Come!

Jesus Christ is born! The Son of God has come in the flesh! And thus, the whole world is blessed by this coming of God in human flesh that all creation might be redeemed through his work on its behalf.

Image: Nativity Icon in Panagia Evraidos Church (Public Domain). Image location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nativity_Icon_Panagia_Evraidos_Church_19_Century.jpg

Lift Up Your Heads, O Gates, Psalm 24

Psalm 24 is most likely a reflection of the Ark of the Covenant being brought into Jerusalem after David had conquered the city. Yet, it also becomes something more in light of Jesus’ coming into this world and his return at the end. What do we hear in this psalm that can lead us into opening wide the gates when Jesus returns?

Image: Entry of David into Jerusalem, by Frans Francken the Younger. (Public Domain) Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:David_Entry_into_Jerusalem.jpg

Praise and Joy in the King, Psalm 146

In the Psalm, the psalmist is praising Yahweh and recognizing his works of healing for the people. These healings were a part of Jesus’ own ministry here on earth, linking his Messiahship not to just being sent by Yahweh, but to being Yahweh himself in the flesh. This psalm tells us about Yahweh and thus tells us about Jesus and the praise and joy that he can illicit from us when we see him as king.

Image: Christ Preaching (The Hundred Guilder Print) by Rembrandt (Public Domain {{PD-US}}). Image location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RembrandtHeal.jpg

Prayer for the King, Psalm 72

Psalm 72 was a psalm written for Solomon’s inauguration and reign. It is a prayer for the blessing of his reign, but through his failures, it becomes a prophecy of the greater Son of David who would come to rule over all of creation. We see once again, how the psalms have layers that point forward to Jesus Christ in his coming to redeem his people. Listen now to Father Jeremiah explain these connections and apply it to us today.

Image: Christus Pantocrator, from Cathedral of Cefalù, c. 1130. Photographed by Andreas Wahra. Used under GNU Free Documentation License, version 1.2 and CC BY-SA 3.0

Hope for Us, Sinners, Psalm 122

The Psalms have been known as a prayer book for thousands of years. They were part of the regular Jewish prayer life. These were prayers that Jesus himself prayed and yet, the psalms are about Jesus. All that the psalms are seeking God for, Jesus fulfills. This psalm specifically prays for the peace of Jerusalem and as we think about Jesus praying this very prayer, we know that he was going to become that peace that Jerusalem truly needs.

Image: TU REX GLORIAE CHRISTE, William Earley, photographed by Andreas F. Borchert (CC BY-SA 4.0). Image location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Toomyvara_St._Joseph%27s_Church_Window_Tu_Rex_Gloriae_Christe_by_William_Earley_1933_2010_09_08.jpg

The Resurrection of the Universe, Colossians 1.11-24

Jesus’ return in glory means more than just resurrection for his people. Because he was raised from the dead into new life, not only will believers be resurrected into new life, but the entire universe will be purged of all the stain of sin. Listen now to find out about this wonderful news from Father Jeremiah.

Image: Icon of Second Coming, Anonymous, Greece [Public domain] Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Icon_second_coming.jpg

The End, Then and Now, Luke 21.5-19

What is the end of the world all about in Luke 21? We have many assumptions about his passage, but the reality is that it is simply what it is: a prophecy about the coming destruction of Jerusalem and what will happen to the disciples before that. How does this affect us today? Is there something we can learn about what Jesus promises the disciples? Can we depend upon Jesus in the same way as they did during their time of testing? Listen now to find out more from Father Jeremiah.

Image: Douce Apocalypse - Bodleian Ms180, Anonymous (Public Domain). Image Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Douce_Apocalypse_-_Bodleian_Ms180_-_p.039_Christ_proclaimed_by_the_elders.jpg

What We are is not what We will be, Luke 20.27-38

What does resurrection have to do with marriage? In today’s Gospel from St. Luke, Jesus answers the quandary of the Sadducees. What else might be different if marriage isn’t part of the resurrection? Listen now to find out more.

Image: Resurrection of the Flesh, Luca Signorelli. Public Domain. Image location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Signorelli_Resurrection.jpg

To Make Them Saints, Luke 19.1-10

When Jesus came to Jericho, no one would have expected him to stay with the man Zacchaeus. And yet Jesus does. Why? Because Jesus came to seek and save the lost. And Zacchaeus’ encounter with Jesus changes him completely. What does this mean for us today?

Image: A an etching by Jan Luyken from the Phillip Medhurst Collection of Bible illustrations housed at Belgrave Hall, Leicester, England. Photo taken by: Philip De Vere (Phillip Medhurst [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)])

Repentance through Crushing, Jeremiah 14, Luke 18.9-14

As we wrestle with God telling Jeremiah that he will not listen to his people in Jeremiah 14, we hear the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. What is the relationship between these two accounts in the Bible? How does repentance relate to both? Where do we fall when it comes to the Pharisee and the tax collector? Here’s a hint: If you’re proud that you are a tax collector, you’re really a Pharisee.

image: Pharisee and the Tax Collector, posted by WELS MLP, (Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0). Image Location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/49102781@N03/4500062279/in/photostream/

Dislocated by Prayer, Genesis 32.3-30, Luke 18.1-18

On the night before Jacob was to meet with Esau, a stranger started a wrestling match with him. In our Gospel lesson, Jesus tells a parable about a persistent widow. What do these two stories have to do with one another? What do we learn about prayer from these things? How does God change everything about us as we pray? Father Jeremiah works through this and helps us to see how prayer is meant to dislocate us and renew our faith in Jesus.

Image: Woodcut for "Die Bibel in Bildern", 1860 by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld [Public domain]. Image Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Schnorr_von_Carolsfeld_Bibel_in_Bildern_1860_036.png