Justice and the Widow, Luke 18.1-8, Genesis 32:22-30

The widow of Jesus’ parable in Luke 18 is unwilling to give up her cause before an unjust judge. The judge eventually gives in and does what is right. What does this tell us about prayer? What does it tell us about God? How are we to come to God then if we know that he is truly honorable toward his people? Father Jeremiah considers all of this and encourages us to prayer unceasingly to our God who has redeemed us in Jesus Christ.

Image: The Unjust Judge and the Importunate Widow, Brothers Dalziel, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons. Image location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Unjust_Judge_and_the_Importunate_Widow_(The_Parables_of_Our_Lord_and_Saviour_Jesus_Christ)_MET_DP835791.jpg

Gratitude Always Brings You Back, Luke 17:11-19

Bishop Terrell joins with us for confirmations and so he preached the sermon for this Sunday. He walks us through the healing of the 10 Lepers from Luke 17 and directs us toward the need for gratitude toward God as we walk through our lives as Christians.

Image: See page for author, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons, no changes made. Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christ_cures_ten_lepers._Woodcut._Wellcome_V0034943.jpg

Mustard Seed Faith, Luke 17:5-10

Image: See page for author, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons. Image Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christ_tells_an_apostle_how_a_mustard_seed_grows_into_a_tree_Wellcome_V0034951.jpg

The Word of God, Faith, Life, and Death, Luke 16:19-31

How powerful is the Word of God? In the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, we learn that if the rich man had but heeded what was in the Law and the Prophets, he would have been at Abraham’s side with Lazarus. Instead, he was focused on himself and ignoring the Word of God.

Image: The Rich Man and Lazarus, by Brothers Dalziel and John Everett Millais, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Rich_Man_and_Lazarus_(The_Parables_of_Our_Lord_and_Saviour_Jesus_Christ)_MET_DP835801.jpg

Falling Upon a Generous God, Luke 16:1-13

What did the dishonest steward do that was so commendable? In Father Jeremiah’s sermon, he considers just what the steward’s shrewdness was about. Was the steward depending upon his own shrewdness and ingenuity? Or was there someone else he was depending upon in the midst of his crisis? Listen now to find out more!

Image by: Andrei Mironov, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons. Image location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%D0%9F%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%87%D0%B0_%D0%BE_%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%BC_%D1%83%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B5._%D0%9A%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0_XXI_%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%BA%D0%B0..jpg

God's Duty, Our Hope, Luke 15:1-10

Image: Marble statue of The Good Shepherd carrying a lamb, c. 300-350, from the Catacombs of Domitilla, Vatican Museums, Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons. Image Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marble_statue_of_The_Good_Shepherd_carrying_a_lamb,_c._300-350,_from_the_Catacombs_of_Domitilla,_Vatican_Museums_(31302117574).jpg

God's Work in Your Cross, Luke 14:25-33

When we think of being a disciples of Jesus, our thoughts often turn to what we must do in our discipleship. But what if we consider what Christ has done to change us into the right kind of disciples? Father Jeremiah speaks to the reality of Christ bearing our cross in his own cross to enable us to carry ours.

Image: Woodcut of Christ carrying the Lamb, illustration from the prayerbook of Martin Luther, Sebald Beham, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Image Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Luther-prayerbook-Beham-1527.jpg

Humility and Exaltation, Luke 14:1, 7-14

Jesus said that whoever exalts himself will be humbled, but whoever humbles himself will be exalted. How does this come to apply in our own lives? Who is doing the humbling and who is doing the exalting? The who of that question is more important that we ever realize.

Image: Humility and Pride from BL Royal 19 C II, f. 52, Public Domain. Image location: https://jenikirbyhistory.getarchive.net/media/humility-and-pride-from-bl-royal-19-c-ii-f-52-e57bc8

Striving by Way of Weakness, Luke 13:22-30, Hebrews 12:15-29

When Jesus tells us to strive, do we think of us exerting our own strength? Or do we think of how weak we are and the impossible task before us of entering the narrow door? Father Jeremiah considers how we strive not our strength, but instead Jesus’ enabling strength revealed in our weakness.

Image: pg 164, The Baptistery, or the Way of Eternal Life, by Isaac William. Found at books.google.com. Public Domain.

Division by the Gospel, Luke 12:49-56

What does it mean for Jesus to cause division? What brings about division? In our varying texts from Sunday, we hear that division occurs because God’s truth stands against the world’s lies. And ultimately, Jesus will cause division as he deals with our sins upon the cross. For those who reject the work of Christ, his work stands against them and for those who receive it, they will live with an inner division of the old versus the new that is overcome by faith in the One who has died for them.

Image: The Chaff Cutter, David Teniers the Younger, Dulwich Picture Gallery, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Image location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Teniers,_David_the_younger_-_The_Chaff-cutter_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg

Fear and Anxiety in an Age of Faith, Luke 12.32-40

Fear and anxiety are part and parcel of this life in a broken and sinful world. What are we to do about these feelings when they come upon us? Father Jeremiah reminds us that in this Age of Faith we can look to God’s promises fulfilled in Jesus Christ and poured upon us by the Holy Spirit to begin dealing with these responses to the world around.

Image: Anxiety, by Edvard Munch, digitally enhanced by raxpixel. Licensed with no changes under: CC BY 2.0. Image location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anxiety_%281896%29_by_Edvard_Munch._Original_from_The_Art_Institute_of_Chicago._Digitally_enhanced_by_rawpixel._%2850434737057%29.jpg

The Death of Idolatry, Luke 12:13-21

When someone asks Jesus to give a judgment concerning an inheritance with his brother, Jesus tells him that we must be on watch for coveting in our hearts and tells a parable of a man who received blessing above measure. But for this man, he loses it all in his death having no faith, but only focused on greed. What is it about coveting and greed that makes it idolatry? Father Jeremiah helps us to identify the answer and wrestle against this idolatry.

Image: Parable of the Rich Fool, Public Domain, from LookandLearn.com. image location: https://www.lookandlearn.com/history-images/YR0623099/Parable-of-the-Rich-Fool

The Answering Honor of God, Luke 11:1-13

When we hear about the Friend at Midnight, we probably think of the fellow who bangs on the door of his neighbor’s house until he finally gets up and gives him some bread. What if that wasn’t quite the proper understanding of this important parable? What if the parable was about the fellow who gets awakened giving the bread because he doesn’t want to bring shame on himself and his village by not acting according to the laws of hospitality? Father Jeremiah explores this in this sermon on Luke 11.

Image: Importunate Neighbor, William Holman Hunt, public domain. Image location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Importunate_neighbour.jpg

Contemplative Faith and Work, Genesis 18:1-14, Luke 10:38-42

What is the difference between Abraham and Martha’s approach to the Lord? How does this come to be known to us through the stories of Genesis 18 and Luke 10? Father Jeremiah walks us through these two texts so that we can learn stillness before the Father.

Image: Christ in the House of Martha and Mary, Johannes Vermeer, Public Domain. Image Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Johannes_(Jan)_Vermeer_-_Christ_in_the_House_of_Martha_and_Mary_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg

Who is the Samaritan? Luke 10:25-37

When we hear about the Good Samaritan, we tend to conjure up images of a moral tale about how to be a better person and put other people first, no matter who they are. However, what if there is something deeper in this parable that is more than the simple parables that Jesus usually told? What if the story really was about what Jesus has done for us in his incarnation? Father Jeremiah considers these things in his sermon from Sunday.

Image: Good Samaritan Icon, photo by Ted, CC BY-NC 2.0, no changes made. Image location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/frted/15528960161

Where You Go, Jesus Goes, Luke 10:1-20

When Jesus sent the 70/72 disciples out to all the places that he would go, the receiving of them was a receiving of himself and the rejection of them was a rejection of himself. What does this mean? It means that Jesus is going with his people wherever he sends them. He goes with us that we might be strengthened in all that we do by his working through us.

image: 70 Apostles. Public Domain. image location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:70Apostles_V-1.jpg

Freedom is Not the Same as having a Lot of Choices, Luke 9:51-62

Guest priest the Reverend Paul Briggs walks us through Luke 9:51-62. He reminds us that grace undergirds our ultimate choices and that grace is intended to draw us to Christ.

Image: Herschel Bonham, Route A, Box 118, an 11-year-old boy cultivating peas. He belongs to a cotton club in school. Father says he can pick 200 pounds of cotton a day. Location: Lawton, Oklahoma / Lewis W. Hine, by Lewis W. Hine, 1917. No known restrictions. image location: https://www.loc.gov/item/2018678613/

Apprehending the Trinity, John 14:5-15

When we think of the Trinity, we can find ourselves in a position of trying to comprehend the mystery of the nature of God. If we try to comprehend the reality of God’s triune nature, we will fail, for God is above and beyond us. However, we are enabled through God’s revelation in Scripture to apprehend the triunity of God, for he has revealed himself to us through Jesus Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Three persons, one God. A mystery that we will ever praise and one that we are united to through the work of Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Image: Christ’s Baptism (San Marco), photo taken by Jim Forest, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 (no changes made).Image Location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jimforest/3473212604/in/photostream/

www.gracegastonia.com/sermon-blog/2022/6/12/apprehending-the-trinity-john-145-15

Named by Pentecost, Genesis 11:1-9, Acts 2:1-21

When the people attempted to build their tower, they wanted to make a name for themselves instead of receiving their recognition through the grace of God. They sinned by refusing God’s command and thus were scattered. But that scattering meant hope of receiving that new name that will come through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Image: From the illuminated manuscript Vaux Passional, pubic domain. Image location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pentecost_descent_of_the_Holy_Ghost_as_a_dove_%28f._151%29.jpg

Ascension and Cultivation, John 17:20-26

On this Sunday after the Ascension, we hear from Jesus’ high priestly prayer found in John 17. As Jesus prays for all who believe through the Disciples, we are reminded that in his Ascension, Jesus continues to pray this prayer for us before the Father. He is thus cultivating us that he might be in us and we in him.

image: Unknown authorUnknown author, FAL, via Wikimedia Commons. Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gethsemane_Macedonia.gif