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Psalm 54 Sermon Commentary
Proper 20B
Psalm 54 tells a story in just seven short verses. Like most if not all of the stories the psalms tell, it is a very generic tale. We have no precise clue who the psalmist is, who his enemies are, exactly what actions the enemies take, or what God does to earn the praise he…
James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a Sermon Commentary
Proper 20B
I recently conducted a wedding of a dear brother and sister in Christ. Since they weren’t especially fussy about the shape and substance of the wedding service, they largely left its planning to me. That left to me the question of whether to ask the bride to “submit” to her husband. After all, the order…
Proverbs 31 Sermon Commentary
Proper 20B
Content Warning Because the Biblical text overwhelmingly centers male characters in a way that is unsurprising for ancient near-eastern literature, every women’s devotional writer and preacher tasked with a Mother’s Day sermon takes a turn with Proverbs 31. The result is over-used and over-wrought exegesis. Unfortunately, far too many women and girls in our churches…
Mark 9:30-37 Sermon Commentary
Proper 20B
God gives us many opportunities to learn humility. As we join Jesus and the disciples on the road, we are met with an all too recognizable human pattern of response to such chances. Jesus has returned to what’s about to happen, talking with his disciples about his suffering, dying, and rising while they walk. This…
Commentary posted on September 22, 2024
Proper 20B Sermon Commentary
The Proper 20B Sermon Commentaries include reflection and illustration ideas for Mark 9:30-37 from the Lectionary Gospel; Proverbs 31:10-31 from the Old Testament Lectionary; Psalm 54 from the Lectionary Psalms; and James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a from the Lectionary Epistle.
Related Reformed confession: Lectionary Psalm: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 114 (Lord’s Day 44)