Luke 10:25-37 Sermon Commentary
Proper 10C
The story of the Good Samaritan is so ubiquitous that most of the world, Christian or not, knows it: we’ve used the title to describe people who put themselves in harm’s way or help out strangers in need. So how do we preach a text that is so familiar and is already being used in…
Luke 9:51-62 Sermon Commentary
Proper 8C
These two discipleship scenarios are an interesting pair. On the one hand, the first scene depicts matters post-decision to follow Jesus. In the other, we have a series of stumbling blocks to saying yes. Going a little deeper than connecting them as discipleship stories, these two scenarios say something about how we are disciples of…
Luke 8.26-39 Sermon Commentary
Proper 7C
There is no doubt that this is a difficult passage to preach. Very few of us will feel like we have real world, modern experience with demon possession—and some of us might not even believe it’s a real thing in this age. For those of us who look to match trouble and grace in the…
Luke 24:1-12 Sermon Commentary
Easter Day C
The resurrection of Jesus Christ represents as much as—if not more so—a turning point in the life of his disciples than any other point in their journeys. The same is true for us. Yes, it was a big deal for the twelve to be called to be his disciples, plucked out of their everyday tasks…
Luke 19:28-40 Sermon Commentary
Palm Sunday C
King Jesus has come. Palm Sunday makes the first explicit connection to Jesus’s kingship in the Gospel of Luke, but it’s a truth that’s been woven into the very fabric of his existence. From the prophets of old to the heavenly hosts at his birth, through the details of his entry into Jerusalem, Jesus is…
Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 Sermon Commentary
Lent 4C
What makes someone resent repentance? That’s really the crux of the matter for the older brother, isn’t it? Or maybe it’s that the older brother doesn’t care about his younger brother’s repentance, but that he resents his father’s compassion. Jesus tells three stories about something lost being found and how being found is always worth…
Luke 13:1-9 Sermon Commentary
Lent 3C
On the surface, this exchange about suffering as punishment for sins seems simple enough to understand, but there is a lot more to reckon with. To be sure, the need for everyone to repent—and soon—is the clear point Jesus is making. Not only does his parable make the point that time is short, but he…
Luke 13:31-35 Sermon Commentary
Lent 2C
There is an undercurrent throughout these lenten gospel texts. Flowing through most of the accounts is some emphasis or use of time or timing. For instance, last week, along with the length of Jesus’s time in the desert, there was the way Satan tried to tempt Jesus with early (false) glory. And next week, Jesus…
Luke 4:1-13 Sermon Commentary
Lent 1C
For many of us in more evangelical traditions, we think of retreats as pleasant and uplifting spaces where we can reconnect with God, be refreshed, and maybe even have a “mountaintop” spiritual experience. Retreats are hard to make space and time for, so it really isn’t surprising to me that most of us modern Christians…
Sermon Commentary Library
Our weekly sermon commentaries are Lectionary-based, which across its three-year cycle, encompass a vast array of biblical texts. Filter the Sermon Commentary Library to search Scripture texts by book and chapter to find commentary, illustrations, and reflections to spark ideas.
Looking for something else? View our Heidelberg Catechism sermon resources and our Reformed Connections to the RCL section that traces Lectionary texts to specific parts of the Heidelberg Catechism and the Belgic Confession.