Matthew 11:2-11 Sermon Commentary
Advent 3A
Even the stalwart in faith wonder during times of difficulty. Of course, we know this to be true even for Jesus, who prays to have the cup of suffering taken from him in the Garden. But in our passage today, we see it on full display in the strong-in-faith-and-purpose John. John was the one who…
Isaiah 35:1-10 Sermon Commentary
Advent 3A
Lectionary Connection On the third Sunday in Advent, we often hear John the Baptist’s story. A strange guy out in the wilderness, dressed in camel hair and eating honey-dipped locust. He arrives on the scene announcing (in the language of The Message translation) “Change your life. God’s kingdom is here.”People aren’t sure what to make…
James 5:7-10 Sermon Commentary
Advent 3A
Except in response to various crises, I don’t hear many Christians express impatience for Jesus’ return. Most of Jesus’ friends who I know (including, candidly, me) would just as soon Jesus wait a while to come again. After all, for many of us life on this side of the new creation can, at its best,…
Psalm 146:5-10 Sermon Commentary
Advent 3A
However it was that the Virgin Mary composed her Magnificat song as recorded in Luke 1, one thing that is certain is that she had a lot of Old Testament material at her disposal to work from. Particularly she had many apt psalms to draw upon, and Psalm 146 is surely one of them. No…
Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19 Sermon Commentary
Advent 2A
In too many places all over the world it has long been the case that some who come into power as kings, presidents, prime ministers, and the like seem to see their power as principally an avenue by which to enrich themselves. Power corrupts, they say, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. And all too often…
Matthew 3:1-12 Sermon Commentary
Advent 2A
It’s time for our annual Advent trip to the banks of the Jordan River and to come to terms with whether we are ready—prepared—to repent and receive the kingdom of heaven. One like John the Baptist was prophesied by Isaiah: a voice crying out in the wilderness, both as a prayer and a call to…
Isaiah 11:1-10 Sermon Commentary
Advent 2A
It can be hard to talk about fear. Once you get past fears of public speaking or mice or heights or whatever and start talking about fear at a gut-level, it’s an incredibly vulnerable thing. Our fears reveal to us who we are and what we value and what happens when we those things are…
Romans 15:4-13 Sermon Commentary
Advent 2A
My wife and I recently accepted our friends’ invitation to join them in their home for supper on Friday night. At first glance, little seems to be unusual about that. We have, after all, joined our friends for no fewer than 10 meals over the course of our 10-year friendship. We are very comfortable in…
Romans 13:11-14 Sermon Commentary
Advent 1A
Preachers might consider opening a message on this Sunday’s Epistolary Lesson with an anecdote that’s similar to mine. As I write this, my wife and I have just returned from a two-week vacation in Hawaii. While both the scenery and people were lovely, we’re exhausted. The current five-hour time difference between Hawaii and the US’s…
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.
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