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…
Matthew 24:36-44 Sermon Commentary
Advent 1A
Advent begins with the humbling reminder that though we can be confident in Christ’s return, and there is plenty “knowing” and “unknowing” to go around. Jesus’s opening words in our passage this week make rather clear that “no one knows” the day of judgment that will usher in the new heaven and new earth—not even…
Psalm 122 Sermon Commentary
Advent 1A
It may be difficult for us in the modern world and in the era of Christ’s Church to understand Ancient Israel’s attachment to Jerusalem. This city still exists today of course and visiting it is probably always a key destination for all tourists who want to visit “The Holy Land.” There is no denying the…
Isaiah 2:1-5 Sermon Commentary
Advent 1A
Illustration Beginning in 1939, Operation Pied Piper relocated 1.5 million Britons inland, North and to the country from cities and coastal towns. Nearly 830,000 of these evacuees were unaccompanied children. When Germany invaded Poland on September 1, thousands were evacuated within the first 4 days. Children bundled onto trains, marshalled by teachers and government officials….
Psalm 46 Sermon Commentary
Proper 29C
Many of us are old enough to remember that whatever preachers around the world and particularly in the United States had planned to preach on for Sunday September 16, 2001, all that changed after that fateful Tuesday now referred to by the shorthand of 9/11. And so very many of us who preach switched to…
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.