Isaiah 58:1-12 Sermon Commentary
Epiphany 5A
Because I prepare about a month early, I am reading these words against the backdrop of ICE raids, of terrorized people and extrajudicial killing in detention facilities and on the streets of Minneapolis. As I settled into my seat to review the text before diving into commentaries, I read these words and my body tensed,…
Psalm 112:1-9 (10) Sermon Commentary
Epiphany 5A
It’s never terribly clear to me just what it means when the Revised Common Lectionary puts a single verse in parentheses. It’s the final verse, verse 10, of Psalm 112 that gets that treatment. Maybe it’s meant to say “Include it in your sermon or don’t—it’s up to you.” They are not skipping that verse…
Matthew 5:13-20 Sermon Commentary
Epiphany 5A
How does salt lose its saltiness? Thinking about the salt as it is, one of the ways it will lose its potency is by diluting it, say in a large amount of water. As the salt dissolves and has more and more water added to it, it’s saltiness won’t be as strong. Or, salt that…
1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16) Sermon Commentary
Epiphany 5A
In last week’s Epistolary Lesson commentary I suggested that preachers who feel called to proclaim 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 might consider entitling their message “Good News for Ordinary Christians.” This week I’d offer that preachers who proclaim 1 Corinthians 2 might consider entitling their message “Good News for Ordinary Gospel Proclaimers.” The faithful proclamation of the…
Psalm 15 Sermon Commentary
Epiphany 4A
It’s a pretty tall order spiritually speaking. The job description for the person who can dwell in God’s sacred place stacks up pretty fast and in the end sketches an ideal and nearly perfect person. Indeed, when we read this, the thought all-but inevitably occurs to us that really, the only person who ever fit…
Micah 6:1-8 Sermon Commentary
Epiphany 4A
We all know what the key verse in the text is. The real star of the show shows up in verse 8, words set to music, memorized and printed on mission trip t-shirts: “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to…
1 Corinthians 1:18-31 Sermon Commentary
Epiphany 4A
If I were to preach on this Sunday’s Epistolary Lesson, I might entitle my message, “Good News For Ordinary People.” In this text, after all, Paul doesn’t primarily address the “100 Most Influential Christians.” He doesn’t even speak to that roster of preachers that seem to get invited to present at nearly every preaching conference….
Matthew 5:1-12 Sermon Commentary
Epiphany 4A
This series of promises known as the Beatitudes continues to speak with hope, comfort, and possibly a little challenge. Most of us don’t want to claim these promises as prizes or rewards, and future glory can be a small comfort during current tragedy and hardship. But remembering the one who speaks these words may just…
Isaiah 9:1-4 Sermon Commentary
Epiphany 3A
Illustration It may feel strange to be preaching Isaiah 9—a quintessentially Christmas text—a full month after the holiday has passed. Surely decorations are put away, the tree is in a woodchopper somewhere, making mulch for next spring and our lives have gone back to “normal,” whatever that means. But, rereading Isaiah 9 in late January…
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.