Matthew 21:33-46 Sermon Commentary
Proper 22A
Jesus continues speaking to the temple leaders who have confronted him about his authority. He has refused to answer them directly and has instead told them a parable that compares the leaders to people who say yes when their father asks them to do something but then don’t do it. Their disobedience is akin to…
Psalm 80:7-15 Sermon Commentary
Proper 22A
This week the Lectionary is carving out the middle section of Psalm 80 beginning at verse 7 and its call for God to make his face to shine on his people so as to restore them. If we zoom out and look at the entire psalm, then we see that verse 7 is a refrain…
Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20 Sermon Commentary
Proper 22A
Leaving Out the Hard Bits Reading through the Lectionary selection this week, I had the feeling I get when my pre-schooler, who is playing in the other room, suddenly goes quiet. Immediately suspicious, I want to know what he’s up to. So, similarly, it might be important to investigate the quiet bits, the parts the…
Philippians 3:4b-14 Sermon Commentary
Proper 22A
In this Sunday’s Epistolary Lesson, Paul speaks extensively of “gain” [kerde*] and “loss” [zemian]. While the terms are largely financial, to Paul they refer to something far more important than money and assets. He employs these financial concepts to refer to the impact of God’s amazing grace on his whole person. The apostle is talking…
Psalm 25:1-9 Sermon Commentary
Proper 21A
Some years back I was asked to preach at a worship service in a congregation that was celebrating that day the launch of the new church education year as well as the start of the new academic year at a local Christian day school. To tie in with that theme, I eventually found my way…
Exodus 17:1-7 Sermon Commentary
Proper 21A
Leadership Called into Question In recent years, scandals have unmasked and dethroned many charismatic (personality temperament, not denomination) leaders in the church. My brain quickly recalled these stories as I read Moses’ reply to God’s people who are—yet again–complaining about conditions in the wilderness. In verse 2, Moses dresses the people down for questioning him….
Matthew 21:23-32 Sermon Commentary
Proper 21A
On the heels of cleansing the temple and cursing the fig tree, Jesus re-enters the holy place and is interrupted by temple leaders while he is teaching. It is a bit more intense than the librarian coming over and asking you to stop talking on your phone in the shared space; these guys want to…
Philippians 2:1-13 Sermon Commentary
Proper 21A
The proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ always aims to be theocentric. Preachers’ primary goal is, in other words, not to tell worshipers what to do, but to point to the God who graciously adopted us as God’s dearly beloved children. This Sunday’s Epistolary Lesson is thoroughly theocentric. While it’s full of Paul’s summonses…
Exodus 16:2-15 Sermon Commentary
Proper 20A
Illustration I was recently watching a TV show with my 4-year-old and, at one point, an item begins to ring. The main character picks up the top part, connected to the bottom part with a curly wire and speaks into it. On the main, bottom part, there is a circle with numbers, almost like a…
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.