Romans 10:5-15 Sermon Commentary
Proper 14A
One form of an old adage summons preachers to “comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” While Paul almost certainly wasn’t familiar with that invitation, this Sunday’s Epistolary Lesson suggests he was familiar with its underlying principle. He, after all, fills Romans 10 with both rich comfort and implied warnings. We might argue that Paul…
I Kings 19:9-18 Sermon Commentary
Proper 14A
This week, I am mixing it up—because the Lectionary does—by switching to an alternative reading from Hebrew Scripture: The story of Elijah meeting God in a still, small voice. If you are still tracking the story of Genesis, you might see my previous commentary on Joseph here. Commentary The placement of this Elijah narrative matters…
Matthew 14:22-33 Sermon Commentary
Proper 14A
Jesus finally gets that alone time he yearned for when hearing about John the Baptist’s death (see verse 13). He first sends the disciples away, presumably so that they will not dutifully follow him up the hill later, but perhaps also because he wants to give them a rest too. After all, they just catered…
Psalm 85:8-13 Sermon Commentary
Proper 14A
Here is another Lectionary example of a relatively short psalm that for some reason is not recommended in its entirety. Since there is nothing in verses 1-7 that say anything different than the assigned verses here, there’s no harm in just doing the final six verses but equally there’d be no harm in reading the…
Psalm 145:8-9, 14-21 Sermon Commentary
Proper 13A
Psalm 145 pops up four times across Years A, B, and C in the Lectionary though never as the entire psalm and always with a different configuration of verses included and verses bracketed out. There is not a lot of rhyme or reason to it near as I can tell but unless you plan to…
Romans 9:1-5 Sermon Commentary
Proper 13A
God has graced my wife and me with a number of close Jewish friends, as well as casual acquaintances. God has immeasurably enriched our lives through these dear people whom we both like and love very much. But I’ve never been able to join Paul in saying something like, “I could wish that I myself…
Matthew 14:13-21 Sermon Commentary
Proper 13A
The ominous words that open our story immediately make us curious: what happened? Jesus hears something and feels the need to withdraw to a deserted place by himself. The emphasis on his desire to be alone is clear, even as we come to realize from verse 15 that the disciples have come with them (that’s…
Genesis 32:23-33 Sermon Commentary
Proper 13A
Illustration The dark night of the soul is a concept made popular by a book with that title, written by St. John of the Cross in the 16th century. It means something like a sense of soul weariness, helplessness, a persistent and stubborn dismay with self, with others and with God. Although the concept is…
Romans 8:26-39 Sermon Commentary
Proper 12A
Over the years God has graced me with people whom we sometimes call “prayer partners.” Those brothers and sisters in Christ not only promised to pray for me but also received my promises to pray for them. God used those partnerships to bless me in more ways than I can even begin to count. In…
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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