Gospel: Mark 9:38-50 (Pentecost 18: Series B )
You cannot “be what you want to be” and follow Jesus. Jesus has a higher calling for you, a calling which is more personal.
Contributors
David Schmitt
David Schmitt (MDiv, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis; PhD, Washington University, St. Louis) is the Gregg H. Benidt Chair of Homiletics and Literature, Professor of Practical Theology, and Chair of the Practical Department at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO.
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Gospel: Mark 9:30-37 (Pentecost 17: Series B )
Jesus takes that which is overlooked and unappreciated and celebrates this child as the place where God is at work.
Gospel: Mark 9:14-29 (Pentecost 16: Series B)
The beauty of our gospel reading today is how it reveals Jesus as the One who comes not only for the strong in faith but also for those who are weak and walking away.
Gospel: Mark 7:(24-30) 31-37 (Pentecost 15: Series B)
Jesus does not remain at a distance from our suffering. He fully enters it and bears its burden.
Gospel: Mark 6:45-56 (Pentecost 9: Series B)
When the One who created the world comes to you, there is reason for courage and never reason to fear.
Gospel: Mark 6:30-44 (Pentecost 8: Series B)
Because Jesus turns desolate, dying places into holy landscapes of life.
Gospel: Mark 6:14-29 (Pentecost 7: Series B)
I would understand if you were a bit offended. This looks more like Game of Thrones than the Kingdom of God.
Gospel: Mark 6:1-13 (Pentecost 6: Series B)
Jesus will bring good news, send His disciples to bring good news, and, in His death and resurrection, become good news for all.
Gospel: John 3:1-17 (Holy Trinity: Series B)
Trinity Sunday is a day we confess the mystery of our faith. It is a mystery that saves.
Gospel: John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 (Pentecost Sunday: Series B)
Somedays we are simply looking for a mark, a rock at the foot of a tree, something to direct us forward, a few words to let us know we are going in the right direction.
Gospel: John 17:11b-19 (Easter 7: Series B)
The One who has defeated sin, death, and the Devil himself is now living in Heaven and praying for you.
Gospel: John 15:9-17 (Easter 6: Series B)
Jesus will suffer, die, and rise again for them. By this love, they are forgiven. By this love, they are made His friends: Friends of God.
Gospel: John 15:1-8 (Easter 5: Series B )
Jesus is the vine. You are His branches. And God the Father delights to bring the inside out.
Gospel: John 12:12-19 (Palm Sunday: Series B)
As we gather for Palm Sunday, John invites us to simply experience the wonder of Jesus, the Lord of all, who does His work in humility.
Gospel: Mark 10:32-45 (Lent 5: Series B)
James and John come before Jesus and request positions of honor in His coming Kingdom. While we may be surprised at their actions, we understand their desires. They are interested in upward mobility.
Gospel: John 3:14-21 (Lent 4: Series B)
Jesus enters this world’s darkness and brings us the life-giving power of God’s light.
Gospel: John 2:13-25 (Lent 3: Series B)
At times, our Church struggles with clutter which distracts us from what is most important: Listening to our Lord and gathering at His table where we are fed.
Gospel: Mark 1:21-28 (Epiphany 4: Series B)
God’s people have gathered in worship while there is a war going on, and this war has two opponents: The Kingdom of Satan and the Kingdom of God. There is no middle ground.
Gospel: Mark 1:14-20 (Epiphany 3: Series B)
But Jesus comes to us today and reminds us that He has the power to make disciples in the midst of conflict and suffering.
Gospel: John 2:1-11 (Epiphany 2: Series B)
We like to close with something great. We even have a saying for this behavior: “Saving the best for last.” God Himself has a way of saving the best for last.
Gospel: Mark 1:4-11 (The Baptism of Our Lord: Series B)
John has been preaching a radical vision of God, where God holds people accountable for their sin and calls them to repent. What will Jesus do?
Gospel: Mark 13:24-37 (Advent 1: Series B)
Jesus desires for us to watch. The question, however, is, “How do we watch for the return of Jesus?”
Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46 (Pentecost 25: Series A)
In this context where death looms large, Jesus reveals a kingdom where life looms even larger.
Gospel: Matthew 25:14-30 (Pentecost 24: Series A)
The tragedy of this parable is not the failure to serve. It is the failure to truly know your Savior.
Gospel: Matthew 25:1-13 (Pentecost 23: Series A)
The parable is harsh. It judges. If you do not believe, you will not be saved. But let us pause for a moment and think about why Jesus is telling the parable.