Luke 2:41-52 I want to challenge you this morning to answer a difficult question. If you could ask God for one thing – just one thing – and you were certain He would grant it (as long as it’s not contrary to His revealed will) – what would it be? This is, of course, simply another way of asking, “What is the most important thing in the world to you?” So, if you could ask God for one thing –... Read more
Luke 2:21-40 St. Luke is the only one of the Gospel writers to mention Sts. Simeon and Anna, and I’m glad that he does. To me, they are patterns for our lives. In both brief stories, Simeon and Anna live out the same pattern, which is a model for our lives. It happens like this: You wait for God You come to His holy Temple You see Jesus Christ You praise and thank God You receive His blessing You depart... Read more
Luke 2:1-20 Here we are, approximately half a year from Christmas and its peculiar joys. We’ve more recently experienced the glory and joys of Easter, the Ascension, and Pentecost. But now what do we do? I’ve got an idea! (Actually, it’s the genius of the lectionary.) Why don’t we celebrate Christmas in June? Why not celebrate the Incarnation of Jesus Christ as if it is important and relevant to us throughout the year? At Christmas the question sometimes arises, “What... Read more
Luke 1:67-80 After Zacharias’ tongue is loosed again, and after he has demonstrated his faith by obediently naming John what God had named him, Zacharias is filled with the Holy Spirit. And what does the Holy Spirit inspire Zacharias to do? To sing a hymn of praise to God with his newly loosened tongue. Zacharias is a picture of how we are to respond to God and his mercy. As we learned yesterday, with Zacharias and through him, it’s better... Read more
Luke 1:57-66 “His name is John.” This is at the heart of this seemingly minor passage. Personally, I wanted to go back and meditate on the Magnificat, but this is the passage assigned to us for today. Today’s passage is all about the power of names. His name is “John,” and not Zacharias, after his father. Immediately, the question arises, “Who has the authority to give names?” The answer, ultimately, is “God does.” It’s interesting to note that Jewish boys... Read more
Luke 1:39-56 “Behold the maidservant of the Lord!” I find these words characteristic of St. Mary, and in them I see the reason to emulate her. These words, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord!” are characteristic of the Lord’s faithful servants all throughout the Scriptures. When God called Moses, revealing Himself to be the great I AM, Moses responded by saying “Here I am” (Exodus 3). God reveals Himself to us by saying “I AM,” and then He calls us. ... Read more
Luke 1:26-38 While Roman Catholics may exalt Mary to an inappropriate place and Protestants may ignore her altogether, Mary is to be an example of faith for us. There is no denying that she was, to quote the angel, “full of grace.” But Mary is a prototype for us, and what was true for her is now true for us. And therefore, today, God says to you: “Hail, Christian, full of grace!” The first thing to notice about Mary’s blessed... Read more
Luke 1:1-25 I love the opening of St. Luke’s Gospel because I feel, even more than in the other Gospels, that St. Luke is talking to me. “You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me?” we ask. St. Luke’s answer (which is really God’s) is, simply, “Yes.” Why do I feel as if St. Luke is talking to me? First, Luke is the only Gentile privileged to have been inspired to write a book of the Bible. In fact, he... Read more
2 Timothy 1:1-14 I want to discuss predestination and free will this morning. There – that ought to wake some of us up! All throughout St. Paul’s incredible opening to his second letter to Timothy he asserts, side by side, two fundamental truths of life in Christ. First, your salvation, your faith, and your good works are all by the grace of God that comes through Jesus Christ. Second, you are the one who is to actively keep this faith... Read more
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Wednesday of 1st Sunday after Trinity – Luke 3:1-22
Luke 3:1-22 “What shall we do then?” Imagine that you are in 1st century Israel, minding your own business, groaning under the Roman Empire and looking with weariness and almost complacency for the Messiah. Suddenly, someone dressed in camel skins and a leather belt and eating bugs and bug by-products arrives in the region around Jordan. He attracts a lot of people, not so much by his weird threads and snacks but by his voice. Before you can even see... Read more