"These Little Ones"

 

Remember a few weeks ago when I told you about the loving nickname Jesus has for us--Yeoflittlefaiths? Ολιγο'πιστοι (Oligo'pistoi) is that Greek word coined by Matthew to convey Jesus' nickname--that term of endearment and affection for His disciples then and now--Yeoflittlefaiths.

Here in today's Gospel text for the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels, Jesus is again speaking to His disciples--and to us--as His Ολιγο'πιστοι, His Yeoflittlefaiths, ... having been made citizens of heaven as His dear, Baptized children, have the benefit of all the host of heaven including the mighty angels of our Lord under the command of the arch-angel Michael, who having cast Satan and his army of angels out of the heavenly realm, now are employed by God to guard and protect from al harm of body and soul to deliver you safely to the place our Father in heaven has prepared for you.

To hear and/or read the entire sermon preached for the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels, "These Little Ones, click on this link. http://lcmssermons.com/index.php?sn=3463

"Sabbath Rest"

What is the Sabbath for if not healing?

I guess we are not the first culture to be more considerate of our animals than our fellow man. Look what Jesus is really saying here [in our Gospel text]. “You treat your animals better than your fellow man created in the image of your Father in heaven.”

Not only that, but even more cutting, “you have no idea what worship is all about.”

To hear and/or read the entire sermon preached for the Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity, "Sabbath Healing," click on this link. http://lcmssermons.com/index.php?sn=3454

"Man, I Say to You, Arise"

Admit it, when we hear and read of these Biblical miracles, aren’t we thinking where’s mine? That should be my loved? What about healing my cancer, my heart problem, my arthritis, my depression?

Dear Brothers and Sisters of the Resurrecti...on, that is nothing to deny or even to be ashamed of, really. God wants us to expect that from Him, OYeofLittleFaiths. :^)

It is, after all, what He sent His beloved and only begotten Son to do. It is, in fact what He has been doing since the beginning and will continue to do until the Last Day.

To hear and/or read the entire sermon preached for the Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity, "Man, I Say to You, Arise," click on this link. http://lcmssermons.com/index.php?sn=3442See More

"O Me of Little Faith"

O me of little faith. That’s what I see and hear in this passage every time.

And every time it hurts—bad.

But every time it also ends up lifting me up again.
...
That’s the way it is with God’s Word and His love for us in Christ Jesus, the crucified. It takes us to the cross with Him to kill the sinner. But it does so in order to lift us up with Him again to a life that never ends. The only way to live with Him is to first die with Him. And that is what Baptism is all about as we learn to confess with the one holy Christian and apostolic church in answer to the catechism question, “What does such baptizing with water indicate?”

To hear and/or read the entire sermon preached for the Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity, "O Me of Little Faith," click on this link. http://lcmssermons.com/index.php?sn=3434

Science & Scripture for Comfort and Hope

Here is a link to an article that reminds me of Mary's visitation of her cousin Elizabeth.
http://news.sciencemag.org/brain-behavior/2013/08/babies-learn-recognize-words-womb

And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.. Luke 1:41-44

What a powerful combination of science echoing Scripture.

Then there is this from the pen of the Apostle Paul: So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17

Put it all together and what comfort and hope this is for Christian mothers who have miscarried--as well as good reason for pregnant women to attend church.

N'est ce pas?

Your Faith--Your Jesus

Martin Luther introduces our Gospel text for this Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity by saying: “So that those of you who were not in church today may worship our Lord God and not turn into totally irrational animals, let us listen to the Holy Gospel.”

That may seem an odd way to introduce such a wonderful Gospel text and subsequent sermon, but let’s think on it for just a bit. Pastor Luther’s reason for such a brutal introduction to our Holy Gospel for this Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity [is this]: He wants to point out the ultimate factor that differentiates us from the beasts of the earth, as presented by Luke in this account of Jesus’ healing of the ten lepers. 

Simply put, the difference between man and beast, between that which is rational and irrational, is our worship.

To hear and/or read the entire sermon preached for the Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity, "Your Faith-Your Jesus," click on this link. http://lcmssermons.com/index.php?sn=3424