Like a Good Neighbor – A Sermon on Luke 10:25-37

Like a Good Neighbor – A Sermon on Luke 10:25-37

Being a Good Samaritan involves a certain amount of risk.  Am I required to be a Good Samaritan to everyone?  Where do I draw the line?  Who, after all, is my neighbor? The lawyers question is a good one that we all have to wrestle with.  But instead of giving us a straightforward answer Jesus tells us a parable to help us wrestle with the issue. Continue reading Like a Good Neighbor – A Sermon on Luke 10:25-37

Seeking the Living among the Dead – A Sermon of the Resurrection, Luke 24:1-12

Seeking the Living among the Dead – A Sermon of the Resurrection, Luke 24:1-12

“The terrifying prospect of Easter is that God called these women (and us) to return to the same world that crucified Jesus and to share with the world that gift of hope.

As we leave the tombs of quarantine, a return to normal will be a disaster unless we recognize that we are going back to a world desperately in need of healing. The source of that healing is an empty tomb in Jerusalem. ” (Esau MacCaulley, NY Times, April 2, 2021) Continue reading Seeking the Living among the Dead – A Sermon of the Resurrection, Luke 24:1-12

Zacchaeus: A Study in Transformation: Luke 19:1-10

Zacchaeus: A Study in Transformation: Luke 19:1-10

Last week, in the parable of the Lazarus and the rich man, we looked at a rich man who didn’t have a clue.  Every day of his life he feasted luxuriously, all the time ignoring the poor man who camped outside of his gate.  Although he had left overs, he threw them away rather than offering them to Lazarus.  Because he did not show mercy in this life, he failed to receive mercy in the next life. 

This week we meet Zacchaeus, another rich man who was just as an entitled and selfish as the rich man in the parable, but unlike the first rich man, Zacchaeus met Jesus and had a life changing experience. 
Continue reading Zacchaeus: A Study in Transformation: Luke 19:1-10

Lazarus and the Rich Man: a Study in Entitlement (Luke 16: 19-31)

Lazarus and the Rich Man: a Study in Entitlement (Luke 16: 19-31)

This is a parable of startling contrasts, but its central message is simple: be alert to the needs under your nose. The parable invites us to see ourselves as richer in the goods of the world than many millions.

Without an eye for the needy around us, our life becomes self-centered and callous. Jesus is asking us, his listeners, to open our eyes to what is around us, and to open our ears to the simple command of the Gospel: love your neighbor. Continue reading Lazarus and the Rich Man: a Study in Entitlement (Luke 16: 19-31)

The Lost Son–Luke 15:11-32

The Lost Son–Luke 15:11-32

Our Scripture lesson this morning is usually called “the parable of the prodigal son,” but in my mind, a better title would be “the parable of the lost son.” It is one of three parables that Jesus tells in Luke chapter 15—the parable of the lost sheep, the parable of the lost coin and the parable of the lost son. Each parable has a similar plot. Something is lost, something is found, and then there is a party.

These parables show us the three things about the character of God: 1) God is a God of compassion; 2)
God is a God who loves to party; 3) God is a God of grace. Continue reading The Lost Son–Luke 15:11-32

Of Towers, Fig Trees and Repentance–A Sermon on Luke 13:1-9

Of Towers, Fig Trees and Repentance–A Sermon on Luke 13:1-9

Jesus says, No, the death of the innocents had nothing to do with their sin. However, what he says next is absolutely shocking. “They didn’t sin” Jesus says, “but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did.” And lest we missed it, he repeats it a second time, “unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.” To be honest Jesus sounds like a fire and brimstone preacher: “Repent or perish! Turn or burn!”

So what does Jesus mean by repentance Continue reading Of Towers, Fig Trees and Repentance–A Sermon on Luke 13:1-9