Category Archives: Lectionary and sermon

Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK

• First reading and Psalm
  • Exodus 33:12-23
  • Psalm 99
• Alternate First reading and Psalm
  • Isaiah 45:1-7
  • Psalm 96:1-9, (10-13)
• Second reading
  • 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
• Gospel
  • Matthew 22:15-22

Matthew 22:15-22
Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap Jesus in what he said. So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?”

But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” They answered, “The emperor’s.”

Then he said to them, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s. When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.

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Vanderbilt Divinity Library

A sermon on the gospel reading

This Sunday Pastor Stevensen told us that in 6 A.D. Jewish leaders went to Rome and made a deal with the Romans. There it was agreed that the Roman coin would not be used in Judea and that the Jews would be taxed, the taxes to be used to reconstruct the Jewish temple, which would be used to worship Caesar. The Pharisees show a Roman coin to Jesus and try to corner Him by asking “Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor or not?” With His answer “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s,” Jesus sidesteps a trap. Before the Roman conquest, Israel had long had both a king and a prophet. Government and religious authorities were separated, unlike the Arabic Muslims, and were accepted by the people. With his wise answer Jesus offered a cornerstone to Christianity, a blueprint for the future. And not only authority was involved but also image. The coin bears Caesar’s image, but there is also a hidden image. In Genesis “Man is Made in God’s Image.” We are the image of God. He has complete claim on all people. Jesus made an assertion and the Pharisees walked away. We must stay and accept God’s claim on ourselves.

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Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK

• First reading and Psalm
  • Exodus 32:1-14
  • Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23
• Alternate First reading and Psalm
  • Isaiah 25:1-9
  • Psalm 23
• Second reading
  • Philippians 4:1-9
• Gospel
  • Matthew 22:1-14

Gospel Reading from Matthew

Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come.

Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedd ing banquet.’ But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business,while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them.

The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.

“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless.

Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Sermon on the Gospel reading

Pastor Stevensen in his sermon admits that the gospel reading this week is difficult to interpret. In it a king gives a banquet, a common metaphor for our God, but guests who do not come our his people. Few ministers use it for their sermon text. But Pastor knows of one who did and spoke of it as gospel of great joy. We are the people who come to the wedding banquet. Those who do not come do intend to come, someday. The parable is a caution. Our communion table is the marriage feast, or the feast to come. This is our real King. We come to church and feel the essence of Him.

Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK

• First reading and Psalm
  • Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20
  • Psalm 19
• Alternate First reading and Psalm
  • Isaiah 5:1-7
  • Psalm 80:7-15
• Second reading
  • Philippians 3:4b-14
• Gospel
  • Matthew 21:33-46

Gospel Reading from Matthew:
Jesus said “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way.

Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.’ So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.

Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.”

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes’ Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.”

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.

Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost

READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK

• First reading and Psalm
  • Exodus 17:1-7
  • Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16
• Alternate First reading and Psalm
  • Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32
  • Psalm 25:1-9
• Second reading
  • Philippians 2:1-13
• Gospel
  • Matthew 21:23-32

Gospel reading from Matthew:
When Jesus entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?”

Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.”

And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things. “What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.”

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.

Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost

READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK

• First reading and Psalm
  • Exodus 16:2-15
  • Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45
• Alternate First reading and Psalm
  • Jonah 3:10-4:11
  • Psalm 145:1-8
• Second reading
  • Philippians 1:21-30
• Gospel
  • Matthew 20:1-16

Gospel reading from Matthew:
Jesus said “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went.

When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same.

And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’

When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’ When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage.

20:10 Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’

But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you.

Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=57561

Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost

READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK

• First reading and Psalm
  • Exodus 14:19-31
  • Psalm 114 or Exodus 15:1b-11, 20-21
• Alternate First reading and Psalm
  • Genesis 50:15-21
  • Psalm 103:(1-7), 8-13
• Second reading
  • Romans 14:1-12
• Gospel
  • Matthew 18:21-35

Gospel reading from Matthew
Then Peter came and said to Jesus, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made.

So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt.

But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’

Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt.

When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’

And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt.So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries, Vanderbilt University

Art by Maurice Harron, Hands Across the Divide. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=57560

Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK

• First reading and Psalm
  • Exodus 12:1-14
  • Psalm 149
• Alternate First reading and Psalm
  • Ezekiel 33:7-11
  • Psalm 119:33-40
• Second reading
  • Romans 13:8-14
• Gospel
  • Matthew 18:15-20

Matthew 18:15-20
Jesus said “If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”

Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Readings for The Coming Week

• First reading and Psalm
  • Exodus 3:1-15
  • Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45b
• Alternate First reading and Psalm
  • Jeremiah 15:15-21
  • Psalm 26:1-8
• Second reading
  • Romans 12:9-21
• Gospel
  • Matthew 16:21-28

Exodus 3:1-15
Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.” When the LORD saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”

Then he said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” He said further “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. Then the LORD said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” He said, “I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.”

But Moses said to God, “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I AM.” He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I AM has sent me to you.'” God also said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you’: This is my name forever, and this my title for all generations.

Matthew 16:21-28
From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you. “But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?

“For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Sermon

This week Pastor spoke concerning the Old Testament lesson, Exodus 3:1-15. He reminded us of the bible stories we have learned about faithfulness. Is God working faithfully in our lives? Pastor saved some books from a previous pastor’s collection. One book by an Old Testament scholar writes of God’s appearance to Moses in the burning bush. God said to Moses “I am your God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I sent you to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.” When Moses said to God “They will ask your name,” God said “I am who I AM. Tell them I sent you.” God is there with help. “I AM” will be there. In our Gospel lesson, Matthew 16:21-28 this week we read He sent Jesus who knew he must be killed and raised. We too live in a world of despair. Pastor tells us that in John’s gospel we read because of love and faithfulness God sent Jesus. God abounds in love and faithfulness. His Son has freed us from sin and death.

Twelvth Sunday after Pentecost

READINGS FOR THIS WEEK

• First reading and Psalm
  • Exodus 1:8-2:10
  • Psalm 124
• Alternate First reading and Psalm
  • Isaiah 51:1-6
  • Psalm 138
• Second reading
  • Romans 12:1-8
• Gospel
  • Matthew 16:13-20

Matthew 16:13-20
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK

• First reading and Psalm
  • Genesis 45:1-15
  • Psalm 133
• Second reading
  • Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32
• Gospel
  • Matthew 15: (10-20), 21-28

Matthew 15: (10-20), 21-28
Then Jesus called the crowd to him and said to them, “Listen and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.” Then the disciples approached and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?” He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.”

But Peter said to him, “Explain this parable to us.” Then he said, “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.”

Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.”

And her daughter was healed instantly.

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