Category Archives: Lectionary and sermon

Twenty Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK

• First reading and Psalm
  • Judges 4:1-7
  • Psalm 123
• Alternate First reading and Psalm
  • Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18
  • Psalm 90:1-8, (9-11), 12
• Second reading
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
• Gospel
  • Matthew 25:14-30

The gospel from Matthew 25:14-30
Jesus said “For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.

The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents.In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents. His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’

But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest.

So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'”

Twenty Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK

• First reading and Psalm
  • Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25
  • Psalm 78:1-7
• Alternate First reading and Psalm
  • Wisdom of Solomon 6:12-16 or Amos 5:18-24
  • Wisdom of Solomon 6:17-20 or Psalm 70
• Second reading
  • 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
• Gospel
  • Matthew 25:1-13

The second reading from 1 Thessalonians:
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died.

For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died. For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

The gospel from Matthew:
Jesus said “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept.

But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’

And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’

Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

Sermon:
This is the year for our gospel readings to come from Matthew. Today’s reading is important, in saying that the Master will soon depart. There are three of Jesus’ parables in Matthew. They are about mortality and our relations with God. People may not be ready to deal with this. They may think they can “plea bargain.” The scripture says that Jesus may come in the “dead of night.” Paul writes to the Thessalonians and tells them to have hope and to encourage one another. Do not despair. God has chosen us. Pastor Stevenson continues about what are we to do now ………

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All Saints Day

READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK

• First reading and Psalm
  • Joshua 3:7-17
  • Psalm 107:1-7, 33-37
• Alternate First reading and Psalm
  • Micah 3:5-12
  • Psalm 43
• Second reading
  • 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13
• Gospel
  • Matthew 23:1-12

The gospel from Matthew:
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Reformation Sunday

READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK:

• First Reading: Jer 31:31-34
• Psalm: 46
• Second Reading: R#om 3:19-28
• Gospel Reading: John 8:31-38

Twenty First 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

The gospel from Matthew:
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.

Twentieth 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

The gospel 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 wedding 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.

“Notes:
From “Illustrations to ‘The parables of our Lord'”, engraved by the Dalziel Brothers

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Nineteenth 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

The gospel 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.

Note: A short essay on the artistic and spiritual meaning of this artwork is available from The Visual Commentary on Scripture, https://thevcs.org/song-vineyard/just-wages?first=5131.

Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

READINGS FOR T HE 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

Matthew 21:23-32
21:23 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.

Seventeenth 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

The gospel 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.

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.”

Sermon:
Pastor Stevenson often ponders over a unified theme for the three readings each week. Today there is no question as to a unified theme. In the gospel from Matthew the workers grumbled against the landowner. Yes, people grumbIe. In the first reading Jonah grumbled. The Syrians however were awful. For example, they would tie prisoners to a chariot by a ring through the nose. But Jonah has understanding. The parable in Matthew is accurate, as it was customary for slaves to be paid the same. We have all been in the workplace and seen freeloaders get full pay. In our gospel reading the vineyard represents Israel and the owner God. It is about God’s goodness. Why are people envious of God being generous? The translation of the text in Greek was “why look at me with evil eye because I was good?” The translation to English, “are you envious because I am generous?,” is correct. It cuts to the heart of the matter. Jesus is challenging his listeners to a mission. Pastor continues in speaking on this
mission. ………….

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Sixteenth 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

The gospel 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.”

Sermon:
Our scripture lessons can be difficult. There are issues in today’s gospel. Luther taught that the Word contains both Law and Gospel. This week’s parable is rich in detail. It tells the nature of God. We have seen people like the slave who was forgiven but did not forgive. Forgiveness comes from the heart. A German Nazi SS helped to round up Jews, put them in a building, set it on fire, and shoot anyone coming out. Then this SS man asked for forgiveness. What would you do? It is a strong command in the Gospel that says have mercy on your accused as God has mercy on you. Good works is necessary. The Law gives us these works. Pastor Stevenson continues his sermon on forgiveness ………….