Sermons on Matthew (Page 4)
The Power of Love – Speaking the Truth
The Power of Love: Speaking the Truth 14th Pentecost Romans 13:8-14 September 6, 2020 Matthew 18:15-20 You all know what a scalpel is, right? It’s a small, very sharp cutting tool that is used by surgeons all around the world. In the hands of a skilled surgeon, a scalpel can be the instrument of healing and hope. But, in the wrong hands, a scalpel can be an instrument of destruction and mayhem! Did you know that our words also carry this dual possibility? When we…
Sent to Foreigners – Joseph’s Brothers
August 16, 2020 Sent to Foreigners: Joseph’s Brothers 11th Pentecost Genesis 5:1-15 August 16, 2020 Matthew 15:21-28 My letters went to Curlew by accident. I had moved from Seattle to Spokane to study counseling at Whitworth. The secretary at my former church made a typographical error when publishing my new address in the church newsletter, and the ZIP Code was that of Curlew, WA, rather than northern Spokane. As a result, the first several letters I received from folks in Seattle…
Empowered Despite Grief
Empowered Despite Grief 9th Pentecost Psalm 17:1-7, 15 Matthew 14:13-21 Friends, you and I are one chapter in a l-o-n-g story—the story of God’s work in this world. There have been some pretty embarrassing chapters about our spiritual ancestors—painfully recorded in Scripture. And there have been some funny moments—like when Peter saw Jesus walking on the water, and asked him to call him out of the boat and walk on water as well. When he suddenly realized that he was walking on water, he started…
A Belle Melange
A Belle Mélange Acts 10:34-43 Matthew 16:13-19 In the 2001 movie, Tortilla Soup, Hector Elizondo plays the part of a retired chef—retired because he has somehow lost his sense of taste (and, with it, his self-confidence). But his old partner calls him with an emergency—they are catering a fancy dinner and one of the junior chefs has messed up the dessert. They need his help to rescue the dinner! He arrives on the scene, sees what they have to work with,…
Wisdom is Vindicated by Deeds
Wisdom Is Vindicated by Deeds 5th Pentecost Romans 7:15-25a Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 I am a big fan of Snoopy, the cute little beagle from Peanuts! When everyone else is going frantic with worry, Snoopy always seems to have a steady compass and an aptitude for JOY! In one of his more philosophical moods, Snoopy was contemplating the question of whether it is more important to BE or to DO. Some people emphasize how crucial it is to BE, while others focus on what…
Choose Your Master
Choose Your Master 4th Pentecost Romans 6:12-23 Matthew 10:40-42 Back in the 70’s, there was a mini-series on TV that almost everyone in the country tuned into. It was about a young man, Kunta Kintay, who was captured by slavers and brought to America and sold to a plantation owner. The series chronicled the life of Kunta and his descendants (like “Chicken George”) and how the story of his life was passed down through the generations to Alex Haley, the…
His Eye is on the Sparrow
His Eye Is on the Sparrow Fathers’ Day Genesis 21:8-21 Matthew 10:29-39 Are any of you “birdwatchers”? I guess all of us are, to one degree or another, because we notice birds. But can you imagine anyone ever saying, “Oh, look! There’s a sparrow!”? It just doesn’t happen. Sparrows are small and brown and common—almost beneath our notice. After all, it’s the rare birds, the colorful birds that grab our attention and make us say, “Oh, look! See that bird?!” In similar…
Our Three in One God
Our Three-in-One God Trinity Sunday Genesis 1:1-5 Matthew 28:16-20 Have you ever been to a circus? I like watching the tight-rope walkers. They do amazing things while traversing a cable that has been strung between two posts—a cable that is under tremendous tension. Both posts are trying to pull the cable in opposite directions, and that is what makes a tight-rope tight—makes it possible to walk on it. Circuses don’t have “loose-rope” walkers—it just wouldn’t work. The tension is what makes tight-rope walking possible.…
The Humble Conqueror
The Humble Conqueror Palm Sunday Philippians 2:5-11 Matthew 21:1-11 Mike and Barbara Weber were practically newlyweds when the Nazi army overran their village. Mike was given two choices: 1. Join their army, or 2. Be killed. He joined them, and fought half-heartedly beside them until the war was over. On VE Day, Mike was far from home, and he was in territory that the Russians controlled. Everyone knew of the horrors that awaited them if they surrendered to the Russians,…
Eyewitnesses of God’s Majesty
Eyewitnesses of God’s Majesty Transfiguration 2 Peter 1:16-21 Matthew 17:1-9 My mother was born and raised in Missouri (or “Missour-uh”), a state that is apparently proud of its skepticism. If Mom didn’t exactly believe what she was being told, she would say, “I’m from Missouri. You’ll have to show me.” I didn’t exactly understand until I saw their license plates—The Show-Me State! We are told, “You can’t believe everything you hear.” (Especially true during an election cycle!) You certainly can’t believe everything…
The Light – Foolish Wisdom
February 2, 2020 The Light: Foolish Wisdom 4th Epiphany 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 February 2, 2020 Matthew 5:1-12 Who is your favorite fool? If you’re a fan of Shakespeare, it might be Falstaff. If you watch a lot of re-runs, it could well be Gilligan. Attending a “Riders in the Sky” concert at Cowboy Poetry gatherings introduced me to Sourdough Slim! Your favorite fool might be someone as famous as Red Skelton, or as little-known as the person you live with or…
A Mission Shared
A Mission Shared Isaiah 9:1-14 Matthew 4:12-23 We’ve talked before about what it is like to live with a 2-year-old. Can you remember? Two-year-olds are famous for having learned how to say “NO!”—it’s an important step in their early development (even if it IS frustrating to their family). Another thing kids often learn to say, around the age of 2, is “I DO IT!” You’re trying to help them put on a coat or color a page or select a…