The Cross and the Altar

The Gospel for the Sixth Sunday after Trinity (St. Matthew 5:20-26) provides an opportunity to comment on the unity between the cross and the altar. The sermon.

Two sermons for Trinity 5

I was out of town on Sunday, but I preached Sunday's Gospel on Tuesday morning (here). Then on Wednesday, I preached the second series Gospel, on St. Matthew 16:13-26 (here).

Love or hate?

Jesus' admonition to love your enemies (St. Matthew 5:43-48) is likely a corrective to those who misunderstood, and mistaught the meaning of Psalm 139. The sermon.

Good measure pressed down

Another aspect of the Gospel for Trinity 4 is the overabundance of measure received, clearly more than what is earned. This is mercy, receiving something that is not earned. And it is by this mercy that we learn to be merciful, "as your Father also is merciful." The sermon.

Be merciful as your Father is merciful

The Gospel for the Fourth Sunday after Trinity is about mercy. How is your Father merciful? By his reckoning of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus; so also, how are you to be merciful? In the same way. The sermon.

Considering the Cost

In today's Gospel (St. Luke 14:25-25), Jesus points out the folly of building a tower without considering the cost, or of going to war without considering the strength of troops. So also taking a religion with no guarantees against a righteous God is folly. Only Jesus is the way; he alone is the one on whom the Father (in a voice from heaven) declared his good pleasure; so let us forsake all others and cleave only to him. The sermon.

The Great Feast part II

More on the Great Feast, from this morning's sermon.

The Great Feast

The invitation given by the certain man who gave a great feast in today's Gospel is itself the heart of the Gospel itself: "Come, for all things are now ready." How ironic and utterly ridiculous are the excuses given by those who made light of it. You have bought a field? But fields are for planting and growing and harvesting and producing, to make food, feasts for the table. Yet the feast is already prepared! You need to test your oxen? But our holy Ox, Jesus Christ, has already plowed the field, and says, Take my yoke upon you, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. You have married a wife? But behold, your holy family is the Church into which you have been baptized. Pay heed to this invitation, for it is rich and eternal. The sermon.

The Visitation

He hath put down the mighty from their seats and exalted them of low degree. The sermon.