A Famine Not of Bread

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"The Angel and the Shepherds" by James Tissot Click here to listen to this sermon. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! I’m guessing that most of you have seen “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” the Christmas special featuring Charlie and all the other “Peanuts” characters. First aired in 1965, it, more than any other Christmas special, captures the true meaning of Christmas. On their way to join their friends ice skating, Charlie confides in Linus that, despite all the things he likes about the Christmas season, he is still depressed. When Linus offers little help, Charlie visits Lucy, who suggests that he direct the group’s annual Christmas play so he might get in the Christmas spirit. As he heads for rehearsal Charlie becomes even more discouraged by the commercialization of Christmas. Lucy laments not receiving real estate for Christmas; Snoopy decorates his doghouse for a neighborhood lights and display context; and Charlie’s younger sist...

"The Vision of St. Joseph" by James Tissot Click here to listen to this sermon. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel” (which means, God with us) (Matthew 1:22-23). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Joseph is a man who remains in the background. We rarely think of him because he never speaks; at least, none of his words are recorded in Scripture. We know him by his actions. We know him by the fruit of his faith. He’s a good man, a righteous man, a man who seeks to do God’s will. He seems to be thoughtful and merciful. He considers his situation carefully and wants to avoid putting Mary to shame. He’s the kind of man that you hope your sons will become and your daughters will marry. Oh, that we would have more men of such character! But unfortunately, Joseph’s plans have all fallen apart. He’s just found out that M...

  "The Anxiety of St. Joseph" by James Tissot He’s a good man, a righteous man, a man who seeks to do God’s will. But his plans have all fallen apart. He’s just found out that Mary, his wife-to-be, is with child. And he knows it cannot be his! The only logical conclusion is that she has been unfaithful. Now, he’s struggling with what to do. Joseph has the legal right to serve his betrothed with divorce papers. He could make the matter public, running the risk that Mary might be punished as an adulteress, possibly stoned to death. But Joseph doesn’t want to hurt Mary or cause further scandal, so he seeks to find a way to arrange a quiet divorce. But while Joseph reevaluates his plans, the Lord intervenes. He sends an angel to Joseph in a dream, who tells Joseph to not fear taking Mary as his wife, that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. Mary will give birth to a son, and Joseph as legal father is to name the child Jesus, for He will save His people from the...

"John the Baptist in Prison" by Josef Anton Hafner Click here to listen to this sermon. “Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to Him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’ And Jesus answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by Me’” (Matthew 11:2-6). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! There is a line of thought among some Christians that having questions about God’s dealings with the world is somehow being unfaithful or disobedient. To justify God’s action (or more likely inaction) that seems arbitrary or unjust to us, we are tempted to suppress doubts and stop short of being honest with God and ourselves. This motivation, a desire to t...