A Famine Not of Bread

"Jesus Heals a Possessed Man" by James Tissot Click here to listen to this sermon. “And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, ‘What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him’” (Mark 1:27). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Today is the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany. Epiphany means “manifestation” or “shining forth.” The readings appointed in the Church’s lectionary for this season focus on the truth that God Himself has come to visit us in our Lord's incarnation. If Christmas is the season to celebrate that the Word became flesh , Epiphany celebrates that it is the Word that became flesh, and we beheld His glory . In last week’s Gospel, Jesus began His ministry and called His first disciples in Galilee. Today, He takes those disciples with Him to worship in Capernaum. On the Sabbath, following their selection to become fishers of men, Pet...

Click here to listen to this sermon. After John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the Gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel” (Mark 1:14). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Herod is in a tough spot. He’s just put John the Baptist in prison. He’s not happy about it, though. He’s afraid of John, who has attracted quite an enthusiastic following. But Herod can’t have John running around preaching that Herod’s new marriage is a sinful one. What John is saying is all true, mind you—and he’s not preaching it to stir up trouble or cause rebellion but to call Herod to repentance. But a king can’t have his critics speaking inconvenient truths, so he’s imprisoned the famous prophet. How will the people react? This is a tense moment for Herod, and you can bet he’s got his spies working overtime to see if the people will rise up or just accept John’s arrest. An...