A Famine Not of Bread

Click here to listen to this sermon. “And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, ‘You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me’” (Mark 10:21). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! The story starts on a hopeful note. A breathless young man catches up to Jesus as our Savior sets out on His journey to Jerusalem for what would come to be known as Holy Week. He kneels before Jesus and asks: “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call Me Good?” Jesus asks. “No one is good except God alone.” Does the man realize Jesus is God in human flesh? Possibly. Note the man’s posture as he comes before Jesus. He kneels—a sign of reverence and respect, but also desperation, as the two words that form the Greek indicate. In Mark 1:40, it is the leper who approaches Jesus like this. In Matthew 17:14, it is the father of a demon-possessed boy. This man i...

"Jesus Blessing the Children" by Gustave Dore Click here to listen to this sermon. Pharisees came up and in order to test [Jesus] asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate. And in the house the disciples asked Him again about this matter. And He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” And they were bringing children to Him that He might...

Click here to listen to this sermon. Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” And they said to Him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, but to sit at My right hand or at My left is not Mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared” (Mark 10:38-40). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! On the road up to Jerusalem, Jesus walks ahead of His disciples, a shepherd leading His sheep in the valley of the shadow of death. The disciples are fearful, surprised that He is walking so openly in the stronghold of His enemies. For the third time, Jesus predicts His death and resurrection. This time, He offers more details: “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief pr...

Click here to listen to this sermon? Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! And as [Jesus] was setting out on His journey, a man ran up and knelt before Him and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone” (Mark 10:17-18). This interaction between Jesus and the man reminds me of a line from The Princess Bride . Throughout the movie, the evil Vizzini constantly states that things are “Inconceivable!” Eventually ,  an exasperated Inigo Montoya looks at him and says: “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” There are several words the man in our Gospel seems to misunderstand. The first is “good.” “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replies, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.” In essence, “You keep using that word, ‘good.’ I do not think it means what you t...

Click here to listen to this sermon. “Let the children come to Me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it” (Mark 10:14-15). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Dear friends in Christ, in the last few weeks, you have heard what a place of honor Jesus affords to little children. You have heard that one who receives a little one in Jesus’ name receives Jesus. You have also heard the warning against leading a little one astray, both through false teaching and failure to teach. And our Lord takes it one step further in our text this morning/evening. Jesus declares in that little ones can believe in Him, and are, in fact, models of faith. People are bringing their children to Jesus. They have heard of Jesus’ miracles, and may have witnessed some of them personally. They desire the spiritual blessing associated with Jesus layin...

"The Three Crosses" by Rembrandt Click here to listen to this sermon. And they said to Him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” (Mark 10:37-38). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Fellow theologians. Yes, that’s right. I called you a theologian. Regardless of the level of your religious training, you are a theologian. All of us are theologians. Being a theologian just means thinking and speaking about God. And it is impossible to go for long without thinking about God. Things happen. Accidents. Tragedies. Death. Disaster. Disease. Disappointment. And there is also good fortune. Unexpected success or escape from danger. Experience of great beauty or pleasure. Sheer grace. Chance encounters that determine our lives. Love. With...