A Famine Not of Bread

Click here to listen to this sermon. “[Jesus] went on His way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. And someone said to Him, ‘Lord, will those who are saved be few?’” (Luke 13:22-23). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! This week’s Gospel reading begins with a question. Luke does not tell us who asked it. But it’s a good question. “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” The questioner in the text was probably asking about the people of Israel. There seems to have been debate about which behaviors among God’s people would result in loss of salvation, and it is possible the questioner had this debate in mind. This would also make sense within the context in Luke’s Gospel. He has been highlighting the increasing opposition between Jesus and the Jewish leaders, which will reach its climax when Jesus finally finishes His journey to Jerusalem. “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” Some of the rabbis of the ...

Click here to listen to this sermon. “[Christ] Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Peter 2:24-25). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! I can understand why those who chose our pericopes (our assigned Bible readings for the week) might have decided to omit verse 18 from our Epistle today. They wished to avoid added controversy. But the verse does give us some needed context as to what kind of suffering Peter was calling these disciples to endure: “Servants [or slaves] be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if wh...