A Famine Not of Bread

Click here to listen to this sermon. When [Jesus] heard that John had been arrested, He withdrew into Galilee. And leaving Nazareth He went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned” (Matthew 4:12-16). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! The ministry of Jesus seems to be filled with ups and downs, highs and lows. In Matthew’s account (as in our lives), it’s not always easy to tell if the Light that has dawned on God’s people is winning or waning? In the verses immediately preceding our Gospel, Jesus emerges victorious from His battle in the desert with Satan (Matthew 4:1-11). Our Champion stands toe-...

"The Calling of Saint Peter and Saint Andrew" by James Tissot Click here to listen to this sermon. “Now when [Jesus] heard that John had been arrested, He withdrew into Galilee. And leaving Nazareth He went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali” (Matthew 4:12-13). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! When Jesus hears that John has been arrested, He withdraws from the region around the Jordan into Galilee, heading northward after His wilderness conflict with Satan. Jesus is not running away, but He Himself will choose the times and ways to confront those who seek to destroy the work of God’s gracious reign. More importantly, Jesus withdraws into Galilee and leaves Nazareth, His hometown, in order to take up residence in Capernaum by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali. This happens in order to fulfill Isaiah’s words from our Old Testament reading. The light of the Christ has begun ...

Click here to listen to this sermon. “Satan, hear this proclamation: I am baptized into Christ! Drop your ugly accusation, I am not so soon enticed. Now that to the font I’ve traveled, All your might has come unraveled, And, against your tyranny, God, my Lord unites with me” ( LSB #594, v. 3). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! The Jordan River water slowly trickles off Jesus’ wet head. The hot sand glues itself to His damp feet. Behind Him the famous river snakes along; before Him the ancient serpent lays in wait. Still drenched with baptismal water, Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Heaven and hell are about to exchange blows. And in the celestial realm, you can hear a pin drop. You may be tempted to view the fight as a spectator, to cheer for your Big Brother who is about to blacken the eye of the bully from below. But you are not just a fan in the stands. No, you are in Christ . In Jesus, all hum...

Click here to listen to this sermon. “Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:18-19). Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! “The fate of all mankind hung in the balance.” It is a statement so melodramatic and overused as to be cliché. But there, that day in the garden, it was never more true. Eden was truly a paradise, heaven on earth. There was no sin, therefore no pain or suffering or injury or tears. And more to the point, there was no death. It was all very good. Perfect in fact. In that garden, dwelt all mankind—the man, Adam, and his wife, Eve. And the Lord had provided for them all sorts of good things to eat. There was a large variety of trees with good fruit, including the tree of life, from which they mig...

Click here to listen to this sermon. “ While walking by the Sea of Galilee, [Jesus] saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’   Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.   And going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and He called them.   Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him” ( Matthew 4:18-22). Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!   At the risk of sounding heretical, let me say this up front: You are not a fisher of men!   I know, over the years, you’ve heard a lot of pastors preach a lot of sermons encouraging you to be “a fisher of men.”   But that is not your calling.   That was the calling to Andrew and Peter...