A Famine Not of Bread

Click here to listen to this sermon. “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in Him, who is the head of all rule and authority” (Colossians 2:8–10). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! The complexity of something isn’t always the best measure of its value. Sometimes the very simple has the greatest impact. The Gettysburg Address, for example, contains only 266 words. Yet it has inspired millions to greater enthusiasm for liberty and freedom. The Lord’s Prayer contains only 56 words. Yet it is a wonderful summary of how to pray and what to pray for. In Baptism, only 18 words are used, not counting the name of the one being baptized and the “  Amen.  ” Baptism looks so simple. A splash of water. A few words. Yet “  Baptis...

"Christ in the House of Martha and Mary" by Johannes Vermeer Click here to listen to this sermon. Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to His teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to Him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:38-42). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! You all know what it’s like when you’re expecting company. There’s usually a certain amount of preparation that is necessary—cooking, cleaning, bringing out the best dishes and silverware. We want to impress them. We want to m...

Click this link to listen to an audio version of this message. Jesus Unrolls the Book in the Synagogue by James Tissot The text for today is our Gospel, Luke 4:16-30, which has already been read. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We have in our assigned readings for today examples of one of the longest sermons in Scripture and the shortest.  Ezra reads the Book of the Law of Moses “from early morning until mid-day”—a period of about six hours.  Jesus reads two verses of Isaiah and preaches a one sentence sermon.  When Ezra finishes, the people bow their heads and worship the Lord with their faces to the ground.  When the people in the synagogue hear all Jesus has to say, they are filled with wrath, rise up, and drive Him out of town, so that they can throw Him down the cliff. It would seem that in ancient days the longer the sermon, the better it is received by the hearers.  But I somehow suspect that would...