A Famine Not of Bread

Click here to listen to this sermon. The text for today is our Gospel, John 4:5-26, which has already been read. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Men. They’re all the same. That’s what life has taught the woman who makes her way to the well. She’s been married five times, and there’s no hint that she’s been widowed even once. That’s a tough run even by 21st-century American standards, and it must be nearly the record for the ancient Middle East. Now, she’s with a sixth, though they haven’t gotten married. Why bother? We don’t know if she’s been picked up by a string of losers who’ve treated her badly, or if she’s proven so intolerable that she’s been kicked out for her own failings. Almost certainly, the truth is somewhere in between, and the blame rests on both sides. In any event, marriage has not proven to be what it’s supposed to be, with husband and wife working hard and serving one another. “What it’s supposed to be” is probably worth ...

Click here to listen to this sermon. “The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over many waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty” (Psalm 29:3-4). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! A common theme of our Psalm, Old Testament reading, and Gospel for today, the Baptism of Our Lord, is the mention of the voice of the Lord over the waters. The creation event begins with the Holy Spirit hovering over the waters. In addition to creation, the Psalm speaks of the Flood, where the powerful voice of the Lord was over the many waters He used to cleanse and recreate His world. In the Baptism of Jesus, we see the waters of the Jordan and the presence of the Spirit in the form of a dove as the voice of the Lord speaks well of His beloved Son. Together, our readings provide a beautiful picture of what God has done in restoring His creation through His Son. Christ has come to make al...

Click here to listen to this sermon. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Janet selected a Bible verse for this day: “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). She found great comfort in this verse and wanted to share that comfort with you. Let’s look at this verse in the context of the whole psalm, which was the basis for Luther’s hymn, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” Nothing in the text specifies the occasion when it was written. It could have provided comfort for God’s people at many specific crises in Israel’s history. The reformers indeed recognized its value. But its scope extends far beyond any one fulfillment in history. The peace established by Christ’s return completes the fulfillment of this psalm, allowing us to be still, no matter what is happening around us. Psalm 46 expresses the belief that God actively controls everything and that no one can escape His reach. It is God who delivers disaster and deliverance. He decides our fate. No...

"Woman of Samaria" by James Tissot Click here to listen to this sermon. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Last week I introduced a four-part series of sermons on the Gospel readings for the month of March. Each reading features a specific individual who was encountered by Jesus. Everyone was changed. They lived in times and places far from ours, but we share much with them. The text this week, John 4:5-26, centers around a thirsty woman’s encounter with Jesus. She came to the well for literal water, but Jesus offered much more. Jesus had three routes He could have taken to Galilee. Many Jews elected not to go straight through Samaria because of lingering antagonism and hostility between them and the Samaritans. Some followed the Mediterranean coast north. Others crossed the Jordan and went north through Perea on the east bank. The text, however, says Jesus “ had to go through Samaria.” Reasons other than geography dictated the move. ...

  "The Baptism of Christ" by Guido Reni Click here to listen to this sermon. The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over many waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty” (Psalm 29:3-4). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! A common theme of our Psalm, Old Testament reading, and Gospel for today, the Baptism of Our Lord, is the mention of the voice of the Lord over the waters. The creation event begins with the Holy Spirit hovering over the waters. In addition to creation, the Psalm speaks of the Flood where the powerful voice of the Lord was over the many waters He used to cleanse and recreate His world. In the Baptism of Jesus, we see the waters of the Jordan and the presence of the Spirit in the form of a dove as the voice of the Lord speaks well of His beloved Son. Together, our readings provide a beautiful picture of what God has done in restoring His crea...