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“The Joy of Jesus” (Luke 10:21-24) Our theme for this midweek Lenten series is “A Little Lenten Lukan Joy.” We’ve been looking at the passages in the Gospel of Luke where the words “joy” or “rejoice” occur. And in most … Continue reading
Tag Archives: Luke
“The Lost Boys” (Luke 15:1-3, 11-32) Gather round, and today I’ll tell you the story of “The Lost Boys.” No, not the Lost Boys from Peter Pan. This is a different story. It’s a story that Jesus tells, actually. It’s … Continue reading
“The Joy of Names Written in Heaven” (Luke 10:1-20) President Kennedy famously said, “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” And, in the civil realm, that’s fine. But is it … Continue reading
“Jesus’ Take on Mass Tragedies: ‘Repent or Perish’” (Luke 13:1-9) Whenever there’s a mass tragedy in the news–a building collapse or a mass murder, for instance—it’s become customary in our society to get opinions and comments from various high-profile individuals, … Continue reading
“The Joy of Persecution” (Luke 6:20-36) Two weeks ago, on Ash Wednesday, we started this series on “A Little Lenten Lukan Joy.” And you may have thought that the theme that night, “The Joy of Repentance,” was a little strange. … Continue reading
“A Man on a Mission, a Man of Compassion” (Luke 13:31-35) In the Holy Gospel for today, we see two aspects of Jesus’ character come to the forefront: 1) He is a man on a mission. And 2) He is … Continue reading
“The Joy of Christmas” (Luke 1:39-56; 2:1-14) Our theme for our midweek Lenten services this year is “A Little Lenten Lukan Joy.” What we’re doing is going through the Gospel of Luke and tracing the motif of joy that runs … Continue reading
“The Joy of Repentance” (Luke 15:1-10) Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of the season of Lent. And today we begin a series of six midweek services under the theme, “A Little Lenten Lukan Joy.” Let me explain. This … Continue reading
“The Vision and the Voice of the Transfiguration” (Luke 9:28-36) Today is the Last Sunday after the Epiphany, the day we observe the Transfiguration of Our Lord. The Transfiguration is that event when our Lord Jesus Christ was transformed in … Continue reading
“His Word Possessed Authority” (Luke 4:31-44) In today’s Gospel, we catch a glimpse of what the public ministry of Jesus was like. We follow Jesus on what might have been a fairly typical day for him, a very busy day … Continue reading
“Today This Scripture Is Fulfilled in Your Hearing” (Luke 4:16-30) The Holy Gospel for today is the account of Jesus at the Nazareth synagogue, right as he was starting his public ministry. Jesus gets up to read one of the … Continue reading
“Simeon’s Song: What a Way to Go!” (Luke 2:22-40) This month we have been spending the Advent and Christmas seasons in the Gospel of Luke. All of our sermons have come from there, particularly from Luke’s so-called “Infancy Narrative,” chapters … Continue reading
“The Ripple Effect of Christmas” (Luke 2:15-20) Our text this morning is the second part of the Christmas Gospel we heard last night, that is, Luke 2, reading now verses 15 through 20: “When the angels went away from them … Continue reading
“The Gift, the Announcement, and the Exclamation Mark” (Luke 2:1-14) Suppose I got a Christmas present for you, but I didn’t tell you about it. I didn’t tell you that I had something for you, and I didn’t tell you … Continue reading
“A Blessed Visitation” (Luke 1:39-45) It was a meeting of the moms. Two expectant mothers, one old, one young. One was six months along; the other, newly pregnant. And the fact that they were expecting was totally unexpected! Both of … Continue reading
“Zechariah’s Song: The Benedictus” (Luke 1:57-80) We continue our Advent journey, heading toward Christmas. So far in Advent, we have seen John the Baptist preparing the way for the Lord, both in his preaching of repentance and then in his … Continue reading
“Advent through a Rose-colored Candle” (Luke 7:18-28) Today is the Sunday of the rose-colored candle. On the other Sundays in Advent, we light violet, or purple, candles on the Advent wreath. Today, though, we light the one that is the … Continue reading
“Mary’s Song Prepares Us for Mary’s Son” (Luke 1:46-55) One of the things we’re doing this month in our Advent and Christmas services is looking at a number of texts from Luke’s “Infancy Narrative,” that is, the first two chapters … Continue reading
“Bear Fruits in Keeping with Repentance” (Luke 3:1-20) Advent is a penitential season, and every year on this Second Sunday in Advent, John the Baptist shows up, leading the call to repentance. John came to prepare the way of the … Continue reading
“The Chronicle of Luke: ‘That You May Have Certainty’” (Luke 1:1-4) This past Sunday was the First Sunday in Advent, and thus it was the beginning of a whole new church year. In our congregation, and in thousands of churches … Continue reading
“The King Who Comes in the Name of the Lord” (Luke 19:28-40) Today is the first day in a brand-new church year. That’s because today is the First Sunday in Advent. The church year begins with the season of Advent, … Continue reading
“St. John the Baptist: Born to Forerun” (Luke 1:57-80) Merry Saintjohnthebaptistmas! “What?” you say, “What did he say?” I said, Merry Saintjohnthebaptistmas! You heard me right. If we celebrate Christmas, the birth of Christ, on December 25, then six months … Continue reading