Talking About the Passion: Sermons from Holy Cross Lutheran Church

Jesus uses the dining table as a place not just to teach about the kingdom of God, but to demonstrate its power to create and sustain a new social reality in our midst.

Jesus reminds us today that God gave the Sabbath as a GIFT, 
so that we might always have consecrated time to remember-- and delight in-- 
God's life-giving work among us. 

In order to experience the life Jesus has come to give, we must first die to our selves.

God wants us to desire his reign, to hunger for his kingdom, to set our hopes on it above all else.  And this is good news because it means that we do not have to squash our desire. 

Whenever or where-ever God calls us, it will be to joyful work that applies our gifts to the world’s deepest needs. 

Yet we must be ready and alert for His call, hungry for what he has to offer!

Lord, teach us to pray (Luke 11:1-13)

Jesus' call to let go of our possessions is meant to lead us into deeper FREEDOM. Unencumbered by the anxiety about our stuff, we are free to answer his call.

The controversy of this text for us is that it seems to slight Martha for doing what women were expected to do in First Century culture (and still ARE expected to do in many places). That can blind us to the fact, though, that for its first hearers and readers, the controversy of this text is its depiction of a woman LEARNING and ACTING AS A DISCIPLE of the Lord! Jesus invites Mary-- and all of us-- to sit at his feet and receive all the good things he has to give to us!

With today's parable of the "Good Samaritan," Jesus turns the question of the lawyer on its head. Instead of worrying about who (or who is not) our neighbor, we are asked to answer this question: "Who are YOU?" Will we be neighbors to others? Will we define ourselves in relation to Jesus, and freely serve whoever is  in need?

Jesus calls us to embrace the authority he has given to us.

You've heard the saying, no doubt, “she’s so heavenly minded that she’s no earthly good.” 
True, Christians can be so focused on the future promised by God that they forget to love their neighbor and care for creation.

But John, the author of Revelation, tells us that being heavenly minded— being focused on the promise of creation’s redemption and renewal. And living in the light of God’s promises. Is a prerequisite for doing earthly good.