RoboPreacher

when i lose my way The holy Gospel according to St. Luke the 6th (:1-16) chapter ! Well, I’m out of clever ideas for how to present today’s scripture. So why don’t we just engage in some serious Bible study? This is always a good idea. Especially since this passage is so often put through the wringer of shoddy interpretation. This passage is often described as a battle of interpretation . The Pharisees are depicted as sticklers , while Jesus is portrayed as a compassionate interpreter of the higher ideals behind the Law, such as hunger and health. Now there’s a kernel of truth in all this, but not much more. Who among us doesn’t like to imagine Jesus as the sympathetic advocate for the down and out? And don’t we all hope there’s some shred of humanity behind the rules that govern our fate?   But , while this explanation may sound good, in the end, it only makes everything worse . In this scheme , Jesus is nothing more than a taskmaster ,   and there’s no room for consi...

hope, love, truth, and the belief in the indestructability of the good in all people The holy Gospel according to St. Luke the 5th chapter ! Peter, James, and John are washing their nets. But they might as well be licking their wounds after the night they just had. That’s why, when Jesus commandeers one of their boats for a makeshift stage, they don’t protest.   Once the sermon’s complete and the crowds have dispersed, Jesus tells Peter to sail out INTO the deeper waters, for a little catch. Peter tries to tell Jesus what kind of a night it’s been, but it’s not worth the trouble. Peter obeys Jesus, but he could just as well be humoring him for all Peter expects to come of their little endeavor. If they didn’t catch anything that night , they’re not about to catch anything during daylight hours, either. And certainly not in the deep waters, for that matter. …You know what happens next, though. Don’t you? Apparently, when it comes to following Jesus, life works the other way ‘r...

but the hurt can't be this much The holy Gospel according to St. Luke the 4th chapter ! Today’s passage begins with so much promise . BUT in the space of a few short verses, it all ends so poorly . And here’s the thing, what sends the folks at Jesus’ home synagogue chasing him out of town is the very same thing that tempts us to try and push Jesus out of our own lives, too. …Jesus is well -received at his home synagogue. Everyone’s amazed at his gracious words. Yet , at the same time, they're also a little put off by them.   The crowd voices their misgivings by asking about Jesus’ parentage . “Is not this Joseph’s son,” they ask. An irony , since we know, he is the son of God .   With that , you begin to see the issue take shape. But only subtly so. This is why the stakes are raised so dramatically with Jesus' little Bible -study… Musing aloud, Jesus predicts the crowd is about to assume they have some sort of special benefits for themselves . After a...

i can learn to be easy The holy Gospel according to St. Luke the 3rd chapter ! Bypassing all the usual lackeys, the Word of God goes right up the line. Past the governor, and finally even over the head of the Emperor himself! In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius the word of God comes to not a single one of those men in power …   Neither , though, does the word of God come to the High Priest in the temple . Instead , the word of God comes to John .   John, the son of a priest. John, who apparently has nothing to do with the priesthood, though . John who’s doing ministry outside the temple, in the wilderness .   Yet, it is him , of all people, that the word of God comes! And the word of God comes to him, no less, while he’s out there in the wilderness .   Whatever else it is, the wilderness is the opposite of civilization . The wilderness is what lies on the other side of our tamed world. And it is there that the word of God comes every time. J...

only at christmas time A sermon about Jesus' presentation at the Temple : Today we see past the edges of all those Christmas cards out there. And if you sent or received any Christmas cards at all this year, you know exactly what I mean. Christmas cards always portray the event as peaceful , warm , and well lit .   Now, we know moments such as that exist. And God bless them. But we also know moments such as that are far too few and far between, too. Don’t we? Yet , Christmas cards only depict the holy family as nestled in the manger and the animals crowding around them to lend their warmth. And o’er it all, the angels sing sweetly , as the Christmas star shines benevolently upon them.   However, Christmas cards rarely , if ever, show the inevitable moments that follow. Like when an ox shifted its weight and stepped on a lamb, causing it to bleat . And wake the infant Jesus. Causing him to cry ! And after the night they had, Mary and Joseph were by no means the pic...

in a baby's eye Christmas Eve sermon from  Luke 2:1-20 : There’s a Christmas sermon I’ve always wanted to preach, but never have. And I think this year, of all years, presents the perfect opportunity. So here goes… EVERY Christmas there is an irony .   Christmas is one of those times we can really pack ‘ em in the church. The paradox , though, is Scripture makes it abundantly clear that on Christmas , the church is the last place you want to be on Christmas! All the action is taking place out there! A million miles away from any respectable sanctuary! Here, I’ll show you, pretend this passage is a movie , AND you don’t already know what’s going to happen… The film opens in darkness , and the narrator tells us this is the account of the momentous birth of Jesus, the savior of the world . Next, the narrator tells us this happened during Emperor Augustus’ reign. The camera fades in on the Emperor in all his power and opulence , ordering a worldwide census.   Now, t...