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The Gospel of Matthew Bible Studies
The Gospel of Mark Bible Studies
January 2008
February 2008
March 2008
April 2008
May 2008
June 2008
July 2008
August 2008
September 2008
October 2008
November 2008
December 2008
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Time after Pentecost - Lectionary 9 (A) May grace, mercy, and peace be with you from God our heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. In my sermon last week, I focused upon Jesus’ teaching that we should not worry. As he put it, worry will not add a single hour to our span of life. Instead of worrying, Jesus encourages us to be like the birds of the air – who enjoy their meals as they come without worrying about whether they will find something to eat in the days to come. Or to be like the lilies of the field who are blooming, who exult in the beauty that they are clothed with right now without worrying about that the next day they will grow old, shrivel up and die. As I said in last week’s sermon, the kingdom life means living and enjoying today – thanking God for the blessings that we have right now – and also trusting that our heavenly Father loves us and will continue to be with us and provide for our needs in the days to come. But now in today’s gospel text, Jesus warns us that storms are coming – and he is not just talking about the weather. Storms of life are coming upon us – and it is not a question of “if”, but “when”. Each and every one of us will have to deal with “storms” of disappointments, tragedies, relationship issues, and problems involving our health and/or the health of those we love. Many of us have already had to face these storms, or perhaps may even be dealing with these storms right now. We can’t avoid these storms – they are going to come upon us due to our own sins and failings, the sins and failings of others, or perhaps due to natural things that are totally outside of our control. Worrying about them will not help us. But yet, Jesus says, we can prepare our lives so that we will be better able to deal with these storms as they come – by building our character and our personality upon the firm foundation of his words. Our gospel reading for today marks the conclusion of Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” – a series of teachings spanning three chapters (5 – 7) in Matthew’s gospel. During this “sermon” Jesus says a number of things, but for this sermon I would like to especially highlight several basic principles that should form the “foundation” as to how we build our lives. If these principles are at the core of who and what we are, we will be ready for the storms of life that we will encounter. The first foundation principle is INTEGRITY. Integrity means being totally honest and sincere about who we are and what we do – to ourselves, to others, and to God – without any hidden or double motives. Integrity also means not trying to cover up or excuse away our sins, shortcomings, and failures. It is far better to own up to them – no matter how bad they might be – than to try to cover them up. A few years ago I remember reading a very insightful article in a newspaper about how teenagers could build rapport with their parents. At the very top of the list was telling the truth. As the columnist put it, Mom and Dad would rather know the truth about something up front – no matter how horrible it may be – than to find out later that they have been lied to and conned. As a parent, I of course added my “Amen!” to that – but what the columnist wrote is applicable to all of us in every area of our lives. Lying and trying to cover up our sins, failures, and shortcomings is almost always worse than the original problem. It creates an unstable foundation for living – and almost always, a “storm” – a crisis in life – will come up and expose us for who and what we really are. But if we are people of INTEGRITY – if being honest and truthful is at the core of how we live our lives – that foundation will stand firm even during times of crisis. May it be so for us. A second “foundational principle” to build our lives upon is MERCY. “Mercy” means not being critical and judgmental of others. It also means being willing to forgive the sins of others instead of holding on to grudges. The fact is, over time we will be treated in the same way that we treat others. If we are critical and judgmental toward others and are unwilling to forgive them during their sins and failures, then we can expect the same treatment from them. For we have all, as today’s second reading puts it, “sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” But when MERCY is part of the foundation of our lives, then we will certainly receive it – hopefully from others, and assuredly from our Father in heaven. As Jesus says in one of his Beatitudes at the beginning of his Sermon on the Mount (which today’s gospel passage concludes); “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” May it be so for us. A third and final foundational principle for building our lives upon is RIGHTEOUSNESS. As Jesus said in last week’s gospel; “But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” Many people think that “righteousness” means “goodness”. It can certainly mean that, of course, but as Jesus uses the term it means even more than that. In its fullest sense, “righteousness” means having a “right relationship” with God – so that God is at the very center of all that we think, say, and do. A saying I once heard expresses it well – “No God, no peace – but know God, know peace!” When our lives are grounded upon knowing God and his love for us through Jesus Christ, we will not have to fear anything that may come our way. Even during the worst of life’s storms, we will still know that God is with us, and that he loves us and will bring us through. Yes RIGHTEOUSNESS – having a “right relationship” with God through Jesus Christ, gives us a firm foundation for building our lives – a foundation that will endure any storms that we will ever have to face. I have certainly found this to be true for me in my life, and I am sure that most of you have as well. INTEGRITY, MERCY, and RIGHTEOUSNESS – these are foundational principles that Jesus invites us to build our lives upon. When these are at the center of who and what we are each day, we will never have to worry – and we can be confident that we will always be ready for whatever may come. May grace, mercy, and peace be with you from God our heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. -------------------- George R. Karres, Pella Lutheran Church 418 W. Main Street Sidney, MT 59270
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