Words of Welcome

  Matthew 21:33-46 I think it’s hard for most of us to think of Jesus being a troublemaker. Even though I envision Jesus being gracious, loving, and welcoming, in the Gospels he was always stirring up trouble. So, it’s no surprise that the political and the religious leaders got anxious when Jesus came to town for Passover Week.  Jesus wasn’t and isn’t the only trouble-making religious leader. Paul, Francis of Assisi, and Martin Luther all had opponents. I even hear that some folks in the Catholic Church aren’t big fans of Pope Leo. People tend not to like preachers who step on their toes, especially if they are political or religious leaders.  Our reading from the Gospel of Matthew places Jesus in the Jerusalem Temple the day after he entered Jerusalem in triumph and then cleansed the Temple. These actions had put the religious and political leaders on edge. So, it’s not surprising that a group of religious leaders challenged Jesus authority to disrupt life in the ...

Matthew 21:33-46 Once again we find Jesus in the Temple. It’s Holy Week. Good Friday is on the horizon. We listen as Jesus continues to describe the realm of God through parables. Last Sunday we heard Jesus tell the parable of two brothers. One brother told his father he would go work in the vineyard, but never did. The other resisted, but finally went off to work. Which of the brothers did the will of the father, who asked them to tend the vineyard? Jesus then told another parable of the vineyard. In this parable, a landowner planted a vineyard and then rented it out, hoping to reap a profit from the renters’ produce. Unfortunately, when the time came to collect this produce, the renters violently resisted these efforts. Finally, in desperation, the landowners sent his son, hoping they would respect him. Instead of respecting the son, they decided to kill him and try to take his inheritance. How do you think the landowner will respond? Won’t the landowner respond in kind by puni...

Acts 5:27-32 This morning we continue our Easter celebration with a reading from the Book of Acts.  It’s the first of five readings from Acts that focus on what I want to call “Transformative Encounters.”  Over the next five weeks I’ll be offering a sermon series  that explores how encounters with the Risen Christ transform lives. This morning we begin our journey with a reading from Acts 5.  We find Peter and John standing before the Council a second time.  They’ve been arrested because they won’t stop preaching about Jesus.  The last time they were thrown in jail, angels liberated them.  But, this time, they must face their accusers, who according to Luke, are rather upset.  They hoped that after Jesus died, his followers would disappear, but for some reason they were still hanging around.  They were becoming pests and the authorities wanted to see them to go away.   Peter steps forward, and answers their demand tha...