Posts

Showing posts with the label Oculi

Sermon - Trinity VII, 2026 - Mark 8:1-9

-
Image
The Multiplication of Loaves, Daniel Halle, 1664 Those who abide with Jesus will be satisfied by Jesus Jesus has compassion on those who abide in Him Jesus provides for us by means of others Those who sacrifice for Christ shall receive far more later Jesus satisfies our hungry hearts so that we do not faint on the way but have strength to reach our heavenly home St. Paul explains: “ I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. ” We’re simple people, or at least I am, and the way in which the Lord reveals Himself to us is through natural, human things. As such, the miracles of Jesus are always more than meets the eye. Of course the feeding of the four thousand reveals God’s providence for us. Of course each miracle reveals the divinity of Christ. However, the miracles are more than the miracles themselves, and they do more than reveal the divinity of Christ. Each miracle Jesus performs is meant to teach us and reveal to us God’s greater work of redemption for all o...
Post a Comment
Read more

Sermon - Oculi 2026 - Luke 11:14-28

-
Image
  Jesus Heals a Mute Possessed Man, James Tiddot, 1886-1994 Our Spiritual Warfare Christ, the Stronger Man, has overcome Satan Demons continue to assault us, therefore we can’t be neutral If we don’t positively side with Christ, we will lose Therefore, remain firmly in Christ’s kingdom and smite the foe The spiritual warfare of our age is quite intense. Perhaps we don’t always call it that, we’ve got all sorts of medical, psychological, sociological, and social terminology and buzzwords that get brandied about, but what we’re experiencing is spiritual warfare. The 19th and 20th centuries were such materialistic ages that we’ve often scoffed at the idea of interpreting social trends, philosophical movements, and geopolitical events as various skirmishes in our spiritual warfare, but they are. I think we instinctually know this. We may not be able to always articulate how and why these things are spiritual assaults against our souls, but we can feel it in our bones. Afterall, Satan h...
Post a Comment
Read more

Sermon - Oculi 2024 - Luke 11:14-28

-
Image
The Loving Jesus Chases Demons into Pigs , Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, 1860 Neutrality is not an option This World knows that you must choose a side Jesus demands that we choose a side, and if we’re not with Him then we’re against Him So let us hold onto the Stronger Man and not let Him go Generally speaking, neutrality is not an option in our culture and the world expects us to pick a side. Russia or Ukraine, Israel or Palestine, Trump or Biden, 49ers or the Chiefs. Even if you don’t know anything about the issues or at least not enough to make an informed decision, you’re still expected to choose a side. That’s how this world works because the strong man of this world, the prince of darkness, the devil, knows that “ Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. ” It’s not so much that the devil wants you to vote for a certain party or support a certain team, rather he wants you to be wholly invested in this world. The decision the devil wants y...
Post a Comment
Read more

Sermon - Oculi 2023 - Exodus 8:16-24

-
Image
The Plague of Flies , James Tissot, circa 1896-1902 God redeems His people from the devil’s kingdom The exodus foreshadows our deliverance from this world The dividing line between God’s people and this world is redemption Following the creation and the flood, the most significant event in the Old Testament is the exodus out of Egypt. God began the ten commandments by saying: “ I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. ” The Passover was a weeklong feast to be celebrated yearly, which was a memorial of what God had done for His people in the exodus; God commanded: “You shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ ” The exodus was so significant because it made it clear that God redeems His people from the devil’s kingdom with a mighty, yet merciful, hand. Numerous films have been made which depicted the events of the exodus, most popularly the movie The Ten Commandments starri...
Post a Comment
Read more

Sermon - Oculi 2022 - Luke 11:14-28

-
Image
Jesus Heals a Mute Possessed Man,  James Tissot, 1894 I’m sure you’ve noticed it, but things have been changing dramatically over the past couple years. It’s not so much that things just started changing, rather it seems as if people are starting to wake up and notice the stuff around them, as if the veil has been partially removed and we can see things for what they are. Part of what’s going on here has to do with what St. Paul says about darkness and light: “ Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. ” It seems crazy that we could become confused or deceived about distinguishing between darkness and light, afterall there’s hardly greater polar opposites than darkness and light. Nevertheless, that’s what’s happened. This world ruled by Satan is darkness, and God’...
Post a Comment
Read more

Sermon - Oculi 2021 - Luke 11:14-28

-
Image
  The readings for Oculi Sunday, today, were presumably chosen by the early church fathers because this would have been the Sunday when the catechumens renounced the devil and the world. In the early church nearly everyone was a convert to Christianity, and over the course of a year the learners, called catechumens, prepared for baptism (which took place at the Easter vigil) by learning the faith.  This would have been the Sunday when the catechumens were given the chance, before baptism and becoming Christian, to go back to their old ways of life. Once they became Christian, they were often rejected by the world, including their own families. So if they were going to be baptized, they had to be willing to renounce the devil, just as we do in our baptisms: “Do you renounce the devil? Do you renounce all his works? Do you renounce all his ways?” Because as Jesus teaches us today, there’s only two camps. We’re either in the kingdom of Satan, or the kingdom of God. As Jesus says,...
Post a Comment
Read more

Sermon - Oculi 2020 - Luke 11:14-28

-
Image
“ When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil. ” Christ is the stronger Man who casts out the demons from our midst. In order to help illustrate this, I’d like to look to the example of St. Patrick. This coming Tuesday is St. Patrick’s Day, although for many Americans it’s not Patrick  or what he did that we celebrate, but it’s Ireland. Or rather, it’s a caricature of Ireland, in which we drink green beer, wear kilts, sing Irish music, eat corned beef and cabbage, and go to a parade.  But Ireland, at least the Ireland which existed in the days of Patrick, wasn’t something worth celebrating. In the 4th Century Ireland was a fierce barbarian nation made very wealthy because of their formidable warriors. These warriors would go out as Irish pirates up and down the coastlands, raiding and pillaging villages, taking bac...
Post a Comment
Read more