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Showing posts with the label Year C Easter 4

Sermon - Trinity XVII, 2026 - Luke 14:1-11

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The Peasant Wedding , Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1567 Honor in the Kingdom of Heaven The exalted ones are humbled The humbled ones are exalted “ When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. ” Jesus isn’t just talking about party etiquette. Sometimes Jesus uses ridiculous parables to teach a heavenly truth, other times He uses ordinary and relatable and uniformly understood parables to teach a heavenly truth. Today Jesus uses a well understood and practiced social custom about seating at wedding feasts. Everyone knows, regardless of you...

Sermon - Easter 4, Year C, 2025 - John 10:22-30

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The Good Shepherd , Imperial Palace of Constantinople Mosaic, 5th-6th Century  The Good Shepherd’s Voice Significance of shepherds throughout history and today Shepherds lead and defend the sheep Jesus is the Good Shepherd who leads us with His voice and defends us with His life Pastors are shepherds Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Jesus said: “ My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand. ” This follows what Jesus said earlier: “ I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. ” Jesus is the Good Shepherd. I would guess that this imagery of Jesus as a shepherd is one of the most popular images of our Lord. It’s one of the oldest existing depictions of Christ. It’s a very common painting to have as an altarpiece, in sanctuaries, or simply hung on the walls of our homes. The psalm most commonly known by people, the 23r...