Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!  Amen.  In his excellent apology for Christianity, Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis writes, “Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive…”[1]  [Pause for laughter.]  Yes, we all want to be forgiven for our shortcomings, but as […]

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!  Amen.  The Word of God that engages us today is Paul’s letter to the Romans, especially this verse: “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.  For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have […]

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!  Amen.  In last week’s Gospel lesson, we heard Peter’s bold confession of faith that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:17, ESV).[1]  In response to this statement, Jesus declared: “…You are Peter, and on this […]

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!  Amen.  “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (Matt. 16:13, ESV).[1]  That’s the question Jesus asks his disciples in today’s Gospel reading. Who do people say the Son of Man is?  Who do people believe Jesus to […]

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!  Amen.  When Jesus journeyed with his disciples to Tyre and Sidon, he was attempting to retreat from the excitement in Galilee and Judea.  Opposition from the Jewish religious authorities threatened his death before the proper time.  Jesus’ miracles inspired an […]