Author: Eric Weiss

Do You Begrudge My Generosity?

Sunday September 20, 2020

Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost

Hark, the voice of Jesus calling, “Who will go and work today?
Fields are white and harvests waiting—
Who will bear the sheaves away?”
Loud and long the Master calleth;
Rich reward He offers thee.
Who will answer, gladly saying, “Here am I, send me, send me”? LSB 827:1

A part of us expects justice from God. We think that fairness ought to reign—that each of us should get what we deserve. But this is a dead end. God does not give us what we deserve but acts with mercy and grace beyond belief. He is scandalously generous and lavish with us—giving us what we do not deserve and have not earned. We are tempted to ask God for equity and what we deserve, but God is determined to give us so much more in Christ. Only in faith can we learn to let God be God, to honor His generosity with the only response He desires: faith and thanksgiving. Today we pray the Lord to break through to our hearts and minds with His abundant grace and to rejoice that He is more than fair—He is merciful!

READINGS

Old Testament:


Psalm:

Epistle:



Gospel:

Isaiah 55:6–9
The Lord is my light and my salvation

Psalm 27:1-9

Philippians 1:12–14, 19–30
By grace you have been saved through faith.
And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God

Matthew 20:1–16
The last will be first and the first will be last

COLLECT

It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who, out of love for His fallen creation, humbled Himself by taking on the form of a servant, becoming obedient unto death, even death upon a cross. Risen from the dead, He has freed us from eternal death and given us life everlasting.

Forgive Your Brother from the Heart

Sunday September 13, 2020

Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Then Peter came up and said to Him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.” Matthew 18:20–21

Forgiveness is filled with questions. How often must I forgive? Is there a limit to the grace of forgiveness? What is the connection between God’s forgiveness to me and my forgiveness to others? The answer to these questions lies in Christ. As our heavenly Father has forgiven us, so do we forgive one another in His name. This forgiveness is clearly and beautifully shown in the example of Joseph, who was sold into slavery by his brothers and then forgave them because of God’s mercy.

READINGS

Old Testament:




Psalm:

Epistle:



Gospel:

Genesis 50:15–21–47
Joseph reassured his brothers that he forgave them and recognized the hand of God at work in their lives

Psalm 103:1–12

Romans 14:1–12
If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord

Matthew 18:21–35
How often must I forgive my brother? How often has God forgiven you?

COLLECT

It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who, out of love for His fallen creation, humbled Himself by taking on the form of a servant, becoming obedient unto death, even death upon a cross. Risen from the dead, He has freed us from eternal death and given us life everlasting.

Completely Dependent

Sunday September 6, 2020

Fourteenth Sunday of Pentecost

Calling to Him a child, He put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:2–4

“Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Jesus’ disciples asked. Our Lord responded by welcoming a child into His midst. “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Children are highly valued by our gracious God because they are completely dependent. On their own, they have nothing, yet they need everything. This is true for all of us in our relationship with God! On our own, we have only our sinful, broken lives and are unable to please God and fulfill His commands. Yet, in Jesus Christ, we possess everything we need! Forgiveness of sins and the guarantee of life forever with God are freely given to those who turn from their sin and receive the forgiveness earned by our crucified and risen Savior. In Jesus, we are, like children, completely dependent. We have nothing to offer, yet everything we need is ours to receive from the gracious hands of our Savior.

READINGS

Old Testament:



Psalm:

Epistle:


Gospel:

Ezekiel 33:7–9
The watchman warns the wicked to turn from his way

Psalm 32:1–7

Romans 13:1–10
Love is the fulfilling of the law

Matthew 18:1–20
Jesus calls the children of God to humility and repentance

COLLECT

It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God. As Your dependent children, we have nothing to offer to make ourselves right with You. Yet, in the cleansing blood of Jesus, we receive Your mercy and forgiveness, full and free.

Overcome Evil with Good

Sunday August 30, 2020

Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.” Matthew 16:24

In the quiet refuge of this sanctuary, it may be easy to forget that we live in a world that has been marred by sin, cursed by death, and filled with wickedness. Although we confront it every day, this very present evil will not overcome us. God’s desire is for us to be saved and delivered by His Son, Jesus, so that we are enabled to love, to live, and to overcome evil with good. In our worship service today, we receive the same Jesus who once overcame evil by carrying His cross to suffer for our salvation. Trouncing over all the evil we will ever face, our risen Savior lives to love, to bless, and to deliver us as His people.

READINGS

Old Testament:


Psalm:

Epistle:


Gospel:

Jeremiah 15:15–21
The Lord gives His precious, saving words

Psalm 26

Romans 12:9–21
With genuine love, overcome evil with good

Matthew 16:21–28
Jesus calls His disciples to take up their cross and follow Him

COLLECT

It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, for the rescuing work of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who overcame evil by the goodness of His death and resurrection. Abiding in His goodness and love, we take up our cross and follow our Savior, receiving from Him the blessing of forgiveness.

I Believe in the Holy Spirit

Sunday August 23, 2020

Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost

I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:18

God’s people have gifts that are signs of His loving presence and demonstrations of His gracious power. In a sermon preached in 1538, Martin Luther observed, “Whoever comes to faith can only say that the Holy Spirit comes when and where and to whom He pleases at the time He pleases. He comes when and where He pleases and also gives a person as many gifts as He pleases” (WLS § 2057). As people in whom the Spirit dwells, we have the joy of discovering special gifts of God in one another and in ourselves as well. May that mutual discovering and celebrating be truly God pleasing in every way!

READINGS

Old Testament:


Psalm:

Epistle:


Gospel:

Isaiah 51:1–6
The salvation of the Lord will be forever

Psalm 138

Romans 11:33–12:8
We are one Body in Christ

Matthew 16:13–20
Jesus is confessed as the Christ, the Son of the living God, by Peter

COLLECT

It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, Lord, our God, for You have called us as Your people and have shown us Your kindness. Confident of Your love and assured of Your mercy, we come before You, asking that we receive Your blessings with heartfelt thanksgiving. Pour out upon us the gift of Your Holy Spirit and grant that we receive the body and blood of our Lord as a guarantee of our salvation and a foretaste of the feast to come in Your eternal kingdom. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and praise, together with the Son and Holy Spirit, now and forever.

I Believe in Jesus Christ

Sunday August 16, 2020

Eleventh Sunday of pentecost

A Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” . . . Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly. Matthew 15:22, 28lace image above….

The African American spiritual “Give Me Jesus” begins “In the morning when I rise, Give me Jesus,” words that remind us that our Savior, Jesus, is with us at all times. The same truth is expressed in another hymn in which English hymnist Timothy Dudley-Smith writes: “Christ be my Leader by night as by day; Safe through the darkness, for He is the way.” Jesus Christ, whom we confess in the Creed, is always there to comfort and to guide us. Our songs of praise, whether new to us or old favorites, can well express our thanksgiving for His loving care.

READINGS

Old Testament:


Psalm:

Epistle:


Gospel:

Isaiah 56:1, 6–8
God’s house of prayer is for all people

Psalm 67

Romans 11:1–2a, 13–15, 28–32 
God will have mercy on both Jew and Gentile

Matthew 15:21–28
Jesus heals the daughter of a beseeching woman

COLLECT

It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, Lord, our God, for You have graciously blessed us through the Word Incarnate, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who for our sake died on the cross and rose from the dead to put an end to death. Confident of His compassion on us and rejoicing in the company of the saints on earth and those above, we laud and magnify Your holy name.

In the Name of God the Father

Sunday August 9, 2020

tenth Sunday After Pentecosts


Peter answered Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out His hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Matthew 14:28–31

With those poetic words from years ago, English hymn writer Edward Dayman describes God the Father at work. He not only created us and rules over us, but He is also known to us in His giving—the giving of the daily blessings we receive and, most important, the giving of His Son to be our Savior. Prompted by the Holy Spirit, we bring to God our praises as part of the good service of our lives. The heavenly Father awaits our response to His gracious giving!

READINGS

Old Testament:


Psalm:


Epistle:


Gospel:

Job 38:4–18
God tells Job of His lordship over all creation

Psalm 18: 1-6
Faith comes from hearing the Gospel

Romans 10:5–17
Faith comes from hearing the Gospel

Matthew 14:22–33
Jesus walks on the water on the Sea of Galilee

COLLECT

It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, Lord, our God. You are the Creator of all things, and great is the majesty of Your glory. You did so love the world that You sent Your only Son to be our Redeemer. By His sacrificial life, He has brought us salvation and has shown us the path to life eternal. Pour upon us now the gift of the Holy Spirit that we receive the body and blood of our Lord with true devotion in this sacred fellowship of Your pilgrim people. Grant us a foretaste of the feast to come, heavenly Father, that we with increased faith joyfully await a blessed eternity in Your glorious presence.

Miraculous and Simple

Sunday August 2, 2020

Ninth Sunday after pentecost

Jesus ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. Matthew 14:19–20

Miracles tend to be big things in our minds. But the miracles Jesus does are more often tied to the simple things of ordinary life—like food! Jesus provides the simple things of life in miraculous ways. That is one of the things the five thousand learned when Jesus took a light lunch and fed thousands. It also confronts us here in simple water that becomes the means to new and everlasting life, or in simple bread and wine that feeds us the flesh and blood of Christ, or in efficacious words that accomplish what they say. But this is also true in our daily lives, as our Good Shepherd supplies all our needs of body and soul.

READINGS

Old Testament:



Psalm:

Epistle:


Gospel:

Isaiah 55:1–5
Come, all who hunger and thirst, and the Lord will satisfy you with all that you need

Psalm 136:1-9

Romans 9:1–5 (6–13)
Paul anguishes over the people of Israel

Matthew 14:13–21
Jesus feeds the five thousand, and all were satisfied

COLLECT

It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who, out of love for His fallen creation, humbled Himself by taking on the form of a servant, becoming obedient unto death, even death upon a cross. Risen from the dead, He has freed us from eternal death and given us life everlasting. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name.

Hidden Treasure

Sunday July 26, 2020

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost

Jesus said: “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Matthew 13:44

Treasures are hard to find and even harder to hold on to. Jesus describes the kingdom of God as a great treasure hidden in a field, a pearl of great price, and a net full of fish. But this treasure is one of God’s own making. He esteems us His treasured possession and delivers up His own Son that we might be His own and live under Him in His kingdom without end. On earth that treasure is hidden in the dirt, found side by side among cheap trinkets, and in nets that hold good and bad fish. But one day, it will all be clear. They will be set apart and the false treasures exposed. For now, it is enough to believe His Word and trust in His promise and hold steadfast to His Son

READINGS

Old Testament:



Psalm:

Epistle:



Gospel:

Deuteronomy 7:6–9
Because the Lord loves you, He has chosen you to be His treasured possession

Psalm 125

Romans 8:28–39
Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ our Savior

Matthew 13:44–52
The kingdom of God is like a hidden treasure

COLLECT

It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who, out of love for His fallen creation, humbled Himself by taking on the form of a servant, becoming obedient unto death, even death upon a cross. Risen from the dead, He has freed us from eternal death and given us life everlasting. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You

Knowing the Lord

Sunday July 19, 2020

Seventh Sunday After Pentecost


The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. . .  “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.” Matthew 13:24–25, 30

Why must we endure the questions, the challenges, and the things that are not as they should be? The disciples long ago wondered about this too. Why are there weeds in God’s field and what can be done about it? The seed was good, but God has enemies, and so do you. It is not given to us to resolve this until the Lord’s time, when He will separate the weeds from the wheat. It is enough for us to know that God knows the hearts of people and that this tension will not endure. When Jesus comes in His glory, the angels will gather out of His kingdom all who do not belong. Then the righteous shall shine like the sun, so take heart, people of God.

READINGS

Old Testament Reading:


Psalm:

Epistle:



Gospel:

Isaiah 44:6–8
Is there a God besides the Lord?

Psalm 119:57–64

Romans 8:18–27
The sufferings of this present age are not worth comparing to the glory waiting to be revealed

Matthew 13:24–30, 36–43
Then the righteous shall shine like the sun

COLLECT

It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who, out of love for His fallen creation, humbled Himself by taking on the form of a servant, becoming obedient unto death, even death upon a cross. Risen from the dead, He has freed us from eternal death and given us life everlasting. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name.

Audio from 2019 service for this Sunday.