Sermons on Kingdom of God
The Parable of the Mustard Seed – Mark 4: 26-32
The Parable of the Mustard Seed – Mark 4: 26-32 The mustard seed that Jesus talks about in this parable is small and it became large. But it is also invasive. A noxious weed that is hard to get rid of. It is a plant that was banned by law from the gardens of the ancient Mediterranean world, and it is classified as a noxious weed in many places today. When you plant mustard, it will take over your garden.…
God’s Promises
God’s Promises – Matthew 11:2-11 This Sunday, we will talk about one of the persistent messages of biblical storytelling: God made promises and now we have to wait for them to become true! But in a mysterious way, they are true already – Something has already happened. We can feel it is here already, but it will be complete in the future. God reaches out to us from the future, but in the time in between, what we feel to…
Do not be afraid of ambitious visions!
Do not be afraid of ambitious visions! – Isaiah 11:1-10; Matthew 3:1-12 Today’s Isaiah text expresses the vision of a perfect community that resides in the kingdom of God. It is a community that is at peace with each other. Conflicts that govern contemporary life have been resolved. Don’t be discouraged because the envisioned state of being seems unlikely. Ambitious visions take time. Our time on this world is relatively short. God’s exists on an entirely different time scale. But…
In Christ, there is a New Creation
In Christ, there is a New Creation – Luke 13:10-17 Jesus liberates the bent-over woman from her crippling condition. The bent-over woman is now upright. She is liberated from bodily afflictions, yes, but also from spiritual afflictions, most likely economic and social afflictions. One commentator suggests that, in Ancient Jewish thought, it is the upright gait, which distinguishes human beings from animals, and allows them to perceive the world, to think and speak with foresight. The bent-over woman was deprived…
Identity Politics
Identity Politics – Luke 12:13-21, Col 3:1-11 It is very hard to not base your identity and your self worth on your circumstances or what others think of you. It is so easy to feel pride because of what you have; or shame, because of what you lack. But is that what Jesus wants us to do? Is that how Jesus wants us to feel? No. Jesus is the great equalizer. The most consistent way that Jesus proclaims the kingdom…
The Kingdom Belongs to the Children
The Kingdom Belongs to the Children Today, we are talking about Jesus and the Storm. Usually, when we think of Gods and thunderstorms, we associate a God who uses God’s power for destruction. Just think of Zeus, who is usually depicted with a lightning bolt in his hand, because Zeus might at any moment decide to lash out against humanity and punish us earthlings with a strike of lightning and thunder. All the more notable is it that Jesus uses…
Mustard is an invasive shrub that cannot be contained.
Mustard is an invasive shrub that cannot be contained. The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. That is not just something that is very small and grows to something very big; but mustard is an invasive shrub that you cannot get rid of once it is sown. Even in us works the pull of the kingdom. It calls and helps us overcome our recent imperial and colonial past and build a church that is really inclusive and based…
Three Wise Men and a German Joke
The Magi are three wise men from the East who come to pay homage to baby Jesus. They are leader of their communities and maybe even kings. They bring presents to the Christ child, Myrrh, Frankincense and Gold. Those gifts are not just symbols of how the world is ordered, but they are also trade good on which the wealth of nations is built. They are the tools of power. And those tools of power they three kings lay bat…
Jesus’ Footprints
Jesus’ Footprints Jesus envisions a world in which all of humankind, in fact, all of God’s creation, is reconciled and made whole. His vision of the kingdom of God is based on the Hebrew concept of Shalom, which goes beyond peace, in which the needs of all are met, and no one lives in bondage. It’s an upside down kingdom, with a preference for the poor: Those at the bottom shall be lifted up and out of poverty and suffering.…
Jesus – A Beggar King On A Borrowed Donkey
Jesus – A Beggar King On A Borrowed Donkey The celebration of Passover is near. Jerusalem is full of pilgrims who want to celebrate the holiday. Everybody who counts for something in ancient Jerusalem makes a carefully crafted entrance that emphasizes their position in society. Jesus is no exception. Only where the others got for pomp and circumstances that underline that they are the powerful in an unjust world, Jesus in his entrance embodies God’s kingdom of justice and peace…