Pentecost 14 (year A, proper 17)- Matthew 16:21-28

 The Gospel for this Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost is from Matthew 16:21-28. This selection comes immediately after Peter's great confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Here, our Lord points out that He must go to Jerusalem to face rejection, suffering, and death.  In other words, Jesus emphasizes the necessity of  His Cross. In his enthusiasm, Peter protests against these ideas, but our Lord rebukes him as the voice of Satan. The entire earthly ministry of Jesus finds its completion and significance in His suffering, death, and resurrection. No true believer can deny the theology of the Cross. Like Peter, we need to acknowledge the necessity of the Cross and keep it central in our faith.

Pentecost 13 (year A proper 16)- Matthew 16:13-20

The Gospel for this Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost tells of Peter's confession of faith at Caesarea Philippi (Matthew 16:13-20). This passage includes several themes: Christ's identity, Peter's role, Christian faith, and the Church. The central themes are who Jesus is and faith in Him. Although Jesus has many titles and fulfilled many roles, His basic identity can be summed up in the words of Matthew16:16. He is "the Christ, the Son of the living God." This is a foundational affirmation of faith, a necessary belief for all Christians. In Scripture, faith that Jesus is both the Messiah/Christ and the Son of God is basic.

Another theme in the passage is the enduring character of the Church. The Church built on faith in Jesus Christ experiences many problems in this world. Problems within the Church and attacks on the Christian community from outside have been common and continue. Yet the true Church founded on the Gospel survives and will survive. As Jesus promises in Matthew 16:18, "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Corruption, opposition, and persecution are perennial issues, but a faithful Christian remnant persists and will continue. Jesus Christ has overcome evil in many ways, especially through His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. He promises that those who have faith in Him will share in His victory. So let us remain steadfast in confessing the biblical Christian faith!

Pentecost 12 (year A proper 15)- Matthew 15:21-28

The Gospel for the Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost this year is from Matthew 15:21-28. It tells us about the Canaanite woman who had a sick child. For the ancient Hebrews, the Canaanites were the most despised pagans, and it is not easy for this woman to approach Christ and His disciples. The disciples are not very hospitable, and our Lord begins sternly to make a point about divine mercy and humble faith to the disciples and to the woman. This woman is humble enough and wise enough to know that she must depend upon grace. She has faith that Jesus can heal her daughter despite her lowly status. She will be grateful for the smallest crumb of divine mercy, and her humble faith opens the path for Christ's healing power.

Like this woman, all of us need faithful humility. We should always look to divine grace rather than to our own human strengths or qualifications. We must focus on what God's grace and power do for our healing and salvation, and we need to be persistent. As Christians, we have been baptized and professed our faith, but we are easily distracted and fail repeatedly. So we humble ourselves to seek to be healed and saved from sin, weakness, and pride each day. And the path to healing of body, mind, and soul is found in humble and persistent faith in Jesus Christ.

Pentecost 11 (year A proper 14)- Matthew 14:22–33

The Gospel for this Sunday from Matthew 14:22-33 is the well-known account of Jesus walking on water. Most people who have heard of Jesus are aware that He performed many miracles, but in the popular mind, walking on water has often been viewed as one of the most impressive. Certainly, in our account from Matthew, Peter and the other disciples react with great amazement and awe.

Nevertheless, Christ's walking on water is not so unusual. It presents a truth that is found throughout His life, teachings, and actions. This miracle reflects Jesus' whole character and ministry. This impressive manifestation of divine power proclaims the truth about His identity, a truth proclaimed in varying ways throughout the New Testament. The miracle shows that Jesus is God incarnate. Even in human form, Jesus has divine power over all natural and spiritual forces. When He walks on water, He shows the same divine power that makes Him our Savior. With this power, He can and does conquer sin, death, and the devil, And thus, He alone can offer fallen human beings new life in this world and in the world to come. As Christians, we do not stop with our amazement at His particular deeds; we also have faith in His saving work! He is more than a miracle worker; He is our divine Savior!