Grace Anglican Church Gastonia, NC

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran The Rejected Tenants, Matthew 21.33-44, Isaiah 5 Image: Jean-François Millet, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Which Son are You_ Matthew 21.28-32, Ezekiel 18, Philippians 2.1-13 What is the difference between the two sons in Jesus’ parable? The way each responds to his father’s will reveals the difference. It also reminds us that even though one eventually responds, we need another perfect Son to make a way for mercy to be received for our failure to act, whether we said no and went...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Do You Do Well to be Angry_ Jonah 4, Matthew 20.1-16 When the early workers saw that the Master of the vineyard was paying them the same as the last hour workers, they were angry and jealous of the Master. When Jonah saw that God would relent because of the repentance of the Ninevites, he was angry. In both cases, anger was expressed because of generosity and mercy. Does your...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Forgiving through Receiving Forgivness, Matthew 18.21-35 When St. Peter asked Jesus how much he should forgive his brother who sins against him, Jesus told him that forgiveness must be unlimited because we have been forgiven more by the Father in heaven than any amount of sin that can be done against us by our brother. Image: The Unmerciful Servant, John Everett Millais, Publ...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Reconciled to Reconcile, Matthew 18.15-20 When Jesus teaches the one must go to a brother who has sinned against him, we must realized what underlies such a command. The purpose of such going is to bring about reconciliation and the reason one would seek reconciliation with another is because Jesus has reconciled his people to himself and the Father. We don’t confront another...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Jesus' Cross, My Cross, Matthew 16.21-27 Though St. Peter confessed rightly that Jesus is the Messiah, when Jesus begins teaching what the Messiah must do, St. Peter takes him aside and rebukes him. Why does he do this? How do we do this in our own lives? And what must we do to avoid doing this in our lives always? Image: Take Up Your Cross , picture by LawrenceOP , licensed...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran St. Peter's Confession, Blessing, and Calling Matthew 16.13-20 Image: Christ Handing the Keys to St. Peter Pietro Perugino, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Crumbs that Truly Satisfy, Matthew 15.21-28 Download The Canaanite woman wasn’t afraid to approach Jesus because she knew what kind of savior he was going to be. He wasn’t only for the Jews, but was the promised seed of Abraham who would bring blessing to the world. Therefore, she had faith that she could receive his words and turn them back to him to remind him that even dog...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Little to Give, Greatly to be Used, Matthew 14.13-21 Download After Jesus has spent all day healing and teaching a multitude, the disciples point out that they people should be sent away to find food. But Jesus tells them to feed the crowds. The disciples only have 5 loaves and 2 fish. What will happen? Jesus takes their little and makes it a great amount to bless and satisfy...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Valued Through Christ Alone, Matthew 13.31-33, 44-50 Download What happens when we discover that our value isn’t something that we create, but is given to us by God himself? What happens when we realize that all our strivings to get God’s attention aren’t needed, but that he is searching for us and will claim us as his own through the faith he gives by the presence of the Hol...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Wheat Amongst the Weeds, Matthew 13.24-30, 36-43 Download What are we to do when we find tares amongst the wheat? What are we to do when we discover tares affecting us as wheat? How are we to endure? Jesus calls us toward patience regarding these tares because he himself will take care of them in the end. And besides that, we aren’t able to always identify the tares from the...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Swords and Crosses, Matthew 10.34-42 Jesus tells us that we must face swords and crosses as his disciples. He didn’t come to bring peace, but a sword that would divide his people from those who aren’t his people. In that, we must take up a cross that means self-denial, for without taking up that cross we are unworthy of Jesus. Image: Take up Your Cross, photo by Lawrence OP ,...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Of More Value than Sparrows, Matthew 10.16-33, Romans 5.15-19 In light of being sent by Jesus out to proclaim the kingdom, Jesus warns his apostles of the difficulties they will face amongst the people they go to. This warning extends far beyond the immediate mission they are going on, but expands to include all of church history. There is persecution and mockery faced Christ...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Tripping upon Grace in order to Stand Up, Matthew 9.35-10.15, Romans 5.1-11 Jesus tells his disciples to pray for laborers to go out bring a harvest of salvation. He then sends them out in light of their prayers. But they go with grace, they go as sinners saved by the very grace that they put forward to their hearers. We too go out with grace that overcomes all our sinfulness...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Sinners in Need of Healing, Matthew 9.9-13 Download When Jesus called Matthew to be his disciples, the Pharisees were upset that the was a great feast in the aftermath. All kinds of various sinners they didn’t care for were having a meal with Jesus. Jesus’ response is one we all know so well, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” All those...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Do you know the Trinity_ Matthew 28.16-20, 2 Corinthians 13.5-14 What’s so important about the doctrine of the Trinity? Is it really necessary for salvation? Can’t we know God without knowing anything about the Trinity? Through the witness of Scripture, we are confronted with the reality that the one true God is three persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These t...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Ongoing Pentecost, Acts 2.1-21, 1 Corinthians 12.4-13 What happens when we see that the coming of the Holy Spirit isn’t a one time event in our lives, but an ongoing reality? It’s like the children going to Narnia and breathing the air and finding themselves strengthened for whatever they have been called to do. Likewise, we are called to have an ongoing Pentecost in our live...

Reflecting upon St. Peter's words in chapter 4, we are reminded to not be surprised, faithless, or ashamed when trails come upon us as Christians. Instead we should rejoice, be faithful, and rest in the work God gives us in Jesus.

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Blessing, Defending, Enduring as Christ has, 1 Peter 3.8-18 Download St. Peter continues to call his readers and us today to faithful obedience. After speaking of various vocations, St. Peter returns to Christians as a whole calling upon us to bless those who would revile, to defend our hope in Christ, and to endure as Christ has already endured because Christ has done all of...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Four Ways of Identity in Christ, 1 Peter 2.1-12 Download As St. Peter writes to believers, he reminds them of their identity in Christ and how they should approach him in order to grow as the people of God. He is not teaching them to be individuals, but emphasizes the reality of the corporate nature of our identity in Christ. Through four pictures, St. Peter grounds us in the...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Subjected for the Good of Others, 1 Peter 2.13-25 Download In 1 Peter 2:13-25, St. Peter reminds us that we are to be subject to various kinds of authorities, even if it means suffering because we are to follow in the footsteps of Christ who was subject to authority and thus suffered. However, there was and is a greater authority above all others in our lives and it is God th...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Past and Future Known in the Present, 1 Peter 1.13-25 Download St. Peter tell us to consider the future and the past works of God and to understand them the word of God in the present. In many ways, Reepicheep, in Voyage of the Dawn Treader, does this very thing in his pursuit of going to Aslan’s country. We too can walk in this way by seeing God’s promises from the past and...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Born Again for the Beloved, 1 Peter 1.3-9 Download In Peter’s first epistle, he begins with exuberant praise of God the Father because he has caused us to be born again in Jesus Christ. This is baptismal language and out of that we have a foundation for all the gifts that are ours in Jesus. This foundation can enable us to endure testings and trials because we know that we be...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Do you see the Resurrection, Matthew 28.1-10 Download Jesus’ resurrection wasn’t expected by the women who went to his tomb on that first day of the week. The went to see a dead Jesus in order to complete the preparations for his body to remain in the grave. And yet, when they arrive, the tomb is empty and an angel proclaims that the crucified one is now alive. Jesus has pier...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran God_s Perfect Will Accomplished by Jesus, John 19, Genesis 22 Download How does Jesus accomplish God’s will upon the cross? Is this really what he was called to do? It is true that Jesus going to the cross is what God desired him to do, in fact, Jesus’ act upon the cross of bearing the sin of the world is well-pleasing to the Father. Image: Master of the Starck Triptych, CC0,...