Wrestling with Theology

Original Broadcast: May 2010 Monthly Theme: Fifth Commandment Then [Jesus] said to His disciples, "Therefore I tell you do, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. ... Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?" (Luke 12:22-25) "Worry Not" Many people worry about their lives. Some even worry to death about their lives. But Jesus remi...

Original Broadcast: May 2010 Monthly Theme: Fifth Commandment [Jesus said:] "I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment." (Matthew 5:22) Keep Not Angry Jesus had just begun His Sermon on the Mount. Having gone through the Beattitudes, He started to clarify the Law for His hearers. "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and who...

Original Broadcast: May 2010 Monthly Theme: Fifth Commandment Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart. (Jeremiah 1:5) In the Womb Jeremiah claims to have an "unusual" birth. A birth like that of Samson, John the Baptizer and Jesus. One where there was a distinct mission for the child that was to be conceived and born. Jeremiah says that God called him from...

Original Broadcast: May 2010 Monthly Theme: Fifth Commandment Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. (Proverbs 31:8) Euthanasia Who cannot speak up for themselves? Those who don't understand their plight. Their mental capability has been diminished either due to age and disease or to genetic defect. They don't understand and it's not their faul...

Original Broadcast: May 2010 Monthly Theme: Fifth Commandment [God said:] "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in His own image." (Genesis 9:6) Killing After the Flood, God gave the directive to Noah and to all his descendants that murder is not acceptable in His sight. Man was made in God's own image. Killing someone else can be seen as an acting out o...

Private Confession and Absolution is NOT just an item, a relic, of the Roman Catholic Church. It is a treasured possession of the one holy, catholic and apostolic Church which has been given away because of previous abuses. It is every Christian's right to be able to come and confess their sins to their brother or sister in Christ and hear the wonderful words of the Absolution, the forgiveness of...

"Farther along we'll know all about it, Farther along we'll understand why; Cheer up, my brother, live in the sunshine, We'll understand it all by and by." Office Hymn: "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" Small Catechism: First Commandment Large Catechism: I 26-27 Scripture: Numbers 21:4-9 Commentary: Bede, Homilies on the Gospels 2.18

Original Broadcast: April 2010 Monthly Theme: Fourth Commandment [Jesus said:] "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's" (Matthew 22:21) "Render Unto Caesar" Jesus was asked what was supposed to be an impossible question: "Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" (v17) If He says, "Yes," the Pharisees and the Herodians would decry Him as an enemy...

Original Broadcast: April 2010 Monthly Theme: Fourth Commandment One who is taught the Word must share all good things with the one who teaches. (Galatians 6:6) Share One of the great benefits of the Office of the Holy Ministry is the fatherhood given to those who occupy it. The preaching and teaching tasks of the ministry do offer the position of spiritual father to those who are taught. This is...

Original Broadcast: April 2010 Monthly Theme: Fourth Commandment Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old. (Proverbs 23:22) Listen Solomon gives a good reason why we should honor our father and mother. They're the reason we're here. Without our parents, we wouldn't have been born. Without our father and mother coming together, we would not exist. But...

Original Broadcast: April 2010 Monthly Theme: Fourth Commandment Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother" (this is the first commandment with a promise), "that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land." Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 6...

How do we find Common Ground with Roman Catholics on the idea of the "communion of saints"? Is it a focus on holy things or holy people? And how does the Blessed Virgin Mary figure into all this? We focus on these questions this week on Wrestling with Theology.

Original Broadcast: April 2010 Monthly Theme: Fourth Commandment Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. (Romans 13:1) Authorities St. Paul lived in one of the greatest times of peace in human history. The Pax Romana held sway in the Roman Empire from 27BC to 180AD. There was a great peac...

"Farther along we'll know all about it, Farther along we'll understand why; Cheer up, my brother, live in the sunshine, We'll understand it all by and by." Office Hymn: "Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah" Small Catechism: First Commandment Large Catechism: I 13-21 Scripture: Isaiah 42:5-9 Commentary: Barnabas 14:4-7

Original Broadcast: April 2010 Monthly Theme: Fourth Commandment Fourth Commandment Honor your father and your mother. What does this mean? We should fear, love and trust in God so that we do not despise or anger our parents and other authorities, but honor them, serve and obey them, love and cherish them. Who are parents and other authorities? Parents are fathers, mothers, and guardians; other au...

One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. (Romans 14:5) Holidays Different holidays are special to different people. Right now, we're in the middle of the holy days of Lent. These forty days are special to some Christians. These forty days aren't any different from other days to other Christians. Is...

"On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me twelve drummers drumming..." The Apostles' Creed gives us the most basic expression of the Christian faith. For centuries, it was divided into twelve articles. Each of these articles are non-negotiable when contemplating the faith.

"On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me eleven pipers piping..." The eleven faithful Apostles were those sent by Jesus into the entirety of the Roman Empire to spread the Gospel of salvation through His death and resurrection.

"On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ten lords a-leaping ..." The Ten Commandments form the basis of God's moral Law. They have also formed the basis of most societies and cultures throughout history, whether they were revealed to them or not.

And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. (Acts 20:9) Sleeping in Church We've all done it before. It was a long Saturday night. One of the kids was teething or throwing up or out well past curfew. We still got up in the morning and made it to churc...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! The exciting year of 2020 begins with a look at 1 Clement 26-30, where God's salvation shines forth as the most important thing in life.

"On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me nine ladies dancing..." "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23).

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. (Acts 2:46-47) Together Daily The earliest congregation in Jerusalem met daily, both in the Temple as well as in their own personal homes....

"On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me eight maids a-milking..." Jesus began His ministry to His disciples by giving the Sermon on the Mount. The introduction to that sermon were eight Beatitudes to show how God blesses His people.

While the people of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks. ... And all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones, as the LORD commanded Moses. (Numbers 15:32-36) Sticks and Stones Kids say, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." In this story, we have a man breaking the Sabbath by picking up sticks. I...