Rev Chris Roth

Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24;  Matthew 25:31-46 We have reached the end of the Christian Year. We might even consider it the height of the Christian year. The Christian calendar begins in Advent with the expectation of the Messiah, and moves into the celebration of the birth of Christ at Christmas. Epiphany tells the story of the revealing of Christ’s true identity as God-With-Us. In Lent, we follow Christ into the wilderness in preparation for the cross on Good Friday. And from that deep sadness we enter into the joy of the resurrection on Easter Sunday. But the story doesn’t end there. Christ ascends (Ascension) into the reality of heaven, and becomes present to his people in a new way. Christ remains present to the Church through the Holy Spirit, and continues to act through his body on earth, which is what we celebrate at Pentecost. Throughout the season after Pentecost, we learn to live as his disciples, following his teachings, until we arrive at today- The Reign of Christ, or Ch...

  Judges 4:1-7; Psalm 123; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; Matthew 25:14-30 We have very interesting readings today. First, we have our judges reading, where we see an example of the cycle of apostacy. The Israelites are in the Promised Land. God has brought them there by rescuing them from slavery in Egypt. Through Moses God did dramatic miracles to rescue them. Then Joshua took over from Moses to lead the people into the land. The Jordan river is parted, just as the sea was parted. God miraculously destroyed the strong walls of Jerico. They eventually settle in the land. … And then, instead of living holy lives dedicated to the Lord, who did all these amazing things for them, they turn from God and do evil. … This results in them being attacked and oppressed by another group of people. … The people cry out to God for help. … and then God gives them someone to help them. … This is a cycle we see over and over in the book of Judges, but we find it elsewhere in the Bible too. It seems to be...

  Matthew 25:1-13 The parable Jesus tells today is about the arrival of God to set things right at the end of human history set in the metaphor of a wedding feast. In the Old Testament, God is sometimes described as the groom, and God’s people are the bride. Interestingly, Jesus constantly places himself in the place of the groom, which is a hint about his divinity. In Jesus’ time, marriage had three steps. First, there was an engagement, which was a contractual agreement between a groom and the father of the bride. (Sorry, women). The second step was the betrothal, which involved a ceremony, and gifts were given to the father of the bride. The covenant is then sealed with a cup of wine, and from this point the husband and wife are officially bound together. The groom then returns back to his father’s house, and he spends the next year preparing a place for them to live together. [1] The third step is the actual wedding ceremony and feast. This is the context for our parable. The...

  Matthew 23:1-12 In our Gospel reading today Jesus is speaking about the religious leaders of the day. The Pharisees were highly respected teachers of their day. They sought to follow the Law perfectly. They even made new rules (sometimes called the Oral Law, or the Traditions of the Elders) to protect them from breaking the law. It was like creating a hedge around the law, so they could be extra sure they wouldn’t break that particular law. They created an intricate system for living according to the law. … This could be a heavy burden, especially for those who were too poor to have the leisure to study the Law and the ways of the Pharisees. Jesus even acknowledges the validity of their role as teachers of the people. He says,  “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it”.  That is high praise from Jesus. But he doesn’t stop there. He follows it, saying,  “but do not do as they do, for they do not practic...