Sermons
Fourth Sunday in Lent
Who has heard today’s gospel reading before? Who knows it by the title “the prodigal son?” Many people know this story from that perspective based on a section heading in the Bible. We need to remember that the section headings aren’t in the original Greek text– they are added by the editor of whatever version of the Bible you’re reading…
Second Sunday in Lent
Wicker Park Lutheran Church Vicar Kornelius Koppel March 16, 2025 “Spread both your wings, / O Jesus, my joy, / and take your chick. / If Satan wants to devour me, / let the angels sing: / This child shall be unharmed.” These words come from an evening hymn by Paul Gerhardt. Paul Gerhardt was a Protestant-Lutheran theologian and is considered one of the most important German-language hymn writers, during the Thirty Years’ War. His songs bear witness to deep…
First Sunday in Lent
Every first Sunday in Lent we always here the story of Jesus’ temptation from the viewpoint of a synoptic gospel (that is Matthew, Mark, or Luke). Compared to last year’s version from Mark, we have a lot more to work with here. In Luke, we see three distinct scenes where Jesus was tempted by the “devil.” And the devil doesn’t have a tail and a pitchfork, but in Greek, it is term for an “accuser” or “slanderer.”…