Pastor Sullivan's Blog

Grace and peace be unto you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Christ has silenced the Sadducees. The Sadducees denied the resurrection of the body on the Last Day. They were Jews that liked the Greek way of thinking a bit too much, which thought that body caused too many problem and it was the soul that lived on. So they tried to show Jesus the foolishness of the resurrection by pitting it against Mosaic Law. They put forward this scenario: A man marries a woman but dies before they have a child. By Mosaic Law, the man’s brother was to step in and produce an heir who would carry on his deceased brother’s name in Israel. Except that brother died. What if there were seven brothers? What if none of them produced a child? In the resurrection, whose wife would this woman be? Jesus responds by saying they know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. First He corrects their thinking about the resurrection. “ In the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in...

In the Name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. The Pharisees question Jesus to test Him in today’s gospel lesson. This is something we’re used to hearing. The lawyer’s question centers on the Law. “ Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? ” He wants Jesus to take the entire Law, the five books of Moses with all its legislation and statues and commandments and distill it all down to the greatest commandment. We are familiar with Jesus’ answer. “ You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind .” This is the summary of the first table of the law, commandments one through three because the first three commandments teach man how he is to love God, how he is to use God’s name and hear God’s Word. “ The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ” With this Jesus summarizes the second table of the Law, commandments four through ten, by which the Lord teaches how we are to love our ne...

Grace and Peace be unto you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. 1)         A lawyer of the Pharisees proposes a question about the Law in order test Jesus. The Pharisees were always malicious toward Chris and always wanting to disprove and discredit Him. And though Christ knows what is in men’s hearts and perceives their malicious motivation, He is gentle and compassionate with them. He ever desires to teach sinners the way of repentance and faith, so Christ answers the Pharisee’s question. “ Which is the greatest commandment in the Law? ” Christ distills the entire Law of Moses down to two commandments. He says, “ ’You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. ” Everything that has been...

Order of Holy Communion - Pg. 15 Hymn # 545 The Morning Sun is Brightly Beaming Hymn #3 43 How Lovely Shines the Morning Star Hymn # 247 God the Father, Be Our Stay Introit - pg. 80 Readings Deuteronomy 10:12-21 1 Corinthians 1:4-9 Matthew 22:34-46 Collect for Trinity XVIII O God, forasmuch as without Thee we are not able to please Thee, mercifully grant that Thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen. Sermon on the Holy Gospel Grace and peace be unto you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. 1)         The Pharisees hear that Jesus has silenced the Sadducees. The Sadducees were your Jewish elites of the time. They had money and prestige. Their piety was entirely wrapped up in the temple ritual. They were also quite Greek in their thinking. They didn’t...