The Joshua Victor Theory

By God’s grace may I make the Word of God fully known to you, the mystery hidden for ages and generations, but now revealed to his saints…this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim! (Colossians 1:25b-26, 27b-28a). In today’s Gospel Joseph and Mary are finishing their first visit with baby Jesus to the Temple, and performing the duties required by the Law. For those who keep track of dates and time, today we observe the 7 th day of Christmas, and tomorrow would be the 8 th —the day we remember Jesus’ circumcision and naming. The parting gift Joseph and Mary receive is the marvelous words and blessings of Simeon and Anna, two elderly believers who honor the infant Jesus and bless Joseph and Mary in their new responsibility of parenting Jesus. Age and youth are beautifully positioned side by side here, with aged Simeon and Anna as models of faith and hope in the promised Savior, and how they joyfully received the baby Jesus and thanked and praised God f...

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Last week’s sermon highlighted the personal love and individual care that we have in Jesus, our Good Shepherd; in whom I lack nothing. This Biblical reality is very comforting for us as Christians, but it is also very easy for us to hear, because it fits well with American individualism. But if we limit ourselves to a personal, individual description of the faith, we put blinders on ourselves to the vast importance and beautiful descriptions of our corporate life together as Christians. Perhaps harder for us to hear is that God intended us for community and interdependence. The Christian is part of something much greater than themselves, and greater than their individual relationship with God; we are the body of Christ. Or as Peter describes it in our reading today—a spiritual house, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, etc. All are plural descriptions of the church, not singular. How does this instruct us to live out ou...

Grace, mercy, and peace to you, from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen. This vineyard parable is complex in many ways, but today we’ll focus on why God became vulnerable? The vineyard owner in the story takes a gamble in sending his son. Not a gamble we’d be willing to take. We’d expect him to opt instead for violence or retribution, seeking justice. Kenneth Bailey tells the remarkable story of King Hussein bin Talal of Jordan: learned from security police that 75 Jordanian army officers were plotting against him that night. Military overthrow. The police wanted to storm the building and arrest the conspirators. Instead, the king had a helicopter pilot fly him to the building, gave instructions that he should fly away immediately without the king if he heard gunshots. Entered the building unarmed, calmly told them he learned of the conspiracy, warned of the devastation to the country, the civil war, the thousands of innocent deaths at stake, offered th...

Sermon Outline 1. Jesus’ several vineyard/vine/fruit parables. Recent parable about a vineyard—hiring workers for the vineyard (kingdom of God/church) and rewarding all equally. Compassionate employer. Different angle today. Retelling and adaptation of Isaiah 5. Condenses OT history of Israel. Servants (prophets) killed and beaten and ignored. Obvious parallel to son sent and killed, with Jesus’ life. 2. Fruit that is desired: obedience to God’s law. Good works (described as fruit in many places). In Isaiah 5—fruit is bad (wild grapes), finding bloodshed, violence, and injustice. In Matt, no fruit is given back from the renters. The vineyard of God’s kingdom will bear fruit. Prepared, ready, planted, all the “prep-work” done—only tend and give back the fruit it bears. The kingdom will bear fruit, but God will give the stewardship to those who bear fruit, and take it away from those who do not. We’ve been given the source and the blessing of all fruitfulness, Jesus, the Vine. 3. Do we o...