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Matthew 6:6 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Matthew 28:18-20 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

"When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left. "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why: I was...

Matthew Dowd is "GTT", W is too.

“The Truth about Sheep and Goats” (Matthew 25:31-46)Did you know you are mentioned in today’s Gospel reading? Yes, you are! Listen: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.” Dear friends, you and I will be there when this happens, either among the sheep or...

“Talents on Loan from God” (Matthew 25:14-30)“Talent on loan from God.” So proclaims a certain radio host. At first, it sounds like he’s bragging about himself, as though he’s “oh so talented.” Of course, he’s speaking tongue-in-cheek, to play with his image. But as he himself explains in a more serious vein, to say, “talent on loan from God,” is really saying something about God, namely, that whatever talent we have is a gift from God, on loan from God, and thus any credit or glory goes ultimately to God. That is very true. And that message comes through loud...

“A Foolish, Self-Imposed Oil Shortage” (Matthew 25:1-13)Some people might say it’s rather stupid to be in need of oil when there is plenty available and you’re just not taking advantage of it. Such a situation could be called, “A Foolish, Self-Imposed Oil Shortage.” And no, I’m not talking about those who refuse to “drill, baby, drill.” But the same sort of idea does apply to today’s Gospel reading, the Parable of the Ten Virgins. Five of them were wise and five were foolish, and when the time came that they all needed oil, five of them were caught short by...

“Joe the Pharisee and the Question about Taxes” (Matthew 22:15-22)A popular figure comes to town, a man leading a movement, the man who has been in the news more than anyone else the last couple of years. People are eager to hear his message about “hope” and “change.” And of course there are people who want to ask him questions, to get his views on a variety of subjects affecting the nation. So someone comes forward to ask him a question about . . . taxes. Taxes--an important question, one that gets the attention of the crowd. Everyone is wondering:...

“Forgiveness Doesn’t Count” (Matthew 18:21-35)“Forgiveness Doesn’t Count.” Oh, don’t get me wrong! I don’t mean that it’s not important. No, forgiveness counts for a lot in that respect. In fact, it’s everything. We’d be lost without it. But when I say, “Forgiveness Doesn’t Count,” I mean it in the way that Jesus teaches it, which is to say, forgiveness doesn’t keep score. Forgiveness doesn’t count--it doesn’t keep score or keep track of--how many times it has to forgive or how much sin it has to have mercy on. That’s the way it is with God toward us, and that’s the...

Meltdown at MessNBC Olbermann, Matthews relieved as co-anchor chairs during any more political coverage on MSNBC, the leftist network rated lowest during convention coverage.

“On This Rock I Will Build My Church” (Matthew 16:13-20)Everyone is interested in building the church, growing the church. Uh, let me rephrase that. Everyone who is already in the church and active and involved in the church is interested in building and growing the church. People on the outside, as well as those with only a loose connection to the church--they don’t give a rip. But those of us at least who are here regularly in church, we care about the church being built up and growing. Nobody wants to see the church fail or decline or decrease in...

“Jesus and the Canine-ite Woman” (Matthew 15:21-28)How is it with your faith? Do you have a strong faith, strong enough to persevere, in spite of obstacles? Or is it a faith that easily gives up? How is it with your faith? Or to put it another way: How do you view God? Do you see him as holding out on you? As being stingy with his gifts? Unwilling to help? Or do you see him, rather, as rich in mercy, abounding in grace, ready and willing to help? What kind of faith, in what kind of God--that is the question...

“The What and the Why of the Weeds and the Wheat” (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43)Last week we heard Jesus tell us the Parable of the Sower, from Matthew 13. Today’s Gospel reading likewise comes from Matthew 13; it’s the Parable of the Weeds and the Wheat. In fact, Matthew 13 is a whole chapter full of parables, seven of them altogether. Some of these parables are shorter, some are longer. Some are explained by Jesus, some of them are left unexplained. Today’s parable is one of the longer ones in the chapter, and Jesus does explain it. Therefore, what it means...

“The Parable of the Sower” (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23)Many of you have gardens. And all of us--whether we’re gardeners with a green thumb, or just simply couch potatoes whose thumb never gets off the remote control--all of us probably know something about planting seeds. We know that not all the seeds which are planted into the ground end up as full-grown plants. Some of the seeds which are planted don’t make it along the way, for a variety of reasons. But even so, we know that the seeds we plant will, in many cases, produce plants and yield a crop of...

“Rest for the Weary” (Matthew 11:25-30; Romans 7:14-25a)“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Jesus here issues a wonderful invitation and makes a wonderful promise. “Come to me” is the invitation, and “I will give you rest” is the promise. And to whom does he address this invitation and this promise? To “all who labor and...

“Two Battles: The Battle from Without” (Matthew 10:34-42)Over today and next Sunday I want to talk to you about “Two Battles.” These are two battles every Christian is called upon to fight, from the time we are baptized till the day we die. There is no opting out. You are engaged in these battles whether you realize it or not. So the thing to do is to fight them well, and that means we need help. For on our own we would not be strong enough to prevail. What are these two battles? Simply put, they are, first, “The Battle...

“Don’t Be Afraid to Confess Christ” (Matthew 10:5a, 21-33)What are you afraid of? I mean, what are you afraid of, as far as being a Christian? Are there things to be afraid of, that might happen to you because you are a Christian? Let’s think about that today. That’s what Jesus talks to his disciples about in the Gospel reading for today. He tells them, yes, there are things that might scare you, there are some bad things that might happen to you, precisely because you are my disciples. But the bigger thing Jesus tells them is what he will...

“The Compassionate Authority of Jesus Extended” (Matthew 9:35 – 10:8)“And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.” So we read in our text for today from the Gospel of Matthew. That particular verse is Matthew 9:35, but its sounds a lot like a verse we read about five chapters earlier, in Matthew 4:23: “And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.” The...

Watch this video where Chris Matthews displays his utter lack of class with Keith Olbermann. While almost every other journalist and blogger on both sides of the political spectrum are giving condolences and highlighting Russert’s deserved credit of being one of the most fair and unbiased journalists of today’s media, Chris Matthews used the opportunity to go off on an anti-war rant. He added insult by comparing him to the “American people” in the sense of being fooled by the Bush administration into supporting the war. Besides displaying how opposite he is than Russert on the subject of bias, he...

“Follow Me, the Doctor of Mercy” (Matthew 9:9-13)As many of you know, this is the “Year of St. Matthew” in our lectionary series. Matthew’s Gospel is the one that we’re following this year. But in our text this morning, we see Matthew himself doing the following. St. Matthew hears the call to follow, and we, the people of St. Matthew Lutheran Church--we hear it also, the call of Jesus, “Follow me.” St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, had something in common with quite a few pastors today (including this one): He was a “second-career man” in the ministry. The only thing...