The lessons for each Sunday in the church year proclaim God’s grace in Jesus Christ. Also derived from a Sunday’s texts are lessons for the Christ-inspired and Christ-like life of God’s people. The comments here will help you find hunger-related threads – sermon starters – among the themes of this day’s texts. (We're presuming you have already done your exegetical work on the texts.) God bless your proclamation (and teaching) of what is most certainly true!

This interaction takes place in the middle of a chapter wherein Matthew recounts several of Jesus’ confrontations with the religious establishment. Jesus has just arrived in Jerusalem and assaulted the temple. The religious leaders want to know on what authority he challenges one of their foundational identity markers and center of worship. Jesus answers by referring to John the Baptist, who likewise challenged the religious leaders and their structures (see Matt 3:1-12). What does this have to do with hunger today?

First, Jesus is thoroughly assaulting the basic religious structures of the day. In the so-called “cleansing of the Temple,” Jesus in dramatic fashion accuses the sellers in the temple of turning God’s dwelling place into a den of thieves. Temple religion had become a money ploy (all in the interest of maintaining a certain piety—images could not be found in the Temple). Are there ways in which our religious practices today similarly exploit? What structures would Jesus challenge were he to explore the outer courts of our churches?

Second, Jesus (like his predecessor, John) is calling God’s people to action. Empowered by God’s grace, God commissions us to live out kingdom values. Confession of faith is important, acting upon that faith (perhaps) even more so. It is easy to affirm the baptismal covenant to seek justice and to proclaim the gospel in word and deed. Sometimes putting the covenant into action is another story. In what ways are we like the first son, saying we believe but failing to live fully into that belief?

As Lutherans we are committed to trusting in God’s grace and power. May we have the courage to accept God’s grace and to live our lives as boldly as we confess with our mouths.

The Old Testament lesson from Isaiah, the psalm, and the reading from Philippians together reminds us of God’s priorities in the world and our call as the people of God. In the Psalm, the author asks why God has forsaken Israel. Although God brought the vine out of Egypt and planted the vine firmly, God has now broken down the walls that once protected it (8-13). The author pleads with God to turn again to the vine and restore it (14-15).

One answer to the psalmist’s question is offered in Isaiah: the wall protecting the vineyard has been torn down because God expected justice (mishpat) but saw bloodshed (mispach) and desired righteousness (tsedaqah) but heard a cry (tse‘aqah) from those who were oppressed. In short, according to Isaiah, God expected his people to look out for those who were poor and vulnerable but saw violence and injustice. On account of this failure, God removed the protective boundary that was placed around God’s people. (In this week’s Gospel, Matthew uses similar imagery to show how Israel continued to resist God.)

This vision of God can make us a bit nervous. Are God’s promises conditional? Where is the grace of God in Isaiah’s oracle? The passage from Philippians tells us of Paul’s journey. He was once so sure of his ideas about God and he had an enviable pedigree. Yet Paul, by God’s grace, realized that his ideas about God were limited. Righteousness, which really means right relationship with God and people, comes from God, not from our doing.

Where do we need to grow as God’s people? Are there ways in which we are resisting God’s transformative grace? Are we willing to let God work righteousness in us that we may more deeply care for those who are poor and vulnerable?