Julie Sermons

The Healing Medicine of Christ

A sermon for the Eleventh Sunday after Trinity, by Fr. Joshua Leigeber.

What do we have to offer God that is not already His? Jesus’ parable (Luke 18:9-14) of the Pharisee and the tax collector teaches us that even good works—fasting, tithing, hearing the Word, attending Divine Service—become dangerous when we use them to trust in ourselves or compare ourselves favorably with others. These gifts are not given to make God indebted to us, but to remind us that everything we have comes from Him.

The tax collector, by contrast, comes with nothing to boast of: “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” We are all sick with the disease of sin, and the answer is not to hide our wounds but to bring them to Christ, the Great Physician. This is one of the great gifts of private confession and absolution, where Christ applies the healing medicine of His forgiveness to burdened consciences.

Like the Apostle Paul, we are humbled by the knowledge of our sin so that we might rejoice in God’s grace: “By the grace of God I am what I am.” We come before God not to impress Him, but as poor sinners in need of mercy—and Christ sends us home justified, healed, and made whole.

Listen to the full sermon below.

Julie Sermons

Hold it Sacred, and Gladly Hear and Learn It.

A sermon for the Tenth Sunday after Trinity, by Fr. Daniel Suelzle.

Christ in Majesty

Jesus weeping over Jerusalem reveals a sobering paradox: despite the city’s grand exterior, its heart was fundamentally at war with God. This historic tragedy serves as a direct mirror for modern believers regarding the Third Commandment—the call to gladly hear and treasure God’s Word rather than despise it. Far too often, we despise the Word not through open defiance, but through subtle neglect: prioritizing personal comfort over spiritual discipline, compartmentalizing our faith into a safe Sunday routine, or letting sloth convince us that the Gospel is boring or inconvenient.

Yet Christ’s tears are met with active, compassionate intervention rather than abandonment. He comes into our midst to “clean house,” using the sharp edge of His Law to tear down our rationalizations and reveal our desperate need for a Savior. Ultimately, His compassion leads Him to the cross to bear the punishment for every despiser of His Word, offering complete forgiveness and life through His grace and Sacraments. Rather than hardening our hearts or making excuses, we are called to receive His daily gifts with repentant joy, finding our true identity in His overwhelming mercy.

Listen to the full sermon below.

Click the button below to read the historian Josephus’ account of the destruction of Jerusalem and fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy.

Read Josephus’ Account

Julie Sermons

We are beggars.

A sermon for the Ninth Sunday after Trinity, by Fr. Joshua Leigeber.

parable of the unjust steward

Everything we have is a gift. Our lives, our possessions, our families, our abilities—even our next breath—belong to God, who has entrusted them to us as faithful stewards. In a world that constantly tells us to put ourselves first and find our identity in what we own or accomplish, Christ reminds us that true riches are not found in earthly wealth but in Him alone.

This sermon explores Jesus’ challenging parable of the dishonest steward (Luke 16:1–9), showing that Christian stewardship is about far more than money. Having received the immeasurable riches of God’s mercy in Christ, we are freed to use all that He has entrusted to us—our time, talents, resources, and words—in service to our neighbor and for the spread of the Gospel. Because our greatest debt has already been paid by Christ’s death and resurrection, we are no longer driven by fear or greed, but by thanksgiving and love.

Listen to the full sermon below.