Epiphany 5, Year A (2026)

Isaiah 58: 1–12 / Psalm 112: 1–9 / I Corinthians 2: 1–16 / Matthew 5: 13–20

This is the homily written for Flohr’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCA) in McKnightstown, Pennsylvania for Sunday, February 8, 2026, by Fr. Gene Tucker, Interim Pastor.  (This sermon was not delivered as sermons usually are, however, as it was a “Stump the Pastor” Sunday, when congregation members ask questions, to which the Pastor responds.)

“A HIGH BAR, BUT ALSO, A LOW ONE”

(Homily text: Matthew 5: 13–20)

In last week’s sermon, we said that the Lord’s teaching, known as the Beatitudes, are – in essence – an outline of the values by which God’s kingdom will be known. We also said that, when a person is baptized, they are enlisting in the Lord’s service, and are expected to adopt the values of God’s kingdom.

So then, the Lord’s teaching, known as the Sermon on the Mount, forms a complete outline of the values by which this new kingdom, this new covenant, will operate.

This morning’s Gospel reading continues our journey through the Sermon on the Mount.

And, we hear the Lord say this morning, “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20)

At first glance, the Lord seems to be setting a very high bar for all of His followers to reach. Surely, such a rigorous standard means that a very difficult path lies in front of all who claim the name of Christ.

But, if we think about it for a moment, we also realize that it is – at the same time – a low (and easily attainable) bar, one that we can master with the Lord’s help, without a lot of difficulty.

Hold onto that thought for a moment, as we turn our attention to a review of what we know about the scribes and the Pharisees.

We will begin with the scribes, who were the experts of the day in the Law of Moses (Torah). They were, then, the lawyers of the day, concerned with the texts of the Torah, and with the application of those texts to everyday situations. They were lay persons.

Likewise, the Pharisees were a lay group (not priests), who were dedicated to the rigorous adherence to the Torah. Their goals were to adopt the rigorous and legalistic observance of the Law in everyday life. It is the Pharisees who grumble about the company that Jesus keeps, as He hangs around with the tax collectors and those other notorious sinners. They are the ones who complain about Jesus’ healing activities on the Sabbath day. These are but two examples.

As an aside, but to note an important facet of Matthew’s concern and focus, it’s worth noting that he seems to be deeply concerned with the behaviors of the scribes and the Pharisees. Indeed, Matthew seems to be locked in debate with the Judaism of that time, 2,000 years ago. Matthew’s account is peppered with references to the scribes and the Pharisees.

Now then, what about the height of the bar that Jesus is setting before His followers?

Indeed, it seems to be a very bar, for He says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. For until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot,[1] will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven”. (Matthew 5: 17–19)

Perhaps these references were aimed at the values and the behaviors of the scribes and the Pharisees, for those were the values we observe were among their best attributes. So, perhaps, we might say that the Lord is setting a high bar, one that the scribes and the Pharisees themselves held in high esteem.

But, there’s another side to what we know about the scribes and the Pharisees, and it is one that tells us that we should be able to avoid the temptation to behave as they did, those many years ago. For us, then, their behaviors and attitudes set a low bar for us, setting before us a valuable lesson.

The problem with the scribes and the Pharisees is that they were concerned with outward appearances. But they neglected the inner transformation that the requirements of the Mosaic Law were designed to bring about.

Consider, for example, Jesus’ condemnation of their behavior. He said, “They (the scribes and the Pharisees) do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries[2] broad and their fringes[3] long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the marketplaces, and being called ‘rabbi’ by others. (Matthew 23: 5–7)[4]

Unless we miss the Lord’s condemnation of the ways of the scribes and the Pharisees, He says this, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so practice and observe whatever they tell you – but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice”. (Matthew 23: 2–3)

“They preach, but do not practice”.

Shouldn’t this make a relatively low bar for us to vault over, in succeeding to do what God would have us do?

Well, maybe “yes” in some sense, but also “no” in another.

It might be easy for us to say that we don’t defraud others, or steal from them, or fail to meet their physical needs.

But it is quite another matter for us to do all those things because our innermost beings have been transformed. This outer-to-inner connection goes to the heart of Jesus’ condemnation of the ways of these “blind guides”, the scribes and the Pharisees.

Outward observance, vs. inner transformation, lies at the heart of the great Reformer, Martin Luther’s struggle to come to grips with his own sense of sinfulness. In the time in which he lived, he had scrupulously done all the “stuff” the Church told him was necessary to find favor with God. And yet, he sensed that those outward actions didn’t amount to full acceptance and forgiveness.

In time, and – in particular – his reading of St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans led him to understand that for an inner transformation to take place, God’s grace would have to come into the picture first.[5] Then, through that grace, and through the workings of the Holy Spirit, Luther would find true acceptance and amendment of life.

The lesson for us, it seems, is that God’s intent in providing us with the history of His dealings with humankind is to instruct us in His ways and in His will. We can read and mark those things, taking note of the ways in which those who interacted with God in times past got the ways of God “right”, and the ways they didn’t.

But to allow those lessons and those examples to be grafted into our hearts and minds, well, that high bar makes in necessary for the Holy Spirit to come before us, to soften the soil of our hearts and minds, in order that the seeds of God’s wisdom might grow within.

AMEN.

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[1]   These are references to the small strokes in Hebrew script. Iota is also a Greek letter.

[2]   In Exodus 13:9, God’s people are instructed to keep the Passover, so that its observance might be a “memorial between their eyes”. See also Deuteronomy 6:8 and 11:18, which contain similar instructions. The phylacteries were square boxes that were worn on the forehead and also on the arm.

[3]   Fringes refer to the fringes on prayer shawls.

[4]   We will read and consider the Lord’s teachings in chapter 23 of Matthew’s account in late October.

[5]   Theologians assign a title to this sort of grace: Prevenient Grace, meaning that it comes beforehand (the original meaning of the word “prevent” meant to “come before”). 

Epiphany 4, Year A (2026)

Micah 6: 1–8 / Psalm 15 / I Corinthians 1: 18–31 / Matthew 5: 1–12

This is the written version of the homily given at Flohr’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCA) in McKnightstown, Pennsylvania on Sunday, February 1, 2026 by Fr. Gene Tucker, Interim Pastor.

 

“INSTILLING KINGDOM VALUES”

(Homily text: Matthew 5: 1–12)

If you follow the sermon blog, you’ll recall that I often use experiences from my time as a member of the U. S. Army Chorus, which is part of the U. S. Army Band, based in Washington, D. C., as sermon material.

As a member of the Chorus, a good part of our repertoire consisted of Army songs, often sung at various military functions. One of them is “Dogface Soldier”.[1] Its lyrics fit well into the Gospel reading for this morning, our Lord’s teaching known as the Beatitudes. Here, in part, are the lyrics:

                I wouldn’t give a bean,[2]

                To be a fancy-pants Marine.

                I’d rather be a Dogface Soldier,

                Like I am.

                I wouldn’t trade my old ODs[3]

                For all the Navy’s dungarees,

                For I’m the walkin’ pride

                Of Uncle Sam.

                On all the posters that I read,

                It says “The Army Builds Men”,[4]

                So they’re tearing me down

                To build me over again…

“Tearing me down to build me over again” refers to the process by which every new member of the armed services undergoes a period of initial training. One of the goals of such training is to remove much of the civilian attitudes that inductees bring with them, in order to replace those values with military ones.

As we read over our Lord’s teaching, known as the Beatitudes, perhaps His goal is to lay out the values that belong to God’s kingdom, so that those who enter the kingdom know what will be those values that God will seek to instill in each new disciple’s heart.

God’s values are counter-cultural. They differ from the attitudes of the ways of the world when it often ignores God’s values.

Consider, for example, one difference between the two: Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth”. The world’s version of this same saying might go something like this: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth, six feet of it”.

The point of this second way of behaving is to confirm the truth that – by the world’s values and behavior - the strong will run over and defeat the weak and the downtrodden.

Each of the Lord’s teachings reflect this same truth: That God’s ways and God’s expectations are radically different from the ways of the world.

Each new disciple who comes into the Lord’s service is expected to mirror these godly values. By so doing, the ways of the world, which often lead to destruction and alienation, are exposed for being the dead-end road that they are.

Each day, as we awaken and face the challenges and the duties of the day, we are called to put before ourselves God’s values and God’s ways. We have a choice to make, either to act the way that the world acts, or to re-enlist ourselves in God’s service.

An old saying serves us well, as we consider this choice: “Always preach the Gospel. If necessary, use words.”

AMEN.

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[1]   Dogface Soldier was composed early in World War II, and it was originally a song for the Army’s Third Division.

[2]   The title “Beatitudes” comes from the Latin word for “blessed”.

[3]   ODs were Olive Drab uniforms, now long gone from the Army’s uniforms.

[4]   The language reflects the Army’s experience in World War II, when the great majority of soldiers were men. Today, however, many women serve ably and well in military service. 

Epiphany 3, Year A (2026)

Isaiah 9:1–4 / Psalm 27:1, 4–9 / I Corinthians 1:10–18 / Matthew 4:12–23

This is the written version of the homily meant to be given at Flohr’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCA) in McKnightstown, Pennsylvania on January 25, 2026 by Fr. Gene Tucker, Interim Pastor.

 

“ANYTHING YOU CAN DO (IN THE CHURCH), I CAN DO BETTER”

(Homily text: I Corinthians 1:10–18)

“Anything you can do, I can do better…” Perhaps you will remember this wonderful song from the 1946 Broadway musical “Annie, Get Your Gun”. The song is from the very creative mind of Irving Berlin.

We could make use of this song to describe the situation that St. Paul faced in dealing with the early church in the town of Corinth…It might go something like this: “Anything you can do in the church, I can do better…I can do anything better than you.”

Considering the many problems that Paul faced with those early Corinthian Christians, we could adapt the lyrics of the song to include things like “I’m better than you”, or “I observe the Lord’s Supper better than you”, or perhaps “I am better at anything (like engaging in moral failures) than you”.

Each of the problems we’ve alluded to in the previous paragraph were among the challenges that Paul faced in Corinth. I encourage you to sit down and read the entire letter.

We know that there were at least three letters between Paul and the Corinthian congregations (we have only two), and some biblical scholars think there may have been as many as five letters that flowed between Paul and the congregation. (Isn’t it fascinating to wonder what those other letters might have said?)

Our sojourn with Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians began last week, with the introduction to the letter[1], containing the traditional form of a Greek letter written in the first century. Paul greets the congregation, gives thanks for its existence and for the grace of God given to it. Those two items were in the prescribed form of a letter written in the first century.

But then, beginning with our appointed reading for this Sunday, in verse 10, Paul gets right to the point of the letter: The Corinthian church is plagued with “party spirit”.

One faction in the Corinthian church claims to be following Paul, while another claims Apollos (one of Paul’s fellow workers), while still others, perhaps wanting to claim the ecclesiastical high ground, claim to be following Peter. Still others seem to be attempting to say “Anything you (others) can do, we can do better”, for they claim that they are following Christ.

(This “party spirit” will manifest itself in the congregation’s observance of the Lord’s Supper…see chapter eleven of the letter for what was happening when the congregation came together to receive the Lord’s body and blood in Communion.)

The Holy Spirit’s wisdom is at work in the realization that the problems that the early Church faced would surface again in the Church’s life as time went along. Party spirit is evident in various places in the Church’s history. The Spirit led the Church to recognize that God was speaking in unique ways in the writings that came to be included in Holy Scripture. These early letters, each of one them written to deal with specific situations and problems, serve to warn the Church down through time, and even today, of the pitfalls that can lay in the Church’s walk with God.

The root problem of the Corinthian church, or of any church today, when “party spirit” arises, is spiritual arrogance. Spiritual arrogance can manifest itself in an attitude that celebrates human values like the size of a church or congregation. Celebrating the number of people involved in a church or in a congregation means that we are measuring success by human values, equating success with numbers.

Another way we can see spiritual arrogance is in attitudes whereby a church or a congregation maintains that it is the only entity that maintains God’s truth. This is an attitude of triumphalism. It’s a variation on the theme of “anything you can do…”.

But, as we will read in next Sunday’s appointed reading from First Corinthians, Paul has to remind the Corinthian Christians that God’s ways are different from ours…God chooses to exalt the lowly in heart, the meek and those who are weak in the world’s eyes, to come into a genuine relationship.

My first Bishop once wisely said this: “The Church must always be asking itself, ‘What is it that we are missing?’, ‘What is it that we’ve gotten wrong?’.”

Asking those questions, and seeking to step back and look at ourselves honestly, can provide the Holy Spirit with the means to inform us about our true spiritual health, and, therefore, the Church’s health, by extension.

The Corinthian church’s challenges and failures must surely vexed Paul’s heart. But as is so often the case, those woes, and the solutions to them, are gifts to Christians down through time and even today, for we are called to be aware of the ways in which the Church can lose its way.

Come then, Holy Spirit, and enable us to see ourselves in God’s light, that the light of Christ may shine through the Church in our time.

AMEN.

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[1]   I Corinthians 1:1-9 

Epiphany 2, Year A (2026)

Isaiah 49:1–7 / Psalm 40:1–11 / I Corinthians 1:1–9 / John 1:29-42

This is the written version of the homily given at Flohr’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCA) in McKnightstown, Pennsylvania on Sunday, January 18, 2026, by Fr. Gene Tucker, Interim Pastor.

“CONDUITS IN GOD’S SERVICE”

(Homily text: John 1:29-42)

We probably don’t give much thought to the things that come to us through the quiet operation and work of conduits. For example, a pipe brings water into our homes. Or, a wire brings electricity from a power source to light the lights in our houses. Two examples of conduits at work.

A conduit connects the source of something to those who will make use of it, or who will benefit from having it.

The same is truth when we think about the things of God.

God, who is the source of all that is (God, as creator), is also the source of all wisdom, knowledge and goodness. God’s qualities are made known to us, oftentimes, through the quiet work of those who have tapped into God’s riches, and who seek to make those riches known to others. We might call them “spiritual conduits” of God’s grace and goodness.

As we think about it, and as we look back over our shoulders into history, we see that God, quite often, uses “spiritual conduits” to be the providers of God’s ways and will. Take, for example, the prophets in Old Testament times, those who spoke God’s truth to God’s people.

Or, later on, consider the importance of the original band of Jesus’ Disciples, those who would be sent out as His Apostles[1] after the Lord’s resurrection and ascension, and after the coming of the Holy Spirit. This band of followers (the original twelve; minus Judas, but plus Mattias, who replaced him; and then also Paul…this bunch constituting a “Baker’s Dozen” group of Apostles) tapped into the knowledge of God as Jesus had provided it. They then went out into the known world, carrying this Good News (Gospel) to all who would receive it. “Spiritual conduits”, each one of them.

Our Gospel reading today provides an example of two “spiritual conduits”: John the Baptist and also Jesus.

John answered God’s call to proclaim a baptism for the forgiveness of sins, forsaking what must have been the usual and expected career path for him, as a son of a priest in the Temple in Jerusalem, to serve – as his father had – in the Temple, to go out into the wilderness, calling people to forsake an outward observance of religion for a true and inner conversion experience.

In the fulness of time, Jesus came to be baptized by John (an event we remembered last Sunday). John senses that there is something different about Jesus, saying to Jesus “This is backward: You need to baptize me, not the other way around”.[2] (My paraphrase.)

Now, in today’s Gospel reading, John declares that Jesus is the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”.[3]

In the second instance of declaring that Jesus is the Lamb of God, two of his disciples, Simon (Peter) and his brother, Andrew, left John and began to follow Jesus. John the Baptist is the conduit by which God’s call on these two important Disciples came to Peter and to Andrew.

We would do well to back up from today’s passage and look at the verses which immediately precede the incident before us today.[4] There, we find that emissaries had been sent from Jerusalem to investigate what John was doing. John is asked, “Who are you?” In response, John says, “I am not the Christ”. They then ask, “Are you Elijah?” Answer: “No”. Next question: “Are you the Prophet?” Answer: “No”.

This back-and-forth tells us that John is the connection (conduit) between God’s will and those who would receive and benefit from that will. But John doesn’t seek to magnify his own importance. John is a good “connector” between God, God’s people and God’s will, pointing to the One who is greater than he: Jesus.

As Jesus’ earthly ministry unfolds, as God’s power, working through Him, shows us the way to the Father, we could say that Jesus Christ is the “connector” (conduit) of God’s choosing to make available to us the richness of the knowledge of God.

Each one of us who has come to faith through the person and the work of Christ is called to be a “connector”, a conduit for God’s wisdom, God’s ways and God’s love to flow through us from God to others. As we do this, God’s love, God’s mercy, and God’s deep desire to be in a personal relationship with each and every human person is the source into which we tap in order to make the connection to those who will receive those great and good gifts. Our own role is vital, but secondary, to God’s purposes and will.

Enable us, then, O Lord, to come to know you, that we may bring others to know you, as well. Fit us out to be good connectors, good conduits of your grace and love.

AMEN.

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[1]   The title “Apostle” comes to us from two Greek words, which, together, mean “those who are sent out”.

[2]   See Matthew 3:14.

[3]   John 1:29 and also 1:36.

[4]   See John 1:19–28. 

Epiphany 1 (The Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ), Year A (2026)

Isaiah 42: 1–9 / Psalm 29 / Acts 10: 34–42 / Matthew 3: 13–17 

This is the written version of the homily given at Flohr’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCA) in McKnightstown, Pennsylvania on Sunday, January 11, 2026 by Fr. Gene Tucker, Interim Pastor.

 

“FOLLOW ME”

(Homily text: Matthew 3: 13–17)

Most of my career in the U. S. Army was spent as a member of the U. S. Army Chorus, which is a part of the U. S. Army Band, based in Washington, D.C. Part of our work involved singing Army songs for various military gatherings (usually banquets which were dedicated to a particular part of the Army).

My memory is full of the tunes and the lyrics of many of these songs. One of them, which we sang for gatherings of Infantry soldiers, is highly appropriate for today’s remembrance, the Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ. The opening of this song goes like this:

  “You can hear it in the heat of the jungle,

    You can hear it across the sea,

    It calls to every freedom-loving man,

    The cry of the U. S. Infantry:

     “Follow Me”!”

As we think about our Lord’s Baptism in the River Jordan, as He met John the Baptist, we might wonder why our Lord consented to be baptized, and felt it was necessary to do so, telling John that “we must fulfill all righteousness”.

In time, the Church would come to understand that our Lord lived a sinless life. (Recall that John’s baptism was a baptism for the forgiveness of sins.). Yet, even as our Lord’s earthly ministry is about to begin, John senses Jesus’ uniqueness and the inappropriateness of Jesus’ need for baptism. Notice the back-and-forth between John and Jesus…John tells Jesus that he needed to be baptized by Jesus, not the other way around. [1]

So, then, why does Jesus undergo baptism?

Perhaps one reason might be because Jesus came to show us, by example, what we, ourselves, are supposed to be doing. He leads by example. Or, in the words of the Infantry song cited above, our Lord’s command to us is “Follow Me”.

Our Lord’s earthly life reflects this leadership-by-example. He is the One who says to His followers that He came, not to be served, but to serve.[2] He is the One who comes, caring for the outcasts, the notorious sinners of the day, the poor, the lonely, the despondent.

Those things that He did during His time in this world are the things that you and I, as His disciples and followers, are to be doing, as well. Put another way, the Lord’s command to us is to “Follow Me”, do the things I do.

In essence, this is sacramental living and believing, for a Sacrament is defined as “an outward and visible sign of an inner and invisible grace”. It is easy to talk about living a life of faith. It is much more effective to be living a life of faith in the things that others can see and witness. It is in this way that the Christian faith is caught by others. (The faith being a matter, not so much, of being taught, as being caught.)

AMEN.

 

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[1]  Matthew, alone among the Gospel writers, records this conversation between John and Jesus.

[2]  See Luke 22:27. 

Christmas 2, Year A (2026)

Jeremiah 31:7–14 / Psalm 147:12–20 / Ephesians 1:3–14 / John 1:1–20

 

This is the written version of the sermon given at Flohr’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Knightstown, Pennsylvania on January 4, 2026, by Fr. Gene Tucker, Interim Pastor.

 

“COSMIC STUFF!”

(Homily texts: Ephesians 1:3–14 & John 1:1–20)

“God don’t make no junk,

  God don’t make no junk,

  You’re special the way you are.”

We used to sing this song with our middle school students who had come to attend our annual retreats in Illinois during the time we served there. I was the Spiritual Director for those weekends, serving not only as priest, but also as a sort-of grandfather figure to these young people.

The purpose of the song was to assure and to re-assure these young people, who were making their way through the difficult years during which their childhood is beginning to fade into the past, and whose adulthood was just beginning to manifest itself, that they were God’s special and purposeful creation, valuable to God, and worthy of God’s love.

In much the same way, in his letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul describes the importance of all those who have come to faith in Christ Jesus, reminding them that they are part of God’s great, big and eternal plan. Paul’s intent is to get these early Christians to lift their eyes heavenward, to see the wider and bigger picture of God’s role in their lives.

Paul’s perspective is from eternity, eternity from God’s vantage point. God, who has no beginning and has no ending, knows and knew from the foundation of the world that those early Christians, every one of them, was known, by name, to God at the beginning of God’s intent to create the world and to populate it with the human race.

We could easily put our own names into a blank using Paul’s understanding. We might try that to see what it does to our perspectives about our own value to God and to others. Here’s a sample of what we might say: “From the very beginning of the world, God knew that I, ___________, would be born. God knew that I would respond to His overture of love, coming into a firm and close embrace of love.”

How does that feel? How does it change how we regard ourselves? How does it change how we think about the gift of God’s foreknowledge of our creation, of God’s intentional showering of love upon us?

This is cosmic stuff, dear friends!

The writer of the fourth Gospel, the account that bears John’s name, asserts that same divine perspective as it lifts our eyes toward the things of God. John begins by saying, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” A bit later on, we learn that this eternal Word is Jesus Christ, the One who came, bearing God’s eternal light, in order to cast out the darkness which separates us from God.

Cosmic stuff, again!

God’s intent in creating the world, and in creating you and me, centers around the idea that each and every one of us is of infinite value to God. It follows then, that the creation of the world is for the express purpose of creating a venue in which God can work with the humanity He has created.

Cosmic stuff, again!

Paul’s explanation of all this reminds us that God’s intent is gift-giving on an immense scale. We receive this gift by faith, it is God’s free gift, accepted by faith.[1]

Our importance to God shouldn’t lead to some sort of an attitude of superiority, as if to say, “I know the Lord, and therefore, I’m more spiritually mature”. On the contrary, accepting the realization that we are of immense value to God, and that God knew each one of us from the beginning of the world, carries with it the requirement to work with God’s purposes to bring others into the reality we’ve been blessed to know.

We have work to do, work done in gratitude for God’s gift of love.

AMEN.

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[1]   We would do well to remember that the great reformer, Martin Luther, came to the conclusion that a relationship with God is God’s gift, saying that it is “Scripture Alone, Faith Alone,  Grace Alone” that outlines the basis for believing these truths.