Sermon for 11/8/26:
Our Gospel reading for this Sunday is from the 22nd chapter of St. Matthew’s account. The Pharisees and the Herodians set aside their differences (sort of) momentarily to try and trap Jesus in a question about taxes. Their thinking: If He flat out says yes, he sides with the Herodians and Rome and the Pharisees have cause to reject Him on “religious grounds.” If He flat out says no, the Herodians have cause to reject Him on “political grounds.” Jesus turns their words against them to show that neither of them is concerned with what is truly important: Rendering to God what is God’s.
The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the 22nd chapter:
Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle [Jesus] in his talk. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.
Announcements:
*Advent is fast approaching with “soup suppers” at 6 PM and an evening service at 7 PM starting Wednesday, December 2nd. Come and share a warm meal with us and feed your soul with the Word of God!
*We have a 5th Sunday this November, and during the potluck during fellowship hour, I am considering have a short presentation on the importance (dare I say, necessity) of having funeral plans submitted to the church. However, I realize that this 5th Sunday is right after Thanksgiving and many may still be out of town. Please let me know if that is the case, and I may push that out to a different Sunday (we are also planning to have a baptism this Sunday, so we may also push it out for that reason as well.)
*Starting the first Monday of Advent, 11/30, I will be on Zoom for anywhere from one to two hours starting at 8:00 PM going through my studies of the propers for the upcoming Sunday for anyone who would like to join in, something like an informal Bible study
This Week’s Sign
This resource is not intended to discourage anyone from gathering in person around God’s Word and Sacraments. Matthew 18:20 and Hebrews 10:25 make it clear that God’s Divine Service is meant to be experienced physically with other Christians. To that end we invite you to join us for our current offerings of fellowship, study, and worship, and to stay tuned for additional opportunities:
*Family Bible Study at 9:00 AM on Sundays: We continue in our study of Titus, now in chapter 3.
*Divine Service at 10:30 AM on Sundays: November 15th, 2026 is the 24th Sunday after Trinity. Our Gospel reading is Matthew 9:18-26.
If you’re not within driving distance of Ferndale CA, we encourage you to use the Church Locator at LCMS.org to find a church near you so you can gather in person with the communion of saints in your area.
