04/09/2025
Jesus Hears A Who
Few people know that Horton Hears A Who comes from the 25th Chapter of Matthew. Few people know that it is the Jesus story in a nutshell.
Jesus hears the cries of the Whos, but no one else can. They were either too small, or too insignificant. In fact, no one really tried all that hard.
And when Jesus made a stand to protect the Whos--to insist that they were people, no matter how small or how different, Jesus is rejected, imprisoned, and threatened within an inch of his life. And then the tiniest Who in Whoville joined the other voices saying, “We’re here, we’re here,” and the people finally understood that they were in fact, here, and in need of care and protection.
Jesus says to us this morning, look around you and pause. If you open your ears to listen and tune your hearts to me—you will discover a whole group of people that everyone else has overlooked. They are my people, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. And if they are my people then it means that they are your people. In fact, they might as well be me.
Now that you have heard them, now that you know who they are, you have a chance to stitch back a little tiny corner of the cosmos. You have a chance to be like God and continue to set things right—one act of mercy at a time.
So may we all.
Archived Posts
The Loss of a Great Christian Leader
The death today of Pope Francis was particularly poignant, falling as it did on the day after Easter. As Protestant Christians we have a once removed interest in the leader of the Roman Catholic church. Yet the pope is the authoritative leader of 1.4 billion women and men around the world. It is worth our time to pause and consider what kind of man and what kind of legacy Pope Francis left behind.
Everything You Wanted To Know About Judas Iscariot
(Drawn from online sources)
Jesus Hears A Who
Few people know that Horton Hears A Who comes from the 25th Chapter of Matthew.
Matthew 24: One More Thing...
I sometimes stumble on old documents I’ve created but have completely forgotten about. I cannot remember why I created them or what purpose they were originally supposed to serve....
Keeping the Church Doors Unencumbered
Sunday, we considered Jesus’ disruptive actions in the Temple in light of his frustration with keeping gentiles from worshipping in their designated courtyard. We then reflected on how we still tend to throw up roadblocks to those who don’t normally attend church. I found the following, but didn’t have space for it in the sermon. It’s provocative and worth chewing on for a while.
What Was the Crowd Celebrating on Palm Sunday?
I came across this list which feels a little like a "Greatest Hits of Jesus' Ministry". I share it with you today for your inspiration and edification. Enjoy!
The Best Kind of Trouble-maker
While working on this last week’s sermon I was looking through Phillip Yancey’s excellent book—The Jesus I Never Knew—when I came across a section that I found profound. It didn’t quite fit my sermon, but it caught my eye enough that I copied it down.