Pr. Doug Irmer's Page

Reminiscere 09

Matthew 15:21-28

In the Name of Jesus

Dearly Beloved,

Did you ever have the sense that something important was happening, but you were on the outside looking in? The woman in today’s Gospel may well have felt those things. She was praying to Jesus, but He didn’t seem to be answering her. We pray, “Our Father,” and don’t always think God hears us, either.

This Canaanite woman was no quitter. The woman’s faith did not quit. She continued to cry out to… Continue

Matthew 4:1-11

In the Name of Jesus

Dearly Beloved,

We pray “Lead us not into temptation”. “God tempts no one, but we pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us so that the devil, the world, and our sinful nature may not deceive us or mislead us into false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice. Although we are attacked by these things, we pray that we may finally overcome them and win the victory.”

Jesus resisted the temptations of Satan because we… Continue

Quinquagesima 09

Luke 18:31-43

In the Name of Jesus

Dearly Beloved,

We don’t like to think of what Jesus had to suffer for our salvation. After all, it is our sin that caused Him to have to go to Jerusalem, suffer many things, be spit upon, mocked and crucified: our selfishness, our dishonesty, our lusts, covetousness and vulgarity.

If our Savior could save us without suffering, blood, agony and death, our sins would not seem so bad. If our Savior could have saved us… Continue

Sexagesima 09

Luke 8:4-15

In the Name of Jesus

Dearly Beloved,

We hear, but do we understand? Jesus says that His parables work to confound the sinful mind. When we hear Jesus’ parables, we want them to be about us. We want Jesus to teach everyone how wonderful we are.

But Jesus’ parables are about Jesus, they are about the grace of God. This parable of the Sower isn’t about how we are supposed to spread the Word of God, it is about God Himself, proclaiming the good… Continue

Septuagesima 2009

Matthew 20:1-16

In the Name of Jesus

Dearly Beloved,

God calls us to Himself. God calls us into His presence to receive His gifts. God gives us His holy Word and the blessed Sacraments.

Just like the landowner in this parable called workers into His vineyard, so God calls us to receive His gifts and His benefits. God calls us, not so that we can do His work for Him, but so that we can receive the benefits of the work He has done in Jesus… Continue