Matthew 3:1-12 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 3:2). That was John the Baptist’s sermon, Jesus’ too (4:17). Were they crazy or what? If the kingdom of heaven, God’s reign, had come near, where is it now? It’s [...]
Isaiah 2:1-5 Unlike the calendar on your computer or mobile device, the church calendar begins with the first Sunday in Advent. This year, that’s November 27. One thing you might notice on the first Sunday in Advent is a change in the [...]
Luke 23:33-43 The Sunday before Advent is often called “Christ the King Sunday.” If you Google that phrase and select images, almost all you’ll see are pictures of Jesus dressed up in royal regalia, wearing a fabulous crown. But the Gospels remind [...]
Today’s lessons are getting us in the mood for Advent. We still have Christ the King Sunday to celebrate next week, but today we get a foretaste of the four Sundays after next. Advent is all about preparing the way of Christ, [...]
Luke 20:27-38 Many today, like me, are convinced that our shared lives with God continue in some unfathomable way after death. But many are convinced of just the opposite: this life is all there is. It was the same in Jesus’ day. [...]
Luke 19:1-10 is yet another story about Jesus befriending people that you and I would consider dangerous to befriend at the very least. Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector, not a bespectacled agent of the IRS, but a fearsome enforcer for the [...]
In this week’s Gospel lesson (Luke 18:9-14) Jesus tricks us. He tells the parable about a smug “churchgoing” man and a despised collaborator with the Roman Empire—a traitor to his own people. The churchgoer prays, “God, I thank you that I am [...]
Genesis 32:22-31; Luke 18:1-8 “So,” says Jesus, “you have this need. It’s a constant need, a need you can’t deny, regardless of what you believe—or don’t believe. It’s a need to pray. And it’s not just any prayer. It’s this demand, this [...]
Luke 17:11-19 Imagine a group of people who can’t stand Jews. Like Jews, they believe in one God and even share some common stories about Moses, but after that they disagree violently, and the disagreements eclipse what they share in common. What [...]
In this week’s Gospel reading (Luke 17:5-10), it’s important to know that Jesus has just finished telling all his followers that they need to forgive one another no matter how often they feel mistreated (17:4). His closest followers, the apostles, don’t think [...]