Our many years of observing Palm Sunday with the waving of branches and shouts of hosanna have made us so familiar with the story that we have perhaps lost a sense of what is so odd about it. For the story of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem is a strange...

The writer of our story from John this morning clearly wants us to see Mary and Judas as contrasting examples from whom a lesson is to be learned. Obviously, Mary is the positive example, receiving Jesus’ praise, support, and protection, and Judas is the negative example receiving Jesus’ rebuke, and...

In a nation and a world that is divided by so much right now I bet we could all agree that this little passage from Luke for this morning is really tough. So tough that most would choose to avoid it, but not the creators of our lectionary. They have...