Immediately after feeding a multitude with five loaves and two fish, Jesus makes the disciples get into a boat. “Make” is almost too gentle a word. The Greek verb suggests that Jesus compelled them, constrained them, practically forced them into the boat. This is not a pleasant invitation to take an evening cruise. Jesus puts […]
Today’s Gospel begins with Jesus trying to get away. Matthew tells us that Jesus withdrew by boat to a deserted place. He had just learned that John the Baptist had been murdered by Herod. John—Jesus’ cousin, teacher, baptizer, and fellow prophet—had been executed because he dared to speak truth to power. Jesus must have been […]
“The kingdom of heaven is like…” Again and again, Jesus begins with those words. The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. The kingdom of heaven is like yeast hidden in flour. The kingdom of heaven is like treasure buried in a field. The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine […]
Abraham is the father of three great religious traditions. We know him as the faithful man who, at the age of 75, answered God’s call to leave his native land and to journey with his wife to a place he had never seen. We know him as the man who became a father long after […]
Matthew tells us that Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. It is a sweeping sentence, almost like a refrain. This is what Jesus does. He teaches, proclaims and heals. But then Matthew slows down. Jesus […]
As you well know, Easter, unlike Christmas, is a moveable holy day. This year it is on April 20, but next year it will be on April 5. If you have ever perused the back of the Book of Common Prayer during a boring sermon you will find a complex table and formula that is […]
Not surprisingly, I have become very conscious of feet over the past two months. Losing the use of a foot, even temporarily, has made me acutely aware of exactly how important our feet are and how much abuse they take. They bear the weight of our entire body and all the physical activities of our […]
I think it is important to read Scripture in light of Scripture. Too often we Christians, even progressive ones, read passages of Scripture in isolation from other Scripture and come up with very mistaken interpretations as a result. I believe it is much more helpful to follow the lead of our Jewish forebears, including Jesus, […]
I was recently reading a sermon written by the Episcopal priest and author, Barbara Brown Taylor and there was an idea from the sermon that has stayed with me and seemed particularly relevant as I read our passage from acts for this morning. She was speaking about the times when we feel God is absent […]
Phew. We certainly have had a run of difficult Gospel readings of late. Our reading for this morning is so difficult that it is at the top of a list of passages known as “the difficult sayings of Jesus.” I can remember when I began studying Greek in seminary that this is one of the […]