This Sunday, the lectionary invites us to ponder Luke 12:49-56. The English Standard Version supplies verses 49-53 with the heading “Not Peace, but Division,” and the heading “Interpreting the Time,” for verses 54-56. Harmony is the condition of being at peace. Thinking about harmony helps us understand what the passage tells us Jesus said. Harmony …
They say these verses require that followers of Jesus must live under the same roof and share everything with one another.
The story must be read as part of a long sermon which begins at 12:1 and ends at 13:9.
The story must be read in the light of the eschaton, the final events in God’s plan for the world.
The story must be read as part of teaching about the difference between those who serve God and neighbour and those who serve themselves.
But Jesus answered the disciples request for a “boundary-marking prayer” by offering them a “life-shaping prayer.” Properly used,
The Lord’s prayer erases things in us.
The Lord’s prayer engraves things in us.
The Lord’s prayer leads us to embrace others.
The Lord’s prayer energizes us.
This Sunday, the lectionary invites us to ponder Luke 10:38-42. The English Standard Version supplies the passage with the title “Martha and Mary.” J B Philips supplies “… the need for quiet listening to his word.” Have you heard of Bono? His band, U2, wrote and produced the song “Sunday Bloody Sunday.” It was released …
Martha and Mary: Christ on the cross and the stupidity of religious violence Read More »
This Sunday, the lectionary invites us to ponder Luke 10:25-37. Most Bibles supply the passage with the heading “The Parable of the Good Samaritan.” The story is often retold. But the meaning is often lost. This is how most people tell it: It was a dangerous road. Bandits operated on it. One of their victims …
This Sunday, the lectionary invites us to ponder Luke 10:1-11, 16-20. The English Standard Version supplies the verses with the heading “Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two.” Some translations say that Jesus sent out seventy, not seventy-two. According to footnotes in the translations and according to commentaries, the early manuscripts are split evenly between the two …
A normal Christian life is a peace-filled life of tension Read More »
This Sunday, the lectionary invites us to ponder Luke 8:26-39. The English Standard Version supplies the verses with the heading “Jesus Heals a Man with a Demon.” The story is found in the gospels according to Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Each evangelist places the story right after Jesus calms the storm on the Lake of …
This Sunday, the lectionary invites us to ponder Luke 9:51-62. The English Standard Version presents the reading in two portions. It supplies the first portion with the heading “A Samaritan Village Rejects Jesus,” and the second portion with the heading, “The Cost of Following Jesus.” Last Sunday was Trinity Sunday, and the Sunday before that …
The trajectory of history and the People of the Way Read More »
This Sunday, the lectionary invites us to reflect on John 16:12-15. These four verses lie within verses 16-24, to which the English Standard Version supplies the heading “Your Sorrow Will Turn into Joy.” As I said last week, we’re in the part of John’s gospel in which he gives us highlights from Jesus’ farewell speech. …
Ascesis and the Spirit: Let the chisel perform its office Read More »
