This Sunday, the lectionary invites us to ponder a passage which the ESV[1] titles “Labourers in the vineyard.” It’s in the Gospel according to Matthew, chapter 20, verses 1-16. Do read it before you continue reading this post. It’s a Jesus parable, a story with a sting. There are two key players. First, a wealthy …
Today, 16th September, we celebrate Malaysia Day. On this day, in 1963, Malaysia was birthed as a nation. In Exodus, there is another story of birth of a nation, the nation of Israel[1]. And like every story of beginnings, it begins with the birth of its great leader, Prophet Moses. As I was reading Exodus …
This Sunday, the lectionary invites us to ponder Jesus’ “Parable of the unforgiving servant.”[1] The passage is in verses 21-35 of chapter 18 of the Gospel according to Matthew. Click here to read it. Chapter 18 could be titled “Community prescription.”[2] It contains five pericopes.[3] Our passage is the last of them. I title it …
This Sunday, the lectionary will invite us to ponder our personal and communal responsibility for sin committed by others. The passage, Matthew 18:15-20, also teaches us about the onerous and blessed responsibilities of church leaders – do click now and read it. Why does Jesus care about sin? What is sin anyway? Why did Jesus …
By Nelson Leong 70 years of the Lutheran church in Malaysia is worth celebrating. Organizing the celebration, together with the Biannual General Meeting (BGA), was a massive feat of logistics, with hundreds of tasks. Physical and virtual facilities had to be prepared to serve two thousand people; bottles of water had to be supplied to …
The lectionary invites us this Sunday to ponder Jesus’ prediction of his suffering and death in Jerusalem, Peter’s reaction, and Jesus’ response. It reminds us we’re caught between a sentence now and in the future. The passage is Matthew 16:21-28. Most bibles split it in half and supply the headings “Jesus Foretells His Death and …
Caught between a sentence now and in the future? Read More »
This Sunday, the lectionary invites us to ponder the gospel passage which many translations title “Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ” (Matthew 16:13-20). The passage features Jesus and Peter and “the disciples,” the twelve members of Jesus’ inner circle. It tells of a conversation between them. By this time, Jesus has performed miraculous healings, exorcisms, …
July is cord blood awareness month. Cord blood is nutrient-rich blood which flows from a pregnant mother’s placenta to her baby via the umbilical cord[1]. The umbilical cord is the lifeline between mother and child. Ironically, this July my mother had another close shave with death. Early one morning, my mother complained that she wasn’t …
Cords of life, death, sisterhood, friendship, faith Read More »
Was Jesus incredibly rude to a desperate mother? Why didn’t his biographers bury the story? This Sunday the lectionary invites us to ponder Jesus’ encounter with a desperate woman, reported in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 15, verses 21-28. The Gospel of Mark gives a parallel account, in chapter 7, verses 24-30. Matthew calls her …
Was Jesus incredibly rude to a desperate mother? Read More »
Why did Jesus water-walk but not teleport?[1] You know the report. After Jesus “fed the 5,000,” it was dark. But Jesus insisted[2] his disciples set off on a dangerous night journey across the sea (lake) of Galilee, without him, before he dismissed the crowds. There was a terrible storm. The disciples rowed for hours. They …
