Why does Luke present a rogues gallery of autocrats?

This Sunday, the lectionary invites us to ponder Luke 3:1-6. The English Standard Version supplies the heading “John the Baptist Prepares the Way” to verses 1-22. No versions treat verses 1-6 as a separate unit. But there is value in treating them separately, because here Luke names – and shames – the most powerful people …

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Doing good, the Cross, and “God’s backside”

This Sunday, the lectionary invites us to ponder John 18:33-38. The English Standard Version supplies the passage with the heading “My Kingdom Is Not of This World.” The passage is a portion of John’s account of Jesus’ encounter with the Roman governor, Pilate. The encounter happened after Caiaphas, the high priest, pronounced the sentence of …

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Don’t misread Jesus comment on the widow’s offering

This Sunday, the lectionary invites us to ponder Mark 12:38-44. The English Standard Version supplies the text with the headings “Beware of the Scribes” and “The Widow’s Offering.” If you’ve read or heard the passages before, you’ll remember them. Because both passages draw emotional responses from us. The first passage is offensive to scribes. The …

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Bethany, Martha, Mary and Lazarus as stage and props?

This Sunday, the lectionary invites us to reflect on John 11:32-44. The English Standard version supplies the reading with the headings “Jesus Weeps” [verses 28-37] and “Jesus Raises Lazarus” [verses 38-44]. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead by calling to him from outside the cave-tomb in which he had been bound and placed. It’s the …

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Take heart. Get up. He’s calling you!

This Sunday, the lectionary invites us to ponder Mark 10:46-52. The English Standard Version supplies the passage with the heading “Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus.” The passage is about Jesus, surrounded by a huge crowd, healing a blind man who recognized him and insisted on coming to him against the crowd’s objections. It’s a short passage, …

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