This Sunday the lectionary invites us to consider John 12:20-43. The English Standard Version breaks the text into three portions and supplies them with the headings: “Some Greeks Seek Jesus,”[1] “The Son of Man Must Be Lifted Up,”[2] and “The Unbelief of the People”[3]. The first portion tells of some Greeks[4] who’d come to Jerusalem […]

This Sunday, the lectionary invites us to ponder Mark 10:35-45. The English Standard Version supplies the passage with the title “The request of James and John.” The Message translation titles it “The Highest Places of Honour.” In verse 32, Mark tells us that Jesus headed purposefully towards Jerusalem, and that the twelve disciples he had

On Sunday, the lectionary invited us to reflect on the gospel according to John chapter 3, verses 14-21. These verses are the back end of John’s report of a conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus. John tells us that Nicodemus was a leader of the Jews. And that he came to Jesus “by night,” out of

This Sunday, the lectionary invites us to ponder John’s account of Jesus’ wreaking havoc on the trading floor of the Temple in Jerusalem. The passage is in the Gospel according to John, chapter 2, verses 13-22. Most readers miss the shock in the first verse, verse 13. It reads: “The Passover of the Jews was

This Sunday the lectionary invites us to ponder Mark 8:31-38. In these verses, we read that Jesus taught his disciples he would soon suffer, be rejected, and be killed; and be raised up from the dead. And that the same things would happen to them. Two thoughts which Christians have treasured over the centuries come

Today I preached on Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac. The text is in Genesis 22:1-18. I pointed out that the apostles Paul and James, and the writer to the Hebrews, speak of Abraham as a model of faith, because he believed the promises God made to him. Especially those recorded in Genesis 15. I also said

This Sunday the lectionary invites us to consider two passages. They are verses 1-6 and 16-21 in chapter 6 of Matthew. The passages sandwich the prayer which we call “The Lord’s Prayer.” Matthew uses the sandwich technique to emphasize the reason Jesus taught the model prayer. He does this by using the word “hypocrite” in

Over the past week, the air waves have been filled with outrage over a decision of the Pardons Board. Many have asked me for my point of view. Here’s my attempt at an answer. The press statement On February 2, 2024, the Pardons Board put out a statement (attached). It was printed on the letterhead

This Sunday, the lectionary invites us to ponder Mark’s account of the transfiguration of Jesus. The text is in chapter nine, verses 2-9. The word “transfiguration” describes what happened to Jesus when he took three of his disciples up a high mountain. Jesus son of Mary, Jesus of the line of King David, Jesus the