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When most teachers use stories, it’s to help others understand what they are trying to explain. But Jesus states that he uses parables so that people won’t understand. Why? We are now in the season of Epiphany, a time when … Continue reading
Jesus does something strange when a paralyzed man is presented to him: he forgives the man’s sins and only heals him to demonstrate his authority to speak on God’s behalf. Welcome to Epiphany! This reading in the Narrative Lectionary marks … Continue reading
At the beginning of the Gospel of Mark, Jesus proclaims the good news of the kingdom of God, good news that the evangelist connects to Jesus himself, Messiah and Son of God. On the Seventh Day of Christmas… December 31st … Continue reading
Jesus tells the Parable of the Wedding Feast to teach about the kingdom of heaven. The message: God welcomes everyone. But what about the violent details of the parable? With this reading from Matthew 22, we have made it halfway … Continue reading
Responding to a question about the limits of forgiveness, Jesus tells an over-the-top parable about a king, slaves, and a boatload of money. Lent: The Ways of the Kingdom Welcome to Lent. This first Sunday of Lent in the Narrative … Continue reading
If you think that Jesus’ parables are easy to understand, then you might be getting them wrong. They illustrate our difficulty in wrapping our heads around God’s upside-down kingdom. The kingdom of heaven is like… a seed? Yeast? Wheat being … Continue reading
Jesus teaches that the gate is narrow and the road difficult that leads to life. Is this by God’s design or just the way things are in our broken world? Learning to Follow This week marks the end of our … Continue reading
Jesus begins his first big teaching in Matthew with a series of “blesseds,” a glimpse at God’s priorities in the kingdom of heaven. Teaching Time As we continue our tour through the Gospel of Matthew, we come to Jesus’ first … Continue reading
The Church is called the Body of Christ. In our bodies, we need both self-care (faith formation in the Church) and service to others (the Church’s vocation). The Mission of the Church (Part 3 of 3) In the past two … Continue reading
The kingdom of God is a key part of Jesus’ message. This kingdom—where God’s will reigns completely—cannot exist apart from justice. Do Justice, Week 5 This is my fifth and final blog post on biblical justice. I have taken these … Continue reading