Tag: <span>jesus</span>

Published November 16, 2017

Preaching Mark in Times of Strife (Part 2 of 2)

Summary: Paying attention to at least five aspects of the Gospel according to Mark will allow preachers to show congregations this Gospel’s perspective on the world and the impact of Jesus’ life and ministry. Mark describes good news of incursion, deliverance, and mercy. Jesus brings God’s reign (kingdom) into being as he breaches and redefines presumed boundaries. He eludes easy definition. Mark nevertheless directs attention to outsiders who possess keen insights into Jesus. The Messiah’s rejection and death provide the model of discipleship.

Read the full article, the second of two, at Working Preacher.

Bible commentary: preachers & teachers workingpreacher.org commentary

boundaries deliverance discipleship gospel of mark Intrusion jesus kingdom of god mercy outsiders

Published November 14, 2017

Preaching Mark in Times of Strife (Part 1 of 2)

Summary: The Gospel according to Mark depicts Jesus’ arrival, teaching, and actions as an incursion, as God’s effort to enter the world and defeat hostile foes for the sake of inaugurating God’s reign (kingdom). Mark depicts a Jesus who eludes ordinary means of perception; the Messiah defies conventional expectations. Those who preach from Mark do well to imitate the Gospel’s apocalyptic tenor by seeing their task as making visible the inscrutable activity of God.

Read the full article, the first of two, at Working Preacher.

Bible commentary: preachers & teachers workingpreacher.org commentary

Apocalyptic discipleship gospel of mark Intrusion jesus kingdom of god Mark 3:27 Strong man War of myths

Published August 6, 2017

That Seeking Feeling (Matthew 14:22-33)

Summary: When Peter sees Jesus walking on the water and tries to do the same himself, it is fear that makes him begin to sink. Yes, Jesus saves him, but before rushing to the story’s happy conclusion it is worthwhile to dwell on fear. Fear can be paralyzing; insecurity makes people shun risks. The life of faith is never a worry-free existence. Getting out of the boat means getting to the places where Jesus is. And, unlike Peter, we rarely find ourselves doing that alone.

I wrote this article for those preparing to preach or hear sermons on Matthew 14:22-33. It was originally a guest contribution to the “Dear Working Preacher” series. Read the full article at Working Preacher.

Bible commentary: preachers & teachers workingpreacher.org commentary

community faith fear gospel of matthew insecurity jesus matthew 14:22-33 peter walking on water

Published July 30, 2017

“Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough” (Matthew 14:13-21)

Summary: When Jesus feeds 5000-plus hungry people in the wilderness, he feeds them until they are full. He gives them more than a taste and more than just promises. The scene offers a reminder that the good news cannot be reduced to meager foretastes of a feast to come. The abundance of food and the efforts of Jesus’ disciples indicate that preachers and indeed all Christians are summoned to feed the hungry and reaffirm the dignity of all—not later but now.

I wrote this article for those preparing to preach or hear sermons on Matthew 14:13-21. It was originally a guest contribution to the “Dear Working Preacher” series. Read the full article at Working Preacher.

Bible commentary: preachers & teachers workingpreacher.org commentary

compassion dignity disciples feeding of 5000 food gospel of matthew jesus Matthew 14:13-21 miracle

Published July 23, 2017

Hide Away (Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52)

Summary: Even the briefest parables tell tales of massive upheaval. Jesus’ parables of the hidden leaven and the mustard seeds describe small acts of infiltration that have tremendous consequences. His parables of the treasure in a field and the pearl of great price are about the overturning of value systems and entirely reordered lives. The kingdom of heaven, it appears, involves more than most of us might have expected. It will get into everything.

I wrote this article for those preparing to preach or hear sermons on Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52. It was originally a guest contribution to the “Dear Working Preacher” series. Read the full article at Working Preacher.

Bible commentary: preachers & teachers workingpreacher.org commentary

gospel of matthew holy spirit jesus kingdom of god kingdom of heaven leaven Matthew 13 mustard seed parables pearl of great price treasure in the field yeast

Published July 16, 2017

In the Fields of the Lord (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23)

Summary: Jesus’ parable of the weeds and wheat resounds with a number of concerns that the Gospel according to Matthew voices. It expresses worry about the damage that imposters might cause, but there is more worry here about what harm will come to “the children of the kingdom” if one actively tries to weed out those imposters. The challenge is to remain engaged in ministry that serves the wider world and opposes injustice while also leaving judgment up to God.

I wrote this article for those preparing to preach or hear sermons on Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23. It was originally a guest contribution to the “Dear Working Preacher” series. Read the full article at Working Preacher.

Bible commentary: preachers & teachers workingpreacher.org commentary

gospel of matthew Jeremiah 1:10 jesus judgment kingdom of god kingdom of heaven Matthew 13 matthew 20:1-16 matthew 5:1-12 parables weeds wheat

Published October 10, 2016

No Justice, No Peace (Luke 18:1-8)

Summary: When Jesus tells a parable about a widow who engages in a tireless campaign to get the justice she deserves, he offers an illustration of Christian faith. In the parable, the woman continually beseeches an unjust judge who finally grants her requests because he grows tired of her endless appeals. The parable associates Christian faith with an unflagging commitment to see justice become a reality. Christian faith complains about injustice and advocates for those who need justice. Faith does so because it takes God’s promises seriously, believing that God is indeed a God of justice. This depiction of faithful advocacy is especially important to consider during election season. Christians can advocate for candidates who will create just laws and policies, but Christians also equip themselves to persist in advocacy after elections are complete.

Read the full article, which is part of the ON Scripture–The Bible project, on Day1 and Patheos.

Bible commentary: general audience ON Scripture--The Bible

advocacy church and politics election faith gospel of luke jesus luke 18:1-8 parable persistent widow unjust judge

Published August 16, 2016

Why We Can’t Wait (Luke 13:10-17)

Summary: When Jesus heals a woman’s debilitating and oppressive spinal condition on the sabbath, his action draws a rebuke. His sharp retort to his critics implies that his action was totally appropriate, since honoring the sabbath entails reiterating God’s commitment to freedom from oppression. The theological logic that drives this passage and justifies Jesus’ urgent concern for the anonymous woman’s well-being resonates with what Martin Luther King Jr. argues in his famous book Why We Can’t Wait. Well-meaning religious people seem to have a habit of impeding God’s commitment to justice and liberation. Our problem goes beyond ignorance or a lack of compassion. Sometimes our theology, security, and idealism are to blame. We need to rediscover the priorities to which God is committed, such as delivering people from suffering.

Read the full article, which is part of the ON Scripture–The Bible project, on Day1 and Patheos.

Bible commentary: general audience ON Scripture--The Bible

bent woman gospel of luke healing jesus luke 13:10-17 martin luther king sabbath suffering

Published January 12, 2016

Sensing the Gospel: A Five-Part Series of Meditations for Lent

Summary: Lent provides opportunities to reflect on our experience of encountering God and God’s salvation in embodied ways — in our bodies’ abilities to perceive familiar realities and to interpret new ones. I prepared a five-part series that invites us to think about Jesus’ ability to make God known in tangible, sensory ways. The series explores selected biblical passages that permit us to reflect on who we are and how we bear witness to the gospel — not so Lent causes us to denigrate this life, but so we learn to encounter God among us and to know Christ through our bodies.

I wrote this series to spark the creativity of those who are preparing to preach or teach during Lent, although individuals might also use it for devotional purposes. Read it at Working Preacher.

Bible commentary: general audience Bible commentary: preachers & teachers workingpreacher.org commentary

1 john 1:1 bodies five senses jesus john 12:1-3 john 2:1-10 john 5:25-29 lent luke 7:11-15 mark 8:22-25 salvation

Published September 27, 2015

Jesus and His Church (an excerpt from “Intrusive God, Disruptive Gospel”)

When I think about the church and all its flaws, I’m often prone to be cynical. The book of Acts urges me to take a second look, though. Acts depicts Jesus in relationship to the church in ways that challenge me and sometimes inspire me. That’s one of the reasons why I wrote the book Intrusive God, Disruptive Gospel: Encountering the Divine in the Book of Acts. Follow this link to read a short excerpt from the book, in which I talk a little about Jesus and his church.

Books and films

acts of the apostles book of acts church disruptive gospel intrusive god jesus