Tag: <span>anti-judaism</span>

Summary: When Acts describes the arrest of Peter and John, under the authority of the Sadducean Jerusalem aristocracy, it’s important for interpreters to be clear about who the opponents are. It’s also important for preachers to be aware of how Acts has fueled anti-Jewish attitudes and theologies over the centuries. The passage itself is mainly concerned with elevating the name of Jesus, which refers to the power of Jesus. That power was on display in the previous chapter, when Peter called on the name of Jesus to bring about a miraculous healing. Peter again directs attention to that power when he addresses the authorities, implicitly criticizing them for being poor leaders who rejected Jesus, the manifestation of God’s salvation. This is one of many episodes in Acts that celebrates the ways that God minimizes and embarrasses those who purport to hold sway over human societies.

I wrote this biblical commentary for those preparing to preach or teach on the passage. Read the commentary at Working Preacher.

Bible commentary: preachers & teachers workingpreacher.org commentary

Summary: Jesus tells a parable about two men who go to the temple to pray: a Pharisee and a tax collector. They pray two very different prayers, and the parable concludes with Jesus declaring that the tax collector, who assumes a posture of contrition and prays a simple prayer asking for mercy, leaves the temple justified, or restored to a right relationship with God. The Pharisee, in his prayer, betrays his contempt for the tax collector. Because Luke’s Gospel treats Pharisees and tax collectors nearly as caricatures, interpreters often get sidetracked in efforts to determine what Jesus is up to in this parable. The parable’s main emphasis, however, falls on the depths of God’s mercy, which results in “justification” even for a tax collector, someone who betrays his own people for personal gain and to support the Roman occupiers. The parable warns that our contempt for others whom we may see as villains does not square with the extravagant grace that God pours out on all who ask for mercy.

I wrote this biblical commentary for those preparing to preach or teach on the passage. Read the commentary at Working Preacher.

Bible commentary: preachers & teachers workingpreacher.org commentary

Summary: This article highlights ways Christian sermons can fall prey to misrepresenting Judaism and voicing anti-Jewish ideas. Among the resources preachers might consult to address this problem is a fine book by Amy-Jill Levine: The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus.

Read the full article on Working Preacher.

Bible commentary: general audience Bible commentary: preachers & teachers Christianity and culture