Summary: Jesus’ prayer in John 17 affirms this: “I need other people. I do, if I want the chance to experience union with God and plunge into the heart of what God is about. And I don’t need only other people who are like me; love requires me to attend to a wider group.”
Read the full article, which is part of the ON Scripture–The Bible project, on The Huffington Post and ON Scripture.
Summary: The Gospel according to John describes Jesus as a new temple, a new “place” where God is accessible to people. This suggests that we might encounter God in any and all aspects of life. What does this mean for our public speech about religion, and for the political rhetoric offered by presidential candidates?
Read the full article, which is part of the ON Scripture–The Bible project, on The Huffington Post and ON Scripture.
Summary: In this biblical passage, Jesus, having risen from the dead, breathes the Holy Spirit into his followers and commissions them. The lectionary assigns this passage for the Day of Pentecost.
I wrote this biblical commentary for those preparing to preach or teach on the passage. Read the commentary at Working Preacher.
Summary: The New Testament contains four gospels. These books describe the same man named Jesus, but they do so in sometimes strikingly different ways. Instead of combining the gospels into a single, composite story, we do well to let each one speak for itself and keep varied perspectives in view.
Read the full article on The Huffington Post.
Summary: In this biblical passage, Mary of Bethany anoints Jesus with costly perfume. It’s a gift of lavish, extravagant devotion that sets a foreboding yet fitting context for Jesus’ impending death.
I wrote this biblical commentary for those preparing to preach or teach on the passage. Read the commentary at Working Preacher.
Summary: In this biblical passage, Jesus promises that “the truth” will set people free. People know the truth (which, in John’s Gospel, refers to the knowledge of God that Jesus reveals) when they dwell in his word—in him and his message. The lectionary assigns this text for Reformation Day (October 31).
I wrote this biblical commentary for those preparing to preach or teach on the passage. Read the commentary at Working Preacher.
Why You Ought to Leave the Church (John 4:5-42)
Summary: Jesus meets a Samaritan woman and tells her that people encounter God, not in specifically designated places, but out there, beyond the walls. If God is not confined to churches, or to gatherings of like-minded individuals, then we may need to reassess who God is and what a life of faith looks like.
Read the full article, which is part of the ON Scripture–The Bible project, on The Huffington Post and ON Scripture.
Bible commentary: general audience ON Scripture--The Bible
gospel of john john 4:5-42 samaritan woman woman at the well