Summary: When the Gospel according to Luke describes Jesus saying, “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs,” what does he mean? To answer this question, we need to know how people in Jesus’ culture regarded children. When we see that Jesus is celebrating and empowering children as some of the most invisible, inconsequential, and vulnerable people of his society, then we should go on to ask: How should we treat and assist vulnerable children in our society? Caring for children — especially endangered and exploited children — is indeed an important part of any church’s work, in any setting.
This article is part of a Bible study exploring the church’s response to youth homelessness and was produced by Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota. The entire five-part Bible study was written by five different professors from Luther Seminary and is available here.
Summary: In the gospels, Jesus tells parables but he rarely explains them for his hearers. Instead, he allows people to enter the unfamiliar and sometimes strange world that the parables describe. These stories and Jesus’ use of them suggest that God promises us a different way of living and being.
Read the full article on The Huffington Post.
Commentary on Mark 1:9-15
Summary: According to this biblical passage, Jesus’ public ministry begins with a test, one that gives us hints to suggest God is in the process of reorienting the whole created order. Everything is changing. The time is right for inaugurating the kingdom of God, but it remains a time in which risk hangs in the air.
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
angels gospel of mark jesus kingdom of god mark 1:9-15 satan wild beasts wilderness