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1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
Proper 25A
In verse 4’s heart of this Sunday’s Epistolary Lesson lies a perhaps largely unnoticed but most extraordinary claim: God has “entrusted” [pisteuthenai*] Jesus’ friends “with the gospel [euangelion].” No news is greater than that of salvation through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that we receive with our faith. Yet the apostle audaciously…
Matthew 22:34-46
Proper 25A
These two sections seem like odd bedfellows, as though Jesus seized the opportunity of having the Pharisees “gathered together” to give them a little food for thought. But maybe they are more connected than they seem. Are these the same Pharisees that sent their servants to challenge and entrap Jesus earlier in the chapter (last…
Matthew 22:15-22
Proper 24A
The challengers come to Jesus feeling sly and like they have an Ace in their pocket. They leave their encounter with Jesus amazed even though they have “lost.” You’d think they had just watched a street performer do the most amazing trick they’ve ever seen! What’s probably happened, though, if they were truly listening to…
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Proper 24A
It sometimes seems as if the RCL editors had their eyes not just on the church year calendar, but also the secular one. After all, this Sunday on which Paul fills its Epistolary Lesson with expressions of thanksgiving falls between Canadian and Americans’ Thanksgiving Days. Some Thanksgiving traditions include a variation of the “What are…
Matthew 22:1-14
Proper 23A
This is the third in a series of parables targeting the temple leaders. It all started as they confronted Jesus about his authority because of the way he disrupted their domain. Jesus first challenged them to consider their obedience to God, then he challenged them to consider the way they were abusing God’s gifts to…
Philippians 4:1-9
Proper 23A
Paul devotes much of his letter to Philippi’s Christians talking literally about their minds. As we’ve already noted, he summons them to a faithful and obedient reception of God’s grace. However, the apostle also speaks to them at some length about their attitude or mindset. So while preachers might, with the Spirit’s guidance, organize our…
Matthew 21:33-46
Proper 22A
Jesus continues speaking to the temple leaders who have confronted him about his authority. He has refused to answer them directly and has instead told them a parable that compares the leaders to people who say yes when their father asks them to do something but then don’t do it. Their disobedience is akin to…
Philippians 3:4b-14
Proper 22A
In this Sunday’s Epistolary Lesson, Paul speaks extensively of “gain” [kerde*] and “loss” [zemian]. While the terms are largely financial, to Paul they refer to something far more important than money and assets. He employs these financial concepts to refer to the impact of God’s amazing grace on his whole person. The apostle is talking…
Matthew 21:23-32
Proper 21A
On the heels of cleansing the temple and cursing the fig tree, Jesus re-enters the holy place and is interrupted by temple leaders while he is teaching. It is a bit more intense than the librarian coming over and asking you to stop talking on your phone in the shared space; these guys want to…
Philippians 2:1-13
Proper 21A
The proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ always aims to be theocentric. Preachers’ primary goal is, in other words, not to tell worshipers what to do, but to point to the God who graciously adopted us as God’s dearly beloved children. This Sunday’s Epistolary Lesson is thoroughly theocentric. While it’s full of Paul’s summonses…
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