Reading for Preaching
Religious Affections
Lost in the Cosmos: The Last Self-Help Book
In Plato’s Cave
Bright Orange for the Shroud
Additional content related to Hyprocrisy
Mark 12:38-44
We go from a scribe who is “not far from the kingdom of God” to those who are living as though they have no interest in God’s kingdom at all. And that’s saying something for a group of people whose role is to guide others in understanding God’s intent. Jesus says, “Beware of the scribes…”…
Mark 9:38-50
They were arguing about who among them was the greatest. Let’s not forget that context while we read this week’s lectionary text. The disciples were afraid because they didn’t understand what Jesus was talking about, so they turned to an ego boosting exercise that backfires. They know they aren’t showing much maturity, staying silent when…
Matthew 22:15-22
Over the last three Sundays we’ve watched as the Pharisees (as part of the temple leadership) were brought to task by Jesus. They’ve retreated and regrouped now and are trying a new tactic for solving their Jesus problem. Their new plan is to try to seduce Jesus with compliments and praise, suggesting that his influence…
Matthew 21:23-32
Comments, Questions, and Observations This is the day after Jesus has cleansed the temple. Now he has returned and the leaders have come out in force to challenge this man upsetting the system. They demand that Jesus tell them who he thinks he is: by what authority is he changing and teaching things, and who…
Matthew 10:40-42
This is the end of a very long section on what the disciples will experience as Jesus sends them out to the harvest of need (Matthew 9.35-10.8 from a few weeks ago). It seems odd to me that Jesus is saying this to the disciples. I mean, rather than the disciples, isn’t this the message…
Luke 18:9-14
In our passage this week, the great reversals continue in the Gospel of Luke. One of the challenges we have as modern readers is that we know what to expect. For instance, those of us who have encountered these stories many times know that it is likely that the Pharisee is going to be revealed…
Luke 13:10-17
“Don’t go getting any ideas.” That’s the leader’s message to the multitude of people who have gathered on the Sabbath day and were just given a spark of hope. That’s the leader’s response to Jesus’ miraculous healing of a woman’s horrible suffering. Not here, not today, not for any of the rest of you. Imagine…
Isaiah 1:1, 10-20
To get the full impact of Isaiah 1:10-20, you need to back up to verse 9 (left out regrettably by the Lectionary) in which the people of Israel say to themselves (in the wake of great desolation in their land) that with at least a few folks still living, they were not quite as bad…
Mark 12:38-44
Our two sections are directly connected by the mention of widows. In the first section, the widows are made destitute at the hands of the scribes, and in the second, a poor widow gives the last of her financial goods as a contribution to the faith community. Jesus clearly condemns the scribes in the first…
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
The lectionary’s selection of verses for this week could be seen as a helpful streamlining to the main idea or as a heavy-handed push to that main idea… Many lectionary commentaries choose to treat the passage as whole, so take time to consider whether hearing all 23 verses will benefit your congregation in understanding the…
Matthew 23:1-12
Matthew 23 indicates that pastors (i.e., most of us reading this sermon commentary) need to be wary of the titles people afford us. Although neither “Reverend” nor “Pastor” is specifically mentioned in Matthew 23, only a very wily preacher would ever suggest this indicates that those titles are exempt from Jesus’ comments. So what are…
Mark 2:23-3:6
There is no joy or delight in any of life, including on the Sabbath, if rules eclipse all else. In Mark 2 and 3 Jesus’ encounter with the Pharisees ends on a note of murder. Just about the last word in the whole story is “kill.” It’s only appropriate, of course, since the Pharisees had…
Matthew 23:1-12
Matthew 23 indicates that pastors (i.e., most of us reading this commentary) need to be wary of the titles people afford us. Although neither “Reverend” nor “Pastor” is specifically mentioned in Matthew 23, only a very wily preacher would ever suggest this indicates that those titles are exempt from Jesus’ comments. So what are we…
Matthew 22:15-22
Sometimes these days Christians seem a little, well, thin-skinned. Some people can all-but fly into a rage and get into a serious spiritual lather when confronted with some obvious piece of anti-religious behavior or when they hear that a character on a TV show said something religiously offensive. On Facebook you can regularly see posts…
Matthew 5:21-37
Say the word “radical” to the average person and the name of “Jesus” will likely not be the first thing that springs to anyone’s mind. If you think about “radical acts,” the Sermon on the Mount is unlikely to come to mind, either. Radicals throw Molotov cocktails at police and stage sit-ins and carry placards…
Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12)
God expects our lifestyle to reflect our worship. That is to say, God’s not pleased when God’s children act one way on Sunday, but quite a different way during the rest of the week. Isaiah 58 oozes frustration. Clearly Israel is frustrated. After all, she assumes that she takes God very seriously. Israel claims to…
Matthew 15:1-20
Angles, insights, and illustrations as entry points into the text and sermon Inside and Out Preachers as well as parishioners know intuitively that there is much at stake in a text like Matthew 15. What is at stake here, and how high the stakes are becomes obvious as we probe more deeply. In the text,…
Preaching Connection: Hyprocrisy