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A Den of Robbers
I don’t think Jesus cleanses the temple in this morning’s reading. It often goes by that name. But if cleaning is what he’s doing, it is in the full understanding that it will be dirty again the next day. What is cleaning, but wiping away the dirt, scrubbing the scum off of the tub or the grease…
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Jesus’s Love Revolution
Superman isn’t swooping in. The heavens aren’t opening and the army of angels are not going to ride in here in front of you and slaughter all of our enemies. The Triumphal Entry and the incarnating of GOD’s dream Palm Sunday C | Luke 19:28-40 As most of you know, our tradition, beginning in the…
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He Sprang Up
The story of Bartimaeus is easily one of my favorites. It is part healing, part witnessing, and for the gospel writer, the last thing Jesus does before coming to Jerusalem. As a writer, this is prime real estate. While everyone is looking “above the fold” and for the big headline at the top of the…
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Those Who Followed Were Afraid
The disciples have been following Jesus for a long time. They covered their home area, down to the Jordan, back up to Caesarea Philippi and now they are heading to Jerusalem. But then Jesus started to get weird. He started talking about death. His death. He started talking about what is to come and I’ve…
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With Unveiled Faces
Paul is not an anti-Semite. I think we should start there. When Paul argues that Moses put a veil over his face and all who hear him read are veiled: this should not be read as anti-semitic. Paul was Jewish. It is more like differentiation. While the other apostles were trying to figure out how…
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They Could Not Drink the Water
The Exodus story is a story of liberation. It is the the foundational story of the Hebrew people. It is also a troubling story of incompetence, arrogance and stupidity. A stubborn Pharaoh who, despite all the mounting evidence that the Hebrews are being protected, continues to press on. In other words, Pharaoh doubles down on what…
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Stumbling Block
We are all pretty obsessed with sin. Whether or not we believe that’s true, we are. Sin inspires us. It inspires us to believe remarkable things about GOD and nature and all of creation. For some that it is all depraved and drenched in showers of evil. For some, it is to see creation through…
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Afraid to Ask
Afraid to Ask (Day 29 of A Simple Lent) | Monday I grew up in the rise of standardized testing to creative and artsy parents who read a lot. It means I can be either a model student or a pain in the butt, depending on your teaching style. A good student too busy trying…
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