Jesus has been busy. After getting baptized and tempted he called disciples, he cast out demons, healed the sick, cleansed lepers, forgave sins, dined with sinners, and there was last week’s challenge to the Pharisees. He has been dis-organizing life. He has been knocking down the rules by which his …
Silence binds these scenes together. Silence explains them. Silence condemns the silent. Silence demands to be filled. The silence of which I speak is not the blessed, healthy quiet that comes when we mute the voices that would increase our anxiety and consume our attention. The silence of which I …
Roughly 736 years before the birth of Jesus, an official court prophet in Jerusalem named Isaiah went into the Temple. I was an anxious time for Judah, the kingdom in which he lived. The King of Assyria had declared himself king of the world and set out to make sure …
Luke describes her as the sound of a violent wind. Paul says she intercedes for us where words fail. John depicts her as an advocate, or lawyer. I call her a ‘her,’ Luther called her a ‘he,’ and the Greek is neuter. Who is the Holy Spirit? For that matter, …
Jesus has been talking for a while. He does that in John’s Gospel. On Maundy Thursday Jesus commanded his disciples to love one another, and then washed their feet. It’s been seven weeks and he is still explaining it. He’s praying, now, but his disciples hear it, and it is …
“About whom does the prophet Isaiah write, himself or someone else?” It’s the most important question in the world for this man Philip meets. Luke tells us much about him. He is an “Ethiopian,” which in the Bible refers to the upper Nile in present day Sudan. So, he is …
“He is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone.” –Peter’s testimony to the priests, the same ones who had Jesus killed. It’s a continuation of the story we read last week. The leaders killed Jesus, God raised him, said, “Hey, guys. Funny story: …
We are confronted with a body. Luke emphasizes that Jesus is present bodily. As usual, if an author takes the time to say something they consider it important. The disciples think they see a ghost. Jesus has them touch his hands to feel the flesh and bone, check his feet …
“The doors were locked for fear.” John says specifically it was “fear of the Jews.” As I mentioned on Good Friday, when John uses the phrase “the Jews,” he refers to the authorities who were hostile to Jesus. Otherwise, a text like today’s makes no sense: The disciples are Jews. …
Mark decides that Easter morning is a good time to discuss fashion. I know in my family the girls get fancy dresses at Easter. Maybe that’s his inspiration. He tells us what the young man is wearing. All I can say is, Why? The grave is empty, Mark! I don’t …