The Sunday Lectionary after feast of Cross in September offers various combinations of Epistle and Gospel readings that break the normal pairings - at least in the Greek tradition. Today's readings, Ephesians 2:4-10 and Luke 16:19-31, offer an interesting juxtaposition: faith or works? Paul says: "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and …
When righteous people of God are killed
In the aftermath of the killings at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, it's appropriate to reflect on how Jesus spoke of righteousness. Jesus said: "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness - δικαιοσύνην αυτού - and all these other things will be added to you." He also said: “Beware of practicing …
Let’s not talk of demons
Most people today don’t believe in demons and demonic possession. Yet, I claim that today’s Gospel reading is even more relevant today than it was 2,000 years ago. That’s because we don’t live in the age of demons; we live in the age of demonization! Yes, we demonize people; we demonize individuals we don’t agree with; …
The Contemporary Voice of Jesus
Why do the Gospels rely on seed parables to explain what the kingdom is? There’s today’s parable; there’s the mustard seed parable; and the parable of the seed that grows at night. Both can be read in Mark 4:26-33. He also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, …
Thorn in the Flesh
Today we are again in Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. In our passage today he is in self-reflexive mode, but here he boasts that he has been granted visions and revelations, even vision of Paradise. And not even a vision, but an actual transfer to Paradise - whether in the body or out of …
The Blessing of Abundance
I was struck by one phrase in the Epistle reading from 2 Corinthians 9:6-11. Τοῦτο δέ, ὁ σπείρων φειδομένως φειδομένως καὶ θερίσει, καὶ ὁ σπείρων ἐπʼ εὐλογίαις ἐπʼ εὐλογίαις καὶ θερίσει. That opening phrase, Τοῦτο δέ, is a call to attention: So now, this…this, pay attention, very important teaching about to follow. "He who sows sparingly …
Who are you on Golgotha?
On this Sunday after the Elevation of the Cross, this is a Holy Friday sermon. Something very important is missing from all our icons and depictions of the Crucifixion of Christ.... There is no text version of this sermon, only the audio:
A Sermon not on John 3:16
What remains to be said about John 3:16 that hasn’t been said a million times by millions of priests and preachers? These days, watch any football game on TV and you’ll probably see someone hold up a banner that says John 3:16. That’s what this great Bible verse has become: a slogan, a banner …
Why I love the Bible
Today's Gospel reading is the last in a series of Gospel readings from Matthew that dazzle me with their judgmentalism and violence. Three weeks ago we heard the parable of the unforgiving servant and how the master in the parable threw him and his wife and children into prison for the rest of their lives …
How is our vineyard doing?
The Parable of the Wicked Tenants (Matthew 21:33-46) provides another example of a problematic Gospel passage that begs for context. Unfortunately, the way the Orthodox Church reads this parable on the 13th Sunday of Matthew only increases the difficulty of reading this parable with an open mind. But before we consider the difficulties of this …
Ancient Answers 