They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. [Mark 8:22]. They said his name was Jesus.I heard it first as rumor,then as hope in voices I had trustedall my life. My brother took my elbow—the familiar grip I'd known since childhood—and said, "We're taking you to…

This Sunday we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord, and the Lectionary pairs the Gospel account of Jesus's baptism (Matthew 3:13-17) with Isaiah 42:1-9, one of the so-called Servant Songs. The pairing invites us to see Jesus in Isaiah’s servant, to see Jesus as God's chosen one, anointed with the Spirit, beloved and delighted in….

A Meditation on Jeremiah 31:7–14 This Sunday’s First Reading comes from Jeremiah 31, part of what scholars call the “Book of Consolation.” After the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile to Babylon, the prophet speaks words of unexpected hope: YHWH will gather the scattered remnant and bring them home. Notice, however, who YHWH gathers. A…

Matthew 2:13-23 The dream came in the night,sharp and urgent as a blade:Rise. Take the child and his mother.Flee to Egypt. Now. I woke with my heart hammering,Mary breathing softly beside me,the baby asleep in his basket. Herod seeks the child’s life. Words that changed everything. We had visitors days before—strange men from the Eastwith…

Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test. Then Isaiah said: “Hear then, O house of David! Is it not enough…

Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors! As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord [James 5:9–10]. The Gaudete Paradox This coming Sunday is the Third Sunday of Advent,…

“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” [Matthew 3:7b]. Not exactly the warm-up act for Christmas we were hoping for. It’s the Second Sunday of Advent, the season when we're supposed to be lighting candles and singing carols, and the lectionary (RCL, Year A) gives us John the…

“But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father…. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour” [Matthew 24:36, 44]. The First Sunday of Advent always catches us off guard. Many of us expect…

Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise” [Luke 23:42–43, a portion of the Gospel lesson appointed for this Sunday, The Reign of Christ, RCL, Year C]. I deserve this. Let’s be clear about that from the…

When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, He said, “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.” (Luke 21:5–6; Gospel reading Luke 21:5–19, RCL Year C)…