25th Sunday after Pentecost: Hebrews 10:11-14, 15-18, 19-25
Chapter 10 of the book of Hebrews has a lot packed into it. This text explains the significance of the crucifixion of Christ and how that event brings about the forgiveness of sins. It’s also a call for love and encouragement. Rather than being used to encourage others, it has been used by church leaders to hold people “accountable” for their perceived sins.
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24th Sunday after Pentecost: Mark 12:38-44
God doesn’t need us to be God’s venture capitalist. Maybe that’s so obvious as to be comical. On the other hand, some may see their acts of charity as crucial in the grand scheme of things. The rich might go so far as to publicly deride the generosity of the poor for their inability to do much financial good with their meager donations. That contrast is the point of this lesson.
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23rd Sunday after Pentecost: Mark 12:28-34
The Gospel of Mark shows us the perspective of the teachers and religious leaders through this interaction. We can see some of what they thought about Jesus. They’re vetting this grass roots teacher. Jesus didn’t have the lifelong education and training they had. He didn’t go to seminary, he wasn’t affiliated with a mega-church, and the fringe people in society were drawn to his teaching. The religious leaders needed to check out his theology because their people were listening to Jesus. Continue reading
22nd Sunday after Pentecost: Mark 10:46-52
The sad truth is, often you have to be your own advocate. Even when people can see the issue you’re facing, even when they can see the turmoil you’re in, they still might not care. The good news is, we can all approach God with our need. As I wrote in Approach the Throne of Grace with Boldness, God welcomes us. People might not take the time to know our struggle, and some people, once they know, might not care. Sometimes, as we see in this story, the powerful try to silence those in need.
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21st Sunday after Pentecost: Mark 10:35-45
The disciples are once again discussing who gets to be the greatest. Not long before this, Mark 9 describes a conversation where Jesus is telling the disciples about the persecution he will face and at that time the disciples were arguing about who would be the greatest. Right before this interaction, Jesus tells them he will be handed over to be killed. This request is their response.
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20th Sunday after Pentecost; Hebrews 4:12-16
This book is aptly named Hebrews because it draws comparisons between this new life of following Jesus and the faith of the ancient Hebrews. This chapter recalls the exodus where Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt. It talks about those who walked in the wilderness on their way to the promised land. They didn’t all make it. We know the exodus story is a story of grace, but it seems grace wasn’t part of everyone’s story. Some were killed and some died before they crossed over to the promised land. Some turned away from God, some made up their own rules, and some doubted—those are the people who didn’t enter God’s rest. Continue reading