Category: Uncategorized

  • Preaching Paths 9 February 2025

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Luke 5:1-11 describes what happened the day that Simon Peter, James, and John—the three disciples who became, ultimately, Jesus’ closest associates—left the fishing business to follow Jesus. Here again, Luke’s account differs from the accounts of both Matthew and Mark. For preachers, the most striking difference is…

  • 9th February 2025, 5th Sunday after the Epiphany

    St Luke 5: 1-11 Luke 5:1-11 Jesus calls the disciples to fish for people 5:1Once while Jesus was standing beside the Lake of Gennesaret and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, 5:2he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gotten out of…

  • 2nd February 2025, 4th Sunday after Epiphany

    Luke 4:21-30 The prophet Jesus not accepted 4:21Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 4:22All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?” 4:23He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote…

  • 2nd February 2025, Presentation of the Lord

    Luke 2:22-40 The presentationof the child 2:22When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 2:23(as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), 2:24and they offered…

  • Preaching Paths 2 February 2025

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Luke’s story of Jesus’ reception in his hometown synagogue in Nazareth (Luke 4:14-30) differs from the parallels in Matthew and Mark. There, the reaction of the townsfolk is negative from the start; in Luke, the initial reception is positive. In Mt 13:54-58 and Mk 6:1-6, we hear…

  • 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany, 26th January 2025

    Luke 4:14-21 Jesus reads the prophet Isaiah 4:14Then Jesus, in the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding region. 4:15He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. 4:16When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to…

  • Preaching Paths 26 January 2025

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Jesus announces the scope and purpose of his mission in today’s reading (Luke 4:14-21). “Filled with the power of the Spirit” and “praised by everyone” (vv 14-15), he arrives in Nazareth with his Galilean teaching tour already well under way. On the Sabbath, Jesus goes to the…

  • 2nd Sunday after Epiphany, 19th January 2025 Year C

    John 2:1-11 The wedding at Cana 2:1On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2:2Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 2:3When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 2:4And Jesus said…

  • Preaching Paths 19 January 2025

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary To rightly interpret today’s text, attention to context, both cultural and literary, is essential. John 2:1-11 tells of a wedding at which Jesus, one of the guests, changes a large quantity of water into wine. If one works out the math, the supply can seem outrageously excessive—but…

  • 12th January 2025, Year C

    Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 The baptism of Jesus 3:15As the people were filled with expectation and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 3:16John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water, but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy…