Category: Uncategorized

  • Preaching Paths 24 March 2024 Palm Sunday Yr B

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary According to Mark 11:1-11, Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem a few days before Passover is undertaken with forethought. Mark devotes half of today’s lection to the matter of borrowing a “colt” for Jesus to ride. There is no need to invoke supernatural forces to account for the local…

  • Preaching Paths 17 March 2024

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Today’s gospel lection, John 12:20-33, forms part of the “bridge” in John between Jesus’ public ministry and his Passion (arrest, trial, crucifixion, resurrection).  In John, Jesus refers to this as his “glorification”—the revealing, through his dying, of the glory of the Father  (Jn 1:14, 18). John’s gospel…

  • 5th Sunday in Lent, 17th March 2024

    John 12:20-3312:20 Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. 12:21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 12:22 Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 12:23 Jesus answered them,…

  • Fourth Sunday in Lent,10th March 2024

    John 3:14-213:14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 3:15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish…

  • Preaching Paths 10 March 2024

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary John 3:16, nested in today’s text (John 3:14-21), is a verse recognizable even to non-Christians. This reference, and sometimes the entire verse, has been emblazoned on everything from placards held aloft in a football stadium to highway billboards and bumper stickers. Unfortunately, it has been reduced in…

  • Preaching Paths 3 March 2024 (Lent 3B)

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary The violence of Jesus’ clearing of the Temple courtyard in today’s lection (John 2:13-22) can lure an unwary preacher into presenting a sermon with an anti-Semitic slant. It is crucial for preachers to make clear that John is a Jewish gospel. Jesus is a Jewish teacher and…

  • Third Sunday in Lent, 3rd March, 2024

    John 2:13-222:13 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2:14 In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. 2:15 Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the…

  • Second Sunday in Lent, 25th February, 2024

    Mark 8:31-388:31 Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 8:32 He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.…

  • Preaching Paths 25 February 2024

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary The gospel lection this week, Mk 8:31-38, falls into two sections. First, verses 31-33 bring to a head questions about Jesus’ identity and mission that have been intensifying since the middle of Mark’s first chapter. Verses 34-38 then spell out the costs of discipleship, reframed now by…

  • First Sunday in Lent, 18th February 2024

    Mark 1:9-151:9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 1:10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 1:11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are…