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Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Mark 1:1, the opening verse of today’s lection (Mk 1:1-8), is not a complete sentence, but a title. It sounds benign enough in English translation; but interpreters of Mark’s gospel suggest that, considered within the context of its Hellenic linguistic and political context, this is a provocative…

Mark 13:24-3713:24 “But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 13:25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 13:26 Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power…

Advent 1B plunges us without ceremony into the midst of Jesus’ longest and most troubling speech in Mark, chapter 13. Jesus draws directly on several OT texts for images of devastating natural disaster and catastrophic conflict (vv 7-8). He predicts intense persecution for Christians (vv 9-13) and in the near term, the destruction of the…

Matthew 25:31-4625:31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 25:32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 25:33 and…

Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary The parable of the separation of sheep and goats by the reigning Son of Man (Mt 25:31-46) brings to a close the lectionary gospel readings for Year A. It is the last of four eschatological parables Jesus addresses to his disciples. Its theme of division brings to…

Matthew 25:14-3025:14 “For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; 25:15 to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 25:16 The one who had received the five talents went…

Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary There is a clear divide among scholars about how best to interpret Jesus’ eschatological parable of the three servants and the talents. The divide turns on what one makes of the third servant’s description of the master who has returned after a long absence: “a harsh man,”…

Matthew 25:1-1325:1 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 25:2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 25:3 When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; 25:4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their…

Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Attention to literary and historical context will be essential as the preacher moves from text to pulpit this week. The parable of the wise and foolish bridesmaids (or virgins) and their lamps (Mt 25:1-13) is the second of four parables set within Matthew’s “Eschatological Discourse” (Mt 24:1-25:46).…

Matthew 23:1-1223:1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 23:2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; 23:3 therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. 23:4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to…