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Matthew 21:23-3221:23 When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 21:24 Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me…

Matthew 20:1-1620:1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 20:2 After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. 20:3 When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in…

Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Today’s gospel text, Mt 20:1-16, presents a parable unique to Matthew. Like other parables in Matthew, it features a person of power behaving in ways that violate our assumptions. (See 17 Sept; and upcoming, Mt’s emended version of the Synoptic parable of the wedding guests, Mt 22:1-14.)…

Matthew 18:21-3518:21 Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” 18:22 Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. 18:23 “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to…

Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Inexhaustible forgiveness is at the center of today’s Gospel reading, Mt 18:21-35.  On the face of it, Peter’s query, Jesus’ reply, and the parable that follows seem straightforward. The message is clear: always be ready to forgive. Yet details of this text, especially the parable, prompt questions:…

Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Today’s Gospel reading, Mt 18:15-20, is brief; yet its implications for the inter-relational life of Christians, assembling down the centuries for divine worship and public witness, has been profound. Jesus is not naïve; he anticipates that rifts and instances of personal failure among his disciples are inevitable.…

Matthew 18:15-20 18:15 “If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. 18:16 But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every…

Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Today’s gospel text is best considered in close relation to the preceding pericope (Mt 16:13-20), especially Peter’s confession and commissioning (vv. 15-19). Jesus predicts his suffering, sharply undercutting reigning notions of “messiahship” as the exercise of political or military power. Commentators note that Jesus’ rebuke of Peter…

Matthew 16:21-28 16:21 From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 16:22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him,…

This week’s entry is the last for the summer. The blog will resume with a posting (in late August) for Sunday, 3rd September 2023.