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Luke 24:13-3524:13 Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 24:14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 24:15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 24:16 but their eyes were…

Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary NT accounts of encounters with the risen Lord have in common a peculiar feature: in none of them is Jesus readily recognizable. Early Easter morning, Mary assumes she has met up with the gardener until she hears Jesus speak her name (John 20:15).  In John 21, the…

St Matthew 21: 1-11 [1]Καὶ ὅτε ἤγγισαν εἰς ῾Ιεροσόλυμα καὶ ἦλθον εἰς Βηθσφαγῆ πρὸς τὸ ὄρος τῶν ἐλαιῶν, τότε ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς ἀπέστειλε δύο μαθητὰς [2]λέγων αὐτοῖς· πορεύθητε εἰς τὴν κώμην τὴν ἀπέναντι ὑμῶν, καὶ εὐθέως εὑρήσετε ὄνον δεδεμένην καὶ πῶλον μετ᾿ αὐτῆς· λύσαντες ἀγάγετέ μοι. [3]καὶ ἐάν τις ὑμῖν εἴπῃ τι, ἐρεῖτε ὅτι ὁ Κύριος…

Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary The semantics of this text are, in part, kinetic and optic. The symbolic nature and timing of Jesus’ ride into the city of Jerusalem just prior to Passover would speak volumes. Roman governors such as Pontius Pilate annually visited the major cities under their jurisdiction. Ancient sources…

Ezekiel 37: 1-14 ΚΑΙ ἐγένετο ἐπ’ ἐμὲ χεὶρ Κυρίου, καὶ ἐξήγαγέ με ἐν πνεύματι Κύριος καὶ ἔθηκέ με ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ πεδίου καὶ τοῦτο ἦν μεστὸν ὀστέων ἀνθρωπίνων· 2 καὶ περιήγαγέ με ἐπ’ αὐτὰ κυκλόθεν κύκλῳ, καὶ ἰδοὺ πολλὰ σφόδρα ἐπὶ προσώπου τοῦ πεδίου, ξηρὰ σφόδρα. 3 καὶ εἶπε πρός με· υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, εἰ ζήσεται…

by Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Ezekiel 37:1-14 Ezekiel’s mystical vision of the valley of dry bones is one of the most vivid texts in OT prophetic literature. An endless sea of parched bones is a powerful metaphor for the human condition. It speaks to the body diminished by relentless disease; to…

St John 9: 1-41 1 Καὶ παράγων εἶδεν ἄνθρωπον τυφλὸν ἐκ γενετῆς. 2 Καὶ ἠρώτησαν αὐτὸν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ λέγοντες· ῥαββί, τίς ἥμαρτεν, οὗτος ἢ οἱ γονεῖς αὐτοῦ, ἵνα τυφλὸς γεννηθῇ; 3 Ἀπεκρίθη ᾿Ιησοῦς· οὔτε οὗτος ἥμαρτεν οὔτε οἱ γονεῖς αὐτοῦ, ἀλλ’ ἵνα φανερωθῇ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ. 4 Ἐμὲ δεῖ ἐργάζεσθαι τὰ ἔργα τοῦ πέμψαντός με ἕως ἡμέρα ἐστίν· ἔρχεται νὺξ ὅτε οὐδεὶς δύναται ἐργάζεσθαι. 5 Ὅταν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ᾦ, φῶς εἰμι τοῦ κόσμου. 6 Ταῦτα εἰπὼν ἔπτυσε χαμαὶ καὶ ἐποίησε πηλὸν ἐκ τοῦ πτύσματος, καὶ ἐπέχρισε τὸν πηλὸν ἐπὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τοῦ τυφλοῦ 7 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ὕπαγε νίψαι…

by Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Today’s Gospel text, John 9:1-41, unfolds as a drama in several short scenes that presents Jesus’ encounter with a man born blind. The entire text should be read, and read well; but attempting to cover the full range of theologically rich insights that this narrative yields…

Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary The standard reading of Jesus’ encounter with a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well presents the woman as an incorrigible “repeat offender.”  Jesus notes she has “had five husbands, and the man you have is not your husband.” Notably, he does not adjure her to “repent.” Yet, reading…