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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Preaching Paths 12 January 2025 Baptism of Our Lord
Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary It can be daunting to preach from Luke’s account of Jesus’ baptism: how does one find traction in something so succinct and unadorned? Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 presents two simple scenes. First, John faces the crowds who hope he is the longed-for Messiah; he points away to “one…
Insights into Biblical Greek Grammar and Syntax 