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26th October 2025, 20th Sunday after Pentecost
Luke 18:9-14 A Pharisee and tax collector pray 18:9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: 18:10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 18:11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, was…
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Preaching Paths 26 October 2025, Proper 25C
Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Luke 18:9-14, another parable unique to Luke, continues the theme of prayer introduced in last week’s reading (18:1-8), but with a different emphasis. Last week’s reading underscored the need for steadfastness in prayer. This week, Jesus again sets side by side two contrasting individuals—this time, a law-observant…
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19th October 2025, 19th Sunday after Pentecost
Luke 18:1-8 A widow begs for justice 18:1 Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. 18:2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. 18:3 In that city there was a widow who kept…
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Preaching Paths 19 October 2025 Proper 24C
Sally A Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary This week’s gospel text, Luke 18:1-8, presents us with another parable unique to Luke. The parable sets in juxtaposition two readily recognizable “stock” characters of the time—a mistreated widow who seeks justice and a self-absorbed judge who has no regard either for God or human beings. The…
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Preaching Paths 12 October 2025 Proper 23C
Sally A Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary In today’s gospel lection, Luke 17:11-19, we find Jesus traveling the borderland between Galilee and Samaria, a region many Jewish travelers avoided, owing to the deep animosity between Jews and Samaritans. Unsurprisingly, ten men made ritually “unclean” because of skin disease chose to take refuge there. Many…
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Preaching Paths 5 October 2025, Proper 22C
Sally A Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary A helpful step toward preaching from today’s text, Luke 17:5-10, will be to begin reading at v 1, both for study and in the worship service. The high bar of addressing and forgiving others’ offenses that Jesus sets in vv 1-4 is the impetus for his disciples’…
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Sunday,12th & 5th October 2025
12th October 2025, 18th Sunday after Pentecost Luke 17:11-19 The healed leper gives thanks to Jesus 17:11 On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. 17:12 As he entered a village, ten with a skin disease approached him. Keeping their distance, 17:13 they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master,…
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Preaching Paths 28 September 2025 Proper 21C
Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Some parables are challenging to preach because their meaning is so elusive. Others, like the one before us today (Luke 16:19-31), are challenging because their meaning is all too bluntly obvious. Unique to Luke, this parable contrasts a lavishly wealthy man and Lazarus, the diseased beggar who…
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Preaching Paths 21 September 2025 Proper 15C
Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Preachers and scholars agree: the parable of the “dishonest manager” (Luke 16:1-13) is arguably the most difficult of Jesus’ parables to interpret. Consternation centers on vv 8-9. In v 8a, the master commends the cleverness of the “dishonest” account manager he intended to dismiss. In v 8b,…
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Preaching Paths 14 September 2025 Proper 19C
Sally A Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Context matters for rightly interpreting the first two of Jesus’ three parables of God’s persistent seeking of that which is lost (Luke 10:1-15). Jesus is responding to grumbling Pharisees and scribes who criticize his habit of dining with the tax collectors and “sinners” who follow and listen…
Insights into Biblical Greek Grammar and Syntax 