Tag: faith

  • 1st March 2026, Lent 2, Year A

    St John 3: 1-17 The mission of Christ: saving the world 3:1 Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 3:2 He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs…

  • Preaching Paths 15 February 2026

    Sally A. Brown, Professor of Preaching Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary In the verses before us today (Mt 5:21-37), Jesus speaks as any rabbi of his day might have done. To interpret the Law faithfully was a rabbi’s chief responsibility. The formula, “You have heard it said …” was a characteristic rabbinic phrase when one was…

  • 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…

  • 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’…

  • 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,…

  • 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,…

  • 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…

  • 3rd August 2025, 8th Sunday after Pentecost

    St Luke 12: 13-21 Be rich toward God, your treasure 12:13Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” 12:14But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” 12:15And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your…

  • Preaching Paths 1 June 2024 Eastertide 7C

    [I apologize for the omission of the expected homiletical commentary  for this date,  a section of the “High Priestly” intercession of Jesus, John 17:20-26.—Sally A. Brown]

  • Preaching Paths 27 April 2025 Eastertide 2 Yr C

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary The Gospel text before us today, John 20:19-31, is regarded by many scholars as the original ending of the Gospel of John.* In v 31, the writer states the purpose of his book: that those who read or hear it “may believe that Jesus is the Messiah,…