Tag: gospel-of-st-luke

  • 23rd November 2025 (24th Sun. after Pentecost)

    St Luke 23: 33-43 Jesus crucified with two thieves 23:33 When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 23:34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they…

  • Preaching Paths 16 November 2025 Proper 28C

    Sally A Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary In today’s gospel reading (Luke 21:5-19), Jesus continues to teach a mixed crowd of disciples and other listeners in the magnificent Temple in Jerusalem, a building project of Rome’s appointee, Herod the Great. In Jesus’ time, its expansive outer courts and lavish embellishments were still under construction.…

  • Preaching Paths 9 November 2025 Proper 27C

    Sally A Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary After several weeks of Luke’s action-filled parables and stories, today’s Gospel text, Luke 20:27-38, may strike some preachers—and their listeners!—as odd or simply irrelevant. To open a pathway to  the pulpit, a first step is to review the setting and timing of the debate presented in this…

  • Preaching Paths 2 November 2025 Proper 26C

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Many in our pews will be familiar with the story of the diminutive, wealthy chief tax collector, Zaccheus, who runs past the crowd and climbs a sycamore tree to get a glimpse of Jesus. Preachers may also be familiar with the interpretive “fork in the road” that…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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,…