Tag: jesus

  • Preaching Paths 27 October 2024

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Bartimaeus is the only healed person in Mark’s Gospel whose name we learn (Mark 10:46-52). The brief, dramatic story of Jesus pausing in his march to Jerusalem to restore Bartimaeus’ sight is compelling in its own right; yet, we only begin to discern the key role it…

  • Proper 25 (30), 20th October 2024

    St Mark 10:35-45 Warnings to ambitious disciples 10:35 James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 10:36 And he said to them, “What is it you want me to do for you?” 10:37And they said…

  • Preaching Paths 20 October 2024 Proper 24B

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary A first step toward reliable interpretation of today’s gospel text, Mark 10:35-45, will be to expand the limits of the lection to include vv 32-34. Doing so makes clear that we have before us the third instance of a threefold literary structure in Mark: 1) Jesus predicts…

  • Proper 23 (28), 13th October 2024

    Mark 10:17-31 Teaching on wealth and reward 10:17 As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 10:18 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.…

  • Preaching Paths 13 October 2024 Proper 23

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary In today’s Gospel reading, Mark 10:17-31, Jesus is met on his way to Jerusalem by a man eager to “inherit eternal life.” Addressing Jesus as “good Teacher,” he respectfully asks for instruction. Jesus replies, first, with a question: “Why do you call me ‘good?’ God alone is…

  • Proper 22 (27), 6th October 2024

    Mark 10:2-16 Teaching on marriage 10:2Some testing him, asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 10:3He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 10:4They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.” 10:5But Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he…

  • Preaching Paths 6 October 2024 Proper 22

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary In today’s Gospel reading (Mark 10:2-16), some Pharisees ask Jesus to vote up or down the lawfulness of divorcing one’s wife. Their motive may be less than innocent; they may hope he will answer in a way that draws the attention and ire of Herodias, who married…

  • Preaching Paths 29 September2024

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Mark scholars agree: today’s gospel lection, Mark 9:38-50, presents interpretive challenges.* John’s question about an “unauthorized” exorcist, as well as Jesus’ reply, seem at first glance far removed from our experience; yet they prompt us to think more deeply about the freedom of God’s liberating power to…

  • Proper 20 (25), 22nd September 2024

    St Mark 9:30-37 Prediction of the Passion 9:30They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it, 9:31for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed,…

  • Preaching Paths 22 September 2024 Proper 20B

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Jesus predicts his arrest, death and resurrection a second time in today’s reading, Mark 9:30-37. His disciples, uncomprehending as before, are afraid to ask for clarification—even the three who witnessed Jesus’ transfiguration on the mountaintop (9:2-8). For them, this is Jesus’ third mention of resurrection. Descending the…