Tag: jesus

  • Preaching Paths 25 February 2024

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary The gospel lection this week, Mk 8:31-38, falls into two sections. First, verses 31-33 bring to a head questions about Jesus’ identity and mission that have been intensifying since the middle of Mark’s first chapter. Verses 34-38 then spell out the costs of discipleship, reframed now by…

  • First Sunday in Lent, 18th February 2024

    Mark 1:9-151:9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 1:10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 1:11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are…

  • Preaching Paths 18 February 2024

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Most of the verses comprising today’s lection, Mark 1:9-15, are familiar. We’ve encountered vv.9-11, Jesus’ baptism and divine commission, on the Sunday of Baptism of Our Lord. John the Baptist’s arrest and the inauguration of Jesus’ preaching ministry were read on Epiphany 3B.  Today’s new material, vv…

  • Transfiguration Sunday, 11th February 2024 (Last Sunday before Lent)

    Mark 9:2-99:2 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 9:3 and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. 9:4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses,…

  • Preaching Paths 11 February 2024 Transfiguration Sunday

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Mark’s gospel presents the ministry of Jesus as the pivotal event in a two-tiered struggle for the triumph of the reign of God, fought on both an earthly plane and a heavenly one. Mark presents Jesus confronting Satanic temptation and evil spirits long before he contends with…

  • Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, 4th February 2024

    Mark 1:29-391:29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 1:30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. 1:31 He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever…

  • Preaching Paths 4 February 2024

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Like a painter applying quick strokes, broad and vivid, to a canvas, Mark widens our view of Jesus’ urgent mission and ministry in our lection’s three short scenes (Mk 1:29-39). We move from the loud, public exorcism scene in the synagogue (1:20-28) to Simon’s home in Capernaum,…

  • Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany, 28th January, 2024

    Mark 1:21-281:21 They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. 1:22 They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. 1:23 Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, 1:24 and he cried…

  • Preaching Paths 28 January 2024

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary In today’s text (Mk 1:20-28), we find Jesus in Galilee where he has been proclaiming that the eschatological clock has advanced (“the time is fulfilled”) and the hour of confrontation with unholy powers, spiritual and earthly, has come (“the reign of God has come near”).  Now, a…

  • Third Sunday after the Epiphany, 21st January 2024

    Mark 1:14-201:14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, 1:15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” 1:16 As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew…