Tag: jesus

  • Sunday, 12th July 2026

    Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 The parable of the sower and the seed 13:1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 13:2 Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. 13:3 And he told them…

  • Preaching Paths 12 July 2026

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary The parable of the Sower and Soils (Mt 13: 1-9), coupled with its interpretation (Mt 13:18-23), is familiar to many congregations. One reliable approach to this parable has been to see the sower as Jesus, the seed as the gospel summons to trust and follow him, and…

  • Sunday, 5th July 2026

    Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 The yoke of discipleship 11:16 “But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, 11:17 ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.’ 11:18 “For John came neither eating nor…

  • Preaching Paths 5 July 2026, Proper 9

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Today’s Gospel lection, Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30, can seem an odd collection of rhetorically disparate fragments. A parable (vv.16-17), judgment in the form of an antimony (vv.18-19b), a proverb (v. 19c), a brief prayer (vv. 25-26), a chiastic theological self-identification (v.27) and a summons accompanied by promise (vv.…

  • Preaching Paths 14 June 2026 Proper 5 (Gospel text)

    Sally A Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary The opening verse of today’s Gospel reading (Mt 9:35-10:8) echoes Mt 4:23. These verses bracket Mt’s five-chapter summation of Jesus’ mission.  Chs 5-7 (the Sermon on the Mount) present the essence of Jesus’ teaching about the ways of the reign of heaven. Chs 8-9 present Jesus’ enactment…

  • Sunday,14th June & Sunday 7th June 2026 (two entries)

    Sunday 14th June 2026 Proper 6 (11) Genesis 18:1-15, (21:1-7) The call of Abraham and Sarah 18:1 The LORD appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day.18:2 He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw…

  • Preaching Paths 7 June 2026

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Mt 9:9-13, 18-26 presents in four interlocked scenes the shocking, boundary-crossing nature of Jesus’ interpretation of the reign of God. Scene I: Rabbis like Jesus would choose disciples to learn their teachings and emulate their way of life, but none would choose a tax collector! Tax collectors…

  • Preaching Paths May 24 2026

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary The text this Pentecost Sunday from ch 2 of The Acts of the Apostles falls into three sections. First, we witness the inrush of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus’ followers, who have been praying together in an upper room in Jerusalem on the Jewish feast called Pentecost.…

  • Sunday,31st May;Pentecost Sunday, 24th May, & 17th May 2026, Easter 7 (3 entries)

    Sunday, 31st May 2026 St Paul, 2 Cor. 13: 11-13 13:11 Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 13:12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you.…

  • Preaching Paths 10 May 2026

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Today’s reading, John 14:15-21, is a continuation of Jesus’ parting words to his followers. Much of the vocabulary is familiar from previous verses. Yet, this section presents a significant new element: a dynamic of mutual and multidirectional love connecting Jesus, the Father, and Jesus’ followers. This current…