Tag: parable

  • Preaching Paths 11 October 2026

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Matthew scholars generally agree that Matthew presents Jesus in the mode of “apocalyptic prophet.” In the tradition of Amos, Isaiah, and his cousin John the Baptist, Jesus announces the approach of God’s day of reckoning, taking to task religious leaders. He calls for a return to the…

  • Sunday, 27th September 2026

    Matthew 21:23-3221:23 When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 21:24 Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me…

  • Sunday, 20th September 2026

    Matthew 20:1-1620:1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 20:2 After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. 20:3 When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in…

  • 26th April 2026, 4th Sunday of Easter

    John 10:1-1010:1 Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. 10:2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 10:3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear…

  • 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 28 September 2025 Proper 21C

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Some parables are challenging to preach because their meaning is so elusive. Others, like the one before us today (Luke 16:19-31), are challenging because their meaning is all too bluntly obvious. Unique to Luke, this parable contrasts a lavishly wealthy man and Lazarus, the diseased beggar who…

  • Preaching Paths 10 August 2025 Proper 14C

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary In today’s Gospel reading, Luke 12:32-40, Jesus continues urging his followers to invest in the coming reign of God, free of material concerns. The text unfolds in three sections. Verses 32-34 warn against being preoccupied with a deluded quest for possessions, imagining that these can offer us…

  • 13th July 2025, Proper 10 C

    St Luke 10:25-37 The parable of the merciful Samaritan 10:25 An expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 10:26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” 10:27 He answered, “You shall love the Lord…

  • 30th March 2025, 4th Sunday in Lent

    Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 The parable of the forgiving father 15:1 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. 15:2 And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 15:3 So he told them this parable: 15:11b “There was a man…

  • Preaching Paths 23 March 2025  Lent 3 Yr C

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary The Gospel text for Lent 3, Luke 13:1-9, continues the apocalyptic tone of Jesus’ teachings in ch 12.  Four themes shape these verses: 1) the fragility of human life; 2) the imminent inbreaking of God’s reign; 3) the narrowing window of opportunity to take appropriate action (repentance);…