Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: touch, feel, sense of touch, tactile sense, tactility, contact, using one's hands, sensation, sense, suspicion, sneaking suspicion, notion, inkling, hunch, fancy, apprehension, presentiment, premonition, foreboding, love, care, affection, fondness, tenderness, warmth, warmness, emotion, sentiment, emotional state, compassion, sympathy, empathy, fellow feeling, understanding, concern, solicitude, solicitousness, tender-heartedness, brotherly love, sensibilities, sensitivities, self-esteem, ego, pride, opinion, belief, view, impression, intuition, instinct, estimation, guess, theory, hypothesis, thought, way of thinking, point of view, atmosphere, ambience, aura, air, mood, climate, character, overtone, undertone, tenor, spirit, quality, flavour, colour, aptitude, knack, flair, bent, talent, gift, skill, art, trick, faculty, ability, propensity, inclination, sensitive, warm, warm-hearted, tender, tender-hearted, caring, soft-hearted, sympathetic, compassionate, empathetic, responsive, receptive, intuitive, thoughtful

Antonyms: bad feeling, acrimony, animosity, animus, antagonism, antipathy, aversion, bitterness, detestation, disgust, dislike, disrelish, enmity, friction, grievances, grudges, hatred, hostility, loathing, malevolence, malice

Showing 2551 to 2575 of 5000 results

2551. Jesus as Isaianic Messiah and Wisdom Embodied

Matthew 11:1-19

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Jeannine K. Brown

... . If the former, then the two parts of 11:12 involve a contrast: “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven presses forcefully, [yet] those who are violent grab at it.”[1] Most take the latter tack (e.g., NIV), understanding the two lines of the verse as essentially synonymous. In either option the specific referent of “violent people” is ambiguous. Given John’s demise soon to be narrated (14:1–12), Herod Antipas may be a type of the violent ones raiding the kingdom. The ...

2552. Jesus’ Compassion and Authority to Do the Miraculous

Matthew 14:13-21, Matthew 14:22-36

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Jeannine K. Brown

... to them, walking on the lake. As at 8:23–27, where Jesus calms a storm at sea, Matthew portrays him as one with authority over the natural world. 14:26 they were terrified . . . and cried out in fear. The fear experienced by the disciples is understandable, given the appearance of Jesus on the water. This story functions in similar ways to theophanies in the Old Testament, in which the Lord or an angel of the Lord appears to a person. In these instances fear is an expected response, and comfort in the ...

2553. Community Discourse: Lavish Forgiveness in the Kingdom

Matthew 18:21-35

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Jeannine K. Brown

... , I forgive you.” This “egg-shaped decoration” is in fact a Fabergé egg—a work of art worth millions. Do you think that the employee will value the employer’s gracious forgiveness more if he realizes the value of the egg? When we do not understand the true depth of our debt to God, forgiveness will be accepted but possibly not fully appreciated. Matthew’s use of such an excessive monetary amount (“ten thousand bags of gold”) highlights the depth of that debt from which God has released us ...

2554. Jesus Is the Example of Service for His Followers

Matthew 20:17-19, Matthew 20:20-28

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Jeannine K. Brown

... Jer. 25:15; 49:12). The two brothers do not seem to catch this connotation in their affirmative answer. We can. The brief answer by James and John again highlights their bold request and lack of understanding about the nature of Jesus’ mission in Jerusalem, which will involve suffering and death. It may be that they understand his picture of sharing a cup in a more positive light, in line with a few Old Testament texts that connect “cup” with salvation or provision (e.g., Pss. 16:5; 116:13; cf. Zech ...

2555. Jesus Enters Jerusalem as a Peaceable and Humble King

Matthew 20:29-34, Matthew 21:1-11

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Jeannine K. Brown

... far as a single character group, here Matthew makes it clear that the people of Jerusalem are not identical to the many Jewish people from Galilee who have followed Jesus in his ministry and to Jerusalem. This distinction will be important when it comes to understanding the portrayal of the people (laos) at 27:25. For the distinction presented here between Jews from Galilee and those from Judea/Jerusalem, see comments on 4:12. Teaching the Text 1. Matthew shows Jesus to be the true king of Israel, the Son ...

2556. Jesus Demonstrates Messianic Authority over the Temple

Matthew 21:12-17, Matthew 21:18-22

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Jeannine K. Brown

... of God and political obedience are inseparable. The abuses surrounding the temple and Israel’s political subjugation are but aspects of the same political reality. To call Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and his cleansing of the temple politics challenges the dominant understanding of politics in modernity. We normally do not associate questions of truth and worship with politics. But I am suggesting that Jesus’ drawing on the promise of God to Israel refuses to let Rome determine what counts or does not ...

2557. Jesus Is Tried before Pilate and Sentenced to Death

Matthew 27:1-10, Matthew 27:11-26

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Jeannine K. Brown

... 17 Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah? Some manuscripts include the name “Jesus” before the surname “Barabbas”; others do not. Given a clear disposition by Christian scribes copying the New Testament to hold Jesus’ name in reverence, it is easy to understand how they might omit that name when used to refer to a criminal. It is less discernible why some scribes might add the name if it was not originally in Matthew. For this reason, it is likely that both prisoners to whom Pilate ...

2558. The Resurrected Jesus Is Vindicated by God and Given All Authority

Matthew 28:1-10, Matthew 28:11-15, Matthew 28:16-20

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Jeannine K. Brown

... terms, with the goal being proofs for it. This is not inappropriate, but an apologetic for the resurrection is not at the heart of what Matthew provides. He is much more interested in the meaning of the resurrection for his Christology. And understanding Jesus’ resurrection as his vindication by God gets at this meaning. Jesus’ resurrection shows us that he is the Messiah, and that his particular way of living out that messianic mission—in service and death for others—is God’s way of making ...

2559. Jesus as Lord and as Archcriminal

Mark 2:23-3:6, Mark 2:18-22

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Grant R. Osborne

... and those who reject his authority will answer to God. All characterized by “stubborn hearts” must submit to God in Jesus or face the consequences. Teaching the Text 1. Fasting is a spiritual discipline for the present age. It is critical to help people understand the meaning and purpose of fasting. Many in Jesus’s time connected it with mourning for sin, sorrow in time of tragedy, but also with gaining favor with God to manipulate him into doing things. In the new era inaugurated by Jesus, fasting is ...

2560. Mission and Rejection in Galilee

Mark 6:14-29, Mark 6:7-13

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Grant R. Osborne

... : All followers of Jesus are called to mission. Yet when the kingdom news of the gospel is presented, there is both authority from God and inevitable opposition to it when people reject the good news, sometimes even costing the lives of those sent to speak for God. Understanding the Text This begins the fourth section of the Galilean ministry in Mark (after 1:16–3:6; 3:7–35; 4:1–6:30) and constitutes the third sandwiching episode thus far (after 3:20–35; 5:21–43). The sending of the Twelve (6:7 ...

2561. The Exorcism of a Child Develops a Humble Model for Faith

Mark 9:14-32

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Grant R. Osborne

... s disciples have been powerless against the demon (the end of a long line of failures), the man is not so certain that their master has the strength (“if you can” = “if you have the power” [dynamai]) to do anything either. His lack of faith is understandable. Yet Jesus is nearly his last hope, so all he can do is beg for compassion and for Jesus to try. 9:23 “If you can”? Jesus repeats the father’s words back to him (literally, “As for ‘if you can’”). This is usually understood as ...

2562. Government and Marriage

Mark 12:18-27, Mark 12:13-17

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Grant R. Osborne

... symbolic description that can do no more than approximate a far greater future than can be expressed. There is no way to describe the infinite, perfect reality that God has waiting for us. There will be a glory, a joy, a peace beyond all human understanding. Illustrating the Text When and how to oppose government Quotes: Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer stood boldly against Adolf Hitler and the teachings of the Nazis until he was put to death as a spy by hanging in a Nazi concentration camp in April of 1945 ...

2563. The Arrest of Jesus

Mark 14:43-52

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Grant R. Osborne

... his enemies begins with his arrest. Here his disciples fail again, and what draws his internal (vv. 32–42) and external battles at Gethsemane (vv. 27–31, 43–49, 50–52) together is the necessity at all times to depend on God and his will. Understanding the Text This story provides a transition from Gethsemane (it takes place in that garden and is the natural denouement to it) to the trials before the Sanhedrin and Pilate. Here the passion predictions of 8:31; 9:31; 10:33–34 start to be fulfilled ...

2564. The Roman Trial

Mark 15:16-20, Mark 15:1-15

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Grant R. Osborne

... of the county all but guarantees an all-white jury. So Carl Lee meets the expected injustice head on by killing the two men as they are led to court for their bond hearing. Even as he steps outside the law, Carl Lee’s reaction is understandable, but it stands in stark contrast to Jesus’s own reaction in the face of the malicious intent of his accusers. The power of suffering for another Biography: Brennan Manning’s best friend growing up was Ray Brennan. The two of them did everything together, even ...

2565. A Special Child Promised

Luke 1:5-25

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R.T. France

... prepared for the Lord.” John’s mission was to bring about a comprehensive religious revival. His appearance signals the dawn of the new era that the prophets foretold. 1:20 you will be silent and not able to speak. For Zechariah’s understandable “disbelief” in the face of such an extraordinary promise, compare the reaction of both Abraham and Sarah to God’s similar promise in Genesis 17:17–18; 18:10–15. Zechariah’s skepticism stands in contrast with Mary’s acceptance of Gabriel’s ...

2566. Sabbath in Capernaum

Luke 4:38-44, Luke 4:31-37

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R.T. France

... him as the Messiah. Compare the similar command to the disciples when Peter reached the same conclusion (9:20–21). This surprising caution is probably best explained by the likelihood that popular ideas of the messianic agenda would be at odds with Jesus’s own understanding of his mission. He prefers to spell out his messianic role in his own terms, as we have seen in 4:16–30, and the adverse reaction on that occasion shows that his caution was justified. A further factor here is that demons are not ...

2567. Lord of the Sabbath and Appointing the Twelve

Luke 6:12-16, Luke 6:1-11

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R.T. France

... that he claims to be on a level above merely human authorities. He will not openly claim to be divine, but the reader who remembers the angel’s message in 1:30–35 will have no difficulty in reading between the lines. But alongside this exalted understanding of Jesus, it is salutary to note that those whom he chooses as his helpers and representatives come not from the top layer of society but rather from ordinary life: the ones whose professions we know are four fishermen and (if Levi = Matthew) a tax ...

2568. The Cost of Discipleship

Luke 14:25-35, Luke 14:15-24

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R.T. France

... and the call to table, or that anyone would buy a field or oxen (let alone the considerable investment of five pairs) without first inspecting them. Such implausible excuses would be a calculated insult to the host, and his anger is understandable. But these excuses serve within the parable context to illustrate the sort of preoccupations (property, commerce, relationships) that (like the thorns in the field [8:14]) can get in the way of effective discipleship. 14:21 the poor, the crippled, the ...

2569. The Coming of the Kingdom of God

Luke 17:20-37

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R.T. France

... link between the Son of Man and the kingdom of God? Encourage listeners to imagine themselves in the place of Jesus’s disciples. What would they have made at that time of his talk about future “days of the Son of Man”? And how might their understanding have developed after the period of his earthly ministry? How does what Jesus says here relate to what is generally taught in our churches about the “second coming”? Do we place the emphasis where Jesus did? This might be a good time to teach about ...

2570. A Blind Beggar and a Rich Scoundrel

Luke 19:1-10, Luke 18:35-43

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R.T. France

... of a tramp less worth saving than another. . . . What do you mean when you sing, ‘I’ll go with Him, with Him, all the way’? Do you mean that you are suffering and denying yourselves and trying to save lost, suffering humanity just as I understand Jesus did?” At the end of his moving talk, he falls over and later dies, precipitating the pastor’s reevaluation of his whole life. Rev. Henry Maxwell then begins to live in light of Christ’s model.3 True conversion results in profound change, including ...

2571. Two Testing Questions

Luke 20:27-40, Luke 20:20-26

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R.T. France

... when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters; . . . then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait.1 Current Trends: Today, there are an increasing number of such conflicts. For example, the announcement of a mandate for all businesses and institutions to perform abortions and supply contraceptives in their facilities and through ...

2572. “When Will These Things Happen?”

Luke 21:5-38

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R.T. France

... to explain for those who claim that 21:25–31 relates to the parousia. Some who hold this view claim that “this generation” refers back to 21:8–24, but not to the return of the Son of Man in 21:25–31. Others understand “this generation” to refer to the last generation before Christ returns, not to the disciples’ generation. Still others take “generation” to mean “ethnicity” and to refer to the Jewish nation as a whole. None of these is a very satisfactory solution. 21:33 my ...

2573. On the Mount of Olives

Luke 22:47-53, Luke 22:39-46, Luke 22:7-38

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R.T. France

... and fail to connect the dots. The disciples made this same mistake with Jesus’s words about swords. The good news is that Jesus is willing to keep explaining patiently, and sends his Spirit to help us interpret his Word. More than anyone, Jesus understands the agony of choosing the right thing, even when it could cost everything. Church History: Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna and disciple of John the Apostle, became an early Christian martyr. He was called before a Roman proconsul in a stadium and ordered ...

2574. At the Tomb

Luke 24:1-12, Luke 23:50-56

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R.T. France

... , and when you lie down at night, and when you wake in the middle of the night. . . . And the Signs . . . will not look at all as you expect them to look. . . . That is why it is so important to know them by heart.4 The women correctly remember and understand the events and witness to the Eleven in spite of the men’s questioning. Quote: Are Women Human? by Dorothy Sayers. Sayers (1893–1957), a renowned English woman of letters, helps us to see why the women were so attentive and why they seemed to ...

2575. The Story of Israel Now and Later

Romans 2:1-16

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C. Marvin Pate

... points of contact between Romans 2 and Wisdom of Solomon 12–15 that confirm a Jewish mindset here in 2:1–11. Third, Paul’s direct appeal to “the Jew” in 2:17 does not indicate that he is there introducing a new audience. The key to understanding Romans 2:1–5 is to see the two components of the story of Israel at play there. The first is that Israel has sinned against the stipulations of the Torah, in terms of both idolatry and injustice. These sins are the “same things” (referred to three ...

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