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Showing 3476 to 3500 of 4963 results

3476. Genesis 12:1-4a

Genesis 12:1-4a

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... There is some suggestion that the name of Terah, Abram's father, as well as some of the other family names, have their roots in moon-god worship. In any case, Terah's loyalty was clearly not to one God, as documented in Joshua 24:2. Yet there remains a Jewish tradition that the first "call" from the Lord came to Terah at Ur. This is the reason, tradition suggests, that Terah left Ur and set out for "the land of Canaan" (Genesis 11:31). But Terah failed to follow through on his original intentions, and when ...

3477. 1 Samuel 16:1-13

1 Samuel 16:1-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... at unpredictable moments. The spirit of the Lord was not in constant attendance in the lives of Israel's judges or in the rule of Israel's first king. All this changes in 1 Samuel 16:13. Now, when David receives the spirit of the Lord, it remains upon him "from that day forward." From the moment of his anointing, the nature of David's kingship is radically different from Saul's - the link between the divine and the king is forged for all time with the Spirit's abiding presence. It is this abiding spirit ...

3478. John 11:1-45

John 11:1-45

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... journey. Jesus is now on the way to Jerusalem (We are explicitly told that Bethany is only about two miles away from Jerusalem in verse 18). The author carefully takes his time moving Jesus along the path. He must first re-enter Judea; then he remains just outside of Bethany; and finally (v.38), Jesus reaches Lazarus' tomb. As he reveals in verses 4 and 40, Jesus' dawdling serves to proclaim God's glory. Despite, or because of, Jesus' great love for this family, he proceeds toward their crisis at a pace ...

3479. Colossians 3:1-4

Colossians 3:1-4

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... , the church lives in a post-resurrection age that has only just been inaugurated. The eschatological promise has yet to be fulfilled; the "glory" of all those things we "seek above" is still in the future. What has been "completed" still remains "incomplete." Scholars of other apocalyptic materials of this era note that Paul's Colossian audience would surely have recognized certain key phrases or "catchwords" which would signal Paul's focus on eschatological time and space. There is an implied relationship ...

3480. 1 Peter 1:17-23

1 Peter 1:17-23

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... their faith relationship. Many of those 1 Peter was addressing had probably been brought to the cities in this region as slaves. Like the early Hebrews, many of them, over the years, had experienced "ransom" from their existence as slaves. But even so, they remained in exile in a foreign land. They had been, in effect, orphaned in the distant regions, far away from their native country and culture and its traditions. Yet these are the same "futile ways" 1 Peter denounces. 1 Peter's words now invite these ...

3481. Acts 17:22-31

Acts 17:22-31

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... audience that Paul's words seem to be capable of communicating on both a strictly biblical and a more inclusively philosophical level. His format is precise; his argument, progressive, giving it the shape of a learned philosophical presentation. What has remained open to interpretation by scholars is the appropriate "spin" Paul intended his words to take. Scholars who see this speech as sympathetic and inclusive hear Paul gently praising the natural religiosity of the Athenians. His intent is not to judge ...

3482. Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

This week's gospel text (like last week's) presents two "versions" of Jesus' favorite communication form a parable. More than mere "stories," less than full-blown "myths," and with a different focus and format than an "allegory," parables remain a distinctive part of Jesus' teaching ministry. While his own mastery of this story-form is unique and unparalleled, the parables of Jesus may have grown out of the Hebraic tradition of the mashal. A mashal was an allegorical type of communication often used by ...

3483. Matthew 16:21-28

Matthew 16:21-28

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

One mark of the Synoptic Gospels is how they carefully divide Jesus' ministry into two definite stages. Matthew and Luke follow Mark's lead by having Jesus remain in the region of Galilee, preaching, teaching and healing for the first half of their gospels. Only after Jesus makes his explicit passion prediction does his one and only journey toward Jerusalem begin. Our gospel text today offers Matthew's version of that crucial "hinge" moment when Jesus reveals to ...

3484. Joshua 3:7-17

Joshua 3:7-17

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... man and plenipotentiary to his new position as Israel's authoritative leader and Yahweh's mouthpiece. In the verses just prior to today's reading, Joshua explicitly extends his authority over the placement and presentation of the great ark of the covenant. While the ark remains under the hands-on care of the Levitical priests (only they may carry it about), all others are commanded to give the sacred box a wide berth. Joshua is clearly in control of the ark's presence before the people. In verse 8, the text ...

3485. Matthew 25:31-46

Matthew 25:31-46

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... goats" being judged in this text are righteous or sinful Gentiles exclusively, with no explicit knowledge of Christ and his teachings, good works appear to become the criterion for judgment. Yet another imprecise designation used in this text suggests that some question still remains about to whom these good works, this benevolent behavior, must be extended in order for these Gentiles to merit mercy. In verse 40 and again in verse 45, the text clearly states that it is by doing good or evil to "the least ...

3486. Mark 1:1-8

Mark 1:1-8

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... Q"-source texts that described John's tirade against the "brood of vipers" in Mark's hands, John the Baptist's work is only to offer "a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins" (v.4) not to threaten judgment or punishment. The wilderness message remains one of hope and new beginnings, untainted by negatives. What Mark's gospel does stress is John the Baptist's proclamation and confession that "one who is more powerful than I is coming" (v.7), one who will baptize with "the Holy Spirit" (v.8). Mark ...

3487. John 1:6-8, 19-28

John 1:6-8, 19-28

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... . But John the Baptist, the one whose role it is to announce the appearance of the Christ, uses this "I am" assertion first. Evidently the priests and Levites are not terribly impressed by this "I am" declaration. The Baptist's baptizing activity still remains a mystery to them. There is some scholarly discussion that John the Baptist may have come out of the Essene community at Qumran. Ritual baptisms, repeated ablutions, were a common part of this community's attempts to live a life of spiritual purity ...

3488. Luke 4:14-21

Luke 4:14-21

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

This week's gospel text demonstrates well how each of the three synoptic gospel authors could use the same material, remain true to the sense and power of the story and yet sculpt it to their own purposes. Here, whereas Luke has the same basic story of Jesus' experience in Nazareth, he uses it quite differently from either Matthew or Mark. Luke 4:14-15 combines comments scattered in Mark (1: ...

3489. Luke 5:1-11

Luke 5:1-11

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... empty boats and invites Simon, the boat's owner, to "put out a little way from the shore" (v.3). From this new vantage point, Jesus can now start teaching in earnest. Jostled and bumped by the crowds while at the water's edge, Jesus had remained standing _ a wise stance if one wanted to avoid being trampled, but not the accepted and most desirable position for instruction. Once afloat, Jesus immediately sits down _ that is, he assumes the teaching position (see Luke 4:20). Luke takes a teaching story and ...

3490. Luke 24:1-12

Luke 24:1-12

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... this miraculous news that turned off the rest of the apostles to their message. They dismiss the stunning news as "an idle tale" or "nonsense" or we might even say as "women's chatter." Of course, "they did not believe them." That the remaining apostles reject the women's testimony so completely starkly contrasts with Luke's own treatment and presentation of women. Throughout Luke's gospel, women are positive witnesses, persons of genuine piety. It is only because they stayed near the cross until Jesus ...

3491. John 21:1-19

John 21:1-19

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... recent translations have finally agreed that this author simply uses the two terms interchangeably. There is no essential difference between the "love' Jesus asks for in verses 15 and 16 and the "love" Peter offers him in verses 15, 16 and 17. There remains, however, strong scholarly debate about the proper translation of Jesus' directive to Peter. The NRSV records Jesus' commands as "Feed my lambs" (v.15), "Tend my sheep" (v.16), and then again "Feed my sheep" (v.17). The verb translated simply as "feed ...

3492. Psalm 23

Psalm 23

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... of Psalm 23 is its interpretation as a song of trust. Whether the trust it propounds is of an individual king caught up in a life- threatening political atmosphere, or of an entire nation which has found itself once again homeless and wandering, there remains the comforting theme of abiding trust in God's presence and providence. The trust Psalm 23 advocates and radiates is far from childlike naiveté. Part of the power and enduring relevance of this psalm is the fact that it pulls no punches. Clearly, the ...

3493. John 14:23-29

John 14:23-29

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... questions put to him by his followers. Here he addresses the query the gospel writer puts on the lips of Judas. Jesus' tone has increased in gentleness and compassion for his disciples as he continues to talk. He gently clarifies how his presence will remain with his disciples. When Jesus declares, "Those who love me will keep my word," we must remember that in Greek "word" ("logos") encompasses a vast area of meaning. In this particular context, it would seem that Jesus is referring back to the command to ...

3494. Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21

Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

Although the book of Revelation is filled with mysterious messages, magnificent visions and astounding, even inexplicable portents, it remains at its heart a letter. In its most basic form, Revelation is simply a letter sent out by a prisoner-preacher, intended to be read aloud to the small and struggling churches scattered throughout the Asian region. Like Paul's letters, John's Revelation begins with a standard formula of ...

3495. Romans 5:1-5

Romans 5:1-5

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

Although Romans 5:1 clearly starts a new section of Paul's letter, it skillfully builds on all that the apostle has already set forth. The example of Abraham, cited in 4:1-22, surely remains dominant in the minds of Paul's audience as they continue to read about the role endurance, character and hope play in the lives of the faithful. But in 5:1-11, Paul becomes primarily concerned with demonstrating how all the spiritual gifts are in fact contained within that one ...

3496. Galatians 5:1, 13-25

Galatians 5:1, 13-25

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... 's redemptive acts. To live in "the spirit" is to experience the crucifixion of one's own flesh (v. 24) and thus to enjoy the new freedom Christ offers. Even if we continue to read verses 16-25 as literal references to flesh and spirit, there remains an undercurrent in Paul's words of the continuing battle between law and freedom. Paul refers to the behaviors manifested by the flesh and the "works" of the flesh (v.19) i.e., activities brought about and fully realized by human actions and abilities. Those in ...

3497. Luke 10:38-42

Luke 10:38-42

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... as facts. The truth is, we are still fairly ignorant about what kinds of roles and attitudes prevailed within the homes of the common, faithful Jews of the first century. Whether women were accorded the opportunity for education, and if so, how much, remains an unknown. Certainly in this instance, neither Jesus nor his other followers, nor Martha and Mary themselves appear to see their presence in the midst of this discipling band as highly unusual or improper. It also appears from the context of this story ...

3498. Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... fertility, the NRSV has adopted a translation that is probably grammatically correct, even if it is rather disappointedly one-sided in its focus. Based on the vocabulary the author uses here (katabolen spermatos, to cast or lay down seed), it seems his focus remains firmly upon Abraham and both his physical and faithful contributions to the miraculous conception of Isaac. Verses 13-16 stand as this epistle writer's own commentary on the faith of "all of these" a phrase that most likely refers only to those ...

3499. Luke 15:1-10

Luke 15:1-10

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... a well-established Old Testament tradition. Furthermore, sheepherding had been a familiar and respectable livelihood for generations of Israelites. Many of the greatest Old Testament figures Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David started out as simple shepherds. But the fact remains that Jesus is not speaking with shepherds at this moment. He is speaking to those scribes and Pharisees who are highly concerned with issues of status and superiority. For them, identifying with the concerns of a "common" shepherd ...

3500. Luke 16:19-31

Luke 16:19-31

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... Lukan literary style. In this world, the purple robes contrast with the pustulant sores; the sumptuous feasts of one vs. the slow starvation of the other. But at the moment of death, everything changes. We hear nothing about what happened to Lazarus' mortal remains on earth because he is immediately "carried away by the angels to be with Abraham." The rich man, however, is simply "buried." Lazarus is not only welcomed into paradise, but he is given the most desired spot - at "Abraham's bosom." This phrase ...

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