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 3801 to 3825 of 4770 results

3801. Judgment and Salvation

Isaiah 65:1-16

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... (v. 5a), but do not keep the requirements of the Torah (v. 4b). The people may think that in the context of faith in Yahweh they can offer a mixed worship just as legitimately as a worship approved by prophets such as Isaiah, but the Preacher does not view it that way. 65:8–16 The division presupposed here suggests another reading of 63:7–64:12 as Yahweh makes a threat and offers a choice. The community comprises two types of people—those who are my servants and those who indeed did not answer when I ...

3802. An Unholy History

Ezekiel 20:1-29, Ezekiel 20:30-49

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... title associated most closely with Zion (T. N. D. Mettinger, The Dethronement of Sabaoth: Studies in the Shem and Kabod Theologies [trans. F. H. Cryer; ConBOT 18; Lund: C. W. K. Gleerup, 1982], pp. 11, 109–13). Together with Ezekiel’s avoidance of melek (Heb. for “king”) and his negative view of the Jerusalem priesthood, this feature of the book underlines the prophet’s anger and disillusionment with the religious and political establishments of Jerusalem.

3803. Miscellaneous Oracles of Judgment

Ezekiel 21:1-32, Ezekiel 22:1-31

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... the alien and mistreated the fatherless and the widow (v. 7). Justice for the alien, the widow, and the orphan—those without family to look out for them, who fall through the cracks of the social network of clan and tribe—is an important aspect of Deuteronomy’s view of human rights (Deut. 10:18; 14:29; 16:11–14; 24:17–21; 26:12–13; 27:19). Accordingly, in the book of Jeremiah, care for these forgotten persons is integral to Israel’s covenant obligations (Jer. 7:6; 22:3; see also Zech. 7:10 and ...

3804. Ezekiel a Watchman

Ezekiel 33:1-20, Ezekiel 33:21-33

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... 2:5) and ties together chapters 1–33 as the first movement of Ezekiel’s prophecy. The oracles of judgment now are ended. Something new is about to begin. Additional Notes 33:28 A desolate waste. As Dalit Rom-Shiloni has shown, neither Priestly nor Deuteronomic views of exile recognize “partial deportation” (“Ezekiel as the Voice of the Exiles and Constructor of Exilic Ideology,” HUCA 76 [2005], p. 11). As Lev. 18:24–30; Deut. 4:25–31; 8:19–20; and the covenant curses in Lev. 26:14–45 and ...

3805. A Prophecy Against Gog

Ezekiel 38:1-39:29

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... Ezekiel penned these words. Here the understanding is that the prophets are figures of the past, who predicted the events of Israel’s (to them) distant future. Even setting aside the statement assigning the prediction to “former days,” this is a view of prophecy which none of the prophets held—certainly not Ezekiel. Prophetic eschatology focuses on the coming Day of the Lord (see the discussion of 30:3, above); the specific predictions of Gog’s rise, assault, and fall sound more like apocalypse ...

3806. Epilogue to the Law of the Temple: River, Land, City

Ezekiel 47:1-12, Ezekiel 47:13-23, Ezekiel 48:1-29, Ezekiel 48:30-35

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... . The usual explanation for the Hebrew phrase kemibneh-ʿir, as the NIV translation reflects, is that the temple complex with its buildings, walls, and gates looked like a city. But Ezekiel certainly would have known what a temple looked like, and his harsh view of Jerusalem (see, e.g., 16:1–63; 22:1–16) makes the choice of this simile anything but natural. In its immediate context, the expression “structure like a city” (see the discussion of 40:2, above) creates tension and suspense. From the ...

3807. Jesus as True King of Israel

Matthew 2:19-23, Matthew 2:13-18, Matthew 2:1-12

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... connects Jesus to the Old Testament story of Israel and to prophetic testimony about God’s future work of restoration, which is now coming about in Jesus the Messiah. In the broader context of Micah 5, the Assyrian threat of exile is clearly in view (5:1–6). Micah prophesies that the one who shepherds God’s people will bring peace, security, and deliverance from exile. 2:12 warned in a dream. Throughout the birth narrative (1:18–2:23) divine protection and guidance are signaled by communication ...

3808. Transition to Jesus’ Public Ministry

Matthew 4:12-17

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... . Jewish communities thrived in the Galilean cities of Sepphoris and Tiberias and especially in the smaller towns and surrounding countryside of southern Galilee. The mixed nature of Galilee, racially and religiously, would have provided ample reason for Judean Jews to view their Galilean counterparts as distinct from themselves and with some amount of disdain. Matthew illuminates this distinction on a few occasions in his narrative (e.g., 21:10–11; 26:69). As R. T. France highlights... Even an impeccably ...

3809. Jesus, Isaiah’s Servant of the Lord, Heals Many

Matthew 8:14-17, Matthew 8:5-13, Matthew 8:1-4

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... . 4:1–5; Zech. 14:16–19). Teaching the Text 1. As he narrates the healing ministry of Jesus, Matthew indicates the arrival of God’s kingdom. By drawing from Isaiah 53 after narrating three healing miracles (8:1–17), Matthew leads the reader to view Jesus’ power and compassion to heal in light of the Isaiah text: “He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases” (8:17). Although Matthew draws on a specific Isaiah text that highlights the Servant of the Lord as healer, Isaiah’s broader vision ...

3810. Jesus Eats with Sinners and Heals the Sick

Matthew 9:9-13, Matthew 9:14-17, Matthew 9:18-26, Matthew 9:27-34

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... of Jewish society (11:19; 21:31–32). The category of sinners identifies those Jews with a reputation for routinely transgressing the Torah and its regulations. Tax collectors, because of their frequent interaction with the Roman establishment, were viewed as Jews colluding with those occupying their own land. Jesus’ critics, the Pharisees, lodge the accusation that Jesus eats with such sinners and tax collectors. Banquets and other occasions for eating were significant social situations in the ancient ...

3811. Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

Matthew 9:35-38, Matthew 10:1-42

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... God cares deeply and personally for each disciple, so much so that “even the very hairs of your head are all numbered” (10:29–30). As we have seen at other points in Matthew, deep theological currents run under and through Jesus’ teaching. A right view of God is rooted in a covenantal, relational vision of Israel’s God (see comments on 6:32). 2. Jesus’ followers are called to acknowledge and love Jesus as their first priority. Jesus calls his disciples to a new set of allegiances. In a cultural ...

3812. Jesus as God’s Wisdom Is a Hidden Reality

Matthew 11:20-24, Matthew 11:25-30

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... 30; 51:26; 2 Bar. 41:3; Acts 15:10). As a yoke would assist an animal or person in their work, the Torah was understood in Judaism to be God’s instruction, providing guidance for Israel’s communal life. It is significant for Matthew’s view of Jesus and the law that, while Jesus can speak of his yoke as a “light load” (phortion elaphron [11:30]), the Jewish leaders are characterized as placing “heavy loads” (phortia barea [23:4])on the Jewish people’s shoulders in their interpretation and use ...

3813. Sabbath Controversies with the Pharisees

Matthew 12:1-14

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... Hebrew commentary on the book of Exodus offers the following: “The Sabbath is given to you; you are not given to the Sabbath” (Mekilta on Exod. 31:14). This similar teaching (whether known by Matthew or not) suggests that we interpret Jesus’ statement with a view to his role as representative Israel and humanity (see comments on “Son of Man” at 8:20). If this is the case, Jesus as humanity par excellence illumines the truth that the Sabbath was always intended as a gift for Israel’s benefit. The ...

3814. Parables Discourse: The “Already and Not Yet” of the Kingdom

Matthew 13:24-30, Matthew 13:31-35, Matthew 13:36-43, Matthew 13:44-46, Matthew 13:47-52

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... . “Yes,” they replied. Jesus’ question and the disciples’ answer often are taken at face value to prove that the disciples in Matthew essentially understand what Jesus teaches them. However, narrative methodology pushes us to ask whose point of view is represented in any particular moment of direct speech (see the sidebar “Characterization and Narrative Authorization” in the unit on 4:1–11). The key issue is whether Matthew communicates that the disciples actually do understand, not whether ...

3815. Jesus’ Compassion and Authority to Feed and Heal

Matthew 15:21-28, Matthew 15:29-39

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... eating at a table and Gentiles as the dogs waiting to catch a dropped morsel. He makes the point that it would not be right to throw the bread intended for the children to the dogs. It is difficult to attribute these words to Jesus if we view him as one who agrees to every request for healing that comes to him. It seems significant that both occasions in Matthew where Jesus initially demurs to heal involve a Gentile seeker (here and 8:5–13). Yet in this particular story Jesus hesitates not just once ...

3816. Community Discourse: Lavish Forgiveness in the Kingdom

Matthew 18:21-35

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... 18:35). 18:22 not seven times, but seventy-seven times. Jesus’ response to Peter’s question indicates that Peter does not think broadly enough about the nature of forgiveness in the kingdom community. As magnanimous as Peter might view his allowance of forgiveness (seven times), Jesus is conceiving of forgiveness in much more expansive terms. The number “seven” and its variations connote fullness or perfection, so Jesus’ use of these numbers implies that unlimited forgiveness characterizes the ...

3817. Jesus Enters Jerusalem as a Peaceable and Humble King

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

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... , Matthew portrays him as humble and peaceable, in line with Zechariah’s vision (21:5). As we preach Jesus as king, we must also pay attention to these facets of his kingship. Just as those in Matthew’s first-century audience could have had views of royal power that emphasized its absolute and violent use, we too might picture kingship in ways that do not fit Matthew’s royal portrait of Jesus. Matthew portrays Jesus as the humble Messiah-King, who comes with peaceful intentions. This is an essential ...

3818. Jesus Demonstrates Messianic Authority over the Temple

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

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... , which obscures the temple’s true purpose as “a house of prayer” (21:13; cf. Isa. 56:7). In spite of Matthew’s omission of the descriptor “for all nations” for “house of prayer” in Mark 11:17, the specific temple area probably in view is the court of the Gentiles, which would have had the space to accommodate the large festival crowds. By bringing these commercial activities into the temple courts, the temple leadership was directing the focus of the temple away from its true purposes. In ...

3819. Eschatological Discourse: Being Faithful and Merciful

Matthew 25:14-30, Matthew 25:31-46

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... :35–36 I was hungry . . . thirsty . . . a stranger . . . needed clothes . . . sick . . . in prison. Jesus expresses his solidarity with those who are dispossessed and in great need. The level of identification between Jesus and those in need as portrayed here should discourage viewing altruism as simply a means to the end of caring for Jesus. As Gustavo Gutiérrez argues, “The neighbor is not an occasion, an instrument for becoming closer to God. We are dealing with a real love of [humanity] for [its ...

3820. Jesus Calling and Accepting the Outcasts

Mark 2:13-17

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... James son of Alphaeus” (3:18). Moreover, in the same story in Matthew 9:9 the man is named “Matthew,” and in the list of the Twelve he is called “Matthew the tax collector” (Matt. 10:3; cf. Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15). The traditional view is that the man had two Jewish names (“Matthew” and “Levi”) similar to “Paul/Saul,” “Simon/Peter,” “John/Mark.” Some demur and believe that he is a separate disciple, not one of the Twelve, or that he is one of the “many” who followed Jesus in ...

3821. Jesus as Lord and as Archcriminal

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

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... sleep per night. • Sleep deprivation is now costing U.S. companies $63.2 billion a year in lost productivity. • One-third of employees maintain chronic stress. The command for keeping the Sabbath is not meant to be a burden but rather is to be viewed as a great gift. When we understand the purpose of the Sabbath, we make it a priority for physical, emotional, and spiritual rest, a rest desperately needed by many in our culture. The place of fasting in the Christian life Testimony: Fasting is a biblical ...

3822. Jesus Turns to His New Family

Mark 3:31-35, Mark 3:20-30

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... and brothers arrived. A list of Jesus’s brothers appears in Mark 6:3 and Matthew 13:55 (both also mention “his sisters” [Matt. 13:56]). In order to support the perpetual virginity of Mary, there developed in Roman Catholic circles the view that adelphoi refers to cousins (Jerome, Augustine) or Joseph’s children by a previous marriage (Origen, Eusebius). Yet the more natural meaning is blood brothers, and that fits the New Testament occurrences better. Most likely, Jesus’s father, Joseph, is not ...

3823. Gentiles Exemplify True Discipleship

Mark 7:31-37, Mark 7:24-30

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... wealth (Ezek. 28). Jesus is likely going there deliberately, though Mark never says why. This episode continues the emphasis on purity issues from the miracles of 5:21–43 and especially the previous section in 7:1–23, for Jesus is visited by a Gentile (viewed as the most unclean of “creatures”), who also is a female, and whose child is possessed by a demon (note the emphasis on impure/unclean spirit). Notice how many strikes she has against her; it would be astounding to any first-century Jew that ...

3824. The Gentiles Are Included in God’s Provision

Mark 8:1-13

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... (1 Cor. 2:3–4; 2 Cor. 11:30; 12:9–10). We will fail; God will never fail. 3. Putting God to the test is dangerous. The Pharisees tried to force their definition of God on the God who refuses to be limited to human definitions. Their false view of truth led them to make demands of God that brought his wrath down upon their heads. In so doing, they replicated the errors of Israel in the wilderness. Hebrews 3:7–4:19 is a midrashic expansion of Psalm 95 (on the wilderness generation) into a homily on ...

3825. The Path of Discipleship

Mark 8:31--9:1

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... final coming of the kingdom will take place during the lifetime of the hearers has been interpreted several ways: Jesus’s resurrection, his ascension to glory, Pentecost, the fall of Jerusalem, the successful mission of the church to the nations. The most natural view is to link it with the transfiguration that follows, but if that is the case, the language seems convoluted. Why not just say, “You will soon see the kingdom coming with power”? Thus the best understanding is to see the fulfillment in ...

Showing results