The lectionary passage this week, Luke 13:1-9, begins with two cryptic news headlines. The first, an apparent murder of Galileans worshiping in the Jerusalem Temple by Roman occupiers. The second, a tragic accident that claimed the lives of eighteen people. The question, then, is a question that we have run into a lot in Luke. Perhaps that is because it …
The Mountain Top and the Ever After
We have two stories from Luke this week: the Transfiguration and Jesus’ Lament for Jerusalem. The Catholic Lectionary in the Second Sunday of Lent always has the story of the Transfiguration. This year is Luke’s year, so we get 9:29-36. Jesus takes Peter and James and John to a mountain top to pray. The disciples just had a lot of …
The Great Reversal: Birds, Lilies, and Climate Anxiety (Luke 12.22-34)
This weekend, houses of worship around the country will participate in the annual “Preach-In” on climate change hosted by Interfaith Power and Light. IPL started as a “religious response to global warming” fifteen years ago when a coalition of Episcopal congregations in California joined together to purchase renewable energy. Since then, they’ve broadened their focus and partnered with a wide …
The Bosom of Abraham
This is one of those weeks where I’m not quite sure what to do. For the past couple of weeks we’ve been talking about the “Great Reversal” in Luke. This week we’re looking at another paradigmatic example of that, the story of Lazarus. Note this is not the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead found in John 11, …