Jesus is a courageous man. He consistently stands up to rulers who are oppressing others and himself. He seems comfortable in doing so. An Old Testament figure, Jeremiah, is sometimes likened to Jesus. Jeremiah is described as a man who is also oppressed and yet courageous. Does an accurate comparison exist between Jesus and…
Communion, also called Eucharist, is a deeply meaningful experience for disciples. It is an experience of the Real Presence of Christ. The belief may be received by others as at least peculiar if not shocking. This Sunday’s Gospel according to John shows an early example of the shock when Jesus says to listeners, “I…
The Trinity is a notoriously abstract concept within institutional christianity. Today’s Gospel reading from John, who tends to be abstract, does not even hint at the Trinity. The three Synoptics Gospels, Mark, Matthew, and Luke are more descriptive of Jesus’ life witness and have no reference to the Trinity at all. The Trinity is…
Yahweh is a deity within the religion of Militarism. He is the fictional War Lord deity invented by Hebrew War Lords. Yahweh sanctifies Old Testament rulers who dominate over the people. Yahweh cannot be compared to the historical peacemaker Jesus of Nazareth in the Gospel. Attempts to connect the two, however, are sometimes made.…
Jesus knows his suffering and death are approaching and he is saying good bye to disciples. He promises to return as an Advocating Spirit, “I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you.” The practice of reaching out to child orphans was one of the starkest counter-cultural practices of Jesus’ first followers.…
In the Gospel Jesus is preparing disciples for his death. He tells them, in part, his departure includes a benefit to them. He says, “I am going to prepare a place for you.” It should not be surprising, Jesus spent his life preparing a place for people here on earth. Jesus was a homemaker.…
Jesus’ description of himself as the Good Shepherd is matched by his periodic description of people as sheep. At times the animals, and therefore people, are described as faithful and innocent and at other times a bit gullible, if not stupid. This Sunday, sheep are described as faithfully hearing their shepherd’s voice calling out…
Jesus, whose energy helped people feel alive, is dead. He has been murdered, under horrible circumstances, crucifixion. With that violence, the haters from both Rome and Jerusalem think they have destroyed any future challenges from Jesus’ disciples. Two such disciples are so dispirited they are leaving the gathering of community members behind. They are…