Millions of people will hear this Sunday’s readings in which violence will be presented to us as normal, even as Godly. We are to “offer due sacrifice to the Lord,” meaning to kill a living being, because it is presented as “pleasing to the Lord.” Sacrifice is presented as Godly “to expiate the sins…
In Sunday’s first reading Moses links goodness with obedience to the Law, commanding people to “observe the commandments of the Lord.” In the Gospel, followers of Moses, the Pharisees, question the goodness of Jesus and disciples since they disobey the Law, “Why do you not keep the tradition of the elders?” A law mandating…
The Old Testament tells of worshippers complaining to Yahweh, “You had to lead us into this desert to make the whole community die of famine!” Yahweh retaliates against the disloyal worshippers, “the LORD drove in quail from the sea… for the people… but while the meat was still between their teeth… the LORD’s wrath…
The New Testament reading is likely written by Paul or perhaps a follower to the people of Ephesus. It describes Paul being in prison. Paul is in prison because there are rulers who want him in prison. In today’s reading he is encouraging the people of Ephesus “to preserve the unity of the spirit…
Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said: “Leaders of the people and elders: If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a cripple, namely, by what means he was healed, then all of you… should know that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean whom you crucified,…
Sunday’s readings are about neighbors. The reading from Exodus says, “Thus says the Lord,” “If ever you wrong your neighbor and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry. My wrath will flare up, and I will kill you.” In the Gospel reading Jesus tells Pharisees wanting to trap him that…
“Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed.” Jesus understands the killer ethics of the dictator class. They will kill him and will command subordinate soldier/slaves to do the deed. An extremely small number of…
A Canaanite woman cries out to Jesus, “’My daughter is tormented by a demon’. But Jesus did not say a word. His disciples said, ‘Send her away, for she keeps calling out.’ Jesus then said to her, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’ But the woman said,…
Jesus is forced before Pilate who questions Jesus from a War Lord’s point of view, “Your own nation and chief priests handed you over to me.” But Jesus never belonged to their world; it is the same world as Pilate’s. It is a world of fighting. Jesus rejected it to create a world of…
The war waged by rulers against Jesus ends with their murder of him, as detailed in today’s Gospel. Religious rulers request Jesus’ torture and murder, political rulers order it, and soldiers carry it out. “The soldiers led Jesus away inside the palace… weaving a crown of thorns, placed it on him,… kept striking his…