While at Synagogue, Jesus reveals a God whose love is for all people. His revelation angers the men there who believe they are the special love of a special God. Jesus reminds the men of two foreigners who helped Israelites in the past and were spared. His reminders don’t help, “When the people in…
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…
Joseph lives in the shadows of the Gospel with Matthew alone shining any light upon him. That light first comes in the form of Joseph’s genealogy which is used to provide Jesus some credibility with Matthew’s Jewish readers. The second light shown on Joseph, and the focus of this Sunday’s Gospel, is used to…
Jesus tells a parable of a Pharisee, “convinced of his own righteousness who despised everyone else.” He is a man who believes he is unlike other commoners. He is supreme, without sin. The Pharisee is helping maintain an entire system of supremacists who force lesser men to be obedient to them. The system includes…
Jesus tells a heartbreaking parable this Sunday. In part, it is about a wretchedly poor man. His misery is painstaking, “Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.” More heartbreaking is the part about a wretchedly rich man. His misery is so painstaking he is unaware that “lying at his door was a…
“Do you love me?” I asked upon looking into the mirror in my youth. “Respect who you are.” “Do you love me?” they asked as I sought to join them. “Stand with us in our time of need.” “Do you love me?” he asked as we journeyed into marriage. “Be with me, for better,…
Jesus knows the teachings of the Jewish tradition. After he has been away for a while he returns to the local synagogue and reads from its teachings. He is thus known again by the men of his village as being one of them. However, Jesus then interprets the reading in such a way that…
Jesus’ witness as a loving and strong leader is apparent in this Sunday’s Gospel. He tells community members, “Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love … This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay…