Mary’s visit to Elizabeth is the meeting of two prophesies: one of John, one of Jesus. It is the upending of conventional means of power. Two women of particular scorn have come together. One was barren: a sign of cursed-ness. One was pregnant outside of marriage: a sign of sinfulness. Two undesireables are now harboring the greatest secret in the history of the known universe. … Continue reading Mary + Elizabeth = Good Trouble
Page One is a longhand stream of consciousness engagement of the text I’ve been studying this week. So Jesus is watching the Treasury. Certainly his reputation has preceded him. He has cleansed the temple and has condemned it as a den of robbers. Yet the rich come in and make hefty donations. It’s what they do. In exchange they get to schmooze with the scribes, … Continue reading Page One: On the Widow’s Mite
“Consider the lilies of the field! They neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.” This is a political, social, economic and moral statement. (See passage here) ‘Consider’—more like ‘Behold!’—means pay attention to what is already around you. Open your eyes! Eureka! I’ve found it! We live with our eyes half open. … Continue reading Page One: The Lilies of the Field
‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. ‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will … Continue reading Page One: Matthew’s Beatitudes
Ascension Sunday does not get the credibility it deserves. Ancient Christians were right to lift up this up as important. It is the culmination and conclusion of Jesus’ earthly ministry. But it also feels like an unfinished ending. Jesus rose from the dead, but there is still a lot of kingdom building work to be done. Elijah ascended into heaven with Elisha as his successor. … Continue reading Page One–The Ascension
The story of Gabriel and Mary is remarkable. Zechariah and Elizabeth were selected for being “righteous before God.” There is no indication from Luke that Mary was all that good of a person. She was chosen for really mysterious reasons. At best, she was engaged to a man descended from David. That makes it prophetically convenient to choose Mary. Nevertheless, Gabriel certifies that Mary has … Continue reading Page One–Gabriel and Mary
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