Year A, Proper 25, RCL, Track 2 Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18; Matthew 22:34-46 Our story today continues a long question and answer session between Jesus and some Jewish leaders. Over the last weeks, we hear Jesus questioned about his authority and paying taxes, and his telling of three parables demonstrating how the kingdom of heaven is different from our reality. Today in the final exchange, we hear the greatest commandment. All of this took place on a Tuesday, just three days before Jesus’ execution. After this lengthy exchange, the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians are tired of being made out as fools and they no longer have any interest in tripping up Jesus. He has outsmarted them left and
Year A, Proper 23, RCL, Track 2 Matthew 22:1-14 A wedding is usually a wonderful time where we have fun, laugh, and meet people we haven’t seen in a long time. There is an abundance of food and drink. We joyfully come together to celebrate life; life as family and friends. And we especially celebrate the life of the new couple. But it is more than that. We celebrate the life they had before they knew each other. We may hear stories, see pictures, or play games that the couple finds embarrassing. We celebrate the life they have right now. A life of young love; so full of possibilities that it’s over flows from their very being. We celebrate the life they will have going into the future; looki
Year A, Proper 22, RCL, Track 2 Isaiah 5:1-7, Psalm 80:7-14, Philippians 3:4b-14, Matthew 21:33-46 Paul was an upstanding, righteous, and honorable man under Jewish law. He was likely seen this way by his peers. But no matter what he thought of himself and no matter how highly others thought of him, he says that because of Christ, this is meaningless or even detrimental. He regards his history and righteousness as a loss so that he can “gain Christ and be found in him.” He gave up everything, his social standing and his righteousness, real or perceived so that he can find righteousness through faith in Christ. He wants to know Christ to a depth in which he knows the “power of his resurrectio
