Thoughts Along the Way

10/09/2026

The Parable of the Problematic Parable

Maybe this short story by Jesus isn't about what we thought it was about... Matthew 22:1-14 The Parable of the Wedding Banquet in Matthew is notoriously challenging. There is a much shorter and much gentler version of this story in Luke,[1] but here in Matthew’s version we are confronted at every turn with problems, inconsistencies, loose ends and pieces that just don’t fit no matter how you approach it....

Maybe this short story by Jesus isn’t about what we thought it was about… Matthew 22:1-14 The Parable of the Wedding Banquet in Matthew is notoriously challenging.  There is a…

10/03/2026

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

Matthew 21:33-46 Our gospel text for this Sunday is often called The Parable of the Wicked Tenants, in fact that exact title appears in many of our Bibles. Which can be a bit problematic. Traditional titles inserted in our Bibles tend to skew our reading in a particular direction. These long-established titles tell us a lot about how these stories have been historically interpreted, but they don’t always point us to the actual point that Jesus was trying to make....

Matthew 21:33-46 Our gospel text for this Sunday is often called The Parable of the Wicked Tenants, in fact that exact title appears in many of our Bibles.  Which can be a bit problematic…

09/27/2026

Good Trouble

Matthew 21:23-32 “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up,” said the late John Lewis. “You have to say something. You have to do something. You must be bold, brave and courageous and find a way to get in the way, to get in trouble. Good trouble. Necessary trouble.”[1] From the moment Jesus entered Jerusalem, he was getting in the way and making trouble....

Matthew 21:23-32 “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up,” said the late John Lewis. “You have to say something.  You have to do something.&nbs…

09/23/2026

09/19/2026

Labor Relations and the Evil Eye

Matthew 20:1-16 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.* 2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went....

Matthew 20:1-16 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.* 2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius for …

09/05/2026

Little Words Can Make a Big Difference

Romans 13:8-14; Matthew 18:15-20 Little words can make a big difference. Take today’s Gospel reading for instance. If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense.[1] That sounds pretty clear, but think about this: some of the most ancient manuscripts do not have the words “against you.” Those two words, “against you,” make the offense very personal, but without those two words it could be a different situation altogether....

Romans 13:8-14; Matthew 18:15-20 Little words can make a big difference.  Take today’s Gospel reading for instance.  If another believer sins against you, go privately and point…

08/27/2026

Cross Purposes

Matthew 16:13-28 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist but others Elijah and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”…...

Matthew 16:13-28 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist but others…

08/18/2026

The Keys of Heaven

The body of the old man lay stretched out upon the table, prepared according to custom and covered with a shroud. The presbyter, who had been gazing out the window, or perhaps deep into his own thoughts, broke from his reverie, stood up, removed a papyrus scroll from the folds of his robe, then moved to the body lying on the table....

The body of the old man lay stretched out upon the table, prepared according to custom and covered with a shroud.  The presbyter, who had been gazing out the window, or perhaps deep into …

08/11/2026

Thought Pollution

Matthew 15:21-28 and Mark 7:24-30 Are there stories or sayings in the Bible that make you uncomfortable? This story of Jesus and the Canaanite woman has really bothered me for a long time, mostly because at first reading Jesus come off as a bit of a jerk. But here’s the thing: I think this story is supposed to be disturbing. It’s supposed to bother us....

Matthew 15:21-28 and Mark 7:24-30 Are there stories or sayings in the Bible that make you uncomfortable?  This story of Jesus and the Canaanite woman has really bothered me for a long tim…