The heat continues to rise between Jesus and his persecutors. Now the Herodians, who normally would not associate with the Pharisees, join forces to ask an impossible 'yes or no' question of Jesus - either answer would get him into trouble with his supporters or even arrested and killed by the Romans. The answer that Jesus provides is much more nuanced than we often imagine, and demonstrates the amazing gift of our Saviour to lead us through similar troubled waters.
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Recorded at St Pauls, Camden 5.30pm (11'34")
Sunday 29, Year A. Matthew 22:15-21
Showing posts with label money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label money. Show all posts
17 October 2011
27 February 2011
Worry, money and insurance
The fact that Jesus repeats a phrase seven times in our Gospel reading today perhaps suggests that there is something he wants us to learn. In a world that values money, security and wealth much more highly than the glories of God's creation, the words of Jesus invite us to embrace a different way of being. One imagines that when Jesus preaches the sermon on the mount, he was surrounded by the lilies of the field in the Galilee spring and as he gestures upwards to the birds of the air there were many wheeling and flying free - just the same as Jesus lived and calls his disciples to live in the same freedom - embracing the amazing gifts of creation and the bounty and generosity of God.
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Recorded at SJV, 8.30am (8'45")
Sunday 08A. Matthew 6:24-34
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Recorded at SJV, 8.30am (8'45")
Sunday 08A. Matthew 6:24-34
19 September 2010
The decision of the dishonest manager
Sunday 25C - Luke 16:1-13
Across the Gospels, Jesus tells something like 40 parables (a good biblical number); there are 23 in Matthew, 9 in Mark, 28 in Luke but none in John; seven are found in all three of the Synoptic Gospels (Mt, Mk, Lk) and various ones are found in two gospels; some are unique to Matthew (10); one is unique to Mark; 15 are unique to the Gospel of Luke. Among these parables that are unique to the Gospel of Luke are some of the most-loved of all the parables that Jesus told - ones like the Good Samaritan and the ones that we had last Sunday - the lost sheep (also told in Matthew), the lost coin and the lost son. But I doubt if there are many people (if any?) who would claim the Parable of the dishonest manager as their most loved parable. Do you?
The parable has perplexed scholars and saints across the centuries - in part because it is not absolutely clear where the parable ends and the words of Jesus begin. Is the master (Greek kyrios) in 16:8 the master in the story or the Lord Jesus? Mostly today the parable is considered to finish at 16:8a, and the words of Jesus begin with "for the children of this age..." which makes sense.
So is it possible to read this powerful parable in a new way so that it may even become your favourite? Probably not, but let's try...
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Recorded at St John Vianney (11'26")
Across the Gospels, Jesus tells something like 40 parables (a good biblical number); there are 23 in Matthew, 9 in Mark, 28 in Luke but none in John; seven are found in all three of the Synoptic Gospels (Mt, Mk, Lk) and various ones are found in two gospels; some are unique to Matthew (10); one is unique to Mark; 15 are unique to the Gospel of Luke. Among these parables that are unique to the Gospel of Luke are some of the most-loved of all the parables that Jesus told - ones like the Good Samaritan and the ones that we had last Sunday - the lost sheep (also told in Matthew), the lost coin and the lost son. But I doubt if there are many people (if any?) who would claim the Parable of the dishonest manager as their most loved parable. Do you?
The parable has perplexed scholars and saints across the centuries - in part because it is not absolutely clear where the parable ends and the words of Jesus begin. Is the master (Greek kyrios) in 16:8 the master in the story or the Lord Jesus? Mostly today the parable is considered to finish at 16:8a, and the words of Jesus begin with "for the children of this age..." which makes sense.
So is it possible to read this powerful parable in a new way so that it may even become your favourite? Probably not, but let's try...
Play MP3
Recorded at St John Vianney (11'26")
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