Getting Lost in the Woods

In  last Sunday’s reading from Proverbs ,  we heard about the essential role a fearless and empowered woman could play in antiquity.  This week, we heard the story of one such woman:  Esther.    The Book of Esther is a fictional story within a historical framework, and it is important for a few reasons:* It tells us about the survival of the Jewish people living within the Persian Empire.  We learn the origins of Purim; a holiday celebrating the Jewish people being saved from genocide.  Most of the star roles in scripture go to men, yet in this story, Esther is the star that shines.  Before we dive into Esther’s story, a word of caution.  Ordinarily, the hero of a story is the person we might relate to the most, imagining how our own heroes are emulating similar actions and leadership in today’s context.  Yet for many of us living in North America, with a fair amount of privilege and access to resources, we actually have more in com...

Mark’s gospel is short, intense, and to the point.  It is the earliest of the four gospels chosen for the New Testament, and the author wastes no time offering us origin stories or extra commentary.  Instead, we get an action packed narrative.  The author uses the word ‘ immediately ’ so often, that there is a thread of urgency from beginning to end.  Whenever we witness repetition in the gospel, the author is emphasizing something of importance.  Within Mark’s gospel there are three different instances where Jesus foretells his suffering, death, and resurrection.  A sign for us to pay close attention.  We heard the first prediction last Sunday in Mark 8; today we heard the second prediction in Mark 9; then the third and final prediction takes place in Mark 10.   (8:27-33; 9:30-37; 10:32-34)  In each instance, Jesus of Nazareth explains that he will be rejected by the religious authorities, undergo great suffering and death, and then wil...

  Let’s talk about the Gospel of John--broadly speaking.  The author was familiar with the earlier synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.  The overall structure of John’s gospel, and many of the stories, are the same.  Yet there are notable differences in content.  As one commentator put it,  “The Gospel of John celebrates Jesus, albeit differently from the other Gospels.” *   For our purposes today, I would like us to pay attention to the varying differences in how we understand the nature, role, and person of Jesus. For John, it’s clear that Jesus has always been divine.  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being” **   The Jesus we meet in John’s gospel has been described as uncreated and imperishable.  * In this framework, Jesus comes from God, descending to live amongst u...