Jesus, Mary and the Cross — A Holy Week Meditation

In all the gruesome gore of the crucifixion, amidst the injustice and cruelty, and the terrible suffering and pain, John relates to us a most incongruous scene of touching affection: When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said…

Two Josephs and Flights to Egypt

Joseph took his father and brothers to Egypt to save them, and he cared for them, becoming a father to them, though he was their son and  younger brother. Joseph took Jesus to Egypt to save Him, and he cared for Him, becoming a father to Him, though he was His creature and younger brother.

I see, said the blind man

A sermon preached on Quinquagesima Sunday, 6 March 2011 at Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Fareham. (Typos and all) [Click here for audio] 1 Samuel 16:1–13 1 Corinthians 13:1–13 Luke 18:31–43 If you have read John Bunyan’s A Pilgrim’s Progress, you may recall the trial of Mr. Faithful at Vanity Fair. The trial is a travesty…

Knowing Jesus

This morning, the teacher of the Sunday school at my congregation reported the following conversation she had with one of the children, a 6-year-old boy: Teacher: Why do we read so many different stories about Jesus in Sunday school? Boy: So that we get to know Jesus. T: What do you mean? B: Not just…

John the Baptist, faith and doubt

The Gospel reading for this Sunday, Luke 7:2–20, includes John the Baptist's famous sending of his disciples to ask Jesus whether He "is the one" or whether they should wait for someone else. From time immemorial, scholars and other theologians have debated over the question of whether this is an indication that John the Baptist…