Sermons (Page 39)
Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
Today’s passage doesn’t appear in many commentaries. It’s not a well-known passage like the beheading of John the Baptist from last week or the feeding of the 5000 which actually happens in the middle of this passage. Rather, this is a transition passage to describe a transition in the ministry of the disciples and Jesus’ ministry…
Seventh Sunday after Pentecost
I could not help but wince when I found out I’d be preaching on this passage this week. It’s hard to read, much less preach on. First, it doesn’t sit right with me that John the Baptist was imprisoned simply for pointing out a hard truth. It doesn’t sit right with me that Herod would rather kill an innocent person than be embarrassed in front of his guests. It doesn’t sit right with me that somehow his child gets caught in the middle of the grudge that he and his wife have with John the Baptist. It DOES NOT sit right with me that Herod- father, leader, host- ABUSES his power in so many ways…
Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
“Today’s portion of Mark picks up where we ended last week. Up to this point in Mark’s gospel, Jesus was baptized and tempted; he called the disciples, preached, and healed (sometimes on the Sabbath); he told a few parables to speak about God’s truth; and last week, he healed an unnamed woman and brought a child back from death. This week, we had two parts in our reading– first, Jesus’ rejection and second, the sending of the disciples…”