(Mark 11:1-11) It was something new and exciting. A parade was forming. Everyone started to run to see what was happening. The people started to stretch necks to see over the person in front of them. The young children crawled between the legs of the adults to see if they could gaze upon what was…
(Mark 15:1-20) We use the adjective “worldly” in two different but related senses. Merriam-Webster identifies these as (1) “having a lot of practical experience and knowledge about life and the world,” and (2) “of or relating to the human world and ordinary life rather than to religious or spiritual matters.” In our Passion Reading today,…
(Mark 14:1, 53-65) “If looks could kill.” Can you picture eyes filled with rage? Likely you’ve seen it in the eyes of another; perhaps you’ve seen it on your own face through an ill-timed glance in the mirror. In the ancient world and still today in some cultures, the “evil eye” is a glance that…
(Mark 14:1, 53-65) Two weeks ago, we looked at and through Judas’s betraying eyes and recognized our own betrayals of the Lord. Last week, we saw the disciples’ sleepy eyes in the Garden of Gethsemane and identified the times we have fallen asleep as Christians. This week, we examine other ways sinful eyes can fail…
(Mark 14:32-42) [OPENING STORY] Surely you have had a similar experience, being so tired that you can’t fight fatigue anymore and you drift off to slumber. We all should be able to identify with Peter, James, and John as they succumbed to exhaustion in Gethsemane, while Jesus steadfastly watched and prayed to His Father. It…
(Mark 14:10-21, 32, 41-46) Judas will forever be a name associated with betrayal, with treachery, with handing over the innocent Jesus to sinful men who would see to His death. Today we will begin by looking at and through the betraying eyes of Judas, but what I want to lead you to is the recognition…
(Matthew 6:1-6; Mark 14:1-9) If you get ashes in your eyes, you can’t see clearly. Our inborn sinfulness is like ashes to our spiritual vision. We look at what is good and distort its purpose, or we look upon what is beautiful and misjudge its value. Jesus says in our reading from Matthew, “When you…
(2 Corinthians 3:12–4:3) During Lent, we will examine Jesus’ last days using the metaphor of eyesight. In most cases, folks did not see clearly and, therefore, misunderstood who He was and what He was doing; then again, sometimes by faith people did see and recognize Him correctly. On this Transfiguration Sunday (the Sunday just before…
(Luke 6:27-38) If one were to do some online research using “examples of loving your enemy” as the search phrase, you wouldn’t find many to choose from. Loving one’s enemy isn’t something we’re good at right now. Some examples can be found in the distant past, such as World War II or the Civil War…
(Luke 6:17-26) Have you ever walked into a convenience store and found an unexpectedly long line? Chances are good those people aren’t lined up because there’s been a sudden run on milk, bread or overcooked hot dogs. They’re interested in buying something far less tangible: a sequence of numbers embedded in a distant and very…