This sermon was prepared for Wesley United’s Sunday service on October 21, 2018. Year B, Proper 22, Mark 10:35-45. James and his brother John, some of the first disciples Jesus called, came to their teacher and said: “Teacher, we want you to do something for us.”[i] Jesus, knowing better than to blindly agree with a precociousContinue reading “Not What We Signed Up For”
Category Archives: Ordinary Times
Who He Is / Who We’re Called to Be
Crowds, in the Gospel of John, don’t ask smart questions. And the Johannine Jesus never gives straight answers.
But, in all this cryptic dialogue, something new is being revealed.
Moments before Jesus was working miracles, and now the crowds have followed him to learn more about who he is.
What kind of teacher is he? Where does his power come from? Is he Moses? He works wonders like Moses did. He fed them like Moses fed the Israelites.
But, he’s not quite like Moses; instead…
God’s steadfast compassion
Have you ever stood in a crowd of people and thought to yourself, I feel invisible? That’s how I imagine the woman, in the Gospel story from today, felt. Surrounded by a huge crowd, she walked along behind Jesus as he spoke with one of the synagogue leaders. There were so many people—more important than her.
