Jesus, the kingdom, and the politics of the table in Luke 14

The lectionary gospel reading for Trinity ย 11 in Year C, Luke 14.1, 7โ€“14, continues to engage with material that is unique to Luke, arranged in Luke’s distinctive order, and bridging the worlds of the original context of Jesus and Judaism and Luke’s context in wider Roman culture. The passage comes in a sequence of episodes … Continue Reading

The multiple layers of the story of the women bent double in Luke 13

The lectionary gospel reading for Trinity 10 Year C is Luke 13.10โ€“17, a remarkable short account, unique to Luke, of Jesus healing a crippled woman on the Sabbath. There are multiple layers to the meaning of this story, and an interesting and important challenge is how we might, in our own local context, enable exploration … Continue Reading

Wealth becomes a rival god in Luke 12 video discussion

The lectionary reading for the Seventh Sunday after Trinity in Year C is the Parable of the Rich Fool in Luke 12.13โ€“21. It is one of several parables that is unique to Luke, and includes features that connect it with other Lukan parables.

Ian and James discuss the details of the textโ€”and the way that is continues to offer a remarkable contemporary challenge to culture, faith, and discipleship.

Wealth becomes a rival god in Luke 12

The lectionary reading for the Seventh Sunday after Trinity in Year C is the Parable of the Rich Fool in Luke 12.13โ€“21. It is one of several parables that is unique to Luke, and includes features that connect it with other Lukan parables. Since last week’s reading of Jesus’ teaching about prayer, things have moved … Continue Reading

Jesus heals the Gerasene demoniac in Luke 8 video discussion

The lectionary reading for Trinity 1, Year C, is Lukeโ€™s version of Jesus meeting and healing the demon-possessed man in the โ€˜region of the Gerasenesโ€™ (Luke 8.26โ€“39). James and Ian discuss the story, its place in Luke, its relation to Mark’s account, and the implications for our understanding of Jesus’ ministry.

Jesus heals the Gerasene demoniac in Luke 8

The lectionary reading for Trinity 1, Year C, is Luke’s version of Jesus meeting and healing the demon-possessed man in the ‘region of the Gerasenes’ (Luke 8.26โ€“39). The account occurs in all three Synoptic gospels; in Mark (the shortest gospel) the story is in the longest and most detailed version; Matthew 8.28โ€“34 is the shortest, … Continue Reading

Jesus stills the storm in Luke 8

The Sunday gospel lectionary reading for the Second Sunday before Lent in Year C is Luke 8.22โ€“25, the concise account by Luke of Jesus stilling the storm. (It is worth noting that the ecumenical lectionary has a different set of readings; apparently for the Church of England it was thought that there was not enough … Continue Reading

The annunciation to Mary in Luke 1

The lectionary gospel reading for the Fourth Sunday in Advent is Luke 1.26โ€“38; though this year’s gospel is Mark, there is (of course) no annunciation in Mark, so we plunder part of Luke’s narrative to fill the gap. I have previously posted on the annunciation in more general terms, noting that the account is rooted … Continue Reading

Does God respond to nagging?

This Sunday’s lectionary reading from Luke’s gospel (Trinity 18, Year C) is the Parable of the Unjust Judge and the Persistent Widow from Luke 18.1โ€“8. A surface reading, confirmed by most online comments on it, is that basically we need to be nagging God before he will answer our prayer! But a more careful reading, … Continue Reading