Isaiah 58:1-9a 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 Matthew 5:13-20 Our reading from Matthew’s gospel follows the beatitudes – Jesus’s recounting of those who are blessed though they seem everything but – and as it continues Jesus goes straight from preachin’ down into meddlin’, as my grandmother used to say. Remember He was on a low rolling hill opposite the construction of Tiberias, so named for the Roman Emperor and built from unfair taxation, conscripted labor, and standing as a challenge to Jerusalem as a center of power for the people of Judea. You should also consider that just before preaching from the hills, Jesus had been preaching in various synagogues and healing the sick. That means the sermon on the mount was preceded by demonstrations of God’s grace and mercy and the constant call for repentance so that the people might enter the kingdom of God. Now he is describing what the social and political realities look like when we live in the Kingdom of God. ...
Sermons, random thoughts, and general musings are what you will find here. Sometimes a faithful question may appear, for faith is not an end but rather a beginning, and it is in seeking that we find.