Dear Partner in Preaching, A lot rides on how you interpret Jesus’ surprising reaction to the request of the Syrophoenician woman. Okay, “surprising” is an understatement. How about down right rude? After all, she comes to him bowed down, in the posture of worship, begging that he cure her daughter of an unclean spirit, something we already know he can easily do. And yet he brushes her off, refusing her request and casting her aside, throwing in an ethnic slur just for good measure. And the haunting question is, why? Here’s the traditional answer to this question: He is not actually refusing her but rather testing her. That is,...

Dear Partner in Preaching, Welcome back to Mark! After six weeks in John’s “bread of life” chapter, you’re probably more than ready to come back to the extended story Mark is telling about Jesus. But what an odd place to land: right in the middle of an argument so routine it feels peculiar to read about it in the Bible. I mean, I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure I’ve not only overheard this argument before, but actually participated in it. About washing your hands before dinner, that is. In fact, it was a fairly routine part of the day when my kids were younger (and only occasionally – but still! – a part of our...

John 6:56-69 Dear Partner in Preaching, Aren’t there moments – maybe many! – when you want to say just what “many of his disciples” said: “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” Once again, it is as easier for me to identify with the crowds who misunderstand and question Jesus than with Jesus himself. Because what Jesus has been saying, and what we have heard these past four weeks, is indeed hard to listen to and hard to understand. That Jesus is the bread of life? That he provides the only food which truly nourishes? That he gives us his own self, even his own flesh and blood, to sustain us on our journey? These are...