Dear Partner in Preaching, John 3:16, everyone’s favorite Bible verse. But I’ve wondered whether, if people thought about what this verse says for just a little longer than it takes to read a bumper sticker, it might just prove to be one of our least favorite verses in the Bible. Let me explain. Jesus articulates in this statement what Luther called “the Gospel in a nutshell” – that God is fundamentally a God of love, that love is the logic by which the kingdom of God runs, and that God’s love trumps everything else, even justice, in the end. I realize not everyone reads it this way. After all, Jesus says “everyone who...
John 18:36
posted by DJL
Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” One more thought on Jesus’ declaration that his kingdom is not of this world....
Lent 2 B: The Theory of Everything
posted by DJL
Dear Partner in Preaching, Yes, I have the Academy Awards on my mind. Actually, I only watched a bit of the program this past Sunday evening and have not seen all the contenders for best film yet. But of the various moments of the show I did catch, one helped me articulate what I think is the heart of not just this week’s passage but the whole of the Gospel. It was the song “Glory” from Ava DuVernay’s film Selma, and what struck me was how the song writers John Legend and Common described the march to Selma in the terms of glory. Think about that for a moment. That march, along with the larger struggle for civil rights, was...
John 3:16
posted by DJL
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. And, at last, we’ve arrived. John 3:16 is, quite literally, the most famous verse in the Bible. It has been translated into more languages than any other piece...
Matthew 23:37-39
posted by DJL
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you, desolate. For I tell you, you will not...