Bible on the Back Porch
Reading, pondering and studying God’s Word is sometimes best done “on the back porch.” Each week we will try to offer something for you and your “back porch time.”
16th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A
What We Celebrate
This Sunday we jump over Matthew 12 and continue with parables about the Kingdom of Heaven. At first glance you might think this is a repeat of the parable of “The Sower and the Seed” from last Sunday, but this is a parable unique to the Gospel of Matthew and one that is part of the “day of parables” in which Jesus begins to speak about the nuances of Good News. The gospel reading offers the following parables: “Weeds among the Wheat”, “The Mustard Seed,” and “Yeast in the Flour.”
The parable of the “Weeds Among the Wheat” points out the presence of the kingdom in the world: children of the kingdom must coexist with children of the evil one in this world until the end. Then and now some disciples find this a bit unsettling and a little baffling. Where is the kingdom and a new order promised by Jesus? It does seem to be much of a kingdom when opposition continues unabated? The parable answers that question by a call to patience, directing attention away from the current situation to the coming judgment, when it will be made plain who are the true people of God and who are the “children of the Evil One.” God is not in a hurry, and we must be prepared to wait for his time - but how do we deal with our impatience?... and there are two other parables to also explore. There is a lot more to glean from this Sunday’s Gospel.
The Story of Creation
Folks are familiar with the story of Creation told in the first chapters of Genesis. But there is a larger narrative than “7 days of creation.” It is a story of God’s ideal vision for the cosmos, establishing His divine rule and our role in partnering to bring His purpose. In this series of video we’ll consider how various Biblical authors repeat and amplify that narrative, all leading to the story of Jesus whose mission is to bring all things to God’s good purpose and end. Watch video #2 of 5.
Psalm 8
What exactly is the role of humans in the story of the Bible? Why does God care so much about us as powerless, created beings, and why are we compared to babbling babies in Psalm 8. In this video, we explore God's purpose for humanity and all creation.
How does God rule his creation? The answer found in Psalm 8 may surprise you. This Hebrew poem is all about God’s majestic power in creating and ordering the cosmos. But despite his incredible power, he chooses to rule the world with his partners—lowly humans, or as they’re called in the poem, babbling babies. Babbling babies? What’s going on here? This is a metaphor that draws on the creation narrative of Genesis 1, where God elevated lowly creatures made of dirt to be his co-rulers. This passage helps us to understand the gravity of what God did in the creation narrative—choosing the weak to bring about his purposes. All of this, from the beginning pages of Scripture to the message of the psalmist, point us to the ultimate humble ruler, Jesus.
Previous Videos in the Series:
17th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A
What We Celebrate
Matthew 13 has sometimes been called a “day of parables.” The two parables that make up this gospel passage are unique to Matthew: Hidden Treasure and the Pearl of Great Price. They continue the development of the theme of whole-hearted response with which the parable of the sower concluded. There is also a third parable (the Net) that is closely related to the parable of the weeds, and emphasizes again the division which the preaching of God’s kingdom brings.
The “day of parables” ends with a saying that expresses well the ideal to which the evangelist aspired: “Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.” The disciples need to understand the radically new act of God in Christ in the light of the Old Testament tradition. Such a person understands the relation between the new (Christ) and the old (Jewish tradition). There is a lot more to glean from this Sunday’s Gospel.
The Story of Creation
Folks are familiar with the story of Creation told in the first chapters of Genesis. But there is a larger narrative than “7 days of creation.” It is a story of God’s ideal vision for the cosmos, establishing His divine rule and our role in partnering to bring His purpose. In this series of video we’ll consider how various Biblical authors repeat and amplify that narrative, all leading to the story of Jesus whose mission is to bring all things to God’s good purpose and end. Watch video #3 of 5.
Proverbs 8
Proverbs 8 portrays wisdom as a woman who calls people to learn her ways and find life. In this video, we ask, Whose wisdom do we choose to live by? Wisdom with God in the Beginning: God carves order of darkness and chaos, and this ordering power is still at work today. As humans, we are called to partner with God in this work, and we are only able to do so through God’s wisdom. This brings us to Proverbs 8, where we meet Lady Wisdom. She is God’s wisdom personified, and Scripture tells us she was present with God in the beginning, helping to bring order out of chaos. Proverbs 8 draws upon the rich imagery found in Genesis 1 and brings a new level of understanding to the creation narrative.
Previous Videos in the Series: