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.”
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:
18th 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.
Psalm 148
In this video, we explore Psalm 148 and its call on the whole cosmos, above and below, to praise God. All of God’s creatures should join in the chorus, for God created and sustains them all. The author of the psalm understood the story of Genesis and it forms the framework for his writing.
Psalm 148 is a call for the whole cosmos to praise God. In the climactic conclusion of Psalm 148, we read that Israel should praise God because he has raised a horn for them. But what’s the deal with this horn? And why is God lifting it up? In this video, we explore how Psalm 148 fits into the overall story of the book of Psalms—the story of God’s promise to raise up a king who will bring victory to Israel and rescue the world.
Previous Videos in the Series:
19th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A
What We Celebrate
Jesus has finished teaching the disciples via parables. After dismissing the crowds of people, Jesus also sends his disciples off to “the other side” via boat while he withdraws to prayer. “Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.” As their fear arises, the disciples see “a ghost” coming towards them, walking on the seas. What happens next? Peter walks on the water, right? At least for a while before he sinks. Is this about a lack of faith or part of Jesus’ preparation of the disciples for the mission when Jesus will not be in the boat with them – the boat being an ancient representation of the Church. And there’s even more! There is a lot going on in this simple text.
Full Text of the Sunday Readings
Detailed Commentary on the Gospel
Image credit: Jesus and Peter on the water - Gustave Brion, oil, 1880 | Public Domain
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 the last video of the series (#4 of 5.)
John 1
John begins his Gospel account by introducing Jesus as the Word of God, echoing the opening chapters of Genesis, where God created life through his spoken word. This beginning was good, but when God’s creatures rejected his instructions, all creation spiraled into death. The world needed a new beginning, so God's divine word spoke again, but this time, the word became a human named Jesus.
Previous Videos in the Series:
20th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A
What We Celebrate
In this Sunday’s gospel (from Matthew 15) Jesus is approached by a Canaanite woman. At first Jesus does not answer her pleadings then he responds: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” which, to be fair, was something Jesus had already said in Matthew 10. The woman replies, “Lord, help me.” And then we get the unexpected response from Jesus: “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” What are we to make of this exchange? It is certainly not what we expected. As always, there is a lot going in this gospel passage. Take a moment on the back porch!
Full Text of the Sunday Readings
Detailed Commentary on the Gospel
Image credit: Jean Germain Drouais, Christ and the Canaanite Woman, 1784, Louvre Museum | Public Domain
The Prophet Isaiah
Lately the first readings have been from the prophet Isaiah. Here are two animated videos that give a great overview of Isaiah. But consider a passage from the readings for the 20th Sunday:
“The foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, ministering to him, loving the name of the LORD, and becoming his servants—all who keep the sabbath free from profanation and hold to my covenant, them I will bring to my holy mountain.” (Is 56: 6-7)
Why do you think the Church has paired this reading from Isaiah with the Gospel of Matthew’s account of Jesus and the Canaanite Woman? Although Isaiah's primary audience was the nation of Judah, some of his prophecies had broader implications. For instance, Isaiah 2:2-4 speaks of all nations streaming to God's mountain to learn His ways and walk in His paths, indicating a universal message of peace and harmony among all people.
Explore this and other messages from the Prophet Isaiah in the two videos!
The careful reader of Matthew should be mindful that there have been persistent hints. From the beginning of the Gospel, Matthew begins to make it clear that the community of the Messiah is formed from unexpected sources. The mention of Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba in the genealogy, all evidently Gentiles with overtones of scandal in their backgrounds, prepares the reader for Jesus’ association with the sinners of his own day. The curious arrival of the mysterious wise men (Magi) from the east who wish to worship Jesus foreshadows the power of the message of the Kingdom to summon followers in surprising ways. Jesus’ amazement at the faith of the Roman officer and his acknowledgement of the faith of the Canaanite woman encourage the readers of this Gospel to believe that the message of the Kingdom is able to engender faith from unlikely sources in their own day. All of these episodes from the narrative collectively encouraged Matthew’s original Jewish readers to expand their vision of the people of God. It was not that they should abandon their fellow Jews, but they were to take the message of the Kingdom to all the nations - fulfilling their mission and the vision of Isaiah.