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.”
12th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A
What We Celebrate
Our gospel reading opens with the ominous, “Therefore do not be afraid of them.” Of course that just raises the question about the identity of “them.” There are verses that are not included in the Sunday gospels, notably Matthew 10:9-25, contain the actions of “them.” A summary might include:
- those who do not receive the Twelve and their message of redemption (v.14)
- the ones who “hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues” (v.17)
- governors and kinds (v.18)
- family members who turn against you (v.21)
“Don’t be afraid” prepares for the sayings about whom the disciples should fear in vv. 28 and 31, a part of our Sunday gospel in which the admonition to not be afraid is repeated. Yet the Twelve are being sent into mission for which Jesus has already outlined what awaits them? Why should they not be afraid? There is a lot more to glean from this Sunday’s Gospel.
There is a lot more to glean from this Sunday’s Gospel
The Character of God: Slow to Anger
One of the most repeated verses in Scripture is taken from Exodus 34:6: “The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity.” This verse is quoted or referenced 20 more times in the Old Testament. Take a moment to watch this short video (#4 of 6) in the series.
Previous videos in the series are:
13th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A
What We Celebrate
In the gospel for this coming Sunday we again encounter Jesus preparing his disciples for their mission. Previously he had warned them about the hostilities and divisions they would face from family, friends, and religious authorities. Nonetheless he admonishes the disciples, “do not be afraid of them.”
In this week’s gospel he makes clear where the loyalties and commitments needs to be placed: “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;” And the same time, he holds out for them the rewards that awaits them if they will deny themselves, identify with Christ, count the costs, and radically align their lives with his mission.
There is a lot more to glean from this Sunday’s Gospel
The Character of God: Loyal Love
One of the most repeated verses in Scripture is taken from Exodus 34:6: “The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity.” This verse is quoted or referenced 20 more times in the Old Testament. Take a moment to watch this short video (#5of 6) in the series.
Previous videos in the series are:
14th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A
What We Celebrate
In the gospel for this coming Sunday we find Jesus in prayer. It is a prayer of thanksgiving for success in his efforts to call people to the Kingdom of God, but it also thanks God for the failures. The ones who are supposedly “wise and learned” are the ones who would not receive the God news. The ones who were thought naive and childlike are the ones who accepted the offer of relationship to Jesus and his Father.
It is the reality that the disciples will face. There are lessons to be learned for our time as we have the same mission as the Apostles. And as the gospel admonishes – take on the Lord’s yoke!
There is a lot more to glean from this Sunday’s Gospel
The Character of God: Faithful
One of the most repeated verses in Scripture is taken from Exodus 34:6: “The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity.” This verse is quoted or referenced 20 more times in the Old Testament. Take a moment to watch this short video (#6 of 6) in the series.
Previous videos in the series are:
15th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A
What We Celebrate
In the parable there are three primary images: sower, seed, and ground. While there may be some differences in emphasis or specific details, the general understanding of the three images and their interconnection can be summarized as follows:
The sower draws from the OT prophetic tradition of God sowing his seed in the chosen people in the form of the Covenant Law with the purpose of having that fruit multiply. Fulfilling that prophetic role, now the sower represents Jesus or any person who spreads the message of the Gospel, proclaiming the word of God.
As mentioned above, the seed represents the word of God, in the OT given through the Law and Prophets and now given through Jesus, the fulfillment of the Law and Prophets and the Living Word of God. For Christians this means the message of the Gospel. It refers to the teachings and truths found in Scripture and Tradition that have the potential to take root in people’s hearts and transform their lives. The seed symbolizes the divine truth and the message of salvation through Jesus Christ.
The ground represents the condition of the human heart or the receptivity of the hearers to the message of the Gospel.
In the context of Matthew’s gospel, much of the chapters previous to Mt 13 have, in one way or another, dealt with the people’s reception or rejection of the mission. In this light, while all three elements—the sower, the seed, and the ground—are important to the parable’s message, the primary focus is on the varying responses of the different types of soil to the sower’s scattering of the seed.
As Christians we are responsible to sow the seeds of faith and proclamation of the Kingdom of Heaven – in our place and time and circumstance. We have to “equip” ourselves with “seed,” that is the Word of God and our own relationship with Jesus. We are responsible to “check our feet” to ensure we are planted in fertile, rich soil. And this also means to examine our own heart and consider how we are responding to the Word of God in our lives. Have allowed that WOrd to take deep root in our life? Are we bearing fruit? Then our example can shine before others!
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 #1 of 5
Genesis
In this Bible commentary video, we look at how the literary design of Genesis 1 reveals God’s ideal vision for the ordering of the cosmos. Genesis 1 shows us the immense power of God, as he separates the chaotic waters and brings order to creation. God establishes time, the sky, the sea, and the land, and then he fills these realms with inhabitants. Genesis 1 shows the carefully designed cosmos from an ancient perspective and makes clear that God’s good world is a place where Heaven and Earth overlap. It’s a place where God and humans are meant to rule alongside each other, bringing life and flourishing to all of creation.
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: