Husband. Father. Pastor. Theologian. Sometimes Fisherman, Sometimes Poet. Child of God.
I won't be preaching on this text from John 12 this week, but there is a kernel of sublime truth here worth commenting on. Before we get there, let's consider the passage from John 12:20-26: 20 Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. 21 They came to Philip, who was from …
In my last post, I said that we would finish John 3:11-21 with the consideration of God's redemption of the world, or as I phrase it, the entirety of the created order. Here, again, is my translation of verses 16 through 21: 16 “For God loved the world in this way: he gave his only Son, so …
There are two texts I am dealing with these week, one the prominent text from the Gospel of John and the other a text from Numbers meant to give context to what John is saying about Jesus. Here is the text from John 3:11-21. You will notice I enlarge the lectionary reading so as to …
In my previous post, I made several points. One, we should be very careful about how we approach rendering "of the Jews" in verse 13. Jesus was a Jew, headed to the Temple to observe Passover. We cannot read this passage as supersessionist as if Jesus intended to do away with the covenants given to …
My text this week is John 2:13-25. My slightly altered translation reads: 13 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. 15 Making a whip of cords, he cast all of them out of the …
I want to share with you a poem I read this evening by the famous Persian poet Rumi (Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī ) entitled "Be Lost In the Call," translated by Kabir Helminski: Lord, said David, since you do not need us, why did you create these two worlds? Reality replied: O prisoner of time, I was …
In reading an essay entitled "A Siamese Connexion with a Plurality of Other Mortals" by Scott McVay, I was struck by a poem the author included: I am currently working on a paper for my doctoral course work in Science and Theology. My hope is that our theology will continue to expand in perspective to …
In my second post on this passage, I concluded that the wilderness is not the locus of God abandonment, but rather the staging point for radical encounter with God. Sustained by God through ministering angels, Jesus is shown to be the bread of heaven himself (manna). Jesus is the embodiment of the kingdom, the ongoing …
In my last post, I concluded that in the baptism of Jesus in Mark 1:9-11, we can think of no picture or analog of greater fellowship and connection with God than in this moment when Jesus' ministry of proclamation is inaugurated. As Jesus became what we are so that we might become who he is, …
Like many parents yesterday, both shock and relief flooded over me as I heard the news about the school shooting in Florida. I am ashamed to admit it, but it's true. Shock is obvious, we all felt it. Relief came in the selfish solace that it wasn't my child's school. My local school sent out …
Samuel Weddington 